📖 Meaning
Describes the physical decline of old age: teeth falling out and speech becoming slurred or unclear. The idiom is used to portray an elderly person whose faculties have decayed to the point of speaking indistinctly. It carries a tone of pity or sympathy for the ravages of aging.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from Chapter 2 of the classic Qing-dynasty novel 《红楼梦》(Dream of the Red Chamber) by Cao Xueqin. In the passage, Jia Yucun takes shelter in a dilapidated temple and encounters an ancient monk: '那老僧既聋且昏，又齿落舌钝，所答非所问' — 'that old monk was both deaf and muddled, and with fallen teeth and a dull tongue, his answers did not match the questions.' The vivid description captures the monk's extreme age and failing senses. From this literary passage, '齿落舌钝' became a set phrase for the speech impairment and decay that accompany advanced age.
💡 Example Usage
祖父年迈齿落舌钝，讲话含糊不清，家人须耐心倾听。
Grandfather, in his old age with teeth fallen and tongue dull, spoke indistinctly, and the family had to listen with patience.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 齿落舌钝
- Pinyin: chǐ luò shé dùn
- Literal Translation: teeth, fall out, tongue, dull
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4