📖 Meaning
To flirt and banter playfully between men and women. It describes lighthearted teasing and flirtatious joking, often with an undertone of romantic interest. The phrase combines expressing affection with playful verbal sparring.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from 'Xi You Bu' (A Supplement to Journey to the West), a novel written by Dong Yue during the Ming Dynasty. In its first chapter, the author describes scenes of common folk amusement where people picked wild flowers, wove grass divinations, and engaged in playful flirting while carrying their children. The phrase captures the lively, informal interactions between men and women in everyday social settings.
💡 Example Usage
那两人一见面就打情骂俏，旁若无人地嬉笑打闹。
The two of them started flirting and bantering the moment they met, laughing and joking as if no one else were around.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 打情骂俏
- Pinyin: dǎ qíng mà qiào
- Literal Translation: play, love, scold, witty
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4