📖 Meaning
Describes someone who speaks with great eloquence and fluency, as if water were pouring endlessly from their mouth. It typically conveys admiration for a person's oratorical skill and ability to talk at length on a subject without hesitation.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom comes from the Jin Dynasty scholar Guo Xiang (郭象), as recorded in the Shishuo Xinyu (世说新语) by Liu Yiqing. Guo Xiang was renowned for his brilliant philosophical discourses, and his contemporary Wang Yan (王衍) praised him by saying his speech flowed like a torrential river pouring down from a cliff — never stopping, never faltering. The phrase was later crystallized into the four-character idiom 口若悬河.
💡 Example Usage
他在辩论赛上口若悬河，把对手驳得哑口无言。
He spoke with the eloquence of a raging river at the debate, leaving his opponent completely speechless.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 口若悬河
- Pinyin: kǒu ruò xuán hé
- Literal Translation: mouth, like, hanging, river
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4