📖 Meaning
To shout abuse at someone using harsh and insulting words. It describes a situation where a person loses their temper and begins loudly cursing or verbally attacking another person.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from Qing dynasty writer Li Baojia's novel 'Guanchang Xianxing Ji' (A Revelation of Officialdom), a biting satire of late-Qing bureaucratic corruption. In one scene, before a waiter could even open his mouth, a woman had already begun loudly cursing at him. The expression has since become a common way to depict explosive verbal abuse in everyday Chinese.
💡 Example Usage
一听到这个消息，他气得当场破口大骂。
Upon hearing the news, he was so furious that he immediately started cursing out loud.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 破口大骂
- Pinyin: pò kǒu dà mà
- Literal Translation: break, mouth, big, curse
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4