📖 Meaning
The speaker's tongue is worn out and the listener's ears go deaf. It describes a situation where someone talks at length to persuade or argue, but their words fall on deaf ears and have no effect. The phrase conveys the futility of excessive persuasion when the other party refuses to listen.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase originates from 'Zhanguo Ce' (Strategies of the Warring States), specifically the chapter 'Qin Ce I' (秦策一), compiled during the Western Han dynasty by Liu Xiang. The full line reads '舌敝耳聋，不见成功,' meaning that despite exhausting oneself in speech and argument, no success is achieved. It was used in the context of political lobbying during the Warring States period, where traveling advisors (纵横家) would spend enormous effort persuading rulers, often to no avail. The phrase captures the frustration of eloquent persuasion wasted on an unresponsive audience.
💡 Example Usage
他说得舌敝耳聋，也没能说服对方改变主意。
He talked until he was hoarse and his listener deaf, yet still failed to persuade the other party to change their mind.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 舌敝耳聋
- Pinyin: shé bì ěr lóng
- Literal Translation: tongue, worn out, ear, deaf
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4