📖 Meaning
Literally describing water flowing on and on without stopping, this idiom refers to someone talking continuously and incessantly. It depicts a person who speaks with such fluency and abundance that they seem unable or unwilling to stop.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from 'Kaiyuan Tianbao Yishi' (Anecdotes of the Kaiyuan and Tianbao Eras) written by Wang Renyu during the Five Dynasties period. It describes Zhang Jiuling, a renowned minister and poet of the Tang Dynasty, who was famed for his eloquence. The text recounts that whenever he debated the classics with guests, his words flowed on and on without exhaustion, likened to balls rolling swiftly down a slope ('如下阪走丸'). The image of ceaseless flowing water thus became a metaphor for unending, fluent speech.
💡 Example Usage
他一聊起自己钟爱的历史话题，便滔滔不绝，让人根本插不上话。
The moment he starts talking about his favorite historical topics, he goes on and on endlessly, leaving no room for anyone else to speak.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 滔滔不绝
- Pinyin: tāo tāo bù jué
- Literal Translation: surging-flowing, surging-flowing, not, ceasing
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4