口干舌燥

Pronunciation: kǒu gān shé zào
Literal meaning: Mouth dry tongue parched

Origin & Usage

This physical idiom describes a dry (干) mouth (口) and parched (燥) tongue (舌), originating from Tang Dynasty medical texts. It initially appeared in clinical descriptions of febrile diseases where dehydration produced these uncomfortable symptoms. During the Song Dynasty, it expanded beyond medical contexts to describe the exhaustion of speakers after lengthy orations, particularly common among examination candidates required to recite classical texts from memory. The specific symptoms were meaningful as public speaking was central to scholarly and official life in imperial China. Modern usage primarily describes the physical sensation after extended talking, but can also metaphorically suggest verbal exhaustion after explaining something repeatedly or extensively.

Examples

English: "After speaking for three hours, the presenter needed water desperately"

Chinese: 讲了三个小时后，演讲者迫切需要水

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