隔墙有耳
隔墙有耳 (gé qiáng yǒu ěr) literally means “walls have ears” and expresses “be discreet”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: ge qiang you er, ge qiang you er,隔墙有耳 meaning, 隔墙有耳 in english
Be discreet
Pronunciation: gé qiáng yǒu ěr Literal meaning: Walls have ears
Origin & Usage
Across (隔) the wall (墙) there are (有) ears (耳). Early statecraft texts carry the warning in the barer form 墙有耳, and Chinese and English arrived at almost the same image independently, which is unusual enough to be worth noticing. The phrase functions as an interruption rather than an observation: it is what one person says to another mid-conversation, and it means stop talking about this here, rather than commenting on anyone in particular.
Examples
English: "Be careful what you say; walls have ears in this office."
Chinese: 在这个办公室里，你要小心说话，隔墙有耳。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
铜墙铁壁
tóng qiáng tiě bì
Impenetrable defense
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隔岸观火
gé àn guān huǒ
Observe troubles from safe distance
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恍如隔世
huǎng rú gé shì
Feeling as if ages have passed
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隔靴搔痒
gé xuē sāo yǎng
Ineffective indirect solution
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掩耳盗铃
yǎn ěr dào líng
Self-deception through ignoring reality
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耳濡目染
ěr rú mù rǎn
Learning unconsciously through constant exposure
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耳目一新
ěr mù yī xīn
A refreshing new experience
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耳聪目明
ěr cōng mù míng
Perceptive and insightful
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 隔墙有耳 mean in English?
隔墙有耳 (gé qiáng yǒu ěr) literally translates to “Walls have ears” and is used to express “Be discreet”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 隔墙有耳 used?
Situation: Be careful what you say; walls have ears in this office.
What is the pinyin for 隔墙有耳?
The pinyin pronunciation for 隔墙有耳 is “gé qiáng yǒu ěr”.