拐弯抹角
拐弯抹角 (guǎi wān mò jiǎo) literally means “turn corners, skirt angles” and expresses “speak or act in deliberately indirect manner”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.
Also searched as: guai wan mo jiao, guai wan mo jiao,拐弯抹角 meaning, 拐弯抹角 in english
Speak or act in deliberately indirect manner
Pronunciation: guǎi wān mò jiǎo Literal meaning: Turn corners, skirt angles
Origin & Usage
Turning corners (拐弯) and skirting angles (抹角) — the phrase describes a route through a crowded old quarter, where nothing runs straight and progress is made by a series of small deflections. Applied to speech it means arriving at the point eventually and never directly. The tone is mildly impatient, and the commonest form is the imperative: 别拐弯抹角, stop going round the houses, which is close to the English idiom in both sense and tone.
Examples
English: "Instead of directly asking for a raise, he spoke vaguely about compensation and market rates"
Chinese: 他没有直接要求加薪，而是含糊地谈论薪酬和市场行情
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about relationships & character
长话短说
cháng huà duǎn shuō
Make a long story short
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名副其实
míng fù qí shí
Living up to one's name or reputation
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若无其事
ruò wú qí shì
Betray nothing of what happened
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羚羊挂角
líng yáng guà jiǎo
Artistry that leaves no trace
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凤毛麟角
fèng máo lín jiǎo
Extremely rare
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道听途说
dào tīng tú shuō
Unreliable information from casual hearsay
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大同小异
dà tóng xiǎo yì
Essentially the same with minor differences
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轻而易举
qīng ér yì jǔ
Easy; effortless
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 拐弯抹角 mean in English?
拐弯抹角 (guǎi wān mò jiǎo) literally translates to “Turn corners, skirt angles” and is used to express “Speak or act in deliberately indirect manner”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.
When is 拐弯抹角 used?
Situation: Instead of directly asking for a raise, he spoke vaguely about compensation and market rates
What is the pinyin for 拐弯抹角?
The pinyin pronunciation for 拐弯抹角 is “guǎi wān mò jiǎo”.