口若悬河
口若悬河 (kǒu ruò xuán hé) literally means “mouth like a suspended river” and expresses “eloquent and persuasive”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning.
Also searched as: kou ruo xuan he, kou ruo xuan he,口若悬河 meaning, 口若悬河 in english
Eloquent and persuasive
Pronunciation: kǒu ruò xuán hé Literal meaning: Mouth like a suspended river
Origin & Usage
Wang Yan, asked about the philosopher Guo Xiang's talk, said that listening to him was like water pouring from a river hung overhead — pouring and never running dry. The New Account of Tales of the World keeps the remark, and the image survives in the idiom: a mouth (口) like (若) a suspended (悬) river (河). The praise is for volume and momentum rather than for precision, which leaves it usable both ways. Said of a good speaker it is admiration; said of someone at a meeting it can quietly mean they have not stopped talking.
Examples
English: "His storytelling ability was so captivating that it flowed effortlessly like a river."
Chinese: 他的讲故事能力口若悬河，滔滔不绝。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about wisdom & learning
信口开河
xìn kǒu kāi hé
Talk irresponsibly; make things up
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悬崖勒马
xuán yá lè mǎ
Stop before too late
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过河拆桥
guò hé chāi qiáo
Abandoning those who helped you
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悬梁刺股
xuán liáng cì gǔ
Study extremely hard
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悬崖峭壁
xuán yá qiào bì
Daunting challenges
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虚怀若谷
xū huái ruò gǔ
Stay humble and open
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洞若观火
dòng ruò guān huǒ
Understand with absolute clarity
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出口成章
chū kǒu chéng zhāng
Speaks in finished prose
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 口若悬河 mean in English?
口若悬河 (kǒu ruò xuán hé) literally translates to “Mouth like a suspended river” and is used to express “Eloquent and persuasive”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 口若悬河 used?
Situation: His storytelling ability was so captivating that it flowed effortlessly like a river.
What is the pinyin for 口若悬河?
The pinyin pronunciation for 口若悬河 is “kǒu ruò xuán hé”.