七嘴八舌

Pronunciation: qī zuǐ bā shé Literal meaning: Seven mouths eight tongues

Origin & Usage

This idiom uses the numbers seven (七) and eight (八), which in Chinese often suggest 'many' or 'various,' combined with mouths (嘴) and tongues (舌) to describe multiple people talking simultaneously. The phrase emerged during the Ming Dynasty in colloquial literature depicting lively scenes of debate or gossip. It captures the chaos and energy of multiple voices competing to be heard. Modern usage describes animated group discussions, often with a slightly chaotic or noisy connotation.

Examples

English: "Everyone was talking at once, offering different opinions."

Chinese: 大家七嘴八舌，各抒己见。