# 喋喋不休

dié dié bù xiū

Talk on and on without stopping

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Chatter without rest

**Register:** Critical · conversational

[People & connection](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/relationships)

## When to use it

Describe excessive repeated talking that bothers listeners.

Usually impatient or critical; avoid using it for respectful attentive conversation.

## Understanding the expression

The repeated opening sound mimics an ongoing stream of speech, and the ending means that it does not stop. The focus is usually the listener's experience: the same complaint or topic keeps coming back when others need quiet or a chance to speak. It can describe nagging, gossip, or lengthy explanations. A passionate speaker is not automatically annoying, so the surrounding sentence supplies the criticism.

## Examples

他一路喋喋不休地抱怨堵车。

### Traditional Chinese

他一路喋喋不休地抱怨堵車。

tā yí lù dié dié bù xiū dì bào yuàn dǔ chē 。

He complained about the traffic nonstop throughout the journey.

妈妈还在喋喋不休地提醒我带伞。

### Traditional Chinese

媽媽還在喋喋不休地提醒我帶傘。

mā ma hái zài dié dié bù xiū dì tí xǐng wǒ dài sǎn 。

Mom is still repeatedly reminding me to take an umbrella.

开会时别喋喋不休，给别人发言的机会。

### Traditional Chinese

開會時別喋喋不休，給別人發言的機會。

kāi huì shí bié dié dié bù xiū ， gěi bié rén fā yán de jī huì 。

Do not keep talking at the meeting; let others speak.

邻座的人喋喋不休，我没法看书。

### Traditional Chinese

鄰座的人喋喋不休，我沒法看書。

lín zuò de rén dié dié bù xiū ， wǒ méi fǎ kàn shū 。

The person next to me kept talking, so I could not read.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E5%96%8B%E5%96%8B%E4%B8%8D%E4%BC%91)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=362&webMd=1&la=0)

## Keep exploring

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- [恶贯满盈 è guàn mǎn yíng Accumulate an appalling record of wrongdoing ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/e-guan-man-ying)

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