# 拖泥带水

tuō ní dài shuǐ

Be wordy, hesitant, or unnecessarily drawn out

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Drag mud and carry water

**Traditional Chinese:** 拖泥帶水

**Register:** Critical · general

[Choices & judgment](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/decisions)

## When to use it

Criticize lack of clarity or decisiveness in speech and action.

Not merely taking time where careful work requires it.

## Understanding the expression

Mud and water cling to movement and prevent a clean finish. The expression compares that messy trailing material to speech or action burdened with unnecessary complications. A speaker may circle around the point, or a decision-maker may prolong a settled matter. It usually urges clarity and decisiveness. Careful detail is not automatically a defect, so the criticism should concern what obstructs the task rather than simply the time a thorough process takes.

## Examples

回答要直接，别拖泥带水。

### Traditional Chinese

回答要直接，別拖泥帶水。

huí dá yào zhí jiē ， bié tuō ní dài shuǐ 。

Answer directly without unnecessary rambling.

他办事利落，从不拖泥带水。

### Traditional Chinese

他辦事利落，從不拖泥帶水。

tā bàn shì lì luò ， cóng bù tuō ní dài shuǐ 。

He handles matters cleanly and decisively.

这段结尾拖泥带水，可以删短。

### Traditional Chinese

這段結尾拖泥帶水，可以刪短。

zhè duàn jié wěi tuō ní dài shuǐ ， kě yǐ shān duǎn 。

The ending drags and can be shortened.

分手已经决定，就不要拖泥带水。

### Traditional Chinese

分手已經決定，就不要拖泥帶水。

fēn shǒu yǐ jīng jué dìng ， jiù bú yào tuō ní dài shuǐ 。

Once separation is decided, do not prolong it indecisively.

## 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=%E6%8B%96%E6%B3%A5%E5%B8%B6%E6%B0%B4)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=565&webMd=1&la=0)

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