Meanings
- human sciencesA kind of Chinese proverb consisting of two elements: the former segment presents a novel scenario while the latter provides the rationale thereof. One would often only state the first part, expecting the listener to know the second. Compare English "a stitch in time (saves nine)" or "a bird in the hand (is worth two in the bush)".
1 more example
All that is necessary for a successful hsieh hou yü is that the characters of which it is composed should have a well known, invariable order. This being presupposed, mere arbitrary sounds in which the characters have no meaning at all, are quite as good as any others. Thus the sounds, chʽih pu leng teng (吃不楞登) represent the noise of beating on a drum, or anything similar, like our ‘rub-a-dub-dub.’ Hence the hsieh hou yü: ‘Light the Ch’ih-pu-leng,’ i.e, teng, Lamp. 點上了吃不楞[燈]
[1914, Arthur H. Smith, “Puns and Other Linguistic Diversions.”, in Proverbs and Common Sayings from the Chinese, New and Revised edition, Shanghai: American Presbyterian Mission Press, →OCLC, pages 248-249
Origin
- Mandarin歇後語 /歇后语
- Englishxiehouyu
From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of Mandarin 歇後語 /歇后语 (xiēhòuyǔ).
More words from Mandarin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Cantonese 歇後語 /歇后语
- 歇後語 /歇后语 (hit³ hau⁶ jyu⁵)certain kind of Chinese proverb
Chinese Mandarin 歇後語 /歇后语
- 歇後語 /歇后语 (xiēhòuyǔ)certain kind of Chinese proverb
Russian сехоую́й, «недогово́рка»
- сехоую́й (sexoujúj)certain kind of Chinese proverb
- «недогово́рка»certain kind of Chinese proverb
Cite this entry
xiehouyu. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/xiehouyu
“xiehouyu.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/xiehouyu. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “xiehouyu,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/xiehouyu.
Source: xiehouyu on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.