胡说

• Pinyin: hú shuō
• Hanzi breakdown: 胡 = 古 + 月 — reckless, unrestrained; 说 = 言 + 兑 — to speak, to explain

Meaning

To talk nonsense; to say things without basis or reason. Used to dismiss someone's claims as groundless or absurd.

Often used as an exclamation — 胡说! — to flatly refute what someone just said. Can be a strong, blunt rebuttal, or used humorously between friends.

Examples

1. 他声称自己三天内完成了整个项目的开发，同事们都认为他是在胡说，根本不可能做到。 He claimed he finished developing the entire project in three days; his coworkers all thought he was talking nonsense—there was no way that was possible.
2. 这篇网络文章列举了大量毫无根据的所谓科学结论，读者纷纷指出这不过是胡说八道。 This online article lists a bunch of completely unfounded so-called scientific conclusions, and readers pointed out that it's nothing but pure nonsense.
3. 她说这款产品能在一个月内让人减重三十斤，医生直接斥之为胡说，严重违背医学常识。 She said this product could help someone lose thirty pounds in a month; the doctor dismissed it as nonsense that seriously goes against basic medical knowledge.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken language, debate, rebuttal

Tone: blunt

Do Say

• 你别胡说了，这件事明明有完整的证据链，你的这些推断根本站不住脚，只会误导其他人。(Stop talking nonsense — there is clearly a complete chain of evidence for this matter; your conjectures are completely groundless and will only mislead others.)
• 专家在发布会上明确指出，网络上广泛流传的那些所谓内部消息完全是胡说，没有任何事实依据。(The expert stated explicitly at the press conference that the so-called 'insider information' circulating widely online is complete nonsense with no factual basis whatsoever.)

Don't Say

• 胡说 when you mean 误解 (misunderstanding) — 胡说 implies deliberate or reckless falsehood, whereas 误解 is an innocent misunderstanding

Origin & History

胡 (recklessly; haphazardly) + 说 (to speak) — speaking recklessly without factual basis

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal