泼冷水

• Pinyin: pō lěng shuǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 泼 = 氵+ 发 (water + to discharge — to pour/splash); 冷 = 氵+ 令 (water + command — cold water that commands a halt); 水 = ≋ (water)

Meaning

To pour cold water on; to dampen someone's enthusiasm; to discourage or deflate optimism. Used when excitement or plans are met with skepticism or criticism.

Always used figuratively. 不要泼冷水 = don't be a wet blanket. Can describe being overly cautious (justified realism dampening enthusiasm) or being unnecessarily discouraging. Context determines whether the speaker approves or disapproves.

Examples

1. 就在团队士气高涨、准备全力冲刺的关键时刻，他的那番消极言论无疑是一盆泼冷水，令大家顿时泄气。 Just as morale was high and the team was ready to make an all-out push, his negative remarks were like a bucket of cold water, deflating everyone at once.
2. 她并非想泼冷水，只是希望大家在兴奋之余，也能理性评估这项计划在实际操作层面所面临的种种挑战。 She wasn’t trying to dampen anyone’s enthusiasm; she just hoped that amid the excitement, everyone would also rationally assess the real-world challenges of putting the plan into practice.
3. 新政策刚公布时民众期待值极高，随后媒体的一系列深度报道泼了不少冷水，揭示出诸多落地难题。 When the new policy was first announced, public expectations were sky-high, but a series of in-depth media reports poured plenty of cold water on it, exposing major obstacles to implementation.

Usage Guide

Context: workplace, motivation, conversation, planning

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 在创业初期，频繁泼冷水而缺乏建设性建议，只会让团队信心受挫、动力丧失，而非培养必要的风险意识。(In the early stages of entrepreneurship, pouring cold water too frequently without constructive suggestions will only erode team confidence and sap motivation, rather than cultivating necessary risk awareness.)
• 他的本意或许是提醒大家保持冷静，但在那个节骨眼上说那番话，客观上起到了泼冷水的效果，令合作谈判气氛骤然降温。(His intention may have been to urge everyone to remain calm, but saying those things at that critical juncture objectively had the effect of pouring cold water on proceedings, causing the atmosphere of the cooperation talks to cool sharply.)

Don't Say

• 泼冷水 is colloquial — avoid in formal written contexts; in formal writing, use 打击积极性 or 降低热情; note 泼冷水 can sometimes be positive (justified realism), so context determines whether the speaker approves or disapproves

Origin & History

泼 (to splash/pour — 氵water + 发 to discharge) + 冷 (cold) + 水 (water). Vivid image of throwing cold water on fire (enthusiasm).

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal