絮叨

• Pinyin: xù dao
• Hanzi breakdown: 絮 = 纟(thread radical, tangled/loose) + 如 (phonetic); 叨 = 口 (mouth) + 刀 (phonetic)

Meaning

Wordy; nagging; long-winded. Describes someone who rambles repetitively, often delivering the same message over and over.

Commonly used to describe elders who repeat advice, or people who cannot stop talking. Has an informal, mildly critical tone. Often used affectionately among family but can also imply mild annoyance.

Examples

1. 奶奶总是絮叨着让我多穿衣服，虽然有些烦，但心里明白那是她的爱。 Grandma is always nagging me to wear more clothes. It can be annoying, but I know it’s her way of showing love.
2. 他一开口就絮叨个没完，会议本来半小时能结束，愣是拖了两个小时。 Once he starts talking, he just won’t stop. A meeting that could’ve ended in half an hour dragged on for two hours.
3. 领导在大会上反复絮叨同样的几点，台下的员工都已经背得滚瓜烂熟了。 At the big meeting, the boss kept repeating the same few points, and the employees in the audience had already memorized them.

Usage Guide

Context: family, daily life

Tone: mildly negative

Do Say

• 别总这么絮叨了，我都听进去了。(Stop being so long-winded — I heard you the first time.)
• 他喜欢絮叨，但每句话都出于真心的关爱。(He tends to nag, but every word comes from genuine concern.)

Don't Say

• 演讲者絮叨了一场精彩报告 — 絮叨 is negative/informal and implies repetitive rambling; for an impressive, detailed speech use 发表 or 做了一场精彩的演讲; never pair 絮叨 with positive content

Origin & History

絮 (cotton fluff/to ramble) + 叨 (to chatter/repeat)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal