DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT
拖泥帶水
简 拖泥带水 · 繁 拖泥帶水Mandarin · pinyin tuō ní dài shuǐ
Meanings
- (idiom) muddy and wet
- (idiom) (of speech, writing etc) slovenly; sloppy; (of actions) indecisive
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Mandarin tones
1–2–4–3 · tuo1 ni2 dai4 shui3
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
Connected dictionary
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Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
to1 nai4 daai3 seoi2
Cantonese word readings for 拖泥帶水. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
to1 nai4 daai3 seoi2
Pleco · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Word reading; meanings not aligned.
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
phrase
- (derogatory) to do something in a long-drawn or slovenly manner; to be indecisive or beat about the bush
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack