DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT
隔靴搔癢
简 隔靴搔痒 · 繁 隔靴搔癢Mandarin · pinyin gé xuē sāo yǎng
Meanings
- lit. to scratch the outside of the boot (idiom)
- fig. beside the point
- ineffectual
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Mandarin tones
2–1–1–3 · ge2 xue1 sao1 yang3
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
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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
gaak3 hoe1 sou1 joeng5
Cantonese word readings for 隔靴搔癢. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
gaak3 hoe1 sou1 joeng5
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
- (idiomatic) to attempt an ineffective solution
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack