Definition
前言不搭后语 is a four-character idiom (成语) describing speech or writing that is disjointed, contradictory, or doesn't flow logically — the 'front words don't connect with the back words.' You can use it to criticize someone's argument, a poorly written essay, or a rambling explanation. It's a set phrase, not a verb you conjugate; it typically appears as a predicate after 得 or as a standalone comment.
f.e.
incoherentself-contradictory (of speech or writing)
Examples
- 前言不搭后语，。Tā shuōhuà qián yán bú, méi rén tīng de dǒng.He speaks incoherently; no one can understand him.
- 前言不搭后语，。Zhè piān wénzhāng qián yán bú, xūyào chóngxiě.This article is self-contradictory and needs to be rewritten.
- 前言不搭后语，？Nǐ gāngcái shuō de qián yán bú, dàodǐ xiǎng biǎodá shénme?What you just said is incoherent — what exactly are you trying to express?
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