Definition
稀泥 literally means 'thin mud,' but in everyday Chinese it's almost always used in the figurative sense through the idiomatic expression 和稀泥 (huò xīní), which describes a person who tries to smooth over conflicts by avoiding taking a clear position — sometimes disparagingly. You can also use it literally to describe muddy ground after rain or in construction contexts.
n.
thin mud (literal)(figurative, in 和稀泥) a compromising or fence-sitting attitude used to avoid taking a stand
Examples
- 稀泥，。Dì shang yǒu xī ní, xiǎoxīn huádǎo.There's thin mud on the ground — be careful not to slip.
- 稀泥，。Tā yùdào máodùn jiù zhǐ huì huò xī ní, cónglái bù biǎomíng lìchǎng.When faced with a conflict, he just smooths things over by not taking sides and never states his position.
- 稀泥，。Bié huò xī ní le, zhè jiàn shì bìxū shuō qīngchu.Stop compromising — we need to be clear about this matter.
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