Definition
蛐蛐 is a colloquial, often dialectal word for 'cricket' (the insect), with a reduplicated onomatopoeic form that mimics the insect's chirping. It also has a slang sense as a noun meaning 'gossip' or 'whispering behind someone's back', used in informal contexts like 说蛐蛐 ('to gossip'). The two senses are unrelated, so context determines which one is intended.
n
(dialect) cricket (the insect)(slang) gossipwhispering behind someone's back
Examples
- ，蛐蛐。Xiàtiān wǎnshang, wǒ chángcháng tīng dào qū qū de jiàoshēng.On summer nights, I often hear the chirping of crickets.
- 蛐蛐。Tāmen xǐhuan zài bèihòu shuō biérén de qū qū.They like to gossip about others behind their backs.
- 蛐蛐。Zhè zhī qū qū shì cóng huāyuán lǐ zhuā lái de.This cricket was caught from the garden.
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