Definition
说不过去 is a fixed phrase (惯用语) meaning 'cannot be justified or explained away'. It is used to criticize an argument, excuse, or situation as unreasonable or unacceptable. The literal meaning is 'speak not go past', but the actual usage is always negative — you say something 说不过去 when it fails to hold up under scrutiny. Note: the standard pronunciation is shuō bú guò qù, but the source data lists shuì; this may be a data error.
r.v.
cannot be justified or explained awayunreasonableunacceptable
Examples
- 说不过去，。Nǐ de lǐyóu shuì, wǒ bù néng jiēshòu.Your reason is unjustifiable; I can't accept it.
- 说不过去，。Zhèyàng zuò shízài shuì, dàjiā dōu bù mǎnyì.Doing this is really unreasonable; everyone is dissatisfied.
- 说不过去，。Zhège jiěshì shuì, nǐ zuì hǎo zài xiǎngxiǎng.This explanation doesn't hold water; you'd better think again.
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