fickle; promiscuous; unfaithful
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesidiom
(of a woman) fickle in love; promiscuous; unfaithful; flighty
derogatoryThis idiom literally compares a woman's fickleness to water that flows unpredictably and poplar catkins (杨花) that drift everywhere in the wind. It is highly derogatory and considered sexist by modern standards.
Tā她
shì是
yī一
gè个
shuǐ水
xìng性
yáng杨
huā花
de的
nǚ女
rén人
，
bù不
zhí值
dé得
xìn信
rèn任
。
She is a fickle, unfaithful woman who is not worth trusting.
Xiǎo小
shuō说
lǐ里
bǎ把
nà那
gè个
guì贵
zú族
fù妇
nǚ女
miáo描
xiě写
chéng成
shuǐ水
xìng性
yáng杨
huā花
de的
rén人
wù物
。
The novel portrays that noblewoman as a flighty, promiscuous character.
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Zhè这
zhǒng种
shuǐ水
xìng性
yáng杨
huā花
de的
xíng行
wéi为
zuì最
zhōng终
dǎo导
zhì致
le了
tā她
de的
bēi悲
jù剧
。
Such promiscuous behavior eventually led to her tragic downfall.
Zài在
gǔ古
dài代
xì戏
qǔ曲
zhōng中
，
shuǐ水
xìng性
yáng杨
huā花
de的
nǚ女
rén人
wǎng往
wǎng往
méi没
yǒu有
hǎo好
xià下
chǎng场
。
In ancient operas, unfaithful women usually met with bad ends.