茶馆不要的伙计,哪壶不开提哪壶 茶館不要的伙計,哪壺不開提哪壺 茶館不要的伙計,哪壺不開提哪壺

a worker the teahouse wouldn't keep: he picks up the very kettle that isn't boiling

Saying俗语俗語

Two-part saying歇后语歇後語 · In everyday use

Meaning
Describes someone who brings up exactly the subject another person least wants mentioned. It is critical or exasperated.
Wordplay
提 (tí) means both to lift a kettle and to bring up a topic, so picking up the unboiled kettle becomes raising the sore subject.
Simplified
茶馆不要的伙计,哪壶不开提哪壶
Traditional (Taiwan)
茶館不要的伙計,哪壺不開提哪壺
Pinyin
cháguǎn búyào de huǒji, nǎhúbùkāitínǎhú
Bopomofo
ㄔㄚˊ ㄍㄨㄢˇ ㄅㄨˊ ㄧㄠˋ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄏㄨㄛˇ ˙ㄐㄧ,ㄋㄚˇ ㄏㄨˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄞ ㄊㄧˊ ㄋㄚˇ ㄏㄨˊ

Written with HSK 1 vocabulary, at CEFR level A1.

Words in this sentence

Where this sentence is used

All Chinese example sentences