<p>The Great God Baidu has this to say (the English from me):</p>

<p>话不投机: 话说不到一起。指意见或见解不一致。 Communication failure. Ideas or opinions clash.</p>

<p>出处：《元曲选·贾仲名〈对玉梳〉二》：“话不投机一句多。”</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-29T09:08:33.063Z
2020-01-29T09:08:33.063Z
Pedroski
<p>話不投機 means you don't share similar interesting or thoughts to chat with people or people don't like what you talk about, think it is not interesting.</p>

<p>Regardless the sentences of example you give is true or not, I just consider the semantic since I am not psychological professional.</p>

<p>发现话不投机，好好聊天才是捷径 show that people have the property of 话不投机 so on the latter part of sentence it encourage people to 好好聊天.</p>

<p>话不投机比不相爱更可怕 shows that 话不投机 is more horror then 不相爱.</p>

<p>许多话不投机 shows that the couple have a lot of different belief.</p>

<p>话不投机半句多 shows that you feel that 半句 is enough if the chat is 话不投机(you feel 半句 is a large amount since it is undesirable).</p>

<p>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-29T03:23:20.420Z
2020-01-29T03:23:20.420Z
000
<p>话 is a verb 说话(to talk).  </p>

<p>不: not. </p>

<p>投机: congenial, agreeable</p>

<p>话不投机: 说话说得不投机，not talk congenially, remarks not appealing to the other side</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-29T03:37:15.353Z
2020-01-29T05:35:07.497Z
2020-01-29T05:35:07.497Z
dan
<p><a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&amp;wdrst=0&amp;wdqtm=0&amp;wdqcham=2&amp;wdqt=%E8%AF%9D%E4%B8%8D%E6%8A%95%E6%9C%BA%E5%8D%8A%E5%8F%A5%E5%A4%9A" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CC-CEDICT</a> already has</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>话不投机半句多<br>
  huà​bù​tóu​jī​bàn​jù​duō​<br>
  when words get sour, adding words is useless (idiom) </p>
</blockquote>

<p>话不投机 here matches up with “when words get sour.” That's a pretty surefire way to get the editors to approve your definition. (Although the original might need some work).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-29T04:47:44.283Z
I'm not sure this is the best translation of 话不投机半句多, it looks like it might need modification.  I believe [Wayne Cheah's comment](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/36706/does-the-chengyu-%e8%af%9d%e4%b8%8d%e6%8a%95%e6%9c%ba-hu%c3%a0-b%c3%b9-t%c3%b3u-j%c4%ab-mean-uncongenial-speech#comment54235_36706) contains a better translation.
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-29T04:38:01.677Z
2020-01-29T04:38:01.677Z
Mou某
<p>I'm looking at creating a <a href="https://cc-cedict.org/wiki/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CC-EDICT</a> entry for <a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%9D%E4%B8%8D%E6%8A%95%E6%9C%BA" rel="nofollow noreferrer">话不投机</a> (huà bù tóu jī).  This will need to go through <a href="https://cc-cedict.org/editor/editor.php?popup=1&amp;handler=ContributorManual" rel="nofollow noreferrer">their review process</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>All submitted entries will be queued for reviewing by the CC-CEDICT editors team.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>(See examples in their <a href="https://cc-cedict.org/editor/editor.php?handler=ListChanges" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Change Log</a> to see the <em>evidence</em> required for &quot;submitted&quot; entries.)</p>
<p>I've never done this before, but I thought I'd give it a try.  Here's a start:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Traditional: 話不投機<br />
Simplified: 话不投机<br />
Pinyin: hua4 bu4 tou2 ji1<br />
English: /???/</p>
</blockquote>
<p>My best attempt at an English translation is &quot;uncongenial speech&quot;, where 不 = &quot;not&quot;, 投机 = &quot;congenial&quot;, and 话 = &quot;speech&quot;.</p>
<p><strong>Question</strong>: Does the chengyu 话不投机 mean &quot;uncongenial speech&quot;?</p>
<p>Some online examples (with my partial translations):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>想有段亲密恋情，却发现话不投机，好好聊天才是捷径<sup><a href="https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1618185080628995288&amp;wfr=spider&amp;for=pc" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[src]</a></sup><br />
Want a period of time of intimate romance, but encountered 话不投机, nicely chatting is the only shortcut</p>
<p>话不投机比不相爱更可怕<sup><a href="https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1597325294744271727&amp;wfr=spider&amp;for=pc" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[src]</a></sup><br />
话不投机 is scarier than unrequited love</p>
<p>婚姻生活许多话不投机，不愿意曲意逢迎那就掩耳不听<sup><a href="https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1590921369155622465&amp;wfr=spider&amp;for=pc" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[src]</a></sup><br />
Married life [has] lots of 话不投机, [be] unwilling to bow down to everything [and] refuse to listen</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These all seem consistent with 话不投机 = &quot;uncongenial speech&quot;.  It's surely also related to the CC-CEDIT entry:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>话不投机半句多<br />
when words get sour, adding words is useless (idiom)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This translation is in <a href="https://m.wuxiaworld.co/Tales-of-Herding-Gods/1149099.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Tales of Herding Gods</a> (<a href="https://www.daocaorenshuwu.com/book/mushenji/3068201_2.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">牧神记</a>).  This is consistent with 话不投机 = &quot;uncongenial speech&quot;.</p>
<hr />
<p><a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/36706/does-the-chengyu-%E8%AF%9D%E4%B8%8D%E6%8A%95%E6%9C%BA-hu%C3%A0-b%C3%B9-t%C3%B3u-j%C4%AB-mean-uncongenial-speech#comment54235_36706">Wayne Cheah's comment</a> let me to <a href="https://hanyu.baidu.com/shici/detail?pid=ce7294c5f57411e5a5adc8e0eb15ce01&amp;from=kg0&amp;highlight=%E9%85%92%E9%80%A2%E7%9F%A5%E5%B7%B1%E5%8D%83%E6%9D%AF%E5%B0%91%EF%BC%8C%E8%AF%9D%E4%B8%8D%E6%8A%95%E6%9C%BA%E5%8D%8A%E5%8F%A5%E5%A4%9A" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this Song Dynasty poem</a> which contains the longer version:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>酒逢知己千杯少，话不投机半句多。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>CC-EDICT also has an entry for the first part:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>酒逢知己千杯少<br />
a thousand cups of wine is not too much when best friends meet (idiom); when you're with close friends, you can let your hair down</p>
</blockquote>
<hr />
<p><em>Update</em>: What I currently have in mind now (which seems more accurate):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>/unagreeable or unenjoyable talk (idiom)/when words go sour/</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It looks like it'd be worth updating 话不投机半句多 to:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>/when words go sour, adding words is useless (idiom)/fig. in an unagreeable conversation, half a sentence is too much/</p>
</blockquote>
<hr />
<p><em>Update</em>:  It was added/amended <a href="https://cc-cedict.org/editor/editor.php?log_id=69079&amp;handler=ViewLogEntry" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a> with major changes:</p>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>話不投機半句多 话不投机半句多 [hua4 bu4 tou2 ji1 ban4 ju4 duo1] /when views are irreconcilable, it's a waste of breath to continue discussion (idiom)/</li>
<li>話不投機 话不投机 [hua4 bu4 tou2 ji1] /the conversation is disagreeable (idiom)/</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-29T03:05:54.600Z
not in the same channel
Shaw
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-29T04:36:36.787Z
The complete saying is:-

酒 逢 知 己 千 杯 少， 话 不 投 机 半 句 多

When having wine with good friends, a 1000 cups is too little,
When having a disagreeable conversation, half a word is too much.
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-29T05:38:52.517Z
FWIW. It seems that 话 has been turned to a noun when the phrase is translated into english. But from Chinese standpoint, 话 works as a verb. We'd construe 话不投机 as 说话说得不投机.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-02T03:32:04.017Z
does't agree with each other.
Daniel Yang
<chengyu><meaning>
Does the chengyu 话不投机 (huà bù tóu jī) mean "uncongenial speech"?
# Does the chengyu 话不投机 (huà bù tóu jī) mean "uncongenial speech"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-01-29)

I'm looking at creating a [CC-EDICT](https://cc-cedict.org/wiki/) entry for [话不投机](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%9D%E4%B8%8D%E6%8A%95%E6%9C%BA) (huà bù tóu jī). This will need to go through [their review process](https://cc-cedict.org/editor/editor.php?popup=1&handler=ContributorManual):

> All submitted entries will be queued for reviewing by the CC-CEDICT editors team.

(See examples in their [Change Log](https://cc-cedict.org/editor/editor.php?handler=ListChanges) to see the *evidence* required for "submitted" entries.)

I've never done this before, but I thought I'd give it a try. Here's a start:

> Traditional: 話不投機  
> Simplified: 话不投机  
> Pinyin: hua4 bu4 tou2 ji1  
> English: /???/

My best attempt at an English translation is "uncongenial speech", where 不 = "not", 投机 = "congenial", and 话 = "speech".

**Question**: Does the chengyu 话不投机 mean "uncongenial speech"?

Some online examples (with my partial translations):

> 想有段亲密恋情，却发现话不投机，好好聊天才是捷径[[src]](https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1618185080628995288&wfr=spider&for=pc)  
> Want a period of time of intimate romance, but encountered 话不投机, nicely chatting is the only shortcut
>
> 话不投机比不相爱更可怕[[src]](https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1597325294744271727&wfr=spider&for=pc)  
> 话不投机 is scarier than unrequited love
>
> 婚姻生活许多话不投机，不愿意曲意逢迎那就掩耳不听[[src]](https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1590921369155622465&wfr=spider&for=pc)  
> Married life [has] lots of 话不投机, [be] unwilling to bow down to everything [and] refuse to listen

These all seem consistent with 话不投机 = "uncongenial speech". It's surely also related to the CC-CEDIT entry:

> 话不投机半句多  
> when words get sour, adding words is useless (idiom)

This translation is in [Tales of Herding Gods](https://m.wuxiaworld.co/Tales-of-Herding-Gods/1149099.html) ([牧神记](https://www.daocaorenshuwu.com/book/mushenji/3068201_2.html)). This is consistent with 话不投机 = "uncongenial speech".

---

[Wayne Cheah's comment](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/36706/does-the-chengyu-%E8%AF%9D%E4%B8%8D%E6%8A%95%E6%9C%BA-hu%C3%A0-b%C3%B9-t%C3%B3u-j%C4%AB-mean-uncongenial-speech#comment54235_36706) let me to [this Song Dynasty poem](https://hanyu.baidu.com/shici/detail?pid=ce7294c5f57411e5a5adc8e0eb15ce01&from=kg0&highlight=%E9%85%92%E9%80%A2%E7%9F%A5%E5%B7%B1%E5%8D%83%E6%9D%AF%E5%B0%91%EF%BC%8C%E8%AF%9D%E4%B8%8D%E6%8A%95%E6%9C%BA%E5%8D%8A%E5%8F%A5%E5%A4%9A) which contains the longer version:

> 酒逢知己千杯少，话不投机半句多。

CC-EDICT also has an entry for the first part:

> 酒逢知己千杯少  
> a thousand cups of wine is not too much when best friends meet (idiom); when you're with close friends, you can let your hair down

---

*Update*: What I currently have in mind now (which seems more accurate):

> /unagreeable or unenjoyable talk (idiom)/when words go sour/

It looks like it'd be worth updating 话不投机半句多 to:

> /when words go sour, adding words is useless (idiom)/fig. in an unagreeable conversation, half a sentence is too much/

---

*Update*: It was added/amended [here](https://cc-cedict.org/editor/editor.php?log_id=69079&handler=ViewLogEntry) with major changes:

> * 話不投機半句多 话不投机半句多 [hua4 bu4 tou2 ji1 ban4 ju4 duo1] /when views are irreconcilable, it's a waste of breath to continue discussion (idiom)/
> * 話不投機 话不投机 [hua4 bu4 tou2 ji1] /the conversation is disagreeable (idiom)/

**Tags:** chengyu, meaning
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: not in the same channel  
> **username_2**: The complete saying is:-  酒 逢 知 己 千 杯 少， 话 不 投 机 半 句 多  When having wine with good friends, a 1000 cups is too little, When having a disagreeable conversation, half a word is too much.  
> **username_3**: FWIW. It seems that 话 has been turned to a noun when the phrase is translated into english. But from Chinese standpoint, 话 works as a verb. We'd construe 话不投机 as 说话说得不投机.  
> **username_4**: does't agree with each other.  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2020-01-29. Score: 1

The Great God Baidu has this to say (the English from me):

话不投机: 话说不到一起。指意见或见解不一致。 Communication failure. Ideas or opinions clash.

出处：《元曲选·贾仲名〈对玉梳〉二》：“话不投机一句多。”


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2020-01-29. Score: 1

話不投機 means you don't share similar interesting or thoughts to chat with people or people don't like what you talk about, think it is not interesting.

Regardless the sentences of example you give is true or not, I just consider the semantic since I am not psychological professional.

发现话不投机，好好聊天才是捷径 show that people have the property of 话不投机 so on the latter part of sentence it encourage people to 好好聊天.

话不投机比不相爱更可怕 shows that 话不投机 is more horror then 不相爱.

许多话不投机 shows that the couple have a lot of different belief.

话不投机半句多 shows that you feel that 半句 is enough if the chat is 话不投机(you feel 半句 is a large amount since it is undesirable).

.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-01-29. Score: 1

话 is a verb 说话(to talk).

不: not.

投机: congenial, agreeable

话不投机: 说话说得不投机，not talk congenially, remarks not appealing to the other side


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2020-01-29. Score: 0

[CC-CEDICT](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqtm=0&wdqcham=2&wdqt=%E8%AF%9D%E4%B8%8D%E6%8A%95%E6%9C%BA%E5%8D%8A%E5%8F%A5%E5%A4%9A) already has

> 话不投机半句多  
> huà​bù​tóu​jī​bàn​jù​duō​  
> when words get sour, adding words is useless (idiom)

话不投机 here matches up with “when words get sour.” That's a pretty surefire way to get the editors to approve your definition. (Although the original might need some work).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I'm not sure this is the best translation of 话不投机半句多, it looks like it might need modification.  I believe [Wayne Cheah's comment](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/36706/does-the-chengyu-%e8%af%9d%e4%b8%8d%e6%8a%95%e6%9c%ba-hu%c3%a0-b%c3%b9-t%c3%b3u-j%c4%ab-mean-uncongenial-speech#comment54235_36706) contains a better translation.  

---

