拗句 (ǎo jù)

Pronunciation: [ao ju]

Basic Meaning: To twist words or sentences, to speak in a convoluted manner

Detailed Explanation: 拗句 refers to the act of deliberately twisting words or sentences, often to confuse or deceive others. It implies a convoluted and confusing way of speaking that is difficult to understand or follow.

Usage Scenarios: 拗句 is often used to describe someone who intentionally speaks in a roundabout or confusing manner, either to avoid answering a question directly or to mislead others. It can also be used to criticize someone's unclear or ambiguous communication style.

Story Origin: The origin of this idiom can be traced back to ancient China. It is said that during the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a scholar named Su Shi who was known for his wit and cleverness. Once, when a friend asked him a question, Su Shi intentionally replied with a convoluted and twisted sentence. His friend was puzzled and couldn't understand what he meant. Since then, this way of speaking became known as "拗句."

Structure of the Idiom: 拗句 is a compound word formed by the combination of two characters: 拗 (ǎo) and 句 (jù). 拗 means to twist or warp, while 句 means sentence.

Example Sentences:

1. 他總是拗句，讓人摸不著頭腦。 (Tā zǒng shì ǎo jù, ràng rén mō bù zháo tóu nǎo.) - He always twists his words, making it difficult for people to understand.

2. 別拗句了，直接告訴我你的意思。 (Bié ǎo jù le, zhí jiē gào sù wǒ nǐ de yì si.) - Stop twisting your words and just tell me what you mean.

Memory Techniques: To remember the meaning of 拗句, you can imagine someone twisting a sentence into a knot, making it difficult to unravel and understand.

Extended Learning: To further understand the concept of 拗句, you can study other related idioms or expressions, such as 拗口 (ǎo kǒu), which means difficult to pronounce or articulate.

Example Sentences from Different Age Groups:

1. Children: 他拗句回答問題，讓老師都摸不著頭腦。 (Tā ǎo jù huídá wèn tí, ràng lǎo shī dōu mō bù zháo tóu nǎo.) - He twists his words when answering questions, even the teacher can't understand.

2. Teenagers: 她總是拗句來回答我們的問題，讓我們很難明白她的意思。 (Tā zǒng shì ǎo jù lái huídá wǒmen de wèn tí, ràng wǒmen hěn nán míng bái tā de yì si.) - She always twists her words when answering our questions, making it difficult for us to understand what she means.

3. Adults: 他喜歡拗句，總是回避我們的問題。 (Tā xǐ huān ǎo jù, zǒng shì huí bì wǒmen de wèn tí.) - He likes to twist his words and always avoids our questions.