tūn吞swallowtūn吞swallowtǔ吐spittǔ吐spit
to hem and haw; to speak haltingly
Literal meaning
swallow (吞) — swallow (吞) — spit (吐) — spit (吐)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase.
Examples
Tā他tūn吞tūn吞tǔ吐tǔ吐de地shuō说le了bàn半tiān天，yě也méi没shuō说qīng清chǔ楚。
He hemmed and hawed for a long time, but didn't explain clearly.
Yǒu有shén什me么huà话jiù就zhí直shuō说，bù不yào要tūn吞tūn吞tǔ吐tǔ吐de的。
Say what you have to say directly, don't hem and haw.
Usage & nuances
Implies hesitation or reluctance to speak.
Learn idioms by speaking them
Idioms are most useful when they land in a real conversation. Practice them out loud in Kango — get instant feedback on tone and timing.
Download Kango on iOS