How to say "what's frequently heard can be repeated in detail (idiom)" in Chinese
耳熟能详
ěr shú néng xiáng
social · communication · intermediate · neutral
When To Use It
"what's frequently heard can be repeated in detail (idiom)" maps to 耳熟能详 (ěr shú néng xiáng), a neutral social phrase for communication situations.
Use it when you need to keep a conversation moving despite a language gap, unclear wording, or missing context.
Practice it first exactly as written, then swap in your own people, places, or objects so it becomes part of your active speaking repertoire.
Tone And Delivery
The register is neutral, which makes it flexible: safe in most daily situations without sounding stiff or overly intimate.
Because this is marked intermediate, focus on when it sounds natural, not just how to translate it word for word.
A good practice target is the example sentence 耳熟能详 (ěr shú néng xiáng). Once that feels natural, shorten your pause and try it at conversation speed.
Practice Ideas
This phrase becomes more useful when you learn it as part of a mini-sequence. After saying it, a natural next step could be 孙子兵法 (sūn zi bīng fǎ).
A second nearby phrase to review is 吊瓶族 (diào píng zú), which helps you stay in the same topic instead of translating from scratch again.
- Read the example “what's frequently heard can be repeated in detail (idiom)” aloud, then replace one detail with your own information.
- Pair it with ““Art of War”, one of the Seven Military Classics of ancient China 武經七書|武经七书[Wu3 jing1 Qi1 shu1], written by Sun Tzu 孫子|孙子[Sun1 zi3]” next so your conversation does not stop after a single line.
- Match the phrase to your tone of voice: soft for polite requests, flatter and quicker for routine daily use.
- If you hear a slightly different version in the wild, compare the tone and context before treating it as interchangeable.
Examples
耳熟能详
ěr shú néng xiáng
what's frequently heard can be repeated in detail (idiom)
Related
- “Art of War”, one of the Seven Military Classics of ancient China 武經七書|武经七书[Wu3 jing1 Qi1 shu1], written by Sun Tzu 孫子|孙子[Sun1 zi3] — 孙子兵法 (sūn zi bīng fǎ)
- "infusion clan", patients who prefer medication by drip rather than orally or by injection etc — 吊瓶族 (diào píng zú)
- "magnetic" force that attracts investment and talented individuals — 磁吸效应 (cí xī xiào yìng)
- "matchmaking corner", a gathering in a park for parents who seek marriage partners for their adult children by connecting with other parents who put up posters displaying their unmarried child's details — 相亲角 (xiāng qīn jiǎo)
Explore more phrases on the How to say index or try the Chinese Name Generator.
Phrase FAQ
How do you say "what's frequently heard can be repeated in detail (idiom)" in Chinese?
耳熟能详 (ěr shú néng xiáng).
When should I use this phrase?
Use it in communication situations where a neutral tone fits. Because it is tagged intermediate, it is meant to be practical and reusable rather than literary or highly specialized.
Is pronunciation included?
Yes. Every phrase page includes pinyin with tone marks, plus example sentences so you can hear how the wording expands in real use.
What should I learn next after this phrase?
A useful follow-up is 孙子兵法 (sūn zi bīng fǎ) — "“Art of War”, one of the Seven Military Classics of ancient China 武經七書|武经七书[Wu3 jing1 Qi1 shu1], written by Sun Tzu 孫子|孙子[Sun1 zi3]". Studying connected phrases in small clusters makes them easier to recall in conversation.