众口难调 zhòng kǒu nán tiáo Difficult to please everyone

Explanation

比喻难以使所有的人都感到满意。

It means that it's difficult to satisfy everyone.

Origin Story

从前，有个厨师，他技艺精湛，想做一道菜让所有人都满意。他尝试了各种各样的食材和做法，宫廷菜、民间小吃，山珍海味，应有尽有。他请来村里所有的村民来品尝，有的人喜欢辣的，有的人喜欢甜的，有的人喜欢咸的，有的人喜欢酸的，口味各不相同。有人说太辣了，有人说太淡了，有人说太油腻了，众说纷纭，最后这道菜还是没能让所有人满意。厨师叹了口气，感慨道：众口难调啊！

cóng qián, yǒu gè chú shī, tā jì yì jīng zhàn, xiǎng zuò yī dào cài ràng suǒ yǒu rén mǎn yì. tā cháng shì le gè zhǒng gè yàng de shí cái hé zuò fǎ, gōng tíng cài, mín jiān xiǎo chī, shān zhēn hǎi wèi, yīng yǒu jìn yǒu. tā qǐng lái cūn lǐ suǒ yǒu de cūn mín lái pǐn cháng, yǒu de rén xǐ huan là de, yǒu de rén xǐ huan tián de, yǒu de rén xǐ huan xián de, yǒu de rén xǐ huan suān de, kǒu wèi gè bù xiāng tóng. yǒu rén shuō tài là le, yǒu rén shuō tài dàn le, yǒu rén shuō tài yóu nì le, zhòng shuō fēn yún, zuì hòu zhè dào cài hái shì méi ràng suǒ yǒu rén mǎn yì. chú shī tàn le kǒng qì, gǎn kǎi dào: zhòng kǒu nán tiáo a!

Once upon a time, there was a chef who was skilled in cooking and wanted to make a dish that would satisfy everyone. He tried all kinds of ingredients and methods, including palace dishes, folk snacks, mountain delicacies and seafood. He invited all the villagers to taste it. Some liked spicy food, some liked sweet food, some liked salty food, and some liked sour food. Their tastes were different. Some said it was too spicy, some said it was too bland, and some said it was too greasy. Finally, the dish failed to satisfy everyone. The chef sighed and said: It's difficult to please everyone!

Usage

形容很难使所有的人都满意。常用于表达一种无奈或妥协的态度。

xiáoróng hěn nán shǐ suǒ yǒu de rén dōu mǎn yì. cháng yòng yú biǎo dá yī zhǒng wú nài huò tuǒ xié de tài dù.

It is used to describe how difficult it is to satisfy everyone. It is often used to express a helpless or compromising attitude.

Examples

  • 这道菜众口难调，真是让人头疼。

    zhè dào cài zhòng kǒu nán tiáo, zhēn shì ràng rén tóu téng.

    This dish is difficult to please everyone, it's really a headache.

  • 会议方案众口难调，需要进一步修改。

    huì yì fāng'àn zhòng kǒu nán tiáo, xū yào jìn yī bù xiū gǎi.

    The meeting plan is difficult to satisfy everyone and needs further revision.

  • 要让所有人满意，众口难调，这简直是mission impossible

    yào ràng suǒ yǒu rén mǎn yì, zhòng kǒu nán tiáo, zhè jiǎn zhí shì mission impossible

    To satisfy everyone, it's difficult to satisfy everyone, it's simply mission impossible

Related Idioms

  • 莫衷一是

  • 见仁见智

Opposite Idioms

  • 众口一词

  • 异口同声