话不投机 huà bù tóu jī Words don't match

Explanation

指双方言语思想不能沟通，意见不合。

It means that both sides cannot communicate in words and thoughts, and have different opinions.

Origin Story

老张和老李是多年的邻居，两人性格迥异，爱好也大相径庭。一日，两人闲聊，老张滔滔不绝地讲述他最近迷上的收藏，从古董瓷器到稀有邮票，说得眉飞色舞。老李却兴致缺缺，只顾低头摆弄手里的核桃，偶尔应付几句，言语间充满了不屑。老张越说越兴奋，老李却越听越烦躁，最后两人话不投机，不欢而散，从此再也没说过话。

lǎo zhāng hé lǎo lǐ shì duō nián de línjū, liǎng rén xìnggé jiǒng yì, àihào yě dà xiāng jìngtíng. yī rì, liǎng rén xián liáo, lǎo zhāng tāo tāo bù jué de jiǎngshù tā zuì jìn mí shang de shōucáng, cóng gǔdǒng cíqì dào xī yǒu yóupiào, shuō de méi fēi sè wǔ. lǎo lǐ què xīng zhì quē quē, zhǐ gù dī tóu bǎi nòng shǒu lǐ de hétáo, ǒu'ěr yìngfu jǐ jù, yányǔ jiān chōngmǎn le bùxiē. lǎo zhāng yuè shuō yuè xīngfèn, lǎo lǐ què yuè tīng yuè fánzào, zuìhòu liǎng rén huà bù tóu jī, bù huān ér sàn, cóng cǐ zài yě méi shuō guò huà.

Lao Zhang and Lao Li were neighbors for many years, but their personalities and interests were vastly different. One day, they chatted casually. Lao Zhang talked endlessly about his newly discovered hobby of collecting, from antique porcelain to rare stamps. Lao Li, however, was not interested and only played with his walnuts, occasionally giving brief, dismissive responses. Lao Zhang became more and more excited, while Lao Li became increasingly annoyed. Finally, they couldn't communicate and parted unhappily, never speaking to each other again.

Usage

形容双方言语思想不能沟通，意见不合。

xiáoróng shuāngfāng yányǔ sīxiǎng bùnéng gōutōng, yìjiàn bùhé

Describes a situation where two people cannot communicate linguistically and mentally, and have different opinions.

Examples

• 两人话不投机，遂不欢而散。

  liǎng rén huà bù tóu jī, suì bù huān ér sàn.

  The two people didn't get along and parted ways unhappily.

• 他和她话不投机，只好各自离开。

  tā hé tā huà bù tóu jī, zhǐ hǎo gè zì lí kāi.

  He and she didn't see eye to eye, so they had to leave each other.

Related Idioms

• 语不投机

• 格格不入

Opposite Idioms

• 一拍即合

• 相见恨晚