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Chinese/Dictionary entry

吃不到葡萄说葡萄酸

chī bù dào pú tao shuō pú tao suāndictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
sour grapes (set expr. based on Aesop) / lit. to say grapes are sour when you can't eat them
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-051012b161447cd1. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

吃不到葡萄說葡萄酸 吃不到葡萄说葡萄酸 [chi1 bu4 dao4 pu2 tao5 shuo1 pu2 tao5 suan1] /sour grapes (set expr. based on Aesop)/lit. to say grapes are sour when you can't eat them/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 吃不到葡萄說葡萄酸

  • 吃
    chī

    to eat / to consume / to eat at (a cafeteria etc) / to eradicate / to destroy / to absorb / to suffer (shock, injury, defeat etc)

  • 不
    bù

    no / not so / (bound form) not / un-

  • 到
    dào

    to reach / to arrive / to leave for / to go to / to (a place) / until (a time) / up to (a point) / (verb complement indicating arriving at a place or reaching a point) / considerate / thoughtful / thorough

  • 葡
    pú

    used in 葡萄[pú tao]

    Pú

    Portugal / Portuguese / abbr. for 葡萄牙[Pú táo yá]

  • 萄
    táo

    used in 葡萄[pú tao]

  • 说
    shuì

    to persuade

    shuō

    to speak / to talk / to say / to explain / to comment / to scold / to tell off / (bound form) theory / doctrine

  • 葡
    pú

    used in 葡萄[pú tao]

    Pú

    Portugal / Portuguese / abbr. for 葡萄牙[Pú táo yá]

  • 萄
    táo

    used in 葡萄[pú tao]

  • 酸
    suān

    sour / tart / sick at heart / grieved / sore / aching / pedantic / impractical / to make sarcastic remarks about sb / an acid

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.