賣關子
mài​guān​zi

to keep in suspense

  • created sense approved 卖关子/賣關子 · mài​guān​zi · to keep in suspense — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    卖关子 / 賣關子

    mài​guān​zi

    to keep in suspense

    To keep people on tenterhooks by deliberately withholding information or stopping at a critical moment in a story or conversation; originally used by professional storytellers to ensure the audience returns for the next part.

    卖, 关子

    卖 (literal) → 卖/賣 · mài · to show off 关子 (literal) → 关子/關子 · guān​zi · climax

    Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

    created sense