泼冷水 pōlěngshuǐ to pour cold water on
to pour cold water on; (figuratively) to dampen somebody's enthusiasm
How to remember 泼冷水: 泼 pour + 冷 cold + 水 water = to pour cold water on.
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How it is used
- Idiom 'to pour cold water on' - to dampen someone's enthusiasm - 别给我泼冷水 (bié gěi wǒ pō lěngshuǐ) don't rain on my parade.
- Vivid and colloquial; the target is someone's excitement or a hopeful plan.
- It splits like a verb phrase: 泼了一盆冷水 (pō le yì pén lěngshuǐ) poured a whole basin of cold water (i.e. really deflated them).