闲话 xiánhuà casual conversation
casual conversation; chat; gossip; to talk about (whatever comes to mind)
How to remember 闲话: 闲 fence + 话 speech = casual conversation.
Characters
How it is used
- Two senses: idle chat and gossip/complaints - 别说闲话了 (bié shuō xiánhuà le) stop the idle chatter, or 背后说人闲话 gossiping behind someone's back.
- The gossip sense is negative (talking about others); the chat sense is neutral (家常闲话, casual small talk).
- 闲话家常 = to chat about everyday life; when someone 说闲话 about you it means petty criticism.