之乎者也

zhīhūzhěyě
  1. lit. 之 zhī, 乎 hū, 者 zhě and 也 yě (four grammatical particles of Classical Chinese) (idiom)
  2. fig. archaic expressions

CEDICT

  1. (metonymic) unintelligible speech or article filled with archaisms; pedantic expressions; grandiloquent speech; semi-incomprehensible talk
  2. unintelligible speech or article filled with archaisms; pedantic expressions; grandiloquent speech; semi-incomprehensible talk

Wiktionary

  1. 之、乎、者、也为文言文中常用的四个语助词。故以之乎者也指读书人所应具备的基本能力。
  2. 宋太祖亲自规划首都的外城，一日独与韩王赵普视察工程，走到南门，门额上题「朱雀之门」，太祖问为何不只写「朱雀门」，而多个「之」字，赵普答道：「『之』是语助词呀！」太祖笑道：「之乎者也，助得甚事？」典出宋．释文莹《湘山野录．卷中》。后用以讥讽读书人只知道咬文嚼字，而不能解决实际的问题。《儒林外史．第二二回》：「一个生意人家，只见这些之乎者也的人来讲呆话，觉得可厌，非止一日。」也作「者也之乎」。

重編國語辭典

指读书人所应具备的基本能力

維基詞典

Entry Composition

1 之 zhī
  1. (possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的 de)
  2. him
  3. her
  4. it
2 乎 hū
  1. (classical particle similar to 于 yú) in
  2. at
  3. from
  4. because
  5. than
  6. (classical final particle similar to 吗 ma, 吧 ba, 呢 ne, expressing question, doubt or astonishment)
3 者 zhě
  1. (after a verb or adjective) one who (is) ...
  2. (after a noun) person involved in ...
  3. -er
  4. -ist
  5. (used after a number or 后 hòu or 前 qián to refer to sth mentioned previously)
  6. (used after a term, to mark a pause before defining the term)
  7. (old) (used at the end of a command)
  8. (old) this
4 也 yě
  1. also; too; as well; (not ...) either
  2. (used after a verbal or nominal expression X to indicate that X is an extreme or unexpected case) even (X)
  3. (literary) particle having functions similar to 啊 a

Containing this entry

满口之乎者也 mǎnkǒuzhīhūzhěyě
  1. mouth full of literary phrases
  2. to spout the classics