之乎者也

zhī hū zhě yě

lit. 之[zhi1], 乎[hu1], 者[zhe3] and 也[ye3] (four grammatical particles of Classical Chinese) (idiom)

fig. archaic expressions

之

zhī

(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5])

乎

hū

(classical particle similar to 於|于[yu2]) in

者

zhě

(after a verb or adjective) one who (is) ...

也

yě

also; too; as well; (not ...) either