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Results for “不”

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Exact character matches appear first. Pinyin matches whole syllables in headword pronunciations. Common exact readings come before common compounds, followed by less frequent or restricted readings. Direct English meanings rank ahead of mentions in longer definitions.

Frequency data from Cai & Brysbaert, SUBTLEX-CH (2010), Creative Commons Attribution. The data includes word forms with at least 10 occurrences in an older subtitle sample. Absence from the sample does not establish that a word is rare.

名不符实míng bù fú shí

the name does not correspond to reality (idiom) / it doesn't live up to its reputation

君子动口不动手jūn zǐ dòng kǒu bù dòng shǒu

a gentleman uses his mouth and not his fist

君子报仇，十年不晚jūn zi bào chóu , shí nián bù wǎn

lit. for a nobleman to take revenge, ten years is not too long (idiom) / fig. revenge is a dish best served cold

含糊不清hán hú bù qīng

unclear / indistinct / ambiguous

周转不开zhōu zhuǎn bù kāi

to have financial difficulties / unable to make ends meet

周转不灵zhōu zhuǎn bù líng

to have a cash flow problem

呶呶不休náo náo bù xiū

(idiom) to chatter endlessly / to talk nonstop

命不久矣mìng bù jiǔ yǐ

at death's door

咬人狗儿不露齿yǎo rén gǒu r bù lù chǐ

lit. the dog that bites does not show its fangs (idiom) / fig. You can't tell the really dangerous enemy from his external appearance.

咬人的狗不露齿yǎo rén de gǒu bù lòu chǐ

lit. the dog that bites doesn't show its teeth (idiom) / fig. the most sinister of people can look quite harmless

哀而不伤āi ér bù shāng

deeply felt but not mawkish (idiom)

哪壶不开提哪壶nǎ hú bù kāi tí nǎ hú

lit. mention the pot that doesn't boil (idiom) / to touch a sore spot / to talk about sb's weak point

哭笑不得kū xiào bù dé

lit. not to know whether to laugh or cry (idiom) / both funny and extremely embarrassing / between laughter and tears

唯恐天下不乱wéi kǒng tiān xià bù luàn

to wish for the whole world to be in chaos (idiom)

哑巴吃黄连，有苦说不出yǎ ba chī huáng lián , yǒu kǔ shuō bu chū

to be forced to suffer in silence (idiom) / unable to speak of one's bitter suffering / sometimes written 啞子吃黃連，有苦說不出|哑子吃黄连，有苦说不出

喘不过chuǎn bu guò

to be unable to breathe easily

喘不过气来chuǎn bu guò qì lái

to be unable to breathe

喜不自胜xǐ bù zì shèng

unable to contain one's joy (idiom)

喜不自禁xǐ bù zì jīn

unable to contain one's joy (idiom)

单丝不成线，独木不成林dān sī bù chéng xiàn , dú mù bù chéng lín

(proverb) one strand does not make a thread, one tree does not make a forest

嘴上没毛，办事不牢zuǐ shàng méi máo , bàn shì bù láo

a youth without facial hair cannot be relied upon (proverb)

嘴上无毛，办事不牢zuǐ shàng wú máo , bàn shì bù láo

see 嘴上沒毛，辦事不牢|嘴上没毛，办事不牢[zuǐ shàng méi máo , bàn shì bù láo]

嘴不严zuǐ bù yán

to have a loose tongue

严惩不贷yán chéng bù dài

to punish severely (idiom)

四不像sì bù xiàng

common name for 麋鹿[mí lù], Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus), which is said to resemble an amalgam of animals such as a cow, deer, donkey and horse / an odd mixture of disparate elements / hodgepodge / farrago