mǎ chǐ tú zēngdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
(self-deprecating) to have grown old without accomplishing anything (idiom)
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-562b5c0755bd9f50. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

馬齒徒增 马齿徒增 [ma3 chi3 tu2 zeng1] /(self-deprecating) to have grown old without accomplishing anything (idiom)/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 馬齒徒增

  • 马
    mǎ

    horse / CL:匹[pǐ] / horse or cavalry piece in Chinese chess / knight in Western chess

    Mǎ

    surname Ma / abbr. for Malaysia 馬來西亞|马来西亚[Mǎ lái xī yà]

  • 齿
    chǐ

    (bound form) tooth / (bound form) to regard as worthy of mention

  • 徒
    tú

    (bound form) disciple / apprentice / believer / (derog.) wrongdoer (as in 騙徒|骗徒[piàn tú] "swindler" or 叛徒[pàn tú] "traitor" etc) / (bound form) on foot / (bound form) bare / empty / (bound form) to no avail / in vain / (bound form) merely / just / only / (bound form) prison sentence

    Tú

    surname Tu

  • 增
    zēng

    (bound form) to increase / to augment / to add to

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.