志 不 在 此

zhì bù zài cǐdictionary entry

to have one's ambitions elsewhere (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-7388a3bc8061962a. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

志不在此志不在此 [zhi4 bu4 zai4 ci3] /to have one's ambitions elsewhere (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.

志
zhì
aspiration / ambition / the will / sign / mark / to record / to write a footnote
不
bù
no / not so / (bound form) not / un-
在
zài
to exist / to be alive / (of sb or sth) to be (located) at / (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress)
此
cǐ
this / these

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.