Chinese word

不起眼

Pronunciation

Pinyinbù qǐ yǎn

Meaning

  • adjectiveinconspicuous

Example

这座小屋很不起眼，很容易错过。zhè zuò xiǎo wū hěn bù qí yǎn hěn róng yì cuò guò

This little house is inconspicuous, so it is easy to miss.

Illustration for 不起眼 (inconspicuous)

More examples

他虽然外表不起眼，但能力很强。tā suī rán wài biǎo bù qí yǎn dàn néng lì hěn qiáng

Although he is inconspicuous in appearance, he is very capable.

Core concept

Blends into its surroundings instead of pulling visual attention, often because it looks ordinary.

Common phrases

  • 显得不起眼xiǎn de bù qí yǎn

    seem inconspicuous

  • 看起来不起眼kàn qǐ lái bù qí yǎn

    look inconspicuous

  • 外表不起眼wài biǎo bù qí yǎn

    inconspicuous in appearance

Similar words

不显眼bù xián yǎn: Unobtrusive in appearance and not likely to attract notice.
低调dī diào: Low-key and modest, with no effort to appear flashy.
普通pǔ tōng: Typical and not special, with a familiar everyday quality.
平凡píng fán: Unremarkable and ordinary, without any particularly notable quality.

Definition in Chinese

不容易被别人注意或看到的样子，常用来形容外表、物品或地方显得普通、没吸引力。bù róng yì bèi bié rén zhù yì huò kàn dào de yàng zi cháng yòng lái xíng róng wài biǎo wù pǐn huò dì fāng xiǎn de pǔ tōng méi xī yǐn lì

Word origin

不起眼 (bùqǐyǎn, "not eye-catching") is formed by putting 不 (bù, "not") before 起眼 (qǐyǎn, "catch the eye"), so its structure points to something that does not draw visual notice.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, applying it to a house, shop, or object usually describes an ordinary appearance, while applying it to a person can sound dismissive.

Other meanings

  • plainadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word