Chinese Conversation · Level 81
91 words
Chinese word
不闻不问
Pronunciation
Pinyinbù wén bù wèn
Meaning
- idiomturn a blind eye
Example
公司出了问题，老板却不闻不问。gōng sī chū le wèn tí láo bǎn què bù wén bú wèn
The company had a problem, but the boss turned a blind eye.
More examples
他看到街头乞讨者，却对他们不闻不问。tā kàn dào jiē tóu qí táo zhě què duì tā men bù wén bú wèn
He saw beggars on the street, but he turned a blind eye to them.
Core concept
A person stays on the sidelines, refusing to notice or become involved in another person's affairs.
Common phrases
对求助不闻不问duì qiú zhù bù wén bú wèn
turn a blind eye to people asking for help
对社会问题不闻不问duì shè huì wèn tí bù wén bú wèn
be indifferent to social issues
Similar words
视若无睹shì ruò wú dǔ: Acting as if something clearly visible cannot be seen.
漠不关心mò bù guān xīn: Remaining unconcerned and uninterested in an event or situation.
袖手旁观xiù shǒu páng guān: Watching a situation from the side without helping.
置之不理zhì zhī bù lǐ: Failing to deal with a problem or request after setting it aside.
Definition in Chinese
对别人的事不闻不问，表现出冷漠、不插手的态度。duì bié rén de shì bù wén bú wèn biǎo xiàn chū lěng mò bù chā shǒu de tài dù
Word origin
The repeated negative pattern in 不闻不问 (bùwénbùwèn, "not hear of and not ask") makes the refusal emphatic: no notice is taken and no inquiry is made.
Usage tips
- Because the expression is evaluative, it is less suitable for a neutral report that someone missed information when no indifference is meant.
Other meanings
- pretend not to knowidiom
- stand by and watchidiom