Chinese word

手不释卷

Pronunciation

Pinyinshǒu bù shì juàn

Meaning

  • idiombe absorbed in reading

Example

他一有空就手不释卷。tā yì yǒu kòng jiù shǒu bú shì juàn

Whenever he has free time, he is absorbed in reading.

Illustration for 手不释卷 (be absorbed in reading)

More examples

周末小明都手不释卷，连饭都忘了吃。zhōu mò xiǎo míng dōu shǒu bú shì juàn lián fàn dōu wàng le chī

Every weekend, Xiaoming is absorbed in reading and even forgets to eat.

Core concept

A reader keeps a book in hand and turns every spare moment into absorbed reading.

Similar words

埋头苦读mái tóu kǔ dú: Studying with full concentration and effort while ignoring outside distractions.
废寝忘食fèi qǐn wàng shí: Working so intensely that sleep and meals are forgotten.
孜孜不倦zī zī bú juàn: Studying eagerly and persistently without becoming tired.

Definition in Chinese

形容对书籍非常着迷，遇到空闲就不停地看书。xíng róng duì shū jí fēi cháng zháo mí yù dào kòng xián jiù bù tíng dì kàn shū

Word origin

手不释卷 (shǒubùshìjuàn, "hand never releases a book") combines 手 (shǒu, "hand") + 不 (bù, "not") + 释 (shì, "release") + 卷 (juàn, "book or scroll") to create a picture of constant reading.

Usage tips

  • Unlike English bookworm, which usually labels a person, this idiom focuses on the person's continuing reading whenever free time appears.

Other meanings

  • never put down a bookidiom

Word lists with this word