Chinese word

看不起

Pronunciation

Pinyinkàn bù qǐ

Meaning

  • verblook down on

Example

不要因为他穷就看不起他。bú yào yīn wèi tā qióng jiù kàn bù qǐ tā

Don't look down on him just because he is poor.

Illustration for 看不起 (look down on)

More examples

她总是看不起别人的意见。tā zǒng shì kàn bù qǐ bié rén de yì jiàn

She always looks down on other people's opinions.

Core concept

Treating someone or something as too low to merit respect, notice, or consideration.

Common phrases

  • 看不起别人kàn bù qǐ bié rén

    look down on others

  • 被别人看不起bèi bié rén kàn bù qǐ

    be looked down on by others

  • 不要看不起他bú yào kàn bù qǐ tā

    don't look down on him

Similar words

轻视qīng shì: Giving little respect to someone or something because its importance, ability, or status seems low.
鄙视bǐ shì: Feeling and showing strong disrespect toward someone or something viewed as inferior.
瞧不起qiáo bù qǐ: Using one's expression or manner to show that someone is inferior and worthy of poor treatment.
小看xiǎo kàn: Seeing someone's ability or strength as less than it is and holding that person in contempt.

Definition in Chinese

用轻蔑的眼光看待某人或某事，觉得对方不值得尊重或重视。yòng qīng miè de yǎn guāng kàn dài mǒu rén huò mǒu shì jué de duì fāng bù zhí dé zūn zhòng huò zhòng shì

Word origin

看不起 (kànbùqǐ, "look down on") combines 看 (kàn, "look") with a negative potential complement, in which 不 (bù, "not") blocks the relevant result and gives the expression its dismissive force.

Usage tips

  • The verb expresses an attitude toward a target, not a speaker's physical viewpoint, which helps separate it from literal descriptions of looking downward.

Opposites

Word lists with this word