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不可胜数

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: bù kě shèng shǔ
  • English Translation: Innumerable (too many to count)
  • Idiom Composition: 「不」（Not）＋「可」（Can / Able to）＋「胜」（To exhaust or finish (in this context, to finish the act of counting)）＋「数」（To count）
  • Meaning: Describes a quantity so vast that it is impossible to count them all. It is used to emphasize an overwhelming or astronomical number of things, people, or instances.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「不可胜数」 contains the following nuances:

  • The Meaning of 胜 (shèng): In this idiom, 胜 (shèng) does not mean 'to win' or 'victory.' Instead, it carries the classical meaning of 'to exhaust' or 'to be able to handle completely.' Therefore, the phrase literally means 'cannot finish counting' or 'cannot endure the act of counting' because the task is too large.
  • Overwhelming Scale: This expression is much stronger than simply saying 'many.' It implies that the scale is so large that any attempt to reach a final tally would be futile. It can be used in both positive and negative contexts depending on what is being counted.

3. Usage

「不可胜数」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Natural Phenomena and Landscapes: Used to describe natural elements like stars, sand, or trees that fill the field of vision.
    • Example:「夏夜的星空中，闪烁的星星不可胜数。」
      （In the summer night sky, the twinkling stars are innumerable.)
  • Listing Examples or Issues: Used when pointing out that there are endless instances of social problems, historical events, or product defects.
    • Example:「历史上类似的悲剧不可胜数，我们必须吸取教训。」
      （There have been countless similar tragedies in history; we must learn from these lessons.)
  • Crowds and Tourists: Describes a situation where a place is overflowing with people, such as at popular attractions or events.
    • Example:「每逢假期，来这里参观的游客不可胜数。」
      （Every holiday, the number of tourists visiting this place is beyond count.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 海底的生物种类繁多，不可胜数。
    （The types of creatures on the ocean floor are diverse and innumerable.）
  2. 由于缺乏维护，这座古建筑上的裂痕不可胜数。
    （Due to a lack of maintenance, the cracks on this ancient building are too many to count.）
  3. 他一生做过的好事不可胜数，深受邻里尊敬。
    （The good deeds he performed throughout his life are beyond numbering, and he is deeply respected by his neighbors.）
  4. 网络上的虚假信息不可胜数，大家要小心辨别。
    （False information on the internet is countless, so everyone must be careful to distinguish the truth.）
  5. 这片森林里的珍稀植物不可胜数。
    （The rare plants in this forest are innumerable.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The phrase originates from classical texts such as the Mozi (墨子), which describes how those who died of disease were 'innumerable' (不可胜数), and the Records of the Grand Historian (史记). Historically, it was often used to describe the scale of war casualties or the vastness of the natural world.
  • While very similar to 数不胜数 (shǔ bù shèng shǔ), 不可胜数 (bù kě shèng shǔ) is slightly more formal and literary. Another related phrase, 多如牛毛 (duō rú niú máo), literally 'as many as the hairs on an ox,' often carries a slightly negative or dismissive nuance (implying many trivial things), whereas 不可胜数 (bù kě shèng shǔ) remains a more neutral and objective description of scale.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 不可胜数 (bù kě shèng shǔ) is a formal expression used to describe an uncountable quantity. Whether referring to physical objects like stars in the sky or abstract concepts like historical events, it conveys that the subject is beyond calculation. While it has a literary tone, it is frequently encountered in modern news and formal writing to highlight scale.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 1

Idiom Essay

bù kě shèng shǔ
不可胜数
Countless
wǒ men我们zǒng shì总是xí guàn习惯qù去shù数dōng xī东西。

We are always in the habit of counting things.

shù数qián钱，shù数rì zi日子，shù数hái yǒu还有jǐ zhàn几站cái才dào到jiā家。

Counting money, counting days, counting how many stops are left until we get home.

shù zì数字néng能dài gěi带给wǒ men我们yī zhǒng一种ān quán gǎn安全感，ràng让wǒ men我们jué de觉得yī qiè一切dōu都zài在zhǎng kòng掌控zhī zhōng之中。

Numbers give us a sense of security, making us feel that everything is under control.

kě shì可是，shì jiè世界shàng上zǒng总yǒu有yī xiē一些dōng xī东西，shì是nǐ你méi没bàn fǎ办法qù去jì suàn计算de的。

However, there are always things in the world that you cannot calculate.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语zhuān mén专门xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种zhuàng tài状态，jiào叫“bù kě shèng shǔ不可胜数”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically for this state called 不可胜数.

zhè ge这个cí词lǐ里de的“shù数”，zhǐ指de的shì是“qù去shǔ shù数数”zhè ge这个dòng zuò动作；ér而“shèng胜”，zài在zhè lǐ这里bú shì不是shèng lì胜利de的yì si意思，ér shì而是gǔ wén古文lǐ里de的yòng fǎ用法，yì si意思shì是“wán quán完全”huò zhě或者“jǐn尽”。

The character 数 in this phrase refers to the action of counting; while 胜 here does not mean victory, but is used in the classical sense to mean completely or exhaustively.

suǒ yǐ所以，lián连qǐ lái起来kàn看，“bù kě shèng shǔ不可胜数”de的yì si意思jiù shì就是：duō多dào到gēn běn根本wú fǎ无法shù wán数完，duō多dào到ràng让rén人fàng qì放弃le了jì suàn计算de的niàn tou念头。

Therefore, taken together, 不可胜数 means being so numerous that it is impossible to finish counting, so many that one gives up the idea of calculation.

shén me shí hòu什么时候wǒ men我们huì会yòng用dào到zhè ge这个cí词ne呢？

When do we use this word?

zuì最jīng diǎn经典de的huà miàn画面，yě xǔ也许shì是xià tiān夏天de的yè wǎn夜晚。

The most classic scene might be a summer night.

dāng当nǐ你tái tóu抬头kàn看tiān天，mǎn tiān满天de的xīng xīng星星mì mì má má密密麻麻，shǎn shuò闪烁bù dìng不定，nǐ你gēn běn根本bù不zhī dào知道cóng从nǎ lǐ哪里kāi shǐ开始shù数qǐ起。

When you look up at the sky, the stars are so dense and flickering that you have no idea where to start counting.

nà那yī kè一刻de的fán xīng繁星，jiù shì就是“bù kě shèng shǔ不可胜数”de的。

The stars at that moment are 不可胜数.

huò zhě或者，dāng当nǐ你zǒu jìn走进yī zuò一座jù dà巨大de的tú shū guǎn图书馆，kàn看zhe着jià zi架子shàng上jǐ bǎi wàn běn几百万本shū书，jué de觉得zì jǐ自己yī bèi zi一辈子yě也dú读bù不wán完shí时，nà zhǒng那种hào hàn浩瀚de的gǎn jué感觉，yě也shì是“bù kě shèng shǔ不可胜数”。

Or, when you walk into a huge library and look at the millions of books on the shelves, feeling that you could never finish reading them in a lifetime, that sense of vastness is also 不可胜数.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语qí shí其实zài在tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们yī一jiàn shì件事：zài在zhè ge这个shì jiè世界shàng上，bìng并bú shì不是suǒ yǒu所有dōng xī东西dōu都kě yǐ可以bèi被liàng huà量化。

This idiom is actually reminding us of one thing: in this world, not everything can be quantified.

yǒu xiē有些dōng xī东西yīn wèi因为tài太fēng fù丰富、tài太hóng dà宏大，chāo guò超过le了wǒ men我们de的rèn zhī认知fàn wéi范围，wǒ men我们zhǐ néng只能yòng用yī zhǒng一种jīng tàn惊叹de的tài dù态度qù去jiē shòu接受tā它。

Some things are so abundant and grand that they exceed our cognitive range, and we can only accept them with a sense of wonder.

tā它kě néng可能shì是zài在xíng róng形容zì rán jiè自然界de的zhuàng guān壮观，yě也kě néng可能shì是zài在xíng róng形容lì shǐ历史cháng hé长河zhōng中，nà xiē那些shǔ bù qīng数不清de的qiǎo hé巧合yǔ与gù shì故事。

It might describe the magnificence of nature, or the countless coincidences and stories in the long river of history.

xià cì下次，dāng当nǐ你miàn duì面对yī piàn一片guǎng kuò广阔de的sēn lín森林，huò zhě或者huí xiǎng qǐ回想起rén shēng人生zhōng中nà xiē那些fù zá复杂de的、duō多dào到mó hú模糊de的shùn jiān瞬间shí时，bù不xū yào需要jí zhe急着qù去xún zhǎo寻找yí gè一个jù tǐ具体de的shù zì数字。

Next time, when you face a vast forest or recall those complex, numerous, and blurred moments in life, there is no need to rush to find a specific number.

nǐ你zhǐ只xū yào需要jìng jìng dì静静地gǎn shòu感受nà zhǒng那种fēng fù丰富，rán hòu然后zài在xīn lǐ心里shuō说yī jù一句：zhè这yī qiè一切，zhēn shì真是bù kě shèng shǔ不可胜数。

You just need to quietly feel that richness and say in your heart: all of this is truly 不可胜数.

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