每天成语
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不求甚解

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: bù qiú shèn jiě
  • English Translation: Not seeking a thorough understanding (superficial understanding)
  • Idiom Composition: 「不」（Not / No (negation)）＋「求」（To seek or strive for）＋「甚」（Extreme or deep (here meaning 'thorough')）＋「解」（To understand or interpret）
  • Meaning: To be satisfied with a superficial knowledge of something without attempting to understand it deeply or thoroughly. In modern usage, it typically criticizes a lazy or careless attitude toward learning or research.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「不求甚解」 contains the following nuances:

  • Modern Usage (Critical): In modern Chinese, this idiom is almost always negative. It describes a lack of rigor in study or work, where a person is 'half-baked' in their knowledge and doesn't care to find the truth.
  • Original Meaning (Positive/Humble): In the original text by Tao Yuanming (陶渊明), it meant not getting bogged down in the literal meaning of every single word, but rather focusing on the 'heart' or 'spirit' of the writing. It was a sign of a sophisticated reader.

3. Usage

「不求甚解」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Criticizing learning attitudes: Used to warn students or subordinates against skimming the surface of a topic without thinking deeply.
    • Example:「学习不能囫囵吞枣、不求甚解，必须把基本原理弄清楚。」
      （In learning, one cannot simply swallow information whole or be satisfied with a superficial understanding; one must clarify the basic principles.)
  • Work or investigation deficiencies: Used when pointing out that a lack of thoroughness led to errors or poor performance.
    • Example:「他对这份报告的内容不求甚解，结果在会议上答非所问。」
      （Because he had only a shallow grasp of the report's content, he ended up giving irrelevant answers during the meeting.)
  • Original literary context (Rare): Occasionally used to describe a relaxed style of reading where one focuses on enjoyment rather than technical analysis.
    • Example:「读闲书时不妨不求甚解，只求领略其中的意趣即可。」
      （When reading for leisure, one might as well not obsess over every detail and simply enjoy the overall spirit of the work.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 这种不求甚解的态度，是你成绩一直无法提高的主要原因。
    （This attitude of not seeking a thorough understanding is the main reason your grades haven't improved.）
  2. 看说明书时如果只是不求甚解地浏览一遍，操作时很容易出错。
    （If you only browse the manual superficially, you are likely to make mistakes during operation.）
  3. 做学问要脚踏实地，切忌浮躁和不求甚解。
    （Scholarship requires being down-to-earth; one must avoid impulsiveness and being content with shallow knowledge.）
  4. 很多游客只是走马观花，对当地的历史文化不求甚解。
    （Many tourists just look at things in a hurry and do not seek to understand the local history and culture deeply.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The idiom originates from the Biography of Master Five Willows (五柳先生传) by the famous Jin Dynasty poet Tao Yuanming (陶渊明). He described himself as 'fond of reading, but not seeking a thorough understanding' (好读书，不求甚解), meaning he cared more about the essence of the book than linguistic technicalities.
  • This idiom is a classic example of 'semantic shift' in the Chinese language, where a phrase's meaning has flipped from a positive/neutral description of a scholar's style to a negative criticism of intellectual laziness.
  • In the context of modern Chinese education, which highly values 'solid foundations' (打好基础), 不求甚解 (bù qiú shèn jiě) is frequently used by teachers to encourage students to dig deeper into their subjects.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

Originally, 不求甚解 (bù qiú shèn jiě) described a high-minded reading style that prioritized grasping the spirit of a text over obsessing over literal minutiae. However, in modern Chinese, it has evolved into a negative term used to describe someone who is content with a shallow understanding and lacks the diligence to master a subject.

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

Idiom Essay

bù qiú shèn jiě
不求甚解
Superficial Understanding
yǒu méi yǒu有没有guò过zhè yàng这样de的jīng lì经历？

Have you ever had an experience like this?

nǐ你dú读yī běn一本shū书，huò zhě或者kàn看yī piān一篇hěn很zhǎng长de的wén zhāng文章。

You read a book or a very long article.

nǐ你dú读dé得hěn很kuài快，yǎn shén眼神zhǐ shì只是cōng cōng匆匆sǎo guò扫过wén zì文字。

You read very quickly, your eyes just scanning the text hurriedly.

dú读wán完zhī hòu之后，dà gài大概de的yì si意思nǐ你hǎo xiàng好像dǒng懂le了，dàn但rú guǒ如果yǒu rén有人wèn问nǐ你jù tǐ具体de的xì jié细节，huò zhě或者ràng让nǐ你jiě shì解释qí zhōng其中de的dào lǐ道理，nǐ你què却wán quán完全dá答bù不shàng lái上来。

After finishing, you seem to understand the general idea, but if someone asks for specific details or asks you to explain the logic, you cannot answer at all.

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 qiú shèn jiě不求甚解”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically for this state called 不求甚解.

zì miàn字面shàng上kàn看，“shèn甚”shì是“hěn很、fēi cháng非常”de的yì si意思，“jiě解”jiù shì就是lǐ jiě理解。

Literally, 甚 means "very" or "extremely," and 解 means to understand.

hé qǐ lái合起来shuō说，jiù shì就是“bù不qù去zhuī qiú追求fēi cháng非常shēn rù深入de的lǐ jiě理解”。

Put together, it means "not seeking a very deep understanding."

zài在xiàn dài现代shēng huó生活lǐ里，zhè这tōng cháng通常bú shì不是yī jù一句hǎo huà好话。

In modern life, this is usually not a compliment.

rú guǒ如果lǎo shī老师shuō说yí gè一个xué shēng学生“dú shū bù qiú shèn jiě读书不求甚解”，nà那shì是zài在pī píng批评tā他。

If a teacher says a student is reading 不求甚解, they are criticizing them.

yì si意思shì是shuō说，zhè ge这个xué shēng学生tài dù态度bù不rèn zhēn认真，zhǐ只mǎn zú满足yú于dǒng懂gè个dà gài大概，bù不yuàn yì愿意huā花lì qì力气qù去zuān yán钻研。

It means the student's attitude is not serious, they are satisfied with just a general idea and are unwilling to put in the effort to study deeply.

jiù就xiàng像shì是yí gè rén一个人chī吃dōng xī东西，hái还méi没cháng尝chū出wèi dào味道jiù就tūn吞xià qù下去le了。

It is like someone eating food and swallowing it before even tasting it.

dàn shì但是，zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语zuì最mí rén迷人de的dì fāng地方，zài yú在于tā它de的chū shēn出身。

However, the most fascinating part of this idiom is its origin.

tā它zuì最zǎo早qí shí其实shì是yī jù一句hěn很xiāo sǎ潇洒de huà的话。

It was originally a very elegant and carefree expression.

gǔ dài古代dà大shī rén诗人táo yuān míng陶渊明céng曾yòng用tā它lái来xíng róng形容zì jǐ自己。

The great ancient poet Tao Yuanming once used it to describe himself.

tā他shuō说zì jǐ自己ài爱dú shū读书，dàn shì但是“bù qiú shèn jiě不求甚解”。

He said he loved reading but was 不求甚解.

zài在nà那wèi位shī rén诗人de的xīn lǐ心里，zhè这jù句huà话de的yì si意思bìng并bú shì不是tōu lǎn偷懒，ér shì而是——wǒ我bù不bèi被nà xiē那些sǐ bǎn死板de的zì jù字句kùn困zhù住，wǒ我gèng更zài hū在乎shū书lǐ里zhēn zhèng真正de的jīng shén精神hé和lè qù乐趣。

In the poet's heart, this phrase did not mean being lazy, but rather—I am not trapped by rigid words and sentences; I care more about the true spirit and joy within the book.

zhǐ yào只要lǐng huì领会le了nà ge那个yì si意思，jiù就gāo xìng高兴dé得lián连fàn饭dōu都wàng忘le了chī吃。

As long as the meaning was grasped, he would be so happy he would forget to eat.

nǐ你kàn看，tóng yī gè同一个chéng yǔ成语，kě yǐ可以shì是“mǎ hǔ liáo cǎo马虎潦草”，yě也kě yǐ可以shì是“bù jū xiǎo jié不拘小节”。

You see, the same idiom can mean "careless and sloppy" or "not being bothered by trivialities."

bù guò不过，wèi le为了bì miǎn避免wù huì误会，zài在jīn tiān今天de的rì cháng日常jiāo liú交流zhōng中，wǒ men我们dà duō大多hái shì还是yòng用tā它lái来xíng róng形容“bù gòu不够rèn zhēn认真”。

However, to avoid misunderstanding, in today's daily communication, we mostly use it to describe being "not serious enough."

xià cì下次，dāng当nǐ你fā xiàn发现zì jǐ自己huò zhě或者bié rén别人，duì dài对待zhī shí知识zhǐ shì只是qiǎn qiǎn浅浅dì地kàn看yī yǎn一眼，ér而bù不yuàn yì愿意shēn wā深挖de的shí hòu时候，nǐ你jiù就kě yǐ可以yòng用shàng上zhè ge这个cí词：zhè这shì是yī zhǒng一种“bù qiú shèn jiě不求甚解”de的tài dù态度。

Next time you find yourself or others just glancing at knowledge without wanting to dig deeper, you can use this term: this is an attitude of 不求甚解.

tā它tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们，yǒu shí hòu有时候，zhǐ只dǒng懂gè个dà gài大概shì是bù gòu不够de的，wǒ men我们xū yào需要tíng xià lái停下来，zài再xiǎng想shēn深yì diǎn一点。

It reminds us that sometimes, just knowing the gist is not enough; we need to stop and think a little deeper.

'造句' Feature Usage Guide

造句练习📝

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