每天成语
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不识抬举

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: bù shí tái ju
  • English Translation: Failing to appreciate a favor (ungrateful and arrogant)
  • Idiom Composition: 「不」（Not or no; a negation.）＋「识」（To recognize, know, or understand.）＋「抬举」（To favor, promote, or lift someone up (metaphorically, to show someone special regard).）
  • Meaning: To fail to recognize or appreciate the kindness, favor, or promotion shown by others, often resulting in a rejection of that goodwill or an arrogant attitude. It implies the person is ungrateful or does not know their place.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「不识抬举」 contains the following nuances:

  • The Nuance of 'Taiju' (抬举): The term 抬举 (tái ju) originally refers to a superior lifting up or promoting a subordinate. Therefore, this idiom is usually used by someone in a higher position (or the one providing the favor) who is offended by the other person's lack of gratitude.
  • Strong Condemnation and Warning: This is not a neutral observation of 'not being thankful.' It carries a strong tone of anger, implying the person is 'insolent' or 'doesn't know their place' (身の程知らず). It suggests that the speaker feels their status or kindness has been insulted.

3. Usage

「不识抬举」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Rejecting a kind offer: Used when someone rejects a helpful suggestion or a special opportunity with an ungrateful attitude.
    • Example:「我好心给你介绍工作，你却挑三拣四，真是太不识抬举了！」
      （I was kind enough to introduce a job to you, but you're being picky; you really don't know how to appreciate a favor!)
  • Criticizing arrogance: Used when someone fails to take a graceful exit or continues to act out despite being shown leniency.
    • Example:「老板已经给了他台阶下，他还是不依不饶，简直是不识抬举。」
      （The boss already gave him a way to save face, but he's still being relentless; he simply doesn't know when he's well off.)
  • As a threat or warning: Used to warn someone that if they continue to reject goodwill, there will be consequences.
    • Example:「别给脸不要脸，你要是再不识抬举，就别怪我不客气。」
      （Don't push your luck; if you continue to be so ungrateful, don't blame me for getting tough with you.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 既然他不识抬举，我们也没必要再帮他了。
    （Since he fails to appreciate our kindness, there is no need for us to help him anymore.）
  2. 这个人太不识抬举，把大家的一番好意当成了驴肝肺。
    （This guy is so ungrateful; he completely mistook everyone's good intentions for malice.）
  3. 我多次邀请他参加项目，他都冷淡拒绝，有点不识抬举了。
    （I've invited him to join the project many times and he's coldly refused; he's not showing much appreciation for the opportunity.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Usage Warning: This is a very aggressive and 'top-down' expression. Except when joking with very close friends, using this with equals or superiors is a major insult. It is fundamentally based on the speaker's pride in providing a benefit.
  • Literary Origins: This phrase appears in classic Ming Dynasty novels such as Journey to the West (西游记) and Investiture of the Gods (封神演义). Historically, it was often used by those in power to berate those who did not submit to their will.
  • Related Expressions: It is frequently paired with the slang 给脸不要脸 (gěi liǎn bù yào liǎn), which means 'being given face but not wanting it,' expressing extreme anger toward someone who ruins the 'face' (social standing) provided to them.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 不识抬举 (bù shí tái ju) is a critical expression used to rebuke someone who does not appreciate the favor or support offered to them. The term 抬举 (tái ju) literally means to 'lift up' or 'promote' someone. When someone is described as 'not recognizing' this lifting, it suggests they are being insolent or ungrateful. It is a highly condescending and aggressive phrase, typically used by someone who feels they have done the other person a significant favor.

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

Idiom Essay

bù shí tái jǔ
不识抬举
Failing to Appreciate a Favor
rén人yǔ与rén人zhī jiān之间de的jiāo wǎng交往，yǒu shí hòu有时候shì是yī jiàn一件hěn很wēi miào微妙de的shì qíng事情。

Interactions between people can sometimes be a very subtle thing.

shì xiǎng试想zhè yàng这样yí gè一个chǎng jǐng场景：nǐ你chū yú出于hǎo xīn好心，xiǎng yào想要bāng帮mǒu某gè rén个人yī bǎ一把。

Imagine a scenario: out of kindness, you want to give someone a hand.

yě xǔ也许shì是xiǎng想bǎ把yí gè一个hěn很hǎo好de的gōng zuò工作jī huì机会jiè shào介绍gěi给tā他，yě xǔ也许shì是zài在zhòng rén众人miàn qián面前tè yì特意kuā jiǎng夸奖tā他，xiǎng想ràng让tā他gèng更yǒu有miàn zi面子。

Perhaps you want to introduce them to a great job opportunity, or you praise them in front of everyone to give them more face.

zài在nǐ你kàn lái看来，zhè这shì是yī fèn一份lǐ wù礼物，shì是yī fèn一份shàn yì善意。

In your eyes, this is a gift and an act of goodwill.

kě shì可是，duì fāng对方de的fǎn yìng反应què却wán quán完全chū hū出乎nǐ你de的yì liào意料。

However, the other person's reaction is completely unexpected.

tā他kě néng可能lěng lěng冷冷dì地jù jué拒绝le了，kě néng可能bìng并bù不lǐng qíng领情，shèn zhì甚至biǎo xiàn表现dé得yǒu xiē有些ào màn傲慢，jué de觉得nǐ你duō guǎn xián shì多管闲事。

They might coldly refuse, show no gratitude, or even act arrogantly, feeling that you are meddling.

zhè ge这个shí hòu时候，nǐ你de的xīn lǐ心里yí dìng一定huì会gǎn dào感到yī zhǒng一种hùn hé混合le了gān gà尴尬hé和shēng qì生气de的zī wèi滋味。

At this moment, you will surely feel a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

zài在zhōng wén中文lǐ里，zhè zhǒng这种tè dìng特定de的fèn nù愤怒，yǒu有yí gè一个fēi cháng非常xíng xiàng形象de的chéng yǔ成语lái来xíng róng形容，jiào zuò叫做“bù shí tái jǔ不识抬举”。

In Chinese, there is a very vivid idiom to describe this specific anger, called 不识抬举.

wǒ men我们yào要kàn dǒng看懂zhè ge这个cí词，shǒu xiān首先yào要kàn dǒng看懂“tái jǔ抬举”zhè这liǎng gè两个zì字。

To understand this term, we must first understand the two characters 抬举.

“tái抬”，shì是bǎ把dōng xī东西bān qǐ lái搬起来；“jǔ举”，shì是xiàng shàng向上tuō qǐ托起。

抬 means to lift something up; 举 means to hold something upward.

zài在gǔ dài古代，zhè这wǎng wǎng往往zhǐ指bǎ把yí gè一个rén人tí bá提拔dào到gèng更gāo高de的wèi zhì位置，huò zhě或者jǐ yǔ给予tè shū特殊de的yōu dài优待。

In ancient times, this often referred to promoting someone to a higher position or giving them special treatment.

suǒ yǐ所以，“tái jǔ抬举”zhè ge这个dòng zuò动作，běn shēn本身jiù就dài带zhe着yī zhǒng一种“xiàng shàng向上”de的lì liàng力量——wǒ我shì是wèi le为了ràng让nǐ你gèng更hǎo好，wèi le为了ràng让nǐ你wèi zhì位置gèng更gāo高，cái才zhè me这么zuò做de的。

Therefore, the action of 抬举 itself carries an 'upward' force—I am doing this to make you better and put you in a higher position.

nà me那么，“bù shí tái jǔ不识抬举”de的yì si意思jiù就hěn很míng bái明白le了：bié rén别人fèi lì费力bǎ把nǐ你“tái抬”qǐ lái起来，xiǎng yào想要gěi给nǐ你hǎo chù好处，nǐ你què却“bù shí不识”，yě也jiù shì就是bù不dǒng de懂得、bù不lǐng qíng领情，shèn zhì甚至fǎn ér反而ràng让duì fāng对方xià bù lái tái下不来台。

So, the meaning of 不识抬举 is very clear: others work hard to 'lift' you up and want to give you benefits, but you are 不识, meaning you don't understand or appreciate it, and you even make the other person look bad.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语，tōng cháng通常bú shì不是yòng lái用来miáo shù描述píng děng平等de的jù jué拒绝，ér shì而是dài yǒu带有yī zhǒng一种“bú duì děng不对等”de的qíng xù情绪。

This idiom is usually not used to describe a refusal between equals, but carries a sense of 'inequality.'

shuō huà说话de的rén人，wǎng wǎng往往jué de觉得zì jǐ自己shì是zài在shī shě施舍shàn yì善意，huò zhě或者chǔ yú处于yí gè一个gèng更yǒu有quán lì权力de的wèi zhì位置。

The speaker often feels they are bestowing kindness or are in a more powerful position.

dāng当tā他shuō说mǒu rén某人“bù shí tái jǔ不识抬举”shí时，qián tái cí潜台词wǎng wǎng往往shì是：“wǒ我gěi给le了nǐ你miàn zi面子，nǐ你jìng rán竟然bú yào不要。”

When they say someone is 不识抬举, the subtext is often: 'I gave you face, and you actually rejected it.'

bǐ rú比如zài在zhí chǎng职场shàng上，lǎo bǎn老板xiǎng想tí bá提拔yí gè一个yuán gōng员工qù去guǎn lǐ céng管理层，yuán gōng员工què却shuō说“wǒ我xiǎng想zhǔn shí准时xià bān下班，bù xiǎng不想dāng当jīng lǐ经理”。

For example, in the workplace, a boss wants to promote an employee to management, but the employee says, 'I want to leave work on time and don't want to be a manager.'

zài在lǎo bǎn老板yǎn lǐ眼里，zhè ge这个yuán gōng员工kě néng可能jiù shì就是“bù shí tái jǔ不识抬举”。

In the boss's eyes, this employee might be 不识抬举.

huò zhě或者zài在shè jiāo社交chǎng hé场合，zhǎng bèi长辈xiǎng想gěi给wǎn bèi晚辈jiè shào介绍duì xiàng对象，wǎn bèi晚辈què却zhí jiē直接dāng zhòng当众jù jué拒绝。

Or in social situations, an elder wants to introduce a partner to a junior, but the junior refuses directly in public.

zhǎng bèi长辈jué de觉得miàn zi面子guà bú zhù挂不住，yě也huì会zài在xīn lǐ心里mà骂yī jù一句：“zhēn shì真是bù shí tái jǔ不识抬举。”

The elder feels they have lost face and will curse in their heart: 'Truly 不识抬举.'

bù guò不过，wǒ men我们huàn换gè个jiǎo dù角度xiǎng想，zhè ge这个cí词qí shí其实yě也hěn很yǒu qù有趣。

However, if we look at it from another perspective, this term is actually quite interesting.

yīn wèi因为tā它bào lù暴露le了rén jì guān xì人际关系zhōng中de的yī zhǒng一种cuò wèi错位。

Because it exposes a misalignment in interpersonal relationships.

hěn很duō多shí hòu时候，bèi被mà骂“bù shí tái jǔ不识抬举”de的rén人，wèi bì未必zhēn de真的bù不zhī dào知道hǎo dǎi好歹。

Many times, people who are called 不识抬举 do not necessarily fail to distinguish good from bad.

tā men他们kě néng可能zhǐ shì只是yǒu zhe有着bù tóng不同de的jià zhí guān价值观，huò zhě或者bìng并bù不xiǎng yào想要duì fāng对方jǐ yǔ给予de的nà zhǒng那种“hǎo chù好处”。

They might just have different values or simply do not want the 'benefit' the other person is offering.

jiǎ甲zhī之mì táng蜜糖，yǐ乙zhī之pī shuāng砒霜。

One man's meat is another man's poison.

nǐ你yǎn zhōng眼中de的“tái jǔ抬举”，zài在duì fāng对方yǎn lǐ眼里，kě néng可能shì是yī zhǒng一种fù dān负担。

What you see as 抬举 might be a burden in the eyes of the other person.

suǒ yǐ所以，“bù shí tái jǔ不识抬举”zhè ge这个cí词，suī rán虽然tīng qǐ lái听起来shì是zài在pī píng批评bié rén别人bù不dǒng shì懂事，dàn但tā它qí shí其实gèng更xiàng像shì是yí miàn一面jìng zi镜子。

Therefore, although the term 不识抬举 sounds like it is criticizing someone for being tactless, it is actually more like a mirror.

tā它zhào照chū出de的，shì是nà ge那个jǐ yǔ给予shàn yì善意de的rén人，yīn wèi因为qī dài期待luò kōng落空ér而chǎn shēng产生de的nǎo nù恼怒。

It reflects the irritation of the person giving kindness because their expectations were not met.

xià cì下次，dāng当nǐ你tīng dào听到yǒu rén有人yòng用zhè ge这个cí词，huò zhě或者nǐ你zì jǐ自己rěn bú zhù忍不住xiǎng想yòng用zhè ge这个cí词de的shí hòu时候，bù fáng不妨tíng xià lái停下来xiǎng想yī xiǎng一想：zhè这zhēn de真的shì是duì fāng对方de的wèn tí问题ma吗？

Next time you hear someone use this term, or if you feel like using it yourself, why not stop and think: is it really the other person's problem?

hái shì还是shuō说，wǒ men我们xiǎng yào想要“tái抬”qù去de的dì fāng地方，bìng并bú shì不是duì fāng对方xiǎng想qù去de的dì fāng地方ne呢？

Or is it that the place we want to 'lift' them to is not where they want to go?

'造句' Feature Usage Guide

造句练习📝

Try creating sentences using '不识抬举'!

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