不可思议

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: bù kě sī yì
• English Translation: Inconceivable; incredible; unbelievable
• Idiom Composition: 「不」（Not）＋「可」（Can / Possible）＋「思」（To think or ponder）＋「议」（To discuss or describe in words）
• Meaning: Originally a Buddhist term referring to a profound state beyond human thought or speech. In modern Chinese, it describes anything that is unimaginable, mysterious, or extraordinary.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「不可思议」 contains the following nuances:

• Limits of thought and speech: The literal structure of the idiom means 'cannot be thought about (思) or discussed (议),' implying something that defies logical explanation.
• Surprise and bewilderment: It can express positive surprise (like a miraculous success) or negative bewilderment (like illogical behavior), depending on the context.

3. Usage

「不可思议」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Amazing achievements or phenomena: Used to praise results that exceed common sense or to describe mysterious natural phenomena.
  • Example:「他在短短一年内掌握了五门外语，简直不可思议。」
    （He mastered five foreign languages in just one year; it is simply incredible.）
• Incomprehensible behavior: Used to criticize or express confusion toward someone's illogical or unreasonable actions.
  • Example:「哪怕证据确凿，他还是拒绝承认错误，真是不可思议。」
    （Even though the evidence was conclusive, he still refused to admit his mistake; it's truly incomprehensible.）
• Degree complement: Used in the structure 'Adjective + 得 + 不可思议' to indicate an extreme degree.
  • Example:「这块蛋糕甜得不可思议。」
    （This cake is incredibly sweet.）

Additional Examples:

1. 大自然创造了许多不可思议的奇迹。
   （Nature has created many inconceivable miracles.）
2. 在这个偏远的小村庄里发生这种事，让人觉得不可思议。
   （It is unbelievable that such a thing could happen in this remote little village.）
3. 由于某种不可思议的原因，由于某种不可思议的原因，电脑突然死机了。
   （For some mysterious reason, the computer suddenly froze.）
4. 这种巧合简直不可思议！
   （This kind of coincidence is simply unbelievable!）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Derived from Buddhist scriptures such as the Vimalakirti Sutra (维摩诘经). It originally referred to the wisdom and power of the Buddha being beyond human comprehension.
• In traditional Chinese mathematics, 不可思议 (bù kě sī yì) is also used as a name for a massive number, representing 10 to the power of 64, reflecting the concept of infinity in Buddhist cosmology.
• In modern daily life, the religious nuance has faded, and it is now a common way to say 'unbelievable' or 'incredible,' similar to the English word 'unbelievable.'

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 匪夷所思 (fěi yí suǒ sī): Something that cannot be grasped by ordinary thought; often used for bizarre or unconventional ideas.
  • 难以置信 (nán yǐ zhì xìn): Hard to believe; used when something is difficult to accept as true, even if it is a fact.
  • 出人意料 (chū rén yì liào): Beyond one's expectations.link
  • 意想不到 (yì xiǎng bù dào): Unexpected; beyond expectation.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 一目了然 (yī mù liǎo rán): To be clear at a glance; obvious.link
  • 理所当然 (lǐ suǒ dāng rán): To go without saying; a matter of course.link
  • 不足为怪 (bù zú wéi guài): Not worth being surprised at.link

6. Summary

The idiom 不可思议 (bù kě sī yì) is used to describe things that exceed human understanding or imagination. While it originated as a religious term, it is now used in both positive contexts (praising an incredible achievement) and negative contexts (expressing confusion at strange or illogical behavior).