不求甚解

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

• Similar Idioms:
  • 囫囵吞枣 (hú lún tūn zǎo): To swallow a date whole; to accept information without thinking or analyzing it.
  • 浅尝辄止 (qiǎn cháng zhé zhǐ): To stop after a small taste; to give up after gaining only a superficial understanding.link
  • 走马观花 (zǒu mǎ guān huā): To look at flowers while riding a horse, meaning to take a quick, superficial look at things.link
  • 一知半解 (yī zhī bàn jiě): To have a superficial understanding of something.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 寻根究底 (xún gēn jiū dǐ): To get to the root of the matter; to investigate thoroughly.
  • 精益求精 (jīng yì qiú jīng): To constantly strive for perfection; to never be satisfied with 'good enough'.link

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.