每天成语
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不计其数

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: bù jì qí shù
  • English Translation: Countless / Innumerable
  • Idiom Composition: 「不」（Not / Cannot (negation).）＋「计」（To calculate or count.）＋「其」（Its or their (referring to the subject).）＋「数」（Number or quantity.）
  • Meaning: Describes a quantity so vast that it cannot be calculated or counted. It is used to emphasize an extremely large number of people or things.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「不计其数」 contains the following nuances:

  • Overwhelming Quantity: It emphasizes not just a 'large' amount, but a volume so massive that precise tracking or counting is practically impossible.
  • Neutral Application: The idiom is neutral and can describe positive things like 'successes' or 'tourists,' as well as negative things like 'casualties' or 'failures.'

3. Usage

「不计其数」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Describing a situation (as a predicate/complement): Used to state that the subject exists in an uncountable quantity. It is often used in the structure '多得不计其数' (so many that they are beyond count).
    • Example:「每到假期，来这里参观的游客多得不计其数。」
      （Every holiday, the tourists visiting here are countless.)
  • Modifying a noun (as an attributive): Used in the form '不计其数的～' to modify a noun, indicating that the object is present in massive quantities.
    • Example:「这场战争造成了不计其数的平民伤亡。」
      （This war caused innumerable civilian casualties.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 天上的星星不计其数，根本数不过来。
    （The stars in the sky are countless; it's impossible to count them all.）
  2. 他在那个领域发表过不计其数的文章。
    （He has published innumerable articles in that field.）
  3. 这种类似的错误在过去发生过不计其数。
    （Similar mistakes have occurred countless times in the past.）
  4. 海底蕴藏着不计其数的宝藏。
    （The seabed hides innumerable treasures.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Origin: This expression appears in Song Dynasty (宋朝) literature, such as Wulin Old Events (武林旧事), and has been used since ancient times to mean 'beyond calculation.'
  • Hyperbolic Usage: Even if a number is technically countable, speakers use 不计其数 (bù jì qí shù) as a hyperbole to express their subjective feeling of an overwhelming amount.
  • Nuance: While similar to 数不胜数 (shǔ bù shèng shǔ), 不计其数 (bù jì qí shù) is often preferred in more objective descriptions, such as data or factual reporting.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

不计其数 (bù jì qí shù) is a common idiom used to describe something that is beyond count. It can be used as a modifier before a noun or as a complement to emphasize 'how many' there are. It is a versatile expression suitable for both positive and negative contexts, appearing frequently in both daily conversation and formal reports.

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

Idiom Essay

bù jì qí shù
不计其数
Countless
zài在zhè ge这个shì jiè世界shàng上，hěn duō很多dōng xī东西shì是kě yǐ可以shù数qīng chǔ清楚de的。

In this world, many things can be counted clearly.

bǐ rú比如nǐ你kǒu dài口袋lǐ里de的líng qián零钱，bǐ rú比如yí gè一个xīng qī星期yǒu有jǐ tiān几天。

For example, the change in your pocket, or how many days are in a week.

dàn shì但是，dāng当shù liàng数量duō多dào到yí dìng一定chéng dù程度，duō多dào到chāo chū超出le了wǒ men我们de的nài xīn耐心，shèn zhì甚至chāo chū超出le了wǒ men我们de的xiǎng xiàng想象shí时，shù zì数字jiù就shī qù失去le了yì yì意义。

However, when the quantity reaches a certain point, exceeding our patience or even our imagination, numbers lose their meaning.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种zhuàng tài状态，jiào叫“bù jì qí shù不计其数”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically used to describe this state called 不计其数.

zì miàn字面shàng上kàn看，tā它de的yì si意思fēi cháng非常zhí jiē直接。

Literally, its meaning is very direct.

“jì计”shì是jì suàn计算，“shù数”shì是shù mù数目。

计 means to calculate, and 数 means number.

hé合qǐ lái起来jiù shì就是：méi fǎ没法qù去jì suàn计算tā它de的shù mù数目。

Combined, it means: there is no way to calculate the number.

dàn但zhè这bù jǐn jǐn不仅仅shì是zài在shuō说“hěn duō很多”。

But this is not just saying "many."

“bù jì qí shù不计其数”dài yǒu带有yī zhǒng一种shì jué视觉shàng上de的chōng jī冲击gǎn感。

不计其数 carries a sense of visual impact.

tā它xíng róng形容de的shì是yī zhǒng一种pū tiān gài dì铺天盖地de的、mì mì má má密密麻麻de的jǐng xiàng景象。

It describes a scene that is overwhelming and dense.

shì zhe试着xiǎng xiàng想象yī xià一下zhè yàng这样de的huà miàn画面：xià tiān夏天de的yè wǎn夜晚，nǐ你tái tóu抬头kàn看tiān kōng天空，màn tiān漫天de的xīng xīng星星shǎn shǎn fā guāng闪闪发光；huò zhě或者qiū fēng秋风chuī吹guò过，shù yè树叶xiàng像yǔ雨yī yàng一样là xià落下，pù铺mǎn满le了zhěng tiáo整条jiē dào街道。

Try to imagine such a picture: on a summer night, you look up at the sky and the stars are shining all over; or when the autumn wind blows, leaves fall like rain, covering the entire street.

zài在zhè zhǒng这种shí hòu时候，nǐ你bú huì不会qù去xiǎng想“zhè lǐ这里dào dǐ到底yǒu有jǐ kē几颗xīng xīng星星”huò zhě或者“yǒu有jǐ piàn几片shù yè树叶”。

At such times, you don't think about "exactly how many stars are here" or "how many leaves there are."

nǐ你zhǐ只huì会gǎn jué dào感觉到yī zhǒng一种jù dà巨大de的、wú fǎ无法cè liáng测量de的fēng fù丰富。

You only feel a vast, immeasurable abundance.

wǒ men我们zài在shēng huó生活zhōng中，cháng yòng常用tā它lái来xíng róng形容nà xiē那些yīn wèi因为tài太duō多、ér而bèi被wǒ men我们hū lüè忽略le了jù tǐ具体shù liàng数量de的shì wù事物。

In life, we often use it to describe things that are so numerous that we ignore their specific count.

bǐ rú比如，lì shǐ历史shàng上yǒu有“bù jì qí shù不计其数”de的wú míng yīng xióng无名英雄；bǐ rú比如，wèi le为了wán chéng完成yí gè一个mèng xiǎng梦想，nǐ你kě néng可能jīng lì经历guò过“bù jì qí shù不计其数”de的shī bài失败hé和cháng shì尝试。

For example, there have been 不计其数 unsung heroes in history; or, to achieve a dream, you may have experienced 不计其数 failures and attempts.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语qí shí其实zài在tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们：dāng当shì wù事物duō多dào到“bù jì qí shù不计其数”de的shí hòu时候，jù tǐ具体de的shù zì数字yǐ jīng已经bù zài不再zhòng yào重要le了。

This idiom actually reminds us: when things are so many that they are 不计其数, specific numbers are no longer important.

zhòng yào重要de的shì是nà zhǒng那种guī mó规模，nà zhǒng那种lì liàng力量，yǐ jí以及tā它dài gěi带给wǒ men我们de的、wú fǎ无法bèi被jì suàn计算de的zhèn hàn震撼。

What matters is that scale, that power, and the incalculable shock it brings us.

xià cì下次，dāng当nǐ你miàn duì面对yī piàn一片guǎng kuò广阔de的huā hǎi花海，huò zhě或者huí xiǎng qǐ回想起guò qù过去wú shù gè无数个nǔ lì努力de的shùn jiān瞬间shí时，nǐ你bù不xū yào需要qù去shù qīng chǔ数清楚tā men它们dào dǐ到底yǒu有duō shǎo多少。

Next time, when you face a vast sea of flowers or recall countless moments of hard work in the past, you don't need to count exactly how many there are.

nǐ你zhǐ只xū yào需要yòng用“bù jì qí shù不计其数”zhè ge这个cí词，jiù就néng能zhǔn què准确dì地biǎo dá表达chū出nà zhǒng那种hào dà浩大yǔ与fán duō繁多。

You only need to use the term 不计其数 to accurately express that magnitude and multiplicity.

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