How do you pronounce 不知所云?

不知所云 is pronounced bù zhī suǒ yún in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 不知所云 literally mean?

Literally, 不知所云 means “Don't know what is being said”. It is used to mean “to be at a loss to know what someone is talking about”.

Where does 不知所云 come from?

不知所云 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 不知所云?

云：说。不知道说得是些么。形容说话内容混乱，无法理解。

不知所云 — “To be at a loss to know what someone is talking about”

不知所云 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be at a loss to know what someone is talking about”. To talk gibberish or utter unintelligible remarks. Literally, “Don't know what is being said”.

Frequency

不知所云 Pronunciation and Pinyin

不bù
知zhī
所suǒ
云yún

不知所云 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
不	bù	4	not
知	zhī	8	to know, be aware, understand
所	suǒ	8	place or that which
云	yún	4	cloud, say, or Yunnan

Example Sentence with 不知所云

这位教授的讲座内容过于深奥，很多学生都听得不知所云。

The content of this professor's lecture was too profound, and many students were completely at a loss to know what he was talking about.

Origin and Story of 不知所云

In 225 AD, Zhuge Liang personally led a large army to conquer Meng Huo in the south. He captured and released Meng Huo seven times, finally winning his sincere allegiance to the Shu Han kingdom.

With the south pacified and no more worries from the rear, Zhuge Liang decided to launch an expedition against the state of Wei. Before his departure, he wrote a memorial to Liu Shan, the emperor, known as the 'Chu Shi Biao' (Memorial on Sending Forth the Army).

In it, he pointed out the historical lesson of the Eastern Han Dynasty's decline due to favoritism within the ruling class, advising Liu Shan to 'befriend virtuous ministers and keep away from petty individuals,' enforce strict rewards and punishments, and humbly accept remonstrances. Towards the end, Zhuge Liang wrote: 'Now that I am about to depart far away, I weep as I write this memorial, not knowing what I am saying.' This expressed his earnest and deeply moved feelings.

After everything was arranged, Zhuge Liang personally led his mighty army towards the Hanzhong front. Emperor Liu Shan, along with his officials, escorted them ten li outside the city of Chengdu.

Idioms Related to 不知所云

Synonyms of 不知所云

Antonyms of 不知所云

More idioms starting with 不

Questions about 不知所云

What does 不知所云 mean?: 不知所云 (bù zhī suǒ yún) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be at a loss to know what someone is talking about”.
How do you pronounce 不知所云?: 不知所云 is pronounced bù zhī suǒ yún in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 不知所云 literally mean?: Literally, 不知所云 means “Don't know what is being said”. It is used to mean “to be at a loss to know what someone is talking about”.
Where does 不知所云 come from?: 不知所云 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 不知所云?: 云：说。不知道说得是些么。形容说话内容混乱，无法理解。

Copy the pinyin for 不知所云 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.