碌碌无奇 — “Ordinary and unremarkable”

碌碌无奇 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Ordinary and unremarkable”. Mediocre; lacking any special distinction or talent. Literally, “Busy and unremarkable; toiling without distinction”.

Frequency

碌碌无奇 Pronunciation and Pinyin

碌碌无奇 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
碌	lù	13	busy, toiling, ordinary
碌	lù	13	busy, toiling, ordinary
无	wú	4	without, not having
奇	qí	8	special, surprising, or odd

Example Sentence with 碌碌无奇

他虽然每天都很忙碌，但工作内容总是碌碌无奇，难以有大的突破。

Although he is busy every day, his work content is always ordinary and unremarkable, making it difficult for him to achieve significant breakthroughs.

Origin and Story of 碌碌无奇

During the Warring States period, Lord Pingyuan of Zhao needed to seek military aid from the King of Chu. He intended to bring twenty retainers but only had nineteen. Mao Sui volunteered to fill the last spot.

When negotiations with the King of Chu reached a stalemate, Mao Sui, stepping forward with his sword, compelled the King of Chu to swear an alliance with Zhao against Qin.

Afterward, Mao Sui ridiculed the other retainers who had accompanied them, implying they were '庸庸碌碌' (yōngyōng lùlù), meaning they were ordinary and achieved nothing significant on their own, succeeding only through others' efforts. This story illustrates the contrast between Mao Sui's decisive action and the unremarkableness of others, reflecting the idea of being '碌碌无奇' – ordinary and without distinction.