Hanzi
CharactersIdiomsChinese ZodiacChinese Name
Tools
  • Chinese Word CounterCount characters, words and sentences in Chinese text
  • Pinyin GeneratorConvert Chinese text to pinyin with tone marks
  • Chinese Text Image GeneratorRender Chinese text as a downloadable image
  • Chinese Text to SpeechRead Chinese aloud with karaoke highlighting
  • Stroke Order AnimatorTurn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4
  • Writing WorksheetsPrintable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion
View all tools →
Blogs
不求甚解
不求甚解
不求甚解
不求甚解
不求甚解
不求甚解
不求甚解
不求甚解
不求甚解
不求甚解

不求甚解 — “To seek a superficial understanding”

不求甚解 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to seek a superficial understanding”. To be content with a half-baked knowledge and not pursue a thorough comprehension, often implying a lack of serious study or research. Literally, “Not seek thorough understanding”.

Frequency

不求甚解 Pronunciation and Pinyin

  • 不bù
  • 求qiú
  • 甚shèn
  • 解jiě

不求甚解 Character Breakdown

CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
不
bù4not
求
qiú7seek, beg, demand
甚
shèn9very, extremely, greatly
解
jiě13untie, explain, or solve

Example Sentence with 不求甚解

他在学习新知识时,常常只是不求甚解,导致基础不牢固
When he studies new knowledge, he often just seeks a superficial understanding, leading to a shaky foundation.

Origin and Story of 不求甚解

When Tao Yuanming was eighteen, he wrote an essay about himself, titled 'Biography of Master Five Willows'.

The essay began: 'The Master's origin is unknown, and his name is unclear. Next to his residence were five willow trees, so he adopted 'Five Willows' as his sobriquet.

The Master loved tranquility, spoke little, and neither coveted wealth nor fame. He greatly enjoyed reading, not dwelling on the literal interpretation of words; whenever he grasped the main meaning of a book, he would be so delighted that he would forget to eat.

He was naturally fond of wine, but due to his family's poverty, he couldn't often procure it. Relatives and friends, aware of his situation, often prepared wine and invited him over. And he, upon arriving, would always drink all the wine they had prepared.'

Idioms Related to 不求甚解

Synonyms of 不求甚解

  • hú囫lún囵tūn吞zǎo枣swallow something whole without digesting it
  • qiǎn浅cháng尝zhé辄zhǐ止dabble without going deeper
  • shí食gǔ古bù不huà化rigidly adhere to old doctrines

Antonyms of 不求甚解

  • yǎo咬wén文jiáo嚼zì字to quibble over words
  • xún寻gēn根jiū究dǐ底get to the bottom of something
  • qióng穷yuán原jìng竟wěi委trace to the very end

More idioms starting with 不

  • bù不yī一ér而zú足numerous and varied, impossible to list all
  • bù不sān三bù不sì四improper or disreputable
  • bù不shàng上bù不xià下stuck in an awkward position
  • bù不shàng上bù不luò落in an awkward or embarrassing situation
  • bù不shì世zhī之yè业unparalleled achievements
  • bù不shì世zhī之chóu仇unrivaled enmity
  • bù不shì世zhī之gōng功unparalleled achievement
  • bù不shì世zhī之lüè略unparalleled strategy
  • bù不sàng丧bǐ匕chàng鬯peace and order, rituals undisturbed
  • bù不fēng丰bù不jiǎn俭neither extravagant nor frugal
  • bù不fēng丰bù不shā杀neither extravagant nor frugal
  • bù不wèi为wǔ五dǒu斗mǐ米zhé折yāo腰Refuse to compromise integrity for meager gain

Questions about 不求甚解

What does 不求甚解 mean?
不求甚解 (bù qiú shèn jiě) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to seek a superficial understanding”.
How do you pronounce 不求甚解?
不求甚解 is pronounced bù qiú shèn jiě in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 不求甚解 literally mean?
Literally, 不求甚解 means “not seek thorough understanding”. It is used to mean “to seek a superficial understanding”.
Where does 不求甚解 come from?
不求甚解 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 不求甚解?
甚:很,极。只求知道个大概,不求彻底了解。常指学习或研究不认真、不深入。
Copy the pinyin for 不求甚解 →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.

© 2026 hanzi.now

Contact Us