不可估量 (bù kě gū liàng) — inestimable, immeasurable, incalculable

Definition

A set phrase meaning 'too great to measure' — used as an attribute or predicate to stress that something's value, impact, or loss is beyond calculation.

verb
inestimableimmeasurableincalculable

Examples

  • 不可估量。
    Zhè cì dì zhèn zào chéng le bù kě gū liàng de sǔn shī.
    This earthquake caused incalculable losses.
  • 不可估量。
    Tā duì kē xué de gòng xiàn shì bù kě gū liàng de.
    His contribution to science is immeasurable.
  • 不可估量。
    Zhè jiàn wén wù de lì shǐ jià zhí bù kě gū liàng.
    The historical value of this cultural relic is incalculable.

Origin

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

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Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
古
古gǔ估gū
Same sound today

The left part 亻 is a person; the right part 古 gives 估 its sound.

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Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 日日rìsun
  • 東東dōngbag; east

量 has 日 (sun) over 東 (bag; east). Some explanations suggest measuring under the sun or the sun rising in the east, but the exact origin is unclear.

Open 量 →

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