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不知去向 (bù zhī qù xiàng) — to disappear without a trace; to be nowhere to be found

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'disappeared without a trace' — emphasizes that no one knows where the person or thing has gone, not just that it is missing.

idiom
to disappear without a traceto be nowhere to be found

Examples

  • 不知去向，。
    Tā de qián bāo bù zhī qù xiàng le, tā fēi cháng zháo jí.
    His wallet disappeared without a trace, and he was very worried.
  • 不知去向，。
    Nà ge xiǎo tōu yǐ jīng bù zhī qù xiàng, jǐng chá hái zài zhǎo tā.
    That thief has vanished without a trace, and the police are still looking for him.
  • ，不知去向，。
    Zì cóng nà tiān yǐ hòu, tā jiù bù zhī qù xiàng le, méi yǒu rén zhī dào tā zài nǎ lǐ.
    After that day, she disappeared without a trace, and no one knows where she is.

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.

Open 不 →

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

An early form of 知 showed 大 (adult), 口 (mouth), and 子 (child): an adult speaking to a child to pass on knowledge. The 子 part was dropped, and the 大 part changed shape.

Open 知 →

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

去 pairs 大, a man, with 口, a mouth or object. The evidence reads this as a man leaving a place, a man opening his mouth, or a cover over an object.

Open 去 →

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

向 originally drew 宀 (house) with 口 to show an echo in a place; later it was used for direction.

Open 向 →
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Idioms & Set Phrases

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