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不致 (bú zhì) — so as not to cause; without resulting in

Definition

不致 (bú zhì) means 'so as not to cause / to avoid' — it appears before a verb phrase to frame an action aimed at preventing an unwanted outcome. In writing, a more straightforward alternative is 以免.

adverb
so as not to causewithout resulting in

Examples

  • ，不致。
    Qǐng tí qián jiǎn chá shè bèi, bú zhì fā shēng gù zhàng.
    Please check the equipment in advance to avoid malfunctions.
  • ，不致。
    Tā zuò shì hěn wěn zhòng, bú zhì hòu huǐ.
    He acts very prudently, so as not to regret it later.
  • ，不致。
    Gōng sī zǎo zuò guī huà, bú zhì zī jīn duǎn quē.
    The company planned early to avoid a shortage of funds.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

不bùnot
致zhìcause

不 “not” with 致 “cause” gives “without resulting in.”

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 →

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
攵Written in full as攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
至
至zhì致zhì
Same sound today

致 pairs 至, used for its sound, with 攵, written in full as 攴.

Open 致 →
Appears in
Cause, Effect & Logic

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