事不宜迟 (shì bù yí chí) — there is no time to lose; one must act without delay

Definition

A four-character idiom meaning 'no time to lose — act now.' Use it when a decision is already made and delay would be costly, stronger and more literary than simply saying 要快点.

idiom
there is no time to loseone must act without delay

Examples

  • 事不宜迟，。
    shì bù yí chí, Wǒ men mǎ shàng chū fā ba.
    There's no time to lose — let's set off immediately.
  • ，事不宜迟，。
    Jì rán jué dìng le, jiù shì bù yí chí, gǎn kuài qù bàn.
    Since we've decided, we mustn't delay — hurry up and handle it.
  • 事不宜迟，。
    shì bù yí chí, Zhè ge fāng àn xū yào jīn tiān tí jiāo.
    There's no time to waste — this proposal needs to be submitted today.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →

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.

宜 shows 且, a sacrificial altar, with 多, two pieces of meat, depicting two pieces of meat placed on the altar.

Open 宜 →

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
辶Written in full as辵chuòmotion
Sound part声符shēngfú
尺
尺chǐ迟chí
Same sound today

迟 pairs 辶, a walking sign, with 尺, used for the sound.

Open 迟 →

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