取之不尽 (qǔ zhī bú jìn) — inexhaustible; unlimited supply

Definition

A chengyu meaning a supply that cannot be exhausted by taking from it — usually translated 'inexhaustible'. Literally "take from it without end," so it pairs naturally with 取 and 用 (e.g. 取之不尽，用之不竭).

idiom
inexhaustibleunlimited supply

Examples

  • 取之不尽，。
    Zhè lǐ de zī yuán qǔ zhī bú jìn, yòng zhī bù jié.
    The resources here are inexhaustible and never-ending in use.
  • 取之不尽，。
    Zhī shi de hǎi yáng qǔ zhī bú jìn, zhí dé wǒ men bú duàn tàn suǒ.
    The ocean of knowledge is inexhaustible, worth our continuous exploration.
  • ，取之不尽，。
    Zài zhè ge shí dài, jī yù qǔ zhī bú jìn, guān jiàn kàn nǐ néng fǒu zhuā zhù.
    In this era, opportunities are inexhaustible; the key is whether you can seize them.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

取 pairs 又 (hand) with 耳 (ear), showing a hand taking an ear, as in taking the ear of fallen prey.

Open 取 →

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

The shape pairs 止, a foot, with 一, a beginning place, and means to go.

Open 之 →

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 盡; 尽 is its simplified writing.

  • 聿聿yùhand holding a brush
  • 灬灬huǒbristles
  • 皿皿mǐndish

The traditional form 盡 shows 聿 (hand holding a brush) and 灬 (bristles) over 皿 (dish), cleaning a dish until it is empty. The simplified 尽 is a shorthand, not those historical parts.

Open 尽 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.