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吃不消 (chī bu xiāo) — to be unable to bear, can't stand, find too much to handle

Definition

吃不消 means the strain is too much to endure — your body or stamina can't handle it. Used for physical/mental overload, not abstract dislike (use 受不了 for that).

verb
to be unable to bearcan't standfind too much to handle

Examples

  • ，吃不消。
    Zhè ge gōng zuò tài lèi, wǒ chī bu xiāo.
    This work is too tiring, I can't bear it.
  • ，吃不消。
    Tā měi tiān zhī shuì sì gè xiǎo shí, shēn tǐ chī bu xiāo.
    He only sleeps four hours a day, and his body can't stand it.
  • ，吃不消。
    Zǒu zhè me duō lù, wǒ zhēn de chī bu xiāo le.
    Walking so far, I really can't take it anymore.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

吃chīendure
不消not bear
不bùnot消xiāobear
偏正Modifier + head

吃 (endure) and 不消 (not bear) combine to mean being unable to stand fatigue or pressure.

Characters in this word

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kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
乞
乞qǐ吃chī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

吃 combines 口 (mouth) with 乞, which gives the sound; it originally wrote a word meaning to stutter.

Open 吃 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
肖
肖xiào消xiāo
Same sound today

消 has 氵 (water) beside 肖. The water part connects to putting out or making something vanish, and 肖 gives the sound.

Open 消 →
Appears in
Emotions & Feelings

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