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坐视不管 (zuò shì bù guǎn) — (idiom) to sit idly by and do nothing; to ignore a problem that one should address

Definition

An idiom meaning to sit back and watch without intervening — typically used to criticize someone who ignores a problem they should address. Often paired with 不能 to express the moral imperative to act.

idiom
to sit idly by and do nothing
verb
to ignore a problem that one should address

Examples

  • ，坐视不管。
    Kàn jiàn péng you yǒu kùn nan, tā bù néng zuò shì bù guǎn.
    Seeing his friend in trouble, he couldn't just sit by and do nothing.
  • ，坐视不管。
    Duì shè huì de chǒu è xiàn xiàng, wǒ men bù néng zuò shì bù guǎn.
    Toward society's ugly phenomena, we cannot sit idly by.
  • ，坐视不管，。
    Zuò wéi lǐng dǎo, tā duì xià shǔ de wèn tí zuò shì bù guǎn, shí zài bú fù zé rèn.
    As a leader, he sits by and does nothing about his subordinates' problems—that's really irresponsible.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

The form 坐 combines 留, 'to stay', and 土, 'ground'.

Open 坐 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 視; 视 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
示
示shì視shì
Same sound today

The story is about the traditional form 視: it combines 見, meaning see, with 示, which gives the sound shì.

Open 视 →

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
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
官
官guān管guǎn
Same sound today

管 has 竹 (bamboo) on top to show it relates to bamboo, and 官 gives its sound.

Open 管 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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