捉摸不定 (zhuō mō bú dìng) — unfathomable; elusive

Definition

A set phrase meaning something cannot be grasped or predicted — used for a person's thoughts, attitude, or an outcome that keeps shifting. Pattern: [subject] 捉摸不定 (no object).

verb
unfathomableelusive

Examples

  • 捉摸不定，。
    Tā de xīn si zhuō mō bú dìng, ràng rén cāi bú tòu.
    His thoughts are unfathomable; people can't figure him out.
  • 捉摸不定，。
    Zhè ge wèn tí de dá àn zhuō mō bú dìng, shuí yě bù zhī dào.
    The answer to this problem is elusive; nobody knows it.
  • 捉摸不定，。
    Tā de tài dù yì zhí zhuō mō bú dìng, wǒ wú fǎ què dìng tā shì fǒu tóng yì.
    His attitude has been elusive; I can't tell if he agrees.

Origin

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
足
足zú捉zhuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

捉 pairs 扌, the hand form of 手, with 足, which gives the character its sound.

Open 捉 →

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
莫
莫mò摸mō
Same sound today

摸 pairs 手 (hand) with 莫; 手 shows the meaning is about a hand action, and 莫 gives the sound.

Open 摸 →

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
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng定dìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

Open 定 →

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