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无人问津 (wú rén wèn jīn) — (idiom) of no interest to anyone; neglected; ignored; lifeless (place)

Definition

Idiom for something nobody cares about — a place, product, or topic that's completely ignored or lifeless.

idiom
of no interest to anyoneneglectedignoredlifeless (place)

Examples

  • ，无人问津。
    Zhè jiā shū diàn yīn wèi wèi zhì piān pì, jī hū wú rén wèn jīn.
    This bookstore is almost completely ignored because of its remote location.
  • 无人问津。
    Nà ge huà tí zài wǎng shàng yǐ jīng wú rén wèn jīn le.
    That topic has already become of no interest to anyone online.
  • ，无人问津。
    Zhè ge chǎn pǐn dìng jià tài gāo, jié guǒ wú rén wèn jīn.
    This product was priced too high, and as a result nobody was interested.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

无人no people
无wúnot have人rénpeople
动宾Verb + object
问津ask about a ferry
问wènask津jīnferry crossing
动宾Verb + object

无人 means there is no one, and 问津 means to ask about a ferry; together no one even asks, so it is neglected.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →

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 問; 问 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
門
門mén問wèn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 問 combines 口 (mouth) with 門, which gives the sound; the simplified 问 is a later shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 问 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
盡
盡jìn津jīn
Same sound today

津 is made from 水, water, and 盡, which supplies the sound.

Open 津 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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