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毫无道理 (háo wú dào lǐ) — utterly unjustifiable; for no reason whatsoever

Definition

A fixed phrase used to judge something as completely unreasonable or groundless — stronger than just 没有道理 ('no reason'), emphasizing the speaker's dismissal. Usually takes a subject + verb + 毫无道理 pattern, e.g. 这种说法毫无道理.

verb
utterly unjustifiablefor no reason whatsoever

Examples

  • 毫无道理。
    Zhè ge lùn diǎn háo wú dào lǐ.
    This argument is utterly unjustifiable.
  • 毫无道理。
    Tā zhè yàng zuò háo wú dào lǐ.
    There's no reason for him to do it this way.
  • 毫无道理，。
    Zhè zhǒng pī píng háo wú dào lǐ, wán quán shì wū miè.
    This kind of criticism is completely unjustifiable; it's pure slander.

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.

The written form 毫 is built from 高 and 毛.

Open 毫 →

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 →

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
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →

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
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ理lǐ
Same sound today

理 pairs 玉 (jade) with 里, which shows how to say it; the jade part points to the old sense of polishing jade.

Open 理 →
Appears in
Cause, Effect & LogicIdioms & Set Phrases

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