百思不得其解 (bǎi sī bù dé qí jiě) — to remain puzzled after much pondering; to be unable to understand despite thinking hard

Definition

Idiom: 'after thinking a hundred times, still can't figure it out' — emphasizes that no amount of thought produces an answer, stronger than simply saying 不懂.

idiom
to remain puzzled after much ponderingto be unable to understand despite thinking hard

Examples

  • 百思不得其解，？
    Zhè ge wèn tí wǒ bǎi sī bù dé qí jiě, nǐ néng bāng wǒ kàn kàn ma?
    I'm puzzled by this problem after much thought — can you take a look for me?
  • ，百思不得其解。
    Tā wèi shén me tū rán cí zhí, dà jiā dōu bǎi sī bù dé qí jiě.
    Everyone is puzzled about why he suddenly resigned.
  • 百思不得其解，。
    Duì zhè jiàn shì wǒ bǎi sī bù dé qí jiě, zhǐ hǎo xiān fàng yi fàng.
    I can't figure this out no matter how hard I think, so I'll just set it aside for now.

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
一一yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
白
白bái百bǎi
Same sound today

百 combines 一, which carries the number meaning, with 白, which provides the sound.

Open 百 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
囟
囟xìn思sī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 思, 心 (heart) points to thinking, while the top part is a changed form of 囟, which supplied the sound.

Open 思 →

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 →

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

The old form 㝵 showed a hand picking up a cowry, meaning to obtain; later changes turned that picture into 得.

Open 得 →

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

The modern form 其 comes from an early drawing of a basket, with a stand added underneath.

Open 其 →

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

解 shows 刀 (knife) separating 角 (horn) from 牛 (cow), giving the picture of cutting up an ox.

Open 解 →

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