荒诞不经 (huāng dàn bù jīng) — absurd, preposterous, fantastic (of ideas, claims, or stories)

Definition

A literary idiom meaning 'absurd and groundless' — used for ideas or stories that defy logic. Stronger and more written than everyday 荒唐.

idiom
absurdpreposterousfantastic (of ideas, claims, or stories)

Examples

  • 荒诞不经。
    Tā shuō de nà xiē huà jiǎn zhí huāng dàn bù jīng.
    What he said was simply preposterous.
  • 荒诞不经。
    Zhè ge huāng dàn bù jīng de gù shi méi rén huì xiāng xìn.
    No one would believe this absurd story.
  • 荒诞不经，。
    Xiǎo shuō lǐ de qíng jié suī rán huāng dàn bù jīng, què hěn yǒu xī yǐn lì.
    Although the plot in the novel is preposterous, it's very captivating.

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss, plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
巟
巟huāng荒huāng
Same sound today

荒 is built from 艹 (grass, plant) and 巟, with 巟 giving the sound huāng.

Open 荒 →

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 誕; 诞 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánword, speech
Sound part声符shēngfú
延
延yán誕dàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 誕 combines 言 (word, speech) with 延, which gives the sound; the simplified 诞 is a later shorthand.

Open 诞 →

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 經; 经 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mìsilk; thread
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng經jīng
Same sound today

The traditional form 經 combines 糹 (silk; thread) with 巠, which gives the sound.

Open 经 →

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