不买账 (bù mǎi zhàng) — to not acknowledge someone's seniority or authority; to not believe or accept something (slang: 'not buy it')

Definition

A colloquial verb meaning 'not buy it' — refuse to accept someone's claim of authority or a story someone is selling. The literal '账' here means 'account/tally', not money.

verb
to not acknowledge someone's seniority or authorityto not believe or accept something (slang: 'not buy it')

Examples

  • ，不买账。
    Tā shuō zì jǐ shì dà lǎo bǎn, kě dà jiā dōu bú bù mǎi zhàng.
    He says he's the big boss, but nobody buys it.
  • ，。
    Nǐ jiù suàn zài yǒu quán shì, wǒ zhào yàng bù mǎi nǐ de zhàng.
    Even if you have more power and influence, I still won't acknowledge your authority.
  • ，不买账。
    Tā chuī dé tiān huā luàn zhuì, dàn guān zhòng gēn běn bú bù mǎi zhàng.
    He bragged extravagantly, but the audience simply didn't buy it.

Origin

Characters in this word

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 買; 买 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 買, 网 is a net and 貝 is a money cowrie.

Open 买 →

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 賬; 账 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell
Sound part声符shēngfú
長
長cháng賬
Same sound today

In the traditional form 賬, 貝 is a shell and 長 is used for the sound; the simplified 账 is a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 账 →

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