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不可收拾 (bù kě shōu shí) — (idiom) irremediable; beyond control; too far gone to fix

Definition

An idiom meaning a situation has gone so far wrong it cannot be set right — 'irremediable, beyond control'. Used for crises, conflicts, or messes that have passed the point of fixing.

idiom
irremediablebeyond controltoo far gone to fix

Examples

  • 不可收拾。
    Shì qing yǐ jīng fā zhǎn dào bù kě shōu shí de dì bù le.
    The matter has developed to an irremediable point.
  • ，不可收拾。
    Rú guǒ zài bú chǔ lǐ, jú miàn jiù huì biàn de bù kě shōu shí.
    If we don't deal with it, the situation will become uncontrollable.
  • 不可收拾，。
    Zhè chǎng chōng tū yǐ jīng bù kě shōu shí, xū yào wài bù tiáo jiě.
    This conflict has become irremediable and needs external mediation.

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 →

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
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

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
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
丩
丩jiū收shōu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

收 uses 攴 to show an action and 丩 as a sound clue; the old meaning was 'to arrest.'

Open 收 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
合
合hé拾shí
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拾 uses 扌 for hand and 合 for sound; the whole character means to pick up by hand.

Open 拾 →
Appears in
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