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不吝 (bù lìn) — (formal fixed expression) to not stint; to be generous with (criticism, advice, help); (slang) to not care; to not give a damn

Definition

A formal, bookish idiom meaning 'to not stint on' (criticism, advice, correction) — polite humble phrasing that asks the reader to speak freely. In slang it flips to mean 'to not give a damn' about something.

idiom
(formal fixed expression) to not stintto be generous with (criticism, advice, help)(slang) to not careto not give a damn

Examples

  • 不吝。
    Qǐng bù lìn cì jiào.
    Please don't stint on your advice.
  • 不吝。
    Tā gēn běn bù lìn bié rén de kàn fǎ.
    He doesn't give a damn about others' opinions.
  • ，不吝。
    Rú yǒu rèn hé jiàn yì, qǐng bù lìn zhǐ zhèng.
    If you have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to correct me.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

不bùnot
吝lìngrudging

不 means not and 吝 means grudging; together they express not holding back.

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 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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