不均 (bù jūn) — uneven; not uniform; distributed unevenly

Definition

Means 'uneven' — sizes, amounts, or distribution are not equal or consistent across the whole. More formal/written than 均匀's negative form; usually used in contexts like distribution, development, or allocation.

adjective
unevennot uniformdistributed unevenly

Examples

  • 不均。
    Zhè ge dì qū de jīng jì fā zhǎn bù jūn.
    The economic development in this region is uneven.
  • 不均，。
    Kǎo shì chéng jì fēn bù bù jūn, yǒu de hěn gāo yǒu de hěn dī.
    The test scores are unevenly distributed — some are very high and some are very low.
  • 不均。
    Zhè liǎng kuài dàn gāo qiè dé bù jūn.
    These two pieces of cake are cut unevenly.

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
均jūneven

不 means 'not' and 均 means 'even', so together they describe something distributed unevenly.

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
匀
匀yún均jūn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

均 pairs 土 (earth) with 匀, which gives it its sound.

Open 均 →

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