不妥 (bù tuǒ) — not proper; inappropriate | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal, written word meaning 'not proper / inappropriate' for behavior, speech, or arrangements. Stronger and more bookish than 不合适.

adjective

not properinappropriate

Examples

不妥。
Zhè yàng zuò sì hū yǒu xiē bù tuǒ.
Doing this seems somewhat inappropriate.
不妥。
Zài zhèng shì chǎng hé chuān tuō xié hěn bù tuǒ.
Wearing slippers on formal occasions is very improper.
不妥。
Tā jué de zì jǐ gāng cái de huà shuō dé bù tuǒ.
He felt that what he just said was not proper.

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” negates “妥” (proper), so the word means not proper.

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.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

爪爪zhuǎhand
女女nǚwoman

妥 combines 爪 (hand) and 女 (woman), as a hand comforting or placating a woman.

Appears in

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