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不定 (bù dìng) — (adjective) indefinite, uncertain, indeterminate; (adverb) perhaps, maybe (used before a verb or clause to express uncertainty)

Definition

Used as an adverb to mean 'perhaps / maybe' before a verb, and as an adjective for something uncertain or undecided (天气不定). Among the sibling 'maybe' words, 没准儿 is more colloquial, 而 也许 and 或许 are the standard adverb choices.

adjective
indefiniteuncertainindeterminate
adverb
perhapsmaybe (used before a verb or clause to express uncertainty)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 不定，。
    Tiān qì biàn huà bù dìng, nǐ yào duō chuān yī fu.
    The weather is unpredictable; you should wear more clothes.
  • 不定，。
    Tā bù dìng shén me shí hou huí lái, wǒ men bié děng le.
    He might come back at any time; let's not wait anymore.
  • 不定。
    Zhè ge wèn tí de dá àn hái bù dìng.
    The answer to this question is still uncertain.

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
定dìngfixed

不 gives no and 定 gives fixed, so the sense is indefinite.

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
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng定dìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

Open 定 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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