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不敢当 (bù gǎn dāng) — (set phrase) I don't deserve your praise; you flatter me

Definition

A set phrase used to modestly decline a compliment: "you flatter me, I don't deserve it." More formal than 哪里 or 好说, which are the everyday responses.

verb
(set phrase) I don't deserve your praiseyou flatter me

Examples

  • ，不敢当。
    Nín guò jiǎng le, wǒ bù gǎn dāng.
    You flatter me; I don't deserve it.
  • ，不敢当。
    Nín zhè me kuā wǒ, wǒ shí zài bù gǎn dāng.
    You praise me so much — I really don't deserve it.
  • ，不敢当。
    Nín tài kè qi le, wǒ bù gǎn dāng.
    You are too kind; I don't deserve such praise.

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 →

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

The old form showed a hand using a tool to hunt a wild boar. Later the tool was dropped and another mark was added, and the shape changed into 敢.

Open 敢 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 當; 当 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng當dāng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 當 combines 田 (field) with 尚; the evidence describes fields facing each other.

Open 当 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Greetings & PolitenessIdioms & Set Phrases

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