不甘 (bù gān) — unwilling to accept (a disadvantage or failure); not resigned to

Definition

不甘 (bù gān) describes a stubborn unwillingness to accept a loss or inferior position — the resolve to fight back or catch up. Common in set phrases like 不甘落后 ('unwilling to fall behind') and 不甘示弱 ('refuse to show weakness').

adjective
unwilling to accept (a disadvantage or failure)not resigned to

Examples

  • 不甘，。
    Tā bù gān luò hòu, měi tiān jiā bān xué xí.
    He is unwilling to lag behind, so he works overtime every day to study.
  • ，不甘。
    Suī rán shū le bǐ sài, tā yì liǎn bù gān.
    Although she lost the match, she showed a look of unwillingness to accept it.
  • ，不甘，。
    Miàn duì qiáng dí, tā men bù gān shì ruò, fèn lì fǎn jī.
    Facing a strong opponent, they refused to show weakness and fought back fiercely.

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
甘gānwilling

不 means not and 甘 means willing, so together they express unwillingness to accept something.

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 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

甘 originally drew an open mouth with something sweet inside it. This gives the sense of sweet or pleasant.

Open 甘 →

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