不等 (bù děng) — to be different; to be unequal | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

不等 (bù děng) means 'to vary / to differ' and is most often used to describe a range of unequal values (sizes, prices, ages). It is a verb, not the more common adjective 不同.

verb

to be differentto be unequal

Examples

不等，。
Zhè xiē shāng pǐn de jià gé bù děng, cóng jǐ shí dào jǐ bǎi dōu yǒu.
The prices of these goods vary, ranging from tens to hundreds.
不等，。
bù děng Tā shuō wán, tā jiù zhuǎn shēn lí kāi le.
Before he finished speaking, she turned and left.
不等，。
Tā men nián líng bù děng, dàn dōu hěn yǒu jīng yàn.
They are of different ages, but all very experienced.

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 gives not and 等 gives equal, meaning different.

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.

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

竹寺等

Meaning part形符xíngfú

竹竹zhúbamboo

Sound part声符shēngfú

寺

寺sì等děng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The top 竹 shows bamboo strips used for writing and sorting; the bottom 寺 once gave the sound, but now sounds different.

Appears in

Comparison & Degree

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.