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不算 (bù suàn) — (phrase) to not count, to not be counted or included; (phrase) to not count as, to not be considered as; used before adjectives to mean 'not really, not particularly'

Definition

不算 has two uses: (1) 'to not count/include' when something is left out of a calculation or tally; (2) before an adjective, it softens the claim — 'not really, not particularly' — like 'not bad' rather than truly bad.

phrase
to not countto not be counted or includedto not count asto not be considered asused before adjectives to mean 'not really, not particularly'

Examples

  • ，。
    Suī rán tā bú suàn zhèng shì yuán gōng, dàn dà jiā dōu hěn zūn zhòng tā.
    Although he is not considered a formal employee, everyone respects him.
  • ，。
    Zhè ge lǐ yóu bú suàn chōng fèn, wǒ men xū yào gèng duō zhèng jù.
    This reason is not really sufficient; we need more evidence.
  • ，。
    Tā de zī lì bú suàn hěn shēn, dàn gōng zuò néng lì hěn qiáng.
    His qualifications are not particularly deep, but his work ability is strong.

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 current form 算 has 竹 on top, 目 in the middle, and 廾 below; the 目 part may have originally drawn counting rods, often made of bamboo.

Open 算 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Good & Bad

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