不置可否 (bù zhì kě fǒu) — to decline to comment; to be noncommittal

Definition

Idiom meaning 'to neither endorse nor reject' — staying deliberately noncommittal. Refers to the speaker's evasive response, not the topic itself.

idiom
to decline to commentto be noncommittal

Examples

  • ，不置可否，。
    Jì zhě zhuī wèn tā de kàn fǎ, tā zhǐ shì bù zhì kě fǒu, méi yǒu zhèng miàn huí dá.
    When the reporter pressed him for his opinion, he just hedged and didn't give a direct answer.
  • 不置可否，。
    Lǎo bǎn duì nà ge tí yì bù zhì kě fǒu, dà jiā dōu bù qīng chǔ tā de tài dù.
    The boss was noncommittal about that proposal, and no one knew his stance.
  • ，不置可否，。
    Miàn duì péng you de qǐng qiú, tā bù zhì kě fǒu, jì méi dā ying yě méi jù jué.
    Faced with his friend's request, he declined to comment, neither agreeing nor refusing.

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 →

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
罒Written in full as网wǎng
Sound part声符shēngfú
直
直zhí置zhì
Same sound today

置 is built from 罒, a net, on top and 直 below; 直 gives the sound.

Open 置 →

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
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
不
不bù否pǐ
Same sound today

否 is built from 口 (mouth) and 不 (not), with 不 giving the sound and 口 relating to speech.

Open 否 →

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