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不速之客 (bù sù zhī kè) — uninvited guest; unexpected visitor

Definition

A literary/formal set phrase for an uninvited or unexpected guest. More formal and written than plain 客人, with a slightly negative tone (the visitor arrives uninvited, often disruptively).

noun
uninvited guestunexpected visitor
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 不速之客。
    Wǎn shàng jiā lǐ tū rán lái le yí wèi bù sù zhī kè.
    An unexpected guest suddenly came to the house in the evening.
  • 不速之客，。
    Zhè cì huì yì lái le jǐ gè bù sù zhī kè, dǎ luàn le wǒ men de ān pái.
    Several uninvited guests came to this meeting and disrupted our plans.
  • ，不速之客。
    Zài zhè ge píng jìng de xiǎo zhèn lǐ, zhè wèi bù sù zhī kè yǐn qǐ le dà jiā de zhù yì.
    In this peaceful town, this unexpected guest attracted everyone's attention.

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
辵辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
束
束shù速sù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

速 pairs 辵, the walking part, with 束, which is used for its sound; the walking part fits the meaning of moving fast.

Open 速 →

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

The shape pairs 止, a foot, with 一, a beginning place, and means to go.

Open 之 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè客kè
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 客, 宀 is a roof and 各 gives the sound; the character meant a guest.

Open 客 →
Appears in
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