Definition
不问 literally means 'not ask', but it is used idiomatically to mean 'to not inquire into, to disregard, or to let off the hook', especially in legal or disciplinary contexts where someone is not held accountable. It can also mean 'to pay no attention to' facts or details. The phrase often appears in fixed expressions like 胁从不问 (those coerced shall not be punished). It is a verb that can take an object or be used in a topic-comment structure.
v.
to disregardto not inquire intoto let off unpunished
Examples
- ，。Tā duì shìshí zhēnxiàng cónglái bú wèn, zhǐ píng zhíjué pànduàn.He never bothers about the facts; he only judges by intuition.
- ，不问。Duìyú bèi xiépò cānjiā fànzuì de rén, fǎlǜ yìbān bú wèn.The law generally does not punish those who were coerced into committing a crime.
- ，不问。Tā zhǐ kànzhòng jiéguǒ, bú wèn guòchéng.He only cares about the results, not the process.
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