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无济于事 (wú jì yú shì) — (idiom) to no avail; of no use; to be useless in solving a problem

Definition

A formal written idiom meaning 'of no help / to no avail' — used to conclude that an action won't solve the problem. Contrast with 没用的 (colloquial 'useless') and 徒劳 (more literary 'futile effort').

idiom
to no availof no useto be useless in solving a problem

Examples

  • ，无济于事。
    Tā shì le hěn duō fāng fǎ, dàn dōu wú jì yú shì.
    He tried many methods, but all were to no avail.
  • 无济于事。
    Xiàn zài hòu huǐ yǐ jīng wú jì yú shì le.
    Regretting now is of no use.
  • 无济于事。
    Guāng kào yí gè rén nǔ lì wú jì yú shì.
    Relying on one person's effort alone is useless.

Origin

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 濟; 济 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
齊
齊qí濟jì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 濟 pairs 水 (water) with 齊, which gives the sound; the simplified 济 is a later shorthand.

Open 济 →

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

  • 一一yīflat stream of air
  • 丂丂kǎoto exhale

The old shape of 于 may have pictured an ancient wind instrument. Another explanation reads 一 as a flat stream of air and 丂 as an exhaling mark.

Open 于 →

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

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Idioms & Set PhrasesGood & Bad

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