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无足轻重 (wú zú qīng zhòng) — unimportant, insignificant, of no consequence

Definition

Literally 'without enough weight to tip the scale': something is too minor to affect the outcome. The opposite idiom is 举足轻重 ('of great consequence'); use 无足轻重 when you want to dismiss a factor as trivial.

idiom
unimportantinsignificantof no consequence

Examples

  • 无足轻重。
    Zhè ge wèn tí duì zhěng gè jì huà lái shuō wú zú qīng zhòng.
    This issue is insignificant for the entire plan.
  • 无足轻重。
    Tā zài gōng sī lǐ zhǐ shì gè wú zú qīng zhòng de xiǎo zhí yuán.
    He is just an insignificant junior employee in the company.
  • 无足轻重。
    Bié bǎ shí jiān huā zài zhè xiē wú zú qīng zhòng de shì qing shàng.
    Don't waste time on these trivial matters.

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 →

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

足 was originally drawn as a leg.

Open 足 →

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 輕; 轻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng輕qīng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 輕 pairs 車, a carriage, with 巠 to give the sound; it originally named a light carriage. The simplified 轻 is only a later shorthand.

Open 轻 →

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
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
東
東dōng重zhòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

重 developed from a picture of a man carrying a bag, with 人 for the man and 東 for the bag; a later ground element was folded into the form.

Open 重 →
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