没谱 (méi pǔ) — to have no idea; to be unsure; to lack boundaries or limits; to be excessive; (colloquial, of a person) to be unreliable, flaky

Definition

Colloquial 没谱 covers two distinct senses: lacking a plan or standard ('no idea, clueless'), or — of a person — being unreliable and excessive, saying or doing too much without boundaries.

to have no ideato be unsureto lack boundaries or limitsto be excessive(colloquial, of a person) to be unreliableflaky

Examples

  • 没谱。
    Zhè jiàn shì wǒ xīn lǐ yě méi pǔ.
    I'm not sure about this matter either.
  • 没谱，。
    Tā shuō huà tài méi pǔ, bié tài dàng zhēn.
    He talks without any bounds — don't take him too seriously.
  • ，。
    Tā zuò shì méi gè pǔ, zǒng shì ràng rén bú fàng xīn.
    He works without any standard, always making people uneasy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

没méiwithout
谱pǔstandard

没 means without and 谱 is a standard, so 没谱 means having no idea or no bounds.

Characters in this word

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 沒; 没 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠬛
𠬛𠬛沒mò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 沒 pairs 水 (water) with 𠬛 as a sound part; this note is about 沒, not the simplified 没.

Open 没 →

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 譜; 谱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsound
Sound part声符shēngfú
普
普pǔ譜pǔ(r)
Same sound today

In the traditional form 譜, 言 relates to sound and 普 gives the pronunciation; this explanation is about 譜, not the simplified 谱.

Open 谱 →

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