满不在乎 (mǎn bù zài hu) — not care at all; to be completely indifferent

Definition

满不在乎 is an idiom meaning 'to not care at all' — the subject stays calm and indifferent on the surface, often in situations where others would worry or react. Negation is not used.

verb
not care at allto be completely indifferent

Examples

  • 满不在乎
    Tā duì bié rén de pī píng mǎn bù zài hu.
    He doesn't care at all about others' criticism.
  • 满不在乎
    Miàn duì wēi xiǎn, tā réng rán mǎn bù zài hu.
    Facing danger, he was still completely indifferent.
  • 满不在乎
    Kǎo shì bù jí gé, tā què mǎn bù zài hu.
    He failed the exam, but he didn't care at all.

Origin

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 滿; 满 is its simplified writing.

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

The traditional form 滿 pairs 水, showing water, with 㒼, giving the sound. The simplified 满 is a later shorthand, not the original shape.

Open 满 →

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.

The early form of 在 used 才 for its sound; a second sound part 士 was added later, and that 士 became the 土 seen in 在.

Open 在 →

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

  • kǎobranch

The old 乎 paired an element for wind or air with 丂, a branch used as a sound part, and was the original form of the word for 'to call; to cry'.

Open 乎 →

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