答非所问 (dá fēi suǒ wèn) — (idiom) to give an irrelevant answer; to answer beside the point

Definition

Idiom meaning the reply does not address the question asked — an answer that goes off-topic or dodges the point.

idiom
to give an irrelevant answerto answer beside the point

Examples

  • ，，答非所问。
    Wǒ wèn nǐ jǐ diǎn kāi huì, nǐ què huí dá tiān qì bú cuò, zhēn shì dá fēi suǒ wèn.
    I asked you what time the meeting starts, but you answered that the weather is nice — that's really an irrelevant answer.
  • 答非所问。
    Tā dá fēi suǒ wèn de huí dá ràng lǎo shī hěn bù mǎn yì.
    His irrelevant answer made the teacher very dissatisfied.
  • 答非所问。
    Zài miàn shì zhōng dá fēi suǒ wèn huì gěi miàn shì guān liú xià huài yìn xiàng.
    Giving an irrelevant answer during an interview will leave a bad impression on the interviewer.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
合
合hé答dá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

答 pairs 竹 (bamboo) with 合 as the sound part; the bamboo top replaced an older grass part by mistake.

Open 答 →

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

The shape of 非 is drawn from two wings facing opposite directions. It later came to be used for going against or not being.

Open 非 →

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
斤斤jīnaxe
Sound part声符shēngfú
戶
戶hù所suǒ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

所 pairs 斤, an axe, with 戶, which gives the sound hù; the old meaning was the sound of logging.

Open 所 →

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 問; 问 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
門
門mén問wèn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 問 combines 口 (mouth) with 門, which gives the sound; the simplified 问 is a later shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 问 →

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