not seek; unexpectedly
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesverb
not to seek; not to pursue; to be indifferent to
literaryOften used with abstract concepts like fame, fortune, or personal gain. Commonly found in written language.
Tā他
wéi为
rén人
qīng清
lián廉
，
bù不
tú图
míng名
lì利
。
He is an honest and upright person who does not seek fame or fortune.
Zuò做
zhè这
jiàn件
shì事
，
wǒ我
bù不
tú图
rèn任
hé何
huí回
bào报
。
I am doing this not expecting any reward in return.
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Tā他
yī一
xīn心
jiāo教
shū书
，
bù不
tú图
xiǎng享
lè乐
。
He is devoted to teaching and does not pursue pleasure.
conjunction
unexpectedly; to one's surprise; contrary to expectations
literaryUsed at the beginning of a clause to express that something happened unexpectedly. It is a classical/literary term. In modern spoken Chinese, '不料' or '没想到' is more common.
Běn本
yù欲
zǎo早
rì日
guī归
jiā家
，
bù不
tú图
tú途
zhōng中
yù遇
yǔ雨
，
dān耽
ge搁
le了
xíng行
chéng程
。
I originally intended to return home early, but unexpectedly encountered rain on the way, which delayed my journey.
Bù不
tú图
cǐ此
shì事
jìng竟
rú如
cǐ此
fù复
zá杂
。
Unexpectedly, this matter turned out to be so complicated.