不可思议
Traditional: 不可思議
bù kě sī yì HSK 6

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

这个结果真是不可思议。
Zhège jiéguǒ zhēnshi bùkě sīyì.
This result is truly unimaginable.
他的成功令人不可思议。
Tā de chénggōng lìng rén bùkě sīyì.
His success is inconceivable.
这故事的情节不可思议。
Zhè gùshi de qíngjié bùkě sīyì.
The plot of this story is unbelievable.
这太不可思议了。
Zhè tài bùkě sīyì le.
This is too unbelievable.
结果不可思议。
Jiéguǒ bùkě sīyì.
The result is inconceivable.

💡 Memory Tip

Break down the characters: 不 (bù) means 'not,' 可 (kě) means 'can,' 思 (sī) means 'think,' and 议 (yì) means 'discuss.' So, literally, it's 'cannot think and discuss'—something so amazing you can't even think or talk about it properly!

📝 Usage Notes

This idiom is versatile and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, as well as in spoken and written Chinese. It is commonly used to express amazement, shock, or disbelief about surprising events, talents, or phenomena, such as remarkable achievements, strange occurrences, or unexpected outcomes.

📖 Grammar Points

不可思议 often functions as an adjective or predicate in sentences. It can be used with adverbs like 太 (tài, 'too') or 真 (zhēn, 'really') for emphasis, e.g., 太不可思议了. It is commonly followed by 了 (le) in exclamatory sentences to express surprise.

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, this idiom reflects a sense of wonder or awe towards the unknown or extraordinary, often used in contexts involving nature, human achievements, or supernatural events. It aligns with traditional values that emphasize humility in the face of vast or inexplicable phenomena.

🔄 Similar Words

Similar words include 难以置信 (nányǐ zhìxìn), which also means 'hard to believe,' but 不可思议 emphasizes something being beyond imagination or reason, while 难以置信 focuses more on difficulty in accepting something as true. Another is 神奇 (shénqí), meaning 'magical' or 'miraculous,' which has a more positive connotation.

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