不择手段
Traditional: 不擇手段
bù zé shǒu duàn HSK 6

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

他为成功不择手段。
Tā wèi chénggōng bùzé shǒuduàn.
He uses any means necessary for success.
他们不择手段地追求利益。
Tāmen bùzé shǒuduàn de zhuīqiú lìyì.
They pursue profit by fair means or foul.
这个公司不择手段地竞争。
Zhège gōngsī bùzé shǒuduàn de jìngzhēng.
This company competes by hook or by crook.
他为了赢不择手段。
Tā wèile yíng bùzé shǒuduàn.
He wins by any means necessary.
商人赚钱不择手段。
Shāngrén zhuànqián bùzé shǒuduàn.
The businessman makes money unscrupulously.

💡 Memory Tip

Break it down: 不 (not) + 择 (choose/select) + 手段 (methods/means). Think: 'Not choosing means' -> they don't care *which* method they use, good or bad. Associate it with a villain in a story who will do 'anything' to win.

📝 Usage Notes

This idiom is used in both spoken and written Chinese, and can appear in formal or informal contexts. It is commonly used to criticize someone's immoral actions, often in discussions about politics, business competition, or personal ambition. It is inherently derogatory.

📖 Grammar Points

It is typically used as an adverbial phrase, often following a subject and preceding a verb (e.g., 他不择手段地赚钱). It can also stand alone in a sentence as a predicate (e.g., 他为人不择手段). The structure '为达目的,不择手段' is a very common fixed pattern.

🏯 Cultural Notes

The term reflects a strong cultural disapproval of achieving success through immoral means, emphasizing the importance of integrity and proper conduct (德行) in Chinese values. It is often used in cautionary tales about ambition.

🔄 Similar Words

Similar to '无所不用其极' (wú suǒ bù yòng qí jí), which means 'to employ every conceivable means' and is even stronger in tone. It differs from '千方百计' (qiān fāng bǎi jì), which means 'by every possible means' but is neutral and does not imply unethical methods.

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