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不堪一擊

简不堪一击 · 繁不堪一擊

Mandarin · pinyin bù kān yī jī

(idiom) unable to withstand a single blow; to collapse at the first blow

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Characters in this entry

不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
堪: kān · adequately capable of, worthy of
一: yī · one; a, an; alone
擊: Look up this written character
击: jī · strike, hit, beat; attack, fight

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–1–1–1 · bu4 kan1 yi1 ji1

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

不堪一擊 · find source passages ↗ · 不堪一击 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

bat1 ham1 jat1 gik1

Cantonese word readings for 不堪一擊. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) cannot withstand a single blow; collapse at the first blow

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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