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不得而知

Mandarin · pinyin bù dé ér zhī

unknown
unable to find out

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Characters in this entry

不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
得: dé · obtain, get, gain, acquire
而: ér · and; and then; and yet; but; Kangxi radical 126
知: zhī · know, perceive, comprehend

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

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Mandarin tones

4–2–2–1 · bu4 de2 er2 zhi1

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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.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

bat1 dak1 ji4 zi1

Cantonese word readings for 不得而知. 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) to be unable to know or find out; to remain unknown; to be unable to ascertain

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

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