DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

不恥下問

简不耻下问 · 繁不恥下問

Mandarin · pinyin bù chǐ xià wèn

not feel ashamed to ask and learn from one's subordinates

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
恥: Look up this written character
下: xià · under, underneath, below; down; inferior; bring down
問: wèn · ask (about), inquire after
耻: chǐ · shame, humiliation; ashamed
问: wèn · ask about, inquire after

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

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

4–3–4–4 · bu4 chi3 xia4 wen4

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

5character links

Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗

Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

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.

不恥下問 · find source passages ↗ · 不耻下问 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

bat1 ci2 haa6 man6

Cantonese word readings for 不恥下問. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

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 not ashamed to learn from one's subordinates

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

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack