DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

不脛而走

简不胫而走 · 繁不脛而走

Mandarin · pinyin bù jìng ér zǒu

to get round fast
to spread like wildfire

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
脛: Look up this written character
而: ér · and; and then; and yet; but; Kangxi radical 126
走: zǒu · walk, go on foot; run; leave; Kangxi radical 156
胫: jìng · shinbone; calf of leg

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

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

4–4–2–3 · bu4 jing4 er2 zou3

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

4character 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.

不脛而走 · find source passages ↗ · 不胫而走 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

bat1 hing5 ji4 zau2

Cantonese word readings for 不脛而走. 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 get round fast; to spread like wildfire

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

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