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不見經傳

简不见经传 · 繁不見經傳

Mandarin · pinyin bù jiàn jīng zhuàn

not found in the classics (idiom); unknown
unfounded
not authoritative

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Characters in this entry

不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
見: jiàn · see, observe, behold; perceive; Kangxi radical 147
經: Look up this written character
傳: chuán · summon; propagate, transmit
见: jiàn · see, observe, behold; perceive
经: jīng · classic works; pass through
传: chuán · summon; propagate, transmit

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

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Mandarin tones

4–4–1–4 · bu4 jian4 jing1 zhuan4

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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.

不見經傳 · find source passages ↗ · 不见经传 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

phrase

(idiomatic) to not be found in the classics

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

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