DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

不識好歹

简不识好歹 · 繁不識好歹

Mandarin · pinyin bù shí hǎo dǎi

unable to tell good from bad (idiom)
undiscriminating

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
識: Look up this written character
好: hǎo · good, excellent, fine; well
歹: dǎi · bad, vicious, depraved, wicked
识: shí · shì · recognize, understand, know

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

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

4–2–3–3 · bu4 shi2 hao3 dai3

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.

不識好歹 · find source passages ↗ · 不识好歹 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

bat1 sik1 hou2 daai2

Cantonese word readings for 不識好歹. 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.

adj

synonym of 不知好歹 (bùzhīhǎodǎi)

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

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