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備而不用

简备而不用 · 繁備而不用

Mandarin · pinyin bèi ér bù yòng

have sth ready just in case
keep sth for possible future use

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Characters in this entry

備: bèi · prepare, ready, perfect
而: ér · and; and then; and yet; but; Kangxi radical 126
不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
用: yòng · use, employ, apply, operate; use
备: bèi · prepare, ready, perfect

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

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Mandarin tones

4–2–4–4 · bei4 er2 bu4 yong4

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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.

備而不用 · find source passages ↗ · 备而不用 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

bei6 ji4 bat1 jung6

Cantonese word readings for 備而不用. 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 have something ready just in case; to keep something for possible future use

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

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