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想不開

简想不开 · 繁想不開

Mandarin · pinyin xiǎng bu kāi

cannot figure out
to be unable to take a lighter view
to take things too hard
to be depressed
to fret over trifles

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Characters in this entry

想: xiǎng · think, speculate, plan, consider
不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
開: kāi · open; initiate, begin, start
开: kāi · open; initiate, begin, start

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

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Mandarin tones

3–5–1 · xiang3 bu5 kai1

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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.

想不開 · find source passages ↗ · 想不开 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

verb

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see 想開 /想开 (xiǎngkāi), 不: cannot get over
(euphemistic) to commit suicide

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

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