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自不量力

Mandarin · pinyin zì bù liàng lì

see 不自量力 bù zì liàng lì

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Characters in this entry

自: zì · self, private, personal; from; Kangxi radical 132
不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
量: liàng · measure, quantity, capacity
力: lì · power, capability, influence; Kangxi radical 19

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

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Mandarin tones

4–4–4–4 · zi4 bu4 liang4 li4

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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.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zi6 bat1 loeng6 lik6

Cantonese word readings for 自不量力. 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 overestimate one's capabilities; to not know one's own limitations; to be overconfident

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

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