還不如

简 还不如 · 繁 還不如
Mandarin · pinyin hái bù rú

Meanings

  1. to be better off ...
  2. might as well ...
Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

還
hái · still, yet, also, besides
不
bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
如
rú · if, supposing; as if; like, as
还
hái · still, yet, also, besides
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

2–4–2 · hai2 bu4 ru2

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.

還不如 · find source passages ↗ · 还不如 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗