不可思议bù kě sī yìinconceivable; unimaginable; unfathomable

1. 1.

   inconceivable; unimaginable; unfathomableidiom

Figurative meaning

Inconceivable; unimaginable; unfathomable.

Literal meaning

Cannot be thought about or discussed.

• 不(bound form) not; un-
• 可(prefix) can; may; able to; -able
• 思to think
• 议to discuss

The story

The phrase comes from the Vimalakirti Sutra, which says that the buddhas and bodhisattvas have a liberation called “the inconceivable”.

不可思议 often follows 太、很 or 让人觉得 in everyday speech, and it can end a sentence as a comment on something surprising.

1. HSK 2

   他一个晚上就看完了这本书，太不可思议了！

   Tā yí ge wǎnshang jiù kàn wán le zhè běn shū, tài bù kě sī yì le!

   He finished this book in one evening. That's unbelievable!

2. HSK 4

   这么小的孩子会弹钢琴，让人觉得不可思议。

   Zhème xiǎo de háizi huì tán gāngqín, ràng rén juéde bù kě sī yì.

   It's hard to imagine that such a young child can play the piano.

3. HSK 2

   这件事听起来很不可思议，但这是真的。

   Zhè jiàn shì tīng qilai hěn bù kě sī yì, dàn zhè shì zhēn de.

   This sounds unimaginable, but it's true.

1. 
   Speaker A:

   你知道吗？小李昨天跑了四十公里。

   Nǐ zhīdào ma? Xiǎo Lǐ zuótiān pǎo le sìshí gōnglǐ.

   Did you know? Xiao Li ran forty kilometres yesterday.

2. 
   Speaker B:

   四十公里？他上个月才开始跑步啊。

   Sìshí gōnglǐ? Tā shàng ge yuè cái kāishǐ pǎobù a.

   Forty kilometres? He only started running last month.

3. 
   Speaker A:

   是啊，我听了也很吃惊。

   Shì a, wǒ tīng le yě hěn chījīng.

   Yes, I was surprised when I heard it too.

4. 
   Speaker B:

   太不可思议了！

   Tài bù kě sī yì le!

   That's unbelievable!

1. 1.What does 不可思议 mean?

   AInconceivable; unimaginableBEasy to understandCNot allowed to speak
2. 2.In the Vimalakirti Sutra, what is called “the inconceivable”?

   AA temple of the buddhasBA liberation of the buddhas and bodhisattvasCA teacher of the bodhisattvas
3. 3.Which sentence uses 不可思议 correctly?

   A这么小的孩子会弹钢琴，让人觉得不可思议。B我每天七点起床，很不可思议地刷牙。C请你不可思议这个问题。

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Related idioms

• 不知不觉bù zhī bù jué(idiom) unconsciously; unwittinglyHSK 7–9
• 不知所措bù zhī suǒ cuònot knowing what to doHSK 7–9
• 不约而同bù yuē ér tóng(idiom) (of two or more people) to take the same action without prior consultation; (usu. used adverbially) all (or both) of them, independently; as if by prior agreementHSK 7–9
• 不言而喻bù yán ér yù(idiom) it goes without saying; it is self-evidentHSK 7–9
• 与众不同yǔ zhòng bù tóng(idiom) to stand out from the crowd; distinctive; different from the restHSK 7–9
• 可想而知kě xiǎng ér zhī(idiom) (it) goes without saying; can well be imaginedHSK 7–9

Browse every entry in the Chinese idioms dictionary.