不如
HSK 4 (exam 2025)HSK 2 (2021)Old HSK 5
不如 (bùrú) · not as good as
不如 (bùrú) means “not as good as; had better”. It is written with 2 characters: 不 (not) + 如 (as). It is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 不如 is built
The characters
不 bù · not
What 不 is made of
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: A bird flying toward the sky 一 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
如 rú · as
What 如 is made of
- 女nǚ — woman
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 冂 — frame
Origin hint: A wife 女 following her husband's words 口 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
坐车不如走路快。Zuò chē bùrú zǒulù kuài.Going by car isn't as fast as walking.
我们不如明天再去吧。Wǒmen bùrú míngtiān zài qù ba.We'd better go tomorrow instead.
Questions about 不如
What does 不如 mean?
不如 (bùrú) means “not as good as; had better”.
How do you pronounce 不如?
不如 is pronounced bùrú.
Which HSK level is 不如?
不如 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021) and Old HSK 5.
Related words
- 不大bùdànot very
- 不对bùduìwrong
- 不客气bùkèqiyou are welcome
- 不用bùyòngno need
- 对不起duìbuqǐsorry
- 是不是shìbushìis it or not
- 不错bùcuònot bad
- 不但bùdànnot only (... but also ...)
- 不够bùgòunot enough
- 不过bùguòbut
Learn 不如 with its group
It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 39: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.