看不起 (kànbuqǐ) · to look down on

看不起 (kànbuqǐ) means “to look down on; to despise”. It is written with 3 characters: 看 (to look) + 不 (not) + 起 (to get up). It is an HSK 4 word in the 2021 standard.

How 看不起 is built

The characters

看 kàn · to look

What 看 is made of

手shǒu — hand
目mù — eye
- 口kǒu — mouth
  - 冂 — frame
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
- 二 — two strokes
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
  - 一 — horizontal stroke

Origin hint: Shielding one's eyes 目 with a hand 手 to look to the distance (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

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)

起 qǐ · to get up

What 起 is made of

走zǒu — to walk
- 土tǔ — earth
  - 十 — ten
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
- 止zhǐ — to stop
  - 上shàng — up
  - 丨 — vertical stroke
己jǐ — self
- 乚 — hook stroke

Origin hint: 走 gives the meaning, 己 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

Example sentences

不要看不起别人。Bù yào kànbuqǐ biérén.Don't look down on others.

他为什么看不起我？Tā wèishénme kànbuqǐ wǒ?Why does he look down on me?

Questions about 看不起

What does 看不起 mean?

看不起 (kànbuqǐ) means “to look down on; to despise”.

How do you pronounce 看不起?

看不起 is pronounced kànbuqǐ.

Which HSK level is 看不起?

看不起 is in HSK 4 (2021) and Old HSK 5.

Related words

Learn 看不起 with its group

It is part of HSK 4 (2021) · Group 33: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.

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