CHENGYU
不计其数(bù jì qí shù)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- neutral
- Source:
- 宋·魏了翁《奏措京湖诸郡》
MEANING
- Literal
- not counting their number
- Figurative meaning
- countless; too many to count
ORIGIN STORY
A Song dynasty report on city defenses lists the troops inside the walls — and those scattered in the suburbs "whose number one no longer counts". The phrase is the shrug of the counter who has given up.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“beyond counting”
EXAMPLES
每年有不计其数的游客来到这里。Měi nián yǒu bù jì qí shù de yóukè lái dào zhèlǐ.HSK6
Countless visitors come here every year.
天上的星星不计其数。Tiānshàng de xīngxing bù jì qí shù.HSK6
The stars in the sky are beyond counting.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: Note the reading: 数 is shù (number). It is about countless quantity — not about ignoring numbers.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01