CHENGYU
六亲不认(liù qīn bù rèn)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- neutral, negative
- Source:
- 冯德英《苦菜花》
MEANING
- Literal
- not to recognize one's six kin
- Figurative meaning
- cold and heartless, even to one's own family
ORIGIN STORY
The six kin are the closest relations: father, mother, brothers, sisters, wife and children. In the modern novel Bitter Cauliflower, a man fallen on hard times turns away his own — "recognizing none of his six kin".
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“to turn one's back on one's own”
EXAMPLES
他发了财就六亲不认了。Tā fā le cái jiù liù qīn bù rèn le.HSK6
Once rich, he turned his back on all six of his kin.
这个人六亲不认，只顾自己。Zhège rén liù qīn bù rèn, zhǐ gù zìjǐ.HSK6
This person recognizes no kin and thinks only of himself.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It is heartlessness toward family (or everyone) — not a bad memory for faces.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01