Meaning
不理 means to deliberately ignore someone or something, to not respond or acknowledge. It combines 不 (not) with 理 (to pay attention to, to acknowledge), creating the meaning of refusing to engage with or respond to someone. It's commonly used when describing social situations where someone is being ignored or given the cold shoulder.
Usage
This word is frequently used in interpersonal contexts to describe ignoring someone's presence, words, or messages. It carries a sense of deliberate avoidance rather than accidental oversight. Common in phrases like 不理我 (ignore me) or 不理他 (ignore him). Can express anything from mild indifference to active hostility depending on context.
Examples
- 01我跟她打招呼，但她不理我。, .I greeted her, but she ignored me.
- 02他生气了，一整天都不理任何人。, .He was angry and ignored everyone all day.
Characters
Common collocations
- 不理不睬to completely ignore, to pay no attention whatsoever
- 不理我to ignore me
- 谁也不理to ignore everyone
Antonyms
Origin
理 originally meant to arrange jade or manage affairs, and extended to mean paying attention to or dealing with something. Combined with the negation 不, it creates the meaning of refusing to acknowledge or deal with someone or something.