不择手段
不择手段 (bú zé shǒu duàn) literally means “not choose methods” and expresses “use any means regardless of ethics”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.
Also searched as: bu ze shou duan, bu ze shou duan,不择手段 meaning, 不择手段 in english
Use any means regardless of ethics
Pronunciation: bú zé shǒu duàn Literal meaning: Not choose methods
Origin & Usage
Not (不) choosing (择) among methods (手段). The moral weight sits entirely on 择. The phrase does not say the means were bad; it says that no selection was made among them, which treats choosing as itself the ethical act and its abandonment as the offence. That is a precise and rather deep formulation. Competitors, ambitious colleagues and regimes, and it is among the more serious accusations available in ordinary language.
Examples
English: "The politician secured votes through intimidation, bribery, and misinformation campaigns"
Chinese: 这位政治家通过恐吓、贿赂和虚假信息活动来获取选票
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about relationships & character
爱不释手
ài bù shì shǒu
Cherish something too much to put it down
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束手无策
shù shǒu wú cè
Completely helpless without options
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妙手回春
miào shǒu huí chūn
Extraordinary healing skill
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信手拈来
xìn shǒu niān lái
Create effortlessly from mastery
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眼高手低
yǎn gāo shǒu dī
Standards exceed abilities
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七手八脚
qī shǒu bā jiǎo
Many people busily working together in disorder
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大显身手
dà xiǎn shēn shǒu
Fully display one's skill and ability
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白手起家
bái shǒu qǐ jiā
Build up from nothing; self-made
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 不择手段 mean in English?
不择手段 (bú zé shǒu duàn) literally translates to “Not choose methods” and is used to express “Use any means regardless of ethics”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.
When is 不择手段 used?
Situation: The politician secured votes through intimidation, bribery, and misinformation campaigns
What is the pinyin for 不择手段?
The pinyin pronunciation for 不择手段 is “bú zé shǒu duàn”.