不像话

bù xiàng huà

HSK 2.0 Level 6 HSK 3.0 Level 7 Adjective Uncommon

Save to list

Definitions

1. unreasonable
2. shocking
3. outrageous

Stop forgetting what you study.
Build recall daily.

Try HanyuGuide's Chinese review system with multiple choice, typed recall, tone-aware practice, and reviews scheduled before memory fades.

Start Free Trial · $49.99 / year

Sign up with Google

Continue with Email

Lifetime for $119.99 Try a practice session

Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

• 合理 hé lǐ 合理 hé lǐ rational; reasonable; sensible; fair 不像话 means unreasonable; 合理 means reasonable.: rational; reasonable; sensible; fair

Register variants

1 item

• 不像样 bù xiàng yàng 不像样 bù xiàng yàng in no shape to be seen 不像样 is more colloquial, meaning improper or unpresentable.: in no shape to be seen

Synonyms

2 items

• 过分 guò fèn 过分 guò fèn excessive Both mean something is beyond acceptable limits.: excessive
• 离谱 lí pǔ 离谱 lí pǔ excessive Used to describe something unreasonable or ridiculous.: excessive

Usage notes

Collocations

Often used in spoken reprimands: 你太不像话了！(You're being completely unreasonable!)

Common mistakes

Not used for physical descriptions; unlike 'shocking' in English, it refers to behavior or situations, not appearance.

Child Words of 不像话

• 不 不 bù: no; not so
• 像 像 xiàng: to resemble
• 话 话 huà: dialect
• 像话 像话 xiàng huà: proper