不知不觉 bùzhī-bùjué unconsciously
(idiom) unconsciously; unwittingly
How to remember 不知不觉: 不 not + 知 know + 觉 feel = unconsciously.
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How it is used
- Marks something that happened gradually without you noticing - 不知不觉就到夜里了 (bùzhī-bùjué jiù dào yèlǐ le) before I knew it, it was night.
- Common with time passing or habits forming; usually sits at the front of the clause or before the verb.
- The feel is 'unwittingly, imperceptibly' - the change crept up on you, not that you were literally unconscious.