看不起 kànbuqǐ to look down upon
to look down upon; to despise
How to remember 看不起: 看 look at + 不 not + 起 rise up = to look down upon.
Characters
How it is used
- To look down on / despise - 别看不起人 (bié kànbuqǐ rén) don't look down on people.
- The potential-negative form of 看得起; the positive is 看得起 (kàndeqǐ, to respect).
- Colloquial and pointed; always about disdaining a person or group.
Example sentences
- 她看不起他。 Tā kànbùqǐ tā.She despised him.
- 富人有时会看不起穷人。 Fùrén yǒushí huì kànbùqǐ qióngrén.The rich sometimes despise the poor.