不甘示弱

bùgān-shìruò

idiom #67,629

Meanings

1 unwilling to appear weaker than others
2 not to be outdone
3 refusing to concede inferiority

Characters

willing; resigned

Examples

HSK 4

哥哥拿了奖，弟弟不甘示弱，也努力起来。

Gēge ná le jiǎng, dìdi bùgān-shìruò, yě nǔlì qǐlái.

When his older brother won a prize, the younger one, not to be outdone, started working hard too.

HSK 5

对手实力很强，但我们不甘示弱。

Duìshǒu shílì hěn qiáng, dàn wǒmen bùgān-shìruò.

Our opponents are strong, but we won't be outdone.

Tips

usage

甘 here means 'to be willing to / resigned to'. 示弱 = 'to show weakness'. So: 'unwilling to show weakness'. Common in competitive contexts - sports, debates, children's rivalries.

Stroke Order

不 bù

甘 gān

示 shì

弱 ruò