没出息

沒出息
méichūxi
adjective #19,280

Meanings

  1. 1 good-for-nothing
  2. 2 worthless
  3. 3 lacking prospects

Examples

Bié zhème méichūxi, zhènzuò qǐlái!
Don't be so useless — pull yourself together!
Tā juéde zìjǐ de érzi tài méichūxi le.
She thinks her son is completely good-for-nothing.

Tips

usage
没出息 is a common colloquial insult, often used by parents or elders scolding younger people. 出息 means 'prospects/potential', so 没出息 = 'no prospects'. The positive form 出息 (yǒu chūxi) means 'promising/ambitious'.
register
Informal and somewhat harsh. Often used within families or between close friends, not typically in formal settings.

Stroke Order

méi
chū