不得其门而入

不得其門而入

bùdéqíménérrù

idiom

Meanings

1 unable to find a way in
2 to lack entry to a field, organization, or someone's confidence
3 originally a line of praise from the Analects

Characters

Examples

HSK 6

他想进入学术圈，却一直不得其门而入。

Tā xiǎng jìnrù xuéshù quān, què yìzhí bùdéqímén'érrù.

He wanted to enter academic circles but kept finding no way in.

HSK 7-9

这个行业技术门槛高，新人常常不得其门而入。

Zhè gè hángyè jìshù ménkǎn gāo, xīnrén chángcháng bùdéqímén'érrù.

This industry has a high technical barrier - newcomers often can't find a foothold.

Tips

history

From 《论语·子张》: 子贡 said 夫子之墙数仞，不得其门而入，不见宗庙之美、百官之富. The original meaning praised the depth of Confucius's learning, hard for outsiders to glimpse. Later it broadened to 'unable to enter a field or situation.'

Stroke Order

不 bù

得 de

其 qí

门 mén

而 ér

入 rù