不置可否

búzhì-kěfǒu

idiom #43,419

Meanings

1 to decline to state an opinion
2 to be noncommittal
3 to neither approve nor disapprove

Characters

to place; to state

Examples

HSK 4

问他意见，他总是不置可否。

Wèn tā yìjiàn, tā zǒngshì búzhì-kěfǒu.

Whenever we ask his opinion, he is always noncommittal.

HSK 6

面对记者的提问，官员不置可否。

Miànduì jìzhě de tíwèn, guānyuán búzhì-kěfǒu.

Faced with the reporter's questions, the official refused to comment either way.

HSK 7-9

对这个提议，经理不置可否。

Duì zhège tíyì, jīnglǐ búzhì-kěfǒu.

The manager neither accepted nor rejected the proposal.

Tips

history

From 李宝嘉's 《官场现形记》 (late Qing): '温钦差听了一笑，也不置可否' - 'Commissioner Wen listened with a smile, neither affirming nor denying'. Now standard in political and business reporting.

grammar

置 here means 'to put forward, to state'; 可否 is the binary 'yes-no'. Literally 'does not put forth yes-or-no'. The structure is fixed - never expand to 不置可不可.

Stroke Order

不 bù

置 zhì

可 kě

否 fǒu