# 不识时务

bù shí shí wù

Fail to understand current circumstances

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Not recognize the demands of the times

**Traditional Chinese:** 不識時務

**Register:** Critical · general

[Choices & judgment](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/decisions)

## When to use it

Criticize insistence on an approach unsuited to the situation.

May pressure conformity; principled disagreement is not automatically foolish.

## Understanding the expression

The phrase judges someone's inability or refusal to read the circumstances around them. A request, policy, or insistence may make sense elsewhere but be badly timed here. It often criticizes stubbornness when conditions have clearly changed. However, the speaker may also use it to demand obedience or opportunistic compromise. Learners should examine who is making the judgment, because maintaining an ethical principle can be reasonable despite social pressure.

## Examples

预算已经削减，他还要求豪华办公室，太不识时务。

### Traditional Chinese

預算已經削減，他還要求豪華辦公室，太不識時務。

yù suàn yǐ jīng xuē jiǎn ， tā hái yāo qiú háo huá bàn gōng shì ， tài bù shí shí wù 。

Demanding a luxury office after budget cuts shows poor judgment of the situation.

行业都在转型，拒绝学习新技能是不识时务。

### Traditional Chinese

行業都在轉型，拒絕學習新技能是不識時務。

háng yè dōu zài zhuǎn xíng ， jù jué xué xí xīn jì néng shì bù shí shí wù 。

Refusing new skills while the industry changes ignores current realities.

大家正忙着救火，他却谈装修，真不识时务。

### Traditional Chinese

大家正忙著救火，他卻談裝修，真不識時務。

dà jiā zhèng máng zhe jiù huǒ ， tā què tán zhuāng xiū ， zhēn bù shí shí wù 。

Discussing decoration while everyone handles an emergency is badly timed.

她不接受违规要求，却被老板说成不识时务。

### Traditional Chinese

她不接受違規要求，卻被老闆說成不識時務。

tā bù jiē shòu wéi guī yāo qiú ， què bèi lǎo bǎn shuō chéng bù shí shí wù 。

She refused an improper demand, but her boss accused her of ignoring the situation.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E4%B8%8D%E8%AD%98%E6%99%82%E5%8B%99)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=410&webMd=1&la=0)

## Keep exploring

- [不时之需 bù shí zhī xū An unexpected need ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/bu-shi-zhi-xu)

- [不知所措 bù zhī suǒ cuò Be at a complete loss what to do ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/bu-zhi-suo-cuo)

- [出其不意 chū qí bù yì Act when the other party least expects it ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/chu-qi-bu-yi)

- [出奇制胜 chū qí zhì shèng Win through an unexpected move ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/chu-qi-zhi-sheng)

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