# 无所事事

wú suǒ shì shì

Idle with nothing purposeful to do

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Have no affairs to occupy oneself

**Traditional Chinese:** 無所事事

**Register:** Critical · expressive

[Effort & growth](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/effort)

## When to use it

Describe purposeless inactivity.

Rest and recovery need not be purposeless.

## Understanding the expression

The person has no task or meaningful occupation to engage attention. Modern use often sounds critical, suggesting that time is being wasted rather than enjoyed deliberately. Someone may wander around a workplace without contributing or spend days without a plan. Yet being unemployed or taking a needed break does not automatically fit the judgment. The expression concerns inactivity as portrayed in context, not a moral rule that every moment must be productive.

## Examples

他整天无所事事地闲逛。

### Traditional Chinese

他整天無所事事地閒逛。

tā zhěng tiān wú suǒ shì shì dì xián guàng 。

He wandered around aimlessly all day.

假期里，她不想无所事事。

### Traditional Chinese

假期裡，她不想無所事事。

jià qī lǐ ， tā bù xiǎng wú suǒ shì shì 。

She did not want to spend the holiday doing nothing.

店里没客人，伙计暂时无所事事。

### Traditional Chinese

店裡沒客人，夥計暫時無所事事。

diàn lǐ méi kè rén ， huǒ jì zàn shí wú suǒ shì shì 。

With no customers in the shop, the assistant temporarily had nothing to do.

他辞职后无所事事，渐渐感到烦闷。

### Traditional Chinese

他辭職後無所事事，漸漸感到煩悶。

tā cí zhí hòu wú suǒ shì shì ， jiàn jiàn gǎn dào fán mèn 。

After resigning, he had no occupation and gradually felt bored.

## 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=%E7%84%A1%E6%89%80%E4%BA%8B%E4%BA%8B)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=752&webMd=1&la=0)

## Keep exploring

- [吴下阿蒙 wú xià ā méng Someone whose abilities have not yet developed ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/wu-xia-a-meng)

- [细水长流 xì shuǐ cháng liú Make steady, modest effort or use resources sparingly over time ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/xi-shui-chang-liu)

- [血气方刚 xuè qì fāng gāng Be young, vigorous, and impetuous ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/xue-qi-fang-gang)

- [学以致用 xué yǐ zhì yòng Put learning into practice ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/xue-yi-zhi-yong)

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