Definition
一窍不通 is a chengyu (four-character idiom) meaning 'completely ignorant' or 'knows nothing about something'. The literal image is 'not a single hole is open' — an ancient analogy to the heart being blocked, leaving no understanding. You use it to say someone has zero knowledge or skill in a particular area, often self-deprecatingly.
f.e.
to be completely ignorant (about a subject)to know absolutely nothingto be utterly clueless
Examples
- 一窍不通。Wǒ duì diànnǎo biānchéng yí qiào bù tōng.I'm completely ignorant about computer programming.
- ，一窍不通。Tā suīrán zài gōngsī gōngzuò duō nián, dàn duì cáiwù yí qiào bù tōng.Although he has worked at the company for many years, he knows nothing about finance.
- ，一窍不通。Bié wèn tā yuèlǐ wèntí, tā yí qiào bù tōng.Don't ask him music theory questions — he's utterly clueless.
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