Definition
不甘 is a stative verb phrase meaning 'not willing to accept' or 'not resigned to' a negative situation. It is a fixed combination of 不 (not) and 甘 (willing/content), and typically appears before a verb phrase or clause (e.g., 不甘落后 'unwilling to lag behind', 不甘示弱 'not willing to show weakness'). It has a literary/formal tone and is common in written Chinese and serious speech.
s.v.
unwilling to accept (a disadvantage or failure)not resigned to
Examples
- ，。Tā bù gān luòhòu, měitiān jiābān xuéxí.He is unwilling to lag behind, so he works overtime every day to study.
- ，。Suīrán shū le bǐsài, tā yì liǎn bù gān.Although she lost the match, she showed a look of unwillingness to accept it.
- ，，。Miànduì qiángdí, tāmen bù gān shìruò, fènlì fǎnjī.Facing a strong opponent, they refused to show weakness and fought back fiercely.
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