Definition
闲不住 is a fixed phrase formed by the adjective 闲 ('idle, free') followed by the potential complement 不住 ('cannot manage to stay'), resulting in the meaning 'cannot stay idle' or 'always keeps oneself busy.' It describes a person who is restless, hates being idle, and constantly seeks activities or work to fill their time. It is not a typical separable verb — the whole phrase functions as a predicate and cannot be split.
r.v.
unable to stay idlealways looking for something to do
Examples
- 闲不住，。Wǒ jiā nà wèi lǎorén yíbèizi dōu xián bú, tuìxiū hòu fǎn'ér gèng máng le.The elderly person in my family has never been able to stay idle all their life; after retirement they've actually become busier.
- 闲不住，。Tā shì gè xián bú de rén, zhōumò yě zǒng yào zhǎo diǎn shì zuò.She is someone who can't stay idle; she always finds something to do on weekends too.
- ，闲不住。Tā yìtiān dàowǎn máng gè bù tíng, zhēn shì gè xián bú de zhǔr.He is busy from morning till night, a real person who never stays idle.
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