不見棺材不落淚 bù jiàn guān cai bù luò lèi

refuse to face facts until too late

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. fig. refuse to be convinced until one is faced with grim reality
  2. 2. lit. not to shed a tear until one sees the coffin (idiom)

Characters

Character Meaning
不 bù HSK 1
not; no; (negative prefix)
見 jiàn
to see; to meet; to appear (to be sth)
棺 guān
coffin
材 cai HSK 4
material; timber; ability
不 bù HSK 1
not; no; (negative prefix)
落 luò HSK 4
to fall or drop; to lower; to lag or fall behind
淚 lèi
tears