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HSK 6
bù不notchǐ耻ashamedxià下belowwèn问ask
Not too proud to ask people of lower rank for help.

Literal meaning

not (不) — ashamed (耻) — below (下) — ask (问)

Origin

Analects (《论语·公冶长》). A disciple asks Confucius why a duke called Kong Wenzi (孔文子) was honoured with the posthumous title 文 ("the Cultured"). Confucius answers: 敏而好学，不耻下问，是以谓之文也 — "He was quick and loved to learn, and was not ashamed to ask those below him; that is why he was called the Cultured." The phrase carries that endorsement forward: humility before knowledge ranks higher than status anxiety, and the smartest people in any room are typically the ones still asking questions.

Examples

Tā他suī虽rán然shì是jiào教shòu授，dàn但bù不chǐ耻xià下wèn问，cháng常cháng常qǐng请jiào教xué学sheng生。
He's a professor, but isn't above asking — he often consults his students.
Zuò做yán研jiū究jiù就yào要bù不chǐ耻xià下wèn问，yù遇dào到bù不dǒng懂de的jiù就gāi该wèn问。
Doing research means being unafraid to ask — when something's unclear, you ask.

Usage & nuances

Praise rather than self-description. You'd say someone else 不耻下问, not really claim it about yourself (claiming it tilts towards humblebrag). Common in performance reviews, biographies, and obituary-style writing about scholars.

Related chengyu

bàn半jīn斤bā八liǎng两
bǎo饱jīng经cāng沧sāng桑
bó博dà大jīng精shēn深
bó博xué学duō多cái才
bù不kě可sī思yì议
bù不yán言ér而yù喻

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