不三不四
- Literal
- neither three nor four
- Figurative
- Dubious and disreputable: said of shady, shifty people, or of things done in a half-baked, improper way.
Where does 不三不四 come from?
It does not come from a specific tale but is a set phrase built from two numbers: "neither three nor four," meaning something that fits no clear category and is therefore shady or unpresentable. Its usage was firmly fixed by the Ming-dynasty classic novel 《水浒传》 (Water Margin), where it describes disreputable characters, and today it is very common for both people of bad repute and things done in a sloppy, improper way.
Source (出处): 《水浒传》
How is 不三不四 used? Two examples
- 她妈妈不喜欢她跟那些不三不四的人来往。
Her mother doesn't like her hanging around with those disreputable people.
- 这件事你别做得不三不四，要么认真做，要么别做。
Don't do this in a half-baked way: either do it properly or don't do it at all.
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