爱理不理
ài lǐ bù lǐ
standoffish; to give someone the cold shoulder
Character by character
爱ài
like
like
理lǐ
heed
heed
不bù
not
not
理lǐ
heed
heed
Example
我跟他打招呼，他爱理不理的，好像不认识我一样。
I said hello and he barely acknowledged me, as if he didn’t know me.
Tone: negative (criticism).
Usage and origin
You take notice only if you feel like it, which is to say hardly at all. Pattern: 对…爱理不理, often with 的. A well-known online retort runs 今天你对我爱理不理，明天我让你高攀不起: snub me today, and tomorrow I’ll be out of your league.
Learn this in Lesson 49 · HSK 5–6: 代沟 (The generation gap)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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