How do you say "unreliable" in Chinese?

不可靠

bù kě kào

Adjective Hanzi

In Chinese, "unreliable" is 不可靠 (bù kě kào).

Listen to the pronunciation:

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Pronunciation

Shape your mouth for bù kě kào around "bù" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "kě" dipped low then curled back up (third tone), then "kào" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).

Writing and usage

不可靠 is written using hanzi. It's a adjective, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.

Example sentence

老车不可靠。

lǎo chē bù kě kào 。

The old car is unreliable.

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How to remember 不可靠

"bù kě kào" sounds a little like "boo kuh kow" in English, so picture unreliable to lock in the connection.

Related words

Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.

Questions about 不可靠

How do you pronounce 不可靠?

Shape your mouth for bù kě kào around "bù" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "kě" dipped low then curled back up (third tone), then "kào" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).

Is 不可靠 formal or casual?

不可靠 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is 不可靠 used in Chinese?

不可靠 is used the same way as the equivalent English adjective. For example: 老车不可靠。 (The old car is unreliable.).

Where can I practice Chinese words for free?

You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Unreliable" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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