不如
bùrú · HSK 2
be unequal/inferior to
不如 = not + like/as → not as good as, inferior to
不 (bù) means 'not' and 如 (rú) means 'like/as/similar to'. Together: 'not like' → 'not as good as' or 'inferior to'. Common in comparisons: A 不如 B = A is not as good as B.
不 — single pictograph; bird flying upward
Originally a pictograph in oracle bone script, traditionally interpreted as a bird flying up toward the sky and unable to come down, suggesting negation or refusal. Over time it became the standard negation word in Chinese, used before verbs and adjectives to mean 'not'.
如 — woman radical 女 + mouth 口
Originally a phono-semantic compound where 女 (woman) suggested compliance and 口 (mouth) indicated speaking or following orders. The early sense was 'to follow' or 'to comply with what is said,' which extended to 'to be like' or 'as if.' Modern uses like 'if' and 'such as' grew from this comparative meaning.