不知所为 bù zhī suǒ wéi don't know what to do

Explanation

不知道该怎么办；不知道该如何处理；不知所措

don't know what to do; don't know how to handle it; at a loss

Origin Story

从前，有个年轻的樵夫，误入深山老林，迷失了方向。天色渐暗，寒风瑟瑟，他既找不到回家的路，又找不到可以栖身的场所，饥寒交迫之下，他身心俱疲，不知所为，只能在瑟瑟寒风中默默地等待着黎明的到来。他既没有准备好的食物，也没有准备好的工具，更没有准备好应对突发情况的办法。他后悔自己当初没有做好充分的准备，现在只能被动地等待命运的安排，只能祈祷上天能够帮助他度过难关。

cóng qián, yǒu gè nián qīng de qiáofū, wù rù shēn shān lǎo lín, mí shī le fāng xiàng. tiān sè jiàn àn, hán fēng sè sè, tā jì zhǎo bù dào huí jiā de lù, yòu zhǎo bù dào kě yǐ qīsēn de chǎng suǒ, jī hán jiāo pò zhī xià, tā shēn xīn jù pí, bù zhī suǒ wéi, zhǐ néng zài sè sè hán fēng zhōng mòmò de děng dài zhe lí míng de dào lái.

Once upon a time, a young woodsman lost his way in a deep forest. As night fell, the cold wind blew, and he couldn't find his way home or a place to stay. Exhausted and hungry, he didn't know what to do and could only wait silently for dawn in the cold wind. He had no food, tools, or any way to deal with the emergency. He regretted not being prepared, and now could only passively wait for fate's arrangement, praying that heaven would help him through the ordeal.

Usage

形容人遇到困难或紧急情况时不知所措，不知如何是好的状态。

xióngróng rén yù dào kùnnán huò jǐnjí qíngkuàng shí bù zhī suǒ cuò, bù zhī rúhé shì hǎo de zhuàngtài.

Describes the state of a person who is at a loss when faced with difficulties or emergencies, not knowing what to do.

Examples

• 面对突如其来的问题，他不知所为，手足无措。

  miàn duì tū rú qí lái de wèntí, tā bù zhī suǒ wéi, shǒu zú wú cuò.

  Faced with sudden problems, he didn't know what to do and was at a loss.

• 面对困境，他不知所为，只能等待时机。

  miàn duì kùnjìng, tā bù zhī suǒ wéi, zhǐ néng děng dài shíjī.

  Faced with difficulties, he didn't know what to do and could only wait for an opportunity.

Related Idioms

• 不知所措

• 束手无策

Opposite Idioms

• 胸有成竹

• 处变不惊