- 不中用 bùzhōngyòng uselessunfit for anything; of no use; incompetent; having no ability
- 中看不中用 zhòngkànbùzhòngyòng impressive-looking but uselesspleasant to look at but of no practical use
- 不中意 bùzhòngyì not to one's likingnot to one's liking; to be dissatisfied with; to not appeal to someone
- 女大不中留 nǚdàbúzhòngliú a grown daughter must be married off(idiom) a grown girl should not be kept at home; she must be married off when she comes of age
- 中看不中吃 zhōngkànbùzhōngchī pleasing to the eye but not to the tastepleasant to look at but not good to eat; describes something that looks impressive on the outside but is actually useless or disappointing
- 累试不中 lěishìbùzhòng to fail exams repeatedlyto fail the civil service examinations many times in succession
- 不中不西 bùzhōngbùxī neither Chinese nor WesternNeither Chinese nor Western; a mixture of styles that is neither one thing nor the other, often used to describe something awkward or out of place.
- 不中听 búzhòngtīng unpleasant to heardisagreeable to the ear; not worth listening to; offensive or hard to accept
- 不中看 bùzhòngkàn unpleasant to look atunattractive or unsightly; not good-looking
- 看不中 kànbuzhòng to disliketo be unsatisfied with or not impressed by; to find someone or something not to one's liking