jiàn sǐ bù jiù: 见死不救 - To See Someone Dying and Not Offer Help

• Keywords: 见死不救, jian si bu jiu, seeing death not saving, refuse to help, bystander effect China, Good Samaritan China, Chinese social trust, moral apathy, Chinese idiom for not helping
• Summary: 见死不救 (jiàn sǐ bù jiù) is a powerful Chinese idiom that literally means “to see death and not save.” It describes the morally reprehensible act of witnessing someone in a life-threatening situation and choosing not to intervene. This term is more than just a phrase; it's a significant cultural touchstone in China, often used in heated public discussions about social responsibility, moral decay, and the “bystander effect,” making it essential for understanding modern Chinese social discourse.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jiàn sǐ bù jiù
• Part of Speech: Chengyu (成语) / Idiom
• HSK Level: N/A (Advanced)
• Concise Definition: To consciously refuse to help someone who is in mortal danger.
• In a Nutshell: This isn't just about being unhelpful. 见死不救 is a heavy moral accusation. It paints a picture of cold indifference in the face of a life-or-death crisis. Imagine seeing someone drowning and simply turning away. That is the feeling this idiom captures. It's used to condemn a severe lack of compassion and social responsibility.

• 见 (jiàn): To see, to witness.
• 死 (sǐ): Death, to die.
• 不 (bù): Not, no. A simple negation.
• 救 (jiù): To save, to rescue, to help.

The characters combine to create a stark and literal meaning: “To see death [and] not save.” The power of the idiom lies in its straightforward, visual condemnation of inaction.

见死不救 is a deeply resonant term in modern China, acting as a focal point for anxieties about social trust and public morality. While every culture frowns upon such behavior, this phrase is particularly charged in China due to several high-profile incidents that were widely publicized. The most famous case is that of Wang Yue (王悦), a two-year-old girl who was run over by two vehicles in 2011. Surveillance footage showed at least 18 passersby walking past her injured body without stopping to help before she was finally moved by a scrap collector. This event ignited a nationwide debate about moral apathy, and 见死不救 became the headline-grabbing term to describe the bystanders' behavior. This concept contrasts sharply with the Western legal idea of “Good Samaritan laws.” In the U.S. and other Western countries, these laws exist to legally *protect* a person who voluntarily offers aid from being sued if they make a mistake. In China, the fear is often the opposite. Many people hesitate to help strangers for fear of being blamed for the injury in the first place, or being extorted for money by the victim or their family. This phenomenon, known as 碰瓷 (pèngcí), has created a climate of suspicion that can lead to the tragic inaction described by 见死不救. Therefore, the term encapsulates a complex social dilemma: a conflict between the traditional value of helping others and the modern fear of personal risk and liability.

This is a very strong, formal, and overwhelmingly negative term. It is not used lightly in casual conversation.

• In News and Social Media: This phrase is extremely common in news reports, online forums, and social media discussions when a story emerges about a bystander failing to help someone in an emergency (e.g., a car accident, a drowning, a public assault).
• As a Moral Accusation: To accuse someone of 见死不救 is to question their fundamental morality and humanity. It's a serious charge, implying they are cold, selfish, and inhumane.
• Metaphorical Use: While its core meaning is literal, it can be used metaphorically in business or politics. For example, a large company that allows a smaller partner to go bankrupt without offering any support could be accused of 见死不救 by the media.

The connotation is always negative and condemnatory. There is no neutral or positive way to use this term.

• Example 1:
  • 那个男人掉进河里，岸上那么多人却见死不救，真是太冷漠了。
  • Pinyin: Nàge nánrén diào jìn hé lǐ, àn shàng nàme duō rén què jiàn sǐ bù jiù, zhēnshi tài lěngmò le.
  • English: That man fell into the river, but so many people on the bank just watched and didn't help. It's truly apathetic.
  • Analysis: This is a classic, literal use of the term to describe a real-life emergency and condemn the inaction of the bystanders.
• Example 2:
  • 法律应该保护好人，而不是让大家因为害怕被讹而不敢救人，最终导致见死不救的悲剧。
  • Pinyin: Fǎlǜ yīnggāi bǎohù hǎorén, bùshì ràng dàjiā yīnwèi hàipà bèi é ér bù gǎn jiù rén, zuìzhōng dǎozhì jiàn sǐ bù jiù de bēijù.
  • English: The law should protect good people, not make everyone afraid of being extorted and thus dare not save others, which ultimately leads to the tragedy of people refusing to help those in peril.
  • Analysis: This sentence discusses the social phenomenon behind 见死不救, linking it to the fear of extortion (碰瓷).
• Example 3:
  • 医生有救死扶伤的责任，如果他们见死不救，就会失去人们的信任。
  • Pinyin: Yīshēng yǒu jiùsǐfúshāng de zérèn, rúguǒ tāmen jiàn sǐ bù jiù, jiù huì shīqù rénmen de xìnrèn.
  • English: Doctors have a duty to heal the wounded and rescue the dying; if they were to see someone dying and not offer aid, they would lose the people's trust.
  • Analysis: This example applies the term to a professional context, highlighting the heightened moral duty of doctors.
• Example 4:
  • 在那个竞争激烈的商业环境中，大公司对小公司的困境见死不救是常有的事。
  • Pinyin: Zài nàge jìngzhēng jīliè de shāngyè huánjìng zhōng, dà gōngsī duì xiǎo gōngsī de kùnjìng jiàn sǐ bù jiù shì chángyǒu de shì.
  • English: In that fiercely competitive business environment, it's common for large companies to stand by and do nothing while smaller companies face collapse.
  • Analysis: A metaphorical use. The “death” here is financial ruin, not literal death. It still carries a strong negative judgment.
• Example 5:
  • 他不是见死不救，他是真的不会游泳，自己下去也会有危险。
  • Pinyin: Tā bùshì jiàn sǐ bù jiù, tā shì zhēnde bù huì yóuyǒng, zìjǐ xiàqù yě huì yǒu wēixiǎn.
  • English: It's not that he was refusing to help; he genuinely doesn't know how to swim and would have been in danger himself if he went in.
  • Analysis: This sentence provides a defense against the accusation of 见死不救, showing how the term can be used in an argument or debate. The key distinction is ability versus willingness.
• Example 6:
  • 社交媒体上，网友们强烈谴责了那些对倒地老人见死不救的路人。
  • Pinyin: Shèjiāo méitǐ shàng, wǎngyǒumen qiángliè qiǎnzéle nàxiē duì dǎo dì lǎorén jiàn sǐ bù jiù de lùrén.
  • English: On social media, netizens strongly condemned the passersby who saw the elderly person fall and refused to help.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the term's common usage in modern online discourse in China.
• Example 7:
  • 我们要建立一个互帮互助的社会，杜绝见死不救的现象。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen yào jiànlì yīgè hù bāng hù zhù de shèhuì, dùjué jiàn sǐ bù jiù de xiànxiàng.
  • English: We must build a society of mutual aid and assistance, and put an end to the phenomenon of people refusing to help those in mortal danger.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses the term in a prescriptive way, as a social ill that needs to be cured.
• Example 8:
  • 作为朋友，你在我最困难的时候见死不救，我永远不会原谅你。
  • Pinyin: Zuòwéi péngyǒu, nǐ zài wǒ zuì kùnnán de shíhòu jiàn sǐ bù jiù, wǒ yǒngyuǎn bù huì yuánliàng nǐ.
  • English: As a friend, you left me to sink or swim when I was in my deepest trouble. I will never forgive you.
  • Analysis: A highly dramatic and metaphorical use between individuals. The speaker feels utterly betrayed. “Death” here refers to severe personal or financial crisis.
• Example 9:
  • 他眼睁睁地看着那家小店倒闭，被人批评是见死不救。
  • Pinyin: Tā yǎnzhēngzhēng de kànzhe nà jiā xiǎo diàn dǎobì, bèi rén pīpíng shì jiàn sǐ bù jiù.
  • English: He just watched as that small shop went out of business and was criticized for doing nothing to help.
  • Analysis: Another business-related metaphorical use, emphasizing the conscious choice to not intervene.
• Example 10:
  • 在灾难面前，所有人都伸出了援手，没有人见死不救。
  • Pinyin: Zài zāinàn miànqián, suǒyǒu rén dōu shēn chūle yuánshǒu, méiyǒu rén jiàn sǐ bù jiù.
  • English: In the face of the disaster, everyone extended a helping hand; no one stood by and did nothing.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses the term in the negative to praise the collective response to a crisis, showing the ideal alternative to 见死不救.

• Mistake 1: Using it for minor situations. A common error is to use this powerful term for trivial matters. It is not equivalent to “being unhelpful.”
  • Incorrect: 我忘了带钱包，我的同事见死不救，不借我钱吃午饭。(Wǒ wàngle dài qiánbāo, wǒ de tóngshì jiàn sǐ bù jiù, bù jiè wǒ qián chī wǔfàn.) - “I forgot my wallet, and my colleague saw me 'dying' and wouldn't save me by lending me money for lunch.”
  • Why it's wrong: This is massive hyperbole. Not having lunch money is an inconvenience, not a life-or-death situation. Using 见死不救 here sounds overly dramatic and accusatory, unless used sarcastically between very close friends. A better word would be 不肯帮忙 (bù kěn bāngmáng - unwilling to help).
• Distinction from “Bystander Effect”: While related, the terms are different. The “bystander effect” is a socio-psychological term used to *explain* why individuals are less likely to offer help when other people are present. It's an analytical, neutral concept. 见死不救, on the other hand, is a purely moral *condemnation*. It doesn't explain the behavior; it judges it as a profound ethical failure.

• 袖手旁观 (xiù shǒu páng guān) - To stand by with hands in sleeves. A close synonym, describing inaction, but perhaps slightly less focused on a life-or-death scenario.
• 碰瓷 (pèngcí) - Lit. “to bump porcelain.” The act of faking an accident or injury to extort money from the person who tries to help. This is seen as a root cause of the 见死不救 phenomenon.
• 助人为乐 (zhù rén wéi lè) - To find joy in helping others. The direct moral antonym of 见死不救; the ideal behavior in Chinese culture.
• 路见不平，拔刀相助 (lù jiàn bù píng, bá dāo xiāng zhù) - Seeing injustice on the road and drawing one's sword to help. The heroic ideal of intervening to help the weak, in stark contrast to 见死不救.
• 冷漠 (lěngmò) - Indifference, apathy. Describes the emotional state or character trait of someone who would 见死不救.
• 麻木不仁 (mámùbùrén) - Numb and unfeeling, insensitive. A stronger way to describe the apathy that leads to 见死不救.
• 道德 (dàodé) - Morality, ethics. The concept of 见死不救 is central to modern discussions about the state of public 道德 in China.
• 救死扶伤 (jiù sǐ fú shāng) - To save the dying and heal the injured. An idiom describing the duty of medical professionals, and the opposite action of 见死不救.