不肖  bù xiào OC: pɯʔ smews MC: pi̯ut siɛu 55 AttributionsWD

The most current and general word for incompetence is bù xiào 不肖 (ant. xián 賢 "distinguished talent").

Word relations
• Ant: 德/VIRTUE The current general term for salient features and principles of charismatic moral integrity and generosity is dé 德, when used as a term of ethical evalutation; but this word has many other philosophically important meanings.
• Ant: 明/INTELLIGENT Míng 明 (ant. àn 闇 "obfuscated in one's mind"), taking its analogy from sharpness of vision, typically refers to clarity of insight at all levels. 1 Attribution
• Ant: 賢/EXCELLENT16 Attributions
• Ant: 德/TALENT Dé 德 "political charisma; moral integrity" refers especially to the higher talents of the sage or the sage ruler and may perhaps be usefully compared in this synonym group. See VIRTUE.
• Ant: 聖/HERO Shèng 聖 (ant. fán 凡 "ordinary person") focusses on the hero as possessed of very great superior creativity and wisdom, and the word is mostly expanded to shèng rén 聖人.
• Ant: 聖賢/WISE
• Ant: 賢良/EXCELLENT1 Attribution
• Assoc: 愚/STUPID The dominant word is yú 愚 (ant. zhì 智 "clever; wise"), and the word refers to intellectual obtuseness as well as practical ineptitude. 2 Attributions

Syntactic words
• NPab.cincompetence; unworthiness; point of incompetence9 Attributions
• VP[adN]N=humthe incompetent (persons); the unworthy17 Attributions
• VPadNincompetent; of no moral worth 不肖主7 Attributions
• VPigradedbe unworthy, be worthless; be useless; be incompetent; be of no moral worth 甚不肖22 Attributions
• VPtoNputativeregard as incompetent0 Attributions

不才  bù cái OC: pɯʔ sɡɯɯ MC: pi̯ut dzəi 25 AttributionsWD

Syntactic words
• NPabfeatureincompetence2 Attributions
• VP[adN](by litotes:) the incompetent1 Attribution
• VPadN(by litotes:) incompetent (marked and unmarked by 之) 不才子 "good-for-nothing"8 Attributions
• VPihave no particular talents; (by litotes:) be incompetent; be entirely devoid of ability, be devoid of talent14 Attributions

不能  bù néng OC: pɯʔ nɯɯŋ MC: pi̯ut nəŋ 20 AttributionsWD

Word relations
• Ant: 善/EXCELLENT Shàn 善 (ant. zhuó 拙 "inept"), when the word does not mean moral goodness, but is close in meaning to liáng 良, refers to an acquired specific skill or propensity for certain forms of action. 1 Attribution

Syntactic words
• NP{vt{NEG}+V(.adN)}nonreferentialthose who are incompetent7 Attributions
• VPibe incompetent11 Attributions
• VPt+prep+Nbe more incompetent than N; be less able than N; be less powerful than N2 Attributions

不敏  bù mǐn OC: pɯʔ mrɯŋʔ MC: pi̯ut min 14 AttributionsWD

Syntactic words
• NP[adN]litotesthe incompetent person (NOT: not particularly talented, but: "devoid of all talent"0 Attributions
• NPab[adN]N=actmoral incompetence; lack of diligent competence2 Attributions
• VPilitotesbe incompetent (typically used in polite speech of oneself)12 Attributions

短  duǎn OC: toonʔ MC: tʷɑn 11 AttributionsWD

Duǎn 短 (ant. cháng 長 "of some excellence") refers to a distinct shortcoming in the form of a specific point of incompetence.

Word relations
• Ant: 長/EXCELLENT Yōu 優 (ant. liè 劣 "inferior") and cháng 長 (ant. duǎn 短 "of lesser quality") refers to a distinct advantage in excellence compared with some reference group or some point of reference. 1 Attribution

Syntactic words
• nabfeatureshortcoming, weakness, weak points2 Attributions
• vigradedweak with respect to something0 Attributions
• vt+prep+Nstativelack the ability to, be bad at2 Attributions
• vtoNstativebe bad at; be deficient in; fall short in7 Attributions

拙  zhuō OC: kljod MC: tɕiɛt 4 AttributionsWD

Zhuó 拙 refers - typically in polite discourse to one's own - ineptness. See STUPID

Syntactic words
• v[adN]the incompetentCH1 Attribution
• vadNinept; incompetentCH2 Attributions
• vibe inept; be incompetent and artlessCH1 Attribution

不肖者  bù xiào zhě OC: pɯʔ smews kljaʔ MC: pi̯ut siɛu tɕɣɛ 4 AttributionsWD

Syntactic words
• NPindefiniteabstractly: the incompetent1 Attribution
• NPpluraldefine: the incompetentCH3 Attributions

小才  xiǎo cái OC: smewʔ sɡɯɯ MC: siɛu dzəi 2 AttributionsWD

Syntactic words
• NP{vadN1(.adN2)}subject=humanperson of low talent2 Attributions

惡  è OC: qaaɡ MC: ʔɑk 1 AttributionWD

Word relations
• Ant: 善/EXCELLENT Shàn 善 (ant. zhuó 拙 "inept"), when the word does not mean moral goodness, but is close in meaning to liáng 良, refers to an acquired specific skill or propensity for certain forms of action.

Syntactic words
• nabfeatureincompetence1 Attribution

無能  wú néng OC: ma nɯɯŋ MC: mi̯o nəŋ 1 AttributionWD

Syntactic words
• VPadNwithout abilities, incompetent1 Attribution

長短  cháng duǎn OC: ɡrlaŋ toonʔ MC: ɖi̯ɐŋ tʷɑn 1 AttributionWD

Syntactic words
• NPabfeatureinability to do what one is supposed to do > weak points1 Attribution

不賢者  bù xián zhě OC: pɯʔ ɡiin kljaʔ MC: pi̯ut ɦen tɕɣɛ 1 AttributionWD

Syntactic words
• NPnonreferentialthe unworthy1 Attribution

罷不能  pí bù néng MC: bje pjut noj OC: bral pɯʔ nɯɯŋLZ 1 AttributionWD

Syntactic words
• VP[adN]incompetent personsLZ1 Attribution

駑  nú OC: naa MC: nuo̝ 0 AttributionsWD

Nú 駑 (ant. jùn 駿"talented" and jùn 俊 "talented") refers prototypically to the lack of skills in a horse, but is often used metaphorically to refer to lack of outstanding talent in general. [see INFERIOR]

Syntactic words

小  xiǎo OC: smewʔ MC: siɛu 0 AttributionsWD

Syntactic words
• vadNof little talent0 Attributions