📖 Meaning
An uninvited guest; someone who arrives without prior notice or invitation. It can refer to an unexpected visitor, either welcome or unwelcome, who shows up at one's doorstep or gathering.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom traces back to the I Ching (易经, Book of Changes), one of the oldest Chinese classic texts dating to the Zhou dynasty (c. 1000–750 BC). In the hexagram Kūn (坤), the text states: '不速之客来，敬之终吉' — an uninvited guest arrives; treat them with respect and good fortune will follow. The character 速 originally meant 'hurry' or 'promptly', conveying that the guest came hastily, without being summoned or expected ahead of time.
💡 Example Usage
正聊到兴头上，突然来了一位不速之客，大家都觉得有些尴尬。
Just as the conversation was getting lively, an unexpected guest showed up unannounced, making everyone feel a bit awkward.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 不速之客
- Pinyin: bù sù zhī kè
- Literal Translation: not, hurry/invite, possessive, guest
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4