Usage and Nuance
The verb 理睬 (lǐcǎi) means "to pay attention to" or "to heed," but it is most commonly used in negative forms such as 不理睬, meaning "to ignore" or "to disregard." When someone says 不理睬, they imply a deliberate choice to not respond or acknowledge someone or something.
Common Collocations
- 不理睬 (bù lǐcǎi): to ignore deliberately, often used to express refusal to respond.
- 理睬别人 (lǐcǎi biérén): to pay attention to others, though less common in positive form.
Register and Tone
理睬 is somewhat formal and often appears in written or formal spoken Chinese. It carries a slightly stronger tone than simply ignoring someone; it suggests conscious disregard.
Common Confusion
Do not confuse 理睬 with 理解 (lǐjiě, "to understand") or 理由 (lǐyóu, "reason"). 理睬 focuses on attention and response, not comprehension or reasoning.
Summary
Use 理睬 mainly in contexts where you want to express whether someone pays attention or deliberately ignores another person or thing. The negative form 不理睬 is especially common in everyday speech and writing to indicate ignoring someone intentionally.