<p>大小 means the seniority or generation.</p>

<p>沒大沒小/没大没小</p>

<p><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/hydcd/266566t.html" rel="noreferrer">謂不顧長幼之分。</a><br>
Regardless of seniority or generation.</p>

<p><a href="http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=Z00000028344" rel="noreferrer">不顧長幼之分。形容欠缺禮數，不懂規矩。</a><br>
Regardless of seniority or generation.<br>
To describe a lack of propriety and ignorance of rules.</p>

<p><a href="http://chengyu.game2.tw/archives/38122" rel="noreferrer">典故出處</a> Origin: 《Journey to the West》<br>
明·吳承恩《西遊記》第23回：“好女婿呀！這等沒大沒小的，連丈母也都要了！”<br>
Good son-in-law!
So impolite!
Even want your mother-in-law too.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-25T05:00:03.667Z
2017-06-25T07:03:50.427Z
2017-06-25T07:03:50.427Z
user3a
<p>Chinese is like internet slogans; most of the time, you can't find its origin, but there is always a reason for it. For instance, 不分黑白, can't distinguish black or white? Black is bad and white is good, so somebody 不分黑白 means he/she is too foolish to tell who is good or bad. Of course, you there are many ways that you can say that in Chinese, such as, 不懂黑白，不知黑白，不明黑白，不别黑白，but these are awkward to pronounce, so eventually, people picked "不分黑白"。</p>

<p>The same thing for your case. For, 没大没小，it's similar, of which has the meaning of can't distinguish who is older or younger. You can say, 不分大小，the same thing。不懂大小，不知大小，不明大小，不别大小 are all okay. Eventually people pick up 没大没小 as a more popular choice. 不懂尊卑 is also widely used in Hong Kong gangster movies. 尊=Big； 卑=Small； see？ </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-25T07:20:31.803Z
2017-06-25T07:20:31.803Z
Atmega 328
<p>It is a commonly used idiom that means rude; no respect for one's elders.</p>

<p>However, I wonder why it is called 没大没小. I would like to know its origin. </p>

<idioms>
Why it is called 没大没小?
# Why it is called 没大没小?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-06-25)

It is a commonly used idiom that means rude; no respect for one's elders.

However, I wonder why it is called 没大没小. I would like to know its origin.

**Tags:** idioms


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-06-25. Score: 8

大小 means the seniority or generation.

沒大沒小/没大没小

[謂不顧長幼之分。](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/hydcd/266566t.html)  
Regardless of seniority or generation.

[不顧長幼之分。形容欠缺禮數，不懂規矩。](http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=Z00000028344)  
Regardless of seniority or generation.  
To describe a lack of propriety and ignorance of rules.

[典故出處](http://chengyu.game2.tw/archives/38122) Origin: 《Journey to the West》  
明·吳承恩《西遊記》第23回：“好女婿呀！這等沒大沒小的，連丈母也都要了！”  
Good son-in-law!
So impolite!
Even want your mother-in-law too.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2017-06-25. Score: 1

Chinese is like internet slogans; most of the time, you can't find its origin, but there is always a reason for it. For instance, 不分黑白, can't distinguish black or white? Black is bad and white is good, so somebody 不分黑白 means he/she is too foolish to tell who is good or bad. Of course, you there are many ways that you can say that in Chinese, such as, 不懂黑白，不知黑白，不明黑白，不别黑白，but these are awkward to pronounce, so eventually, people picked "不分黑白"。

The same thing for your case. For, 没大没小，it's similar, of which has the meaning of can't distinguish who is older or younger. You can say, 不分大小，the same thing。不懂大小，不知大小，不明大小，不别大小 are all okay. Eventually people pick up 没大没小 as a more popular choice. 不懂尊卑 is also widely used in Hong Kong gangster movies. 尊=Big； 卑=Small； see？


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