无事不登三宝殿 in English wu2 shi4 bu4 deng1 san1 bao3 dian4 Meaning

Meanings

  • literally (word for word) One doesn't visit a temple without a cause. (idiomatic expression)
  • metaphorically to visit somebody with an ulterior motive (particularly to ask for sth)
  • having a hidden agenda

Simplified Characters

无 事 不 登 三 宝 殿

Traditional Characters

無 事 不 登 三 寶 殿

Pinyin

wu2 shi4 bu4 deng1 san1 bao3 dian4

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

无wu2not to have 事shi4matter 不bu4(negative prefix) 登deng1to scale (a height) 三san1surname San 宝bao3variant of 寶|宝[bao3] 殿dian4palace hall