Sep 1, 2026 · 5 min · 7 segments
常有人说：“Well begun is half done（好的开始是成功的一半）”。而在英语中，如果有一个想法太过离谱，听起来 “注定行不通，甚至不值得一试”，就可以用 “non-starter” 来形容。在谈判中，人们还会用 “non-starter” 指那些 “触碰底线、完全无法接受或没有讨论余地的条件”。听节目，跟主持人菲菲和 Phil 学习复合名词 “non-starter” 的用法。
In the meantime, let's look at that expression non-starter.
Can you explain it, Feifei?
Yes, we describe something as a non-starter if we think it has absolutely no chance of succeeding.
I think a mail order coffee business is pretty much guaranteed to fail.
It's a non-starter.
It's an expression that we can use to talk about a business idea, but it's also something that can be about any plan, project or initiative.
We often use the expression to say that something hasn't been approved.
Yes, so it's also what we use to reject a proposal.
For example, I've seen your suggestion, but I'm sorry, that's a non-starter.
Let's listen to some other people using the expression non-starter.
I've got some friends who live in Scotland.
They've invited me up to their house for Christmas, which is great, but they want me to go for a freezing cold swim in the sea on Christmas Day.
And that is a non-starter.
You want me to leave at 6.30 in the morning for this hike? That's a non-starter.
I pitched an idea at work to make a podcast series about monkeys learning English.
My boss said it was a non-starter.
你正在收听的是BBC英语教学制作的地道英语节目。 在本期节目中,我们正在学习表达non-starter的用法。 Non-starter是一个复合名词,字面意思是无法开始的事情。 在实际使用中,它常被用来比喻那些一开始就注定难以成功、 听起来就没有希望实现的计划、提议或想法。 在谈判和讨价还价的时候,我们也可以用non-starter来描述完全无法接受连考虑余地都没有的条件或提议。 换句话说,如果某个条件触碰了底线以至于谈判根本无法继续进行,那么这个条件就是一个non-starter。
Yes, it might come from horse racing, where a horse that just stays at the start line and refuses to run is described as a non-starter.
Literally, it didn't start the race.
In the meantime, let's look at that expression non-starter.
Can you explain it, Feifei?
Yes, we describe something as a non-starter if we think it has absolutely no chance of succeeding.
I think a mail order coffee business is pretty much guaranteed to fail.
It's a non-starter.
It's an expression that we can use to talk about a business idea, but it's also something that can be about any plan, project or initiative.
We often use the expression to say that something hasn't been approved.
Yes, so it's also what we use to reject a proposal.
For example, I've seen your suggestion, but I'm sorry, that's a non-starter.
Let's listen to some other people using the expression non-starter.
I've got some friends who live in Scotland.
They've invited me up to their house for Christmas, which is great, but they want me to go for a freezing cold swim in the sea on Christmas Day.
And that is a non-starter.
You want me to leave at 6.30 in the morning for this hike? That's a non-starter.
I pitched an idea at work to make a podcast series about monkeys learning English.
My boss said it was a non-starter.
你正在收听的是BBC英语教学制作的地道英语节目。 在本期节目中,我们正在学习表达non-starter的用法。 Non-starter是一个复合名词,字面意思是无法开始的事情。 在实际使用中,它常被用来比喻那些一开始就注定难以成功、 听起来就没有希望实现的计划、提议或想法。 在谈判和讨价还价的时候,我们也可以用non-starter来描述完全无法接受连考虑余地都没有的条件或提议。 换句话说,如果某个条件触碰了底线以至于谈判根本无法继续进行,那么这个条件就是一个non-starter。
Yes, it might come from horse racing, where a horse that just stays at the start line and refuses to run is described as a non-starter.
Literally, it didn't start the race.
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