The word 不闻不问 is formed by directly combining two negative verb phrases: 不闻 (not hearing) and 不问 (not asking). The character 不 serves as a negation for each subsequent verb, 闻 meaning to hear and 问 meaning to ask, resulting in a literal meaning of "not hearing and not asking". This juxtaposition emphasizes a compounded attitude of neglect or indifference by simultaneously rejecting both auditory engagement and active questioning.