"Can't" • Chinese-English Dictionary

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 bù xǔ not to allow / must not / can't
 wú kě can't
 bù xīng out of fashion / outmoded / impermissible / can't
 nà ge that one / that thing / that (as opposed to this) / (used before a verb or adjective for emphasis) / (used to humorously or indirectly refer to sth embarrassing, funny etc, or when one can't think of the right word) / (used in speech as a filler, similar to "umm", "you know" etc) / (euph.) menstruation / sex / also pr. [nei4 ge5]
 bù dé bù have no choice or option but to / cannot but / have to / can't help it / can't avoid
 zhǎo bu dào can't find
 néng fǒu whether or not / can it or can't it / is it possible?
 bù jīn can't help (doing sth) / can't refrain from
 méi bàn fǎ there is nothing to be done / one can't do anything about it
 bù yóu can't help (doing sth)
 méi cuò that's right / sure! / rest assured! / that's good / can't go wrong
 shuō bu dìng can't say for sure / maybe
 gǎn mào to catch cold / (common) cold / CL:場|场[chang2],次[ci4] / (coll.) to be interested in (often used in the negative) / (Tw) to detest / can't stand
 kàn bu chū can't see / can't make out / unable to tell
 bù yóu de can't help / cannot but
 méi yǒu bàn fǎ there is nothing to be done / one can't do anything about it
 shòu bù liǎo unbearable / unable to endure / can't stand
 bù yóu zì zhǔ can't help / involuntarily (idiom)
 wèi miǎn unavoidably / can't help / really / rather
 tīng bu dào can't hear
 bǐ bù shàng can't compare with
 jīn bu zhù can't help it / can't bear it
 miǎn bù liǎo unavoidable / can't be avoided
 jīng bu qǐ can't stand it / to be unable to bear / to be unable to resist
 nán bǎo hard to say / can't guarantee / difficult to protect / difficult to preserve
 gǎn bù shàng can't keep up with / can't catch up with / cannot overtake
 bàn bu dào impossible / can't be done / no can do / unable to accomplish
 fáng bù shèng fáng you can't guard against it (idiom) / impossible to defend effectively / not much one can do about it / It can't be prevented.
 shuō bù zhǔn unable to say / can't say precisely
 jì bu zhù can't remember
 quē yī bù kě not a single one is dispensable / can't do without either
 jiàn bu dé not fit to be seen by / should not be exposed to / can't bear to see
 mō bu zháo can't touch / can't reach / (fig.) unable to get a grasp of
 rě bu qǐ can't afford to offend / dare not provoke / difficult to deal with / insufferable
 niù bu guò can't persuade / unable to make (sb) change their mind / unable to resist (sb)
 zhēn guài odd / unusual / I can't believe that ...
 rén bù kě mào xiàng you can't judge a person by appearance (idiom) / you can't judge a book by its cover / often in combination 人不可貌相,海水不可斗量[ren2 bu4 ke3 mao4 xiang4 , hai3 shui3 bu4 ke3 dou3 liang2]
 jī bù zé shí when hungry, you can't pick what you eat (idiom) / beggars can't be choosers / When matters are urgent, don't spend time choosing alternatives.
 chī bu liǎo dōu zhe zǒu lit. if you can't eat it all, you'll have to take it home (idiom) / fig. you'll have to take the consequences
 yú yǔ xióng zhǎng lit. the fish and the bear's paw, you can't have both at the same time (idiom, from Mencius) / fig. you must choose one or the other / you can't always get everything you want / you can't have your cake and eat it
 jià bu zhù (coll.) unable to withstand / cannot bear / can't stand it / no match for
 tiān wǎng huī huī lit. heaven's net has wide meshes, but nothing escapes it (idiom, from Laozi 73) / fig. the way of Heaven is fair, but the guilty will not escape / you can't run from the long arm of the law
 yù bàng xiāng zhēng lit. sandpiper and clam war together (and the fisherman catches both) (idiom) / fig. neighbors who can't agree lose out to a third party
 gāo bù chéng dī bù jiù can't reach the high or accept the low (idiom) / not good enough for a high post, but too proud to take a low one
 zhǐ bāo bù zhù huǒ lit. paper can't wrap fire / fig. the truth will out
 mǎi bu qǐ cannot afford / can't afford buying
 gǎn jī bù jìn can't thank sb enough (idiom)
 yù bà bù néng want to stop but can't (idiom) / to be unable to stop oneself / to feel an urge to continue
 wú jiān bù cuī no stronghold one cannot overcome (idiom) / to conquer every obstacle / nothing one can't do / to carry everything before one
 yī yè zhàng mù lit. eyes obscured by a single leaf (idiom) / fig. not seeing the wider picture / can't see the wood for the trees
 bù jīng yī shì bù zhǎng yī zhì you can't gain knowledge without practice / wisdom comes from experience
 bù zhī fán jǐ one can't tell how many / numerous similar cases
 bù jīng yī shì You can't gain knowledge without practical experience (idiom) / wisdom only comes with experience
 bù shí Tài Shān can't recognize Mt Taishan (idiom) / fig. not to recognize a famous person
 bù shí gāo dī can't recognize tall or short (idiom) / doesn't know what's what
 dòng zhé dé jiù faulted at every turn (idiom) / can't get anything right
 tóng rì ér yǔ lit. to speak of two things on the same day (idiom) / to mention things on equal terms (often with negatives: you can't mention X at the same time as Y)
齿 yǎo rén gǒu r bù lù chǐ lit. the dog that bites does not show its fangs (idiom) / fig. You can't tell the really dangerous enemy from his external appearance.
 dài pén wàng tiān lit. viewing the sky with a basin on one's head / it is hard to get a clear view of the sky while carrying a platter on one's head / fig. it is hard to get on in one's career while encumbered by family obligations / one can't perform a major task while bothered by other duties
 yǒu mù wú dǔ has eyes but can't see (idiom) / unable or unwilling to see the importance of sth / blind (to sth great)
 běn xìng nán yí It is hard to change one's essential nature (idiom). You can't change who you are. / Can the leopard change his spots? (Jeremiah 13:23)
 wú zhēng bù xìn without proof one can't believe it (idiom)
 shēng mǐ zuò chéng shú fàn lit. the raw rice is now cooked (idiom) / fig. it is done and can't be changed / It's too late to change anything now. / also written 生米煮成熟飯|生米煮成熟饭
 zhēn wěi mò biàn can't judge true or false (idiom) / unable to distinguish the genuine from the fake / not to know whether to believe (what one reads in the news)
 fù shuǐ nán shōu spilt water is difficult to retrieve (idiom) / it's no use crying over spilt milk / what's done is done and can't be reversed / the damage is done / once divorced, there's no reuniting
 bá qián zhì hòu to trip forwards or stumble back (idiom, from Book of Songs) / can't get anything right
 gāo bù còu dī bù jiù can't reach the high or accept the low (idiom) / not good enough for a high post, but too proud to take a low one
 yù bàng xiāng zhēng yú wēng dé lì lit. sandpiper and clam war together and the fisherman catches both (idiom) / fig. neighbors who can't agree lose out to a third party
 wèi gǎn gǒu tóng can't agree with
 wén míng bù rú jiàn miàn knowing sb by their reputation can't compare to meeting them in person (idiom)
 tiào jìn Huáng Hé xǐ bù qīng lit. even jumping into the Yellow River can't get you clean / fig. to become inexorably mixed up / mired in controversy / in deep trouble
 kǒu shuō wú píng (idiom) you can't rely on a verbal agreement / just because sb says sth, doesn't mean it's true
 yú xīn bù rěn can't bear to
 bù hǎo shuō hard to say / unpleasant to say / can't be sure
 bù jīng yī shì , bù zhǎng yī zhì you can't gain knowledge without practical experience (idiom) / wisdom only comes with experience
 bù kāi qiào unable to understand / can't get the point
 rén bù kě mào xiàng , hǎi shuǐ bù kě dǒu liáng you can't judge a person by appearance, just as you can't measure the sea with a pint pot (idiom)
 rén zài jiāng hú , shēn bù yóu jǐ you can't always do as you like / one has to compromise in this world (idiom)
 qiān jīn nán mǎi can't be bought for one thousand in gold (idiom)
 chī bù dào pú tao shuō pú tao suān sour grapes (set expr. based on Aesop) / lit. to say grapes are sour when you can't eat them
 sì tǐ bù qín , wǔ gǔ bù fēn never move your four limbs, can't distinguish the five crops (idiom) / living as a parasite
 chéng mén shī huǒ , yāng jí chí yú a fire in the city gates is also a calamity for the fish in the moat (idiom) / the bystander will also suffer / fig. you can't escape responsibility for your actions / ask not for whom the bell tolls - it tolls for thee
 tiān wǎng huī huī , shū ér bù shī lit. heaven's net has wide meshes, but nothing escapes it (idiom, from Laozi 73) / fig. the way of Heaven is fair, but the guilty will not escape / you can't run from the long arm of the law
 tiān yào luò yǔ , niáng yào jià rén the rain will fall, the womenfolk will marry (idiom) / fig. the natural order of things / something you can't go against
 cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāng yīn An ounce of gold can't buy you an interval of time (idiom) / Money can't buy you time. / Time is precious.
 duì bù shàng to disagree / I can't agree with that.
 shī fu lǐng jìn mén , xiū xíng zài gè rén the master leads you to the door, the rest is up to you / you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink
 zhàn wú bù shèng , gōng wú bù kè to triumph in every battle and win every fight (idiom) / all-conquering / ever victorious / nothing they can't do
 zhàn wú bù shèng , gōng wú bù qǔ to triumph in every battle and win every fight (idiom) / all-conquering / ever victorious / nothing they can't do
 gōng wú bù kè , zhàn wú bù shèng to triumph in every battle and win every fight (idiom) / all-conquering / ever victorious / nothing they can't do
 jì lái zhī , zé ān zhī Since they have come, we should make them comfortable (idiom). Since we're here, take it easy. / Since this is so, we should accept it. / Now we have come, let's stay and take the rough with the smooth. / If you can't do anything to prevent it, you might as well sit back and enjoy it.
 jiāng shān yì gǎi , běn xìng nán yí it is easier to change mountains and rivers than to alter one's character (idiom) / you can't change who you are / Can the leopard change his spots?
 Huǒ xīng wén lit. Martian language / fig. Internet slang used to communicate secret messages that the general public or government can't understand
 wú bù dá nothing he can't do
绿 mǔ dan suī hǎo , quán zhàng lu:4 yè fú Although the peony is beautiful, it depends entirely on help from the green leaves (idiom). However brilliant you may be, you can't do anything without support from others.
绿 mǔ dan suī hǎo , quán píng lu:4 yè fú chí Although the peony is beautiful, it depends entirely on help from the green leaves (idiom). However brilliant you may be, you can't do anything without support from others.
 qiān mǎ dào hé yì , qiáng mǎ yǐn shuǐ nán You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. (idiom)
 wán r bù zhuàn can't handle it / can't find any way (of doing sth) / not up to the task
 shēng mǐ shú fàn abbr. for 生米煮成熟飯|生米煮成熟饭, lit. the raw rice is now cooked (idiom) / fig. it is done and can't be changed / It's too late to change anything now.
 jiù de bù qù , xīn de bù lái lit. If the old doesn't go, the new will not come. / You can't make progress by clinging to old notions.
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