"Unable" • Chinese-English Dictionary

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无法 wú fǎ unable to / incapable of
不了 bù liǎo (as a resultative verb suffix) unable to (do sth) / (pattern: {verb} + 個|个[ge5] + ~) without end / incessantly
忍不住 rěn bu zhù cannot help / unable to bear
不住 bù zhù (verb complement) unable to firmly or securely (grasp, recall etc) / repeatedly / continuously / constantly
不成 bù chéng won't do / unable to / (at the end of a rhetorical question) can that be?
未能 wèi néng cannot / to fail to / unable to
说不出 shuō bu chū unable to say
没法 méi fǎ at a loss / unable to do anything about it / to have no choice
受不了 shòu bù liǎo unbearable / unable to endure / can't stand
发热 fā rè to have a high temperature / feverish / unable to think calmly / to emit heat
恨不得 hèn bu de wishing one could do sth / to hate to be unable / itching to do sth
迫不及待 pò bù jí dài (idiom) unable to hold oneself back / eager to do sth without delay
看不懂 kàn bu dǒng unable to make sense of what one is looking at
听不懂 tīng bu dǒng unable to make sense of what one is hearing
顾不得 gù bu de unable to change sth / unable to deal with
想不通 xiǎng bu tōng unable to understand / unable to get over
放不下 fàng bu xià to have no room to put sth / to be unable to let go
搞不懂 gǎo bu dǒng unable to make sense of (sth)
过不去 guò bu qù to make life difficult for / to embarrass / unable to make it through
不孕 bù yùn infertile / unable to conceive a child / infertility
说不上 shuō bu shàng to be unable to say or tell / to not be worth mentioning
经不起 jīng bu qǐ can't stand it / to be unable to bear / to be unable to resist
不得而知 bù dé ér zhī unknown / unable to find out
目不转睛 mù bù zhuǎn jīng unable to take one's eyes off (idiom) / to gaze steadily / to stare
动弹不得 dòng tan bu dé to be unable to move a single step
束手无策 shù shǒu wú cè lit. to have one's hands bound and be unable to do anything about it (idiom) / fig. helpless in the face of a crisis
身不由己 shēn bù yóu jǐ (idiom) (of one's circumstances) beyond one's control / unable to do anything about it / (of one's actions) not subject to conscious control (i.e. done in spite of oneself)
办不到 bàn bu dào impossible / can't be done / no can do / unable to accomplish
不堪一击 bù kān yī jī to be unable to withstand a single blow / to collapse at the first blow
吃不消 chī bu xiāo to be unable to tolerate or endure / to find sth difficult to manage
按捺不住 àn nà bu zhù to be unable to hold back
吃不下 chī bu xià not feel like eating / be unable to eat any more
找不着 zhǎo bu zháo to be unable to find
说不准 shuō bù zhǔn unable to say / can't say precisely
哑口无言 yǎ kǒu wú yán dumbstruck and unable to reply (idiom) / left speechless / at a loss for words
想不开 xiǎng bu kāi cannot figure out / to be unable to take a lighter view / to take things too hard / to be depressed / to fret over trifles
失学 shī xué unable to go to school / an interruption to one's education
无地自容 wú dì zì róng (idiom) ashamed and unable to show one's face
容不得 róng bu dé unable to tolerate / intolerant / unable to bear sth
消受 xiāo shòu to bear / to enjoy (usually in negative combination, meaning unable to enjoy)
失笑 shī xiào to laugh in spite of oneself / to be unable to help laughing / to break into laughter
一筹莫展 yī chóu mò zhǎn to be unable to find a solution / to be at wits' end
没辙 méi zhé at one's wit's end / unable to find a way out
怒不可遏 nù bù kě è unable to restrain one's anger (idiom) / in a towering rage
摸不着 mō bu zháo can't touch / can't reach / (fig.) unable to get a grasp of
忍俊不禁 rěn jùn bù jīn cannot help laughing / unable to restrain a smile
经不住 jīng bu zhù to be unable to bear
捉襟见肘 zhuō jīn jiàn zhǒu lit. pulling on the lapels exposes the elbows (idiom) / strapped for cash / unable to make ends meet
保不住 bǎo bu zhù cannot maintain (sth) / unable to keep / more likely than not / may well
一蹶不振 yī jué bù zhèn one stumble, unable to rise (idiom) / a setback leading to total collapse / ruined at a stroke / unable to recover after a minor hitch
憋不住 biē bu zhù to be unable to repress sth / to be unable to contain oneself
不知好歹 bù zhī hǎo dǎi unable to differentiate good from bad (idiom) / not to know what's good for one / unable to recognize others' good intentions
拗不过 niù bu guò can't persuade / unable to make (sb) change their mind / unable to resist (sb)
禁不起 jīn bu qǐ to be unable to stand
寸步难行 cùn bù nán xíng unable to move a single step (idiom) / to be in an (extremely) difficult situation
束手 shù shǒu to have one's hands tied / helpless / unable to do anything about it
爱莫能助 ài mò néng zhù unable to help however much one would like to (idiom) / Although we sympathize, there is no way to help you. / My hands are tied.
入不敷出 rù bù fū chū income does not cover expenditure / unable to make ends meet
顾此失彼 gù cǐ shī bǐ lit. to attend to one thing and lose sight of another (idiom) / fig. to be unable to manage two or more things at once / cannot pay attention to one thing without neglecting the other
无由 wú yóu to be unable (to do sth) / no reason to ... / without rhyme or reason
不克 bù kè cannot / to not be able (to) / to be unable to
青黄不接 qīng huáng bù jiē lit. yellow does not reach green (idiom) / the yellow autumn crop does not last until the green spring crop / temporary deficit in manpower or resources / unable to make ends meet
吃不上 chī bu shàng unable to get anything to eat / to miss a meal
拿不准 ná bù zhǔn in doubt / unsure of sth / unable to decide / indecisive
下不了台 xià bu liǎo tái to be unable to extricate oneself gracefully / to be put on the spot / to be embarrassed
莫衷一是 mò zhōng yī shì unable to reach a decision (idiom) / cannot agree on the right choice / no unanimous decision / still a matter of discussion
结舌 jié shé tongue-tied / unable to speak (out of surprise, embarrassment etc)
架不住 jià bu zhù (coll.) unable to withstand / cannot bear / can't stand it / no match for
合不来 hé bù lái (of people) to be incompatible / to not get along / to be unable to see eye to eye
快嘴 kuài zuǐ unable to keep one's thoughts to oneself / blabbermouth / CL:張|张[zhang1]
冲昏头脑 chōng hūn tóu nǎo lit. to be muddled in the brain (idiom) / fig. excited and unable to act rationally / to go to one's head
吃不住 chī bu zhù to be unable to bear or support
揭不开锅 jiē bù kāi guō to be unable to afford food
盲人摸象 máng rén mō xiàng blind people touch an elephant (idiom, from Nirvana sutra 大般涅槃經|大般涅盘经[da4 ban1 Nie4 pan2 jing1]) / fig. unable to see the big picture / to mistake the part for the whole / unable to see the wood for the trees
敢怒而不敢言 gǎn nù ér bù gǎn yán angry, but not daring to speak out (idiom) / obliged to remain silent about one's resentment / unable to voice objections
怕 pà to be afraid / to fear / to dread / to be unable to endure / perhaps
理屈词穷 lǐ qū cí qióng lit. having presented a flawed argument, one has nothing further to add (idiom) / fig. unable to provide a convincing argument to support one's position / to not have a leg to stand on
吃哑巴亏 chī yǎ ba kuī to be forced to suffer in silence / unable to speak of one's bitter suffering
小饭桌 xiǎo fàn zhuō dining room for young schoolchildren unable to go home for lunch
噤 jìn unable to speak / silent
悱 fěi to want to articulate one's thoughts but be unable to
趑 zī to falter / unable to move
趦 zī variant of 趑, to falter / unable to move
騺 zhì heavy horse / horse unable to move because of twisted leg / plodding
急不可待 jí bù kě dài (idiom) impatient / eager to (do sth) / unable to wait any longer
欲罢不能 yù bà bù néng want to stop but can't (idiom) / to be unable to stop oneself / to feel an urge to continue
一盘散沙 yī pán sǎn shā lit. like a sheet of loose sand / fig. unable to cooperate (idiom)
不可终日 bù kě zhōng rì to be unable to carry on even for a single day / to be in a desperate situation
只见树木不见森林 zhǐ jiàn shù mù bù jiàn sēn lín unable to see the wood for the trees / fig. only able to see isolated details, and not the bigger picture
轗 kǎn to be unable to reach one's aim / to be full of misfortune
不分伯仲 bù fēn bó zhòng lit. unable to distinguish eldest brother from second brother (idiom) / they are all equally excellent / nothing to choose between them
不胜其苦 bù shèng qí kǔ unable to bear the pain (idiom)
不识一丁 bù shí yī dīng total illiterate / unable to read the simplest characters
不识好歹 bù shí hǎo dǎi unable to tell good from bad (idiom) / undiscriminating
喜不自胜 xǐ bù zì shèng unable to contain one's joy (idiom)
如堕烟雾 rú duò yān wù as if degenerating into smoke (idiom) / ignorant and unable to see where things are heading
悲不自胜 bēi bù zì shèng unable to control one's grief (idiom) / overwrought / overcome with sorrow / heartbroken
情不可却 qíng bù kě què unable to refuse because of affection
愧悔无地 kuì huǐ wú dì ashamed and unable to show one's face (idiom)
摸不着头脑 mō bu zháo tóu nǎo to be unable to make any sense of the matter / to be at a loss
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