不得

bù dé

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Definitions

  1. 1. must not
  2. 2. may not
  3. 3. not to be allowed
  4. 4. cannot

Words Containing 不得

不得不
bù dé bù

have no choice or option but to

不得了
bù dé liǎo

desperately serious

不得已
bù dé yǐ

to act against one's will

不得而知
bù dé ér zhī

unknown

哭笑不得
kū xiào bù dé

lit. not to know whether to laugh or cry (idiom)

巴不得
bā bu de

(coll.) to be eager for

怪不得
guài bu de

no wonder!

恨不得
hèn bu de

wishing one could do sth; to hate to be unable; itching to do sth

舍不得
shě bu de

to hate to do sth

顾不得
gù bu de

unable to change sth

上不得台盘
shàng bù dé tái pán

(idiom) lacking in social grace and unfit to be a representative

不得人心
bù dé rén xīn

not to enjoy popular support

不得其门而入
bù dé qí mén ér rù

to be unable to get into (a house, an organization, a field of study, a particular type of career etc)

不得劲
bù dé jìn

awkward

不得已而为之
bù dé yǐ ér wéi zhī

to have no other choice

不得要领
bù dé yào lǐng

to fail to grasp the main points

了不得
liǎo bu de

terrific

使不得
shǐ bu de

cannot be used

来不得
lái bu dé

cannot allow (to be present)

免不得
miǎn bu de

unavoidable

动弹不得
dòng tan bu dé

to be unable to move a single step

容不得
róng bu dé

unable to tolerate

少不得
shǎo bu dé

cannot be avoided

怨不得
yuàn bu de

cannot blame

舍不得孩子套不住狼
shě bù de hái zi tào bù zhù láng

one who is not prepared to risk his child will never catch the wolf (proverb)

求之不得
qiú zhī bù dé

lit. seek but fail to get (idiom); fig. exactly what one’s been looking for

无一事而不学,无一时而不学,无一处而不得
wú yī shì ér bù xué , wú yī shí ér bù xué , wú yī chù ér bù dé

Study everything, at all times, everywhere. (Zhu Xi 朱熹[zhū xī])

由不得
yóu bu de

cannot help

百思不得其解
bǎi sī bù dé qí jiě

see 百思不解[bǎi sī bù jiě]

眼里容不得沙子
yǎn lǐ róng bu dé shā zi

can't bear having grit in one's eye (idiom)

眼里揉不得沙子
yǎn lǐ róu bu dé shā zi

see 眼裡容不得沙子|眼里容不得沙子[yǎn lǐ róng bu dé shā zi]

算不得
suàn bù dé

not count as

万不得已
wàn bù dé yǐ

only when absolutely essential (idiom); as a last resort

要不得
yào bu de

intolerable; unacceptable

见不得
jiàn bu dé

not fit to be seen by

见不得人
jiàn bu dé rén

shameful

说不得
shuō bu de

to be unmentionable

迫不得已
pò bù dé yǐ

to have no alternative (idiom); compelled by circumstances

进退不得
jìn tuì bù dé

can't advance or retreat (idiom); no room for maneuver

郁郁不得志
yù yù bù dé zhì

soured by the loss of one's hopes

巴不得
bā bù dé

to be eager for

恨不得
hèn bu dé

wishing one could do sth