See How Fast You Can Learn Chinese

Try our interactive spaced repetition demo—study your first words in 60 seconds

Interactive demo Takes 60 seconds No sign-up needed

不得

bù dé

Sign in to save this word to your study lists.

Definitions

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

Words Containing 不得

不得而知
bù dé ér zhī

unknown

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])

求之不得
qiú zhī bù dé

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

上不得台盘
shàng bù dé tái pán

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

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)

见不得
jiàn bu dé

not fit to be seen by

少不得
shǎo bu dé

cannot be avoided

免不得
miǎn bu de

unavoidable

百思不得其解
bǎi sī bù dé qí jiě

see 百思不解[bǎi sī bù jiě]

恨不得
hèn bu dé

wishing one could do sth

动弹不得
dòng tan bu dé

to be unable to move a single step

不得劲
bù dé jìn

awkward

进退不得
jìn tuì bù dé

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

迫不得已
pò bù dé yǐ

to have no alternative (idiom); compelled by circumstances

眼里容不得沙子
yǎn lǐ róng bu dé shā zi

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

由不得
yóu bu de

cannot help

要不得
yào bu de

intolerable; unacceptable

不得不
bù dé bù

have no choice or option but to

说不得
shuō bu de

to be unmentionable

怨不得
yuàn bu de

cannot blame

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)

舍不得
shě bu de

to hate to do sth

不得了
bù dé liǎo

desperately serious

哭笑不得
kū xiào bù dé

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

了不得
liǎo bu de

terrific

不得已
bù dé yǐ

to act against one's will

郁郁不得志
yù yù bù dé zhì

soured by the loss of one's hopes

巴不得
bā bu de

(coll.) to be eager for

恨不得
hèn bu de

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

顾不得
gù bu de

unable to change sth

巴不得
bā bù dé

to be eager for

算不得
suàn bù dé

not count as

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]

来不得
lái bu dé

cannot allow (to be present)

容不得
róng bu dé

unable to tolerate

不得要领
bù dé yào lǐng

to fail to grasp the main points

万不得已
wàn bù dé yǐ

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

不得已而为之
bù dé yǐ ér wéi zhī

to have no other choice

见不得人
jiàn bu dé rén

shameful

不得人心
bù dé rén xīn

not to enjoy popular support

怪不得
guài bu de

no wonder!

使不得
shǐ bu de

cannot be used