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不得已

bù dé yǐ
HSK 2.0 Level 6 HSK 3.0 Level 7 Adjective Uncommon

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Definitions

  1. 1. to act against one's will
  2. 2. to have no alternative but to
  3. 3. to have to
  4. 4. to have no choice
  5. 5. must

Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item
心甘情愿
xīn gān qíng yuàn

delighted to (do sth, idiom)

Means 'willingly and gladly'. 不得已 implies unwillingness, so this is the opposite.

Synonyms

2 items
被迫
bèi pò

to be compelled

Used when someone is forced to do something by external circumstances, emphasizing lack of choice. 不得已 implies inner reluctance, 被迫 focuses on external compulsion.
只好
zhǐ hǎo

to have no other option but to ...; to have to; to be forced to

Used when there is no better option and one has to settle for something. 只好 is more colloquial, while 不得已 can be formal.

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Don't confuse 不得已 (bùdéyǐ) with 不得不 (bùdébù). Both mean 'have no choice but to', but 不得已 is an adjective often used as a complement or in 不得已而为之, while 不得不 is an adverb directly followed by a verb.

Formality

不得已 is often used in formal or written contexts; in casual speech, 没办法 or 只好 are more common.

Example Sentences

1 shown
我实在 不得已 才这样做。
I really had no choice but to do it this way.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 不得已

不得已而为之
bù dé yǐ ér wéi zhī

to have no other choice

万不得已
wàn bù dé yǐ

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

迫不得已
pò bù dé yǐ

to have no alternative (idiom); compelled by circumstances

Child Words of 不得已

不
bù

no; not so

已
yǐ

already

得
dé

to obtain

得
de

structural particle: used after a verb (or adjective as main verb), linking it to following phrase indicating effect, degree, possibility etc

得
děi

to have to

不得
bù dé

must not