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无能

wú néng
HSK 3.0 Level 7 Adjective Uncommon

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Definitions

  1. 1. incompetence
  2. 2. inability
  3. 3. incapable
  4. 4. powerless

Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item
能干
néng gàn

capable

Opposite of incompetent

Synonyms

1 item
无力
wú lì

powerless

In the sense of lacking ability or strength

Usage notes

Collocations

Often used with 软弱 (weak) in the phrase 软弱无能 (weak and incompetent).

Common mistakes

Do not confuse with 不能 (cannot). 无能 describes a permanent lack of ability, not a temporary inability.

Example Sentences

1 shown
他觉得自己很 无能 ，什么都做不好。
He feels very incompetent and cannot do anything well.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 无能

无能为力
wú néng wéi lì

impotent (idiom)

庸碌无能
yōng lù wú néng

mediocre and incompetent

Child Words of 无能

无
wú

not to have

能
néng

can