Dictionary🇨🇳 Chinese → 🇺🇸 English
不了
bùliǎo, bùle
Description
"不了"最常用在动词后面，表示不能完成或没有结果，比如"吃不了"、"受不了"。
"不了" is most commonly used after verbs to indicate inability to complete or no result, such as "吃不了" or "受不了".
当它读作"bùle"时，是很客气地拒绝别人的说法，比如"不了，谢谢"。
When pronounced "bùle," it is a polite way to refuse someone, as in "不了，谢谢."
Meanings
不了bùliǎo
cannot finish or manage (after a verb)
这么多菜，我一个人吃不了。
I can't eat this much food by myself.
不了bùle
no thanks (a polite refusal)
不了，谢谢，我不饿。
No, thank you, I'm not hungry.
不了bùliǎo
endlessly; without end (in 少不了, 免不了 etc.)
这件事少不了他的帮忙。
This matter can't be done without his help.
Related words
Notes
- Pronunciation
read "bùliǎo" as a verb complement, but "bùle" when refusing an offer.
- Nuance
"吃不了" (cannot finish) differs from "吃不下" (cannot eat more, too full).
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