Dictionary › 不得

不得

bù dé

HSK 3.0 level 6 2-character word

不得 (bù dé) means "must not; may not; not to be allowed". It is an HSK 3.0 level 6 word, and was not on the old six-level HSK list.

What 不得 means

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

How 不得 is used in grammar

不得 is a grammar word. Each link goes to its own section: what it does in that pattern, the structure, three example sentences with pinyin, and the mistake to avoid.

• Potential Complements: V+得/不得 (HSK 5)

The official HSK 3.0 grammar outline lists it at level 5, complement (可能补语).

The characters in 不得

• 不bùno; not so; (bound form) not; un-
• 得destructural particle: used after a verb (or adjective as main verb), linking it to…

Words starting with 不得

• 不得不bù dé bùhave no choice or option but to; cannot but; have to
• 不得了bù dé liǎodesperately serious; disastrous; extremely
• 不得已bù dé yǐto act against one's will; to have no alternative but to; to have to
• 不得而知bù dé ér zhīunknown; unable to find out
• 不得要领bù dé yào lǐngto fail to grasp the main points
• 不得人心bù dé rén xīnnot to enjoy popular support; to be unpopular
• 不得已而为之bù dé yǐ ér wéi zhīto have no other choice; to be the last resort
• 不得其门而入bù dé qí mén ér rùto be unable to get into…

Words containing 不得

• 舍不得shě bu deto hate to do sth; to hate to part with; to begrudge
• 怪不得guài bu deno wonder!; so that's why!
• 恨不得hèn bu dewishing one could do sth; to hate to be unable; itching to do sth
• 巴不得bā bu de(colloquial) to be eager for; to long for; to look forward to
• 哭笑不得kū xiào bù délit. not to know whether to laugh or cry (idiom); both funny and extremely embarrassing…
• 顾不得gù bu deunable to change sth; unable to deal with
• 了不得liǎo bu deterrific; terrible; (after 得
• 迫不得已pò bù dé yǐto have no alternative (idiom); compelled by circumstances; forced into sth
• 见不得人jiàn bu dé rénshameful
• 容不得róng bu déunable to tolerate; intolerant; unable to bear sth
• 由不得yóu bu decannot help; to be beyond control of
• 求之不得qiú zhī bù délit. seek but fail to get (idiom); fig. exactly what one’s been looking for
• 万不得已wàn bù dé yǐonly when absolutely essential (idiom); as a last resort
• 见不得jiàn bu dénot fit to be seen by; should not be exposed to; can't bear to see
• 少不得shǎo bu décannot be avoided; cannot do without
• 说不得shuō bu deto be unmentionable; be unspeakable; must
• 来不得lái bu décannot allow (to be present); cannot admit
• 要不得yào bu deintolerable; unacceptable
• 使不得shǐ bu decannot be used; must not (do sth); unacceptable
• 算不得suàn bù dénot count as
• 免不得miǎn bu deunavoidable; bound to (happen)
• 进退不得jìn tuì bù décan't advance or retreat (idiom); no room for maneuver; stalled; in a dilemma
• 动弹不得dòng tan bu déto be unable to move a single step

Go deeper

• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read bù dé correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.