不得

bude

complement placed after a verb to express impossibility or inability; cannot; be unable to

Wiktionary

Homographs

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

Examples

我哭不得，笑不得。

I don't know whether to cry or to laugh.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Source: Tatoeba

总统不得解散国会。

The President cannot disband the Parliament.

Source: Tatoeba

衰老不得，智慧不得不得。

Don't get older, get wiser.

Source: Tatoeba

学生不得在校园范围内吸烟。

Students are forbidden to smoke on the school grounds.

Source: Tatoeba

你太老了，做不得这种事了。

You're too old to be doing this kind of thing.

Source: Tatoeba

人们举着牌子，上面写着：「男士不得进入女士洗手间。」

People were carrying signs saying, "No men in women's bathrooms."

Source: Tatoeba

教导学生，不到他想瞭解而不得其解的时候，不去开导他；不到他想表达意见却说不出来的时候，不去启发他。教给他一个方面的东西，他却不能由此而推知其它三个方面的东西，那就不再教他了。

When teaching a student, do not enlighten him until he wishes to understand what he could not. Do not inspire him until he wishes to express but could not. When teaching him one side of a solution, if he could not discover the other three sides, then do not teach him again.

Source: Tatoeba

Entry Composition

1 不 bù
  1. no; not so
  2. (bound form) not; un-
=2 得 dé
  1. to obtain
  2. to get
  3. to gain
  4. to catch (a disease)
  5. proper
  6. suitable
  7. proud
  8. contented
  9. to allow
  10. to permit
  11. ready
  12. finished
=2 得 dè used in 得瑟 dèse
=2 得 de structural particle: used after a verb (or adjective as main verb), linking it to following phrase indicating effect, degree, possibility etc
=2 得 děi
  1. to have to
  2. must
  3. ought to
  4. to need to

Containing this entry

不得善终 bùdéshànzhōng
巴不得 bābudé
记不得 jìbùdé
不得而知 bùdé'érzhī
了不得 liǎobùdé
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