Chinese–EnglishWith examples

不得已

bù dé yǐ · bu de yi

Same in simplified and traditional Chinese

HSK 7–9Old HSK 6

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. to act against one's will
  2. to have no alternative but to
  3. to have to
  4. to have no choice
  5. must
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In a conversation

0:17 cartoon

Not by choice

  1. Liangliang

    你(nǐ)怎么(zěnme)没(méi)来(lái)参加(cānjiā)我的(wǒde)生日(shēngrì)？

    Why didn't you come to my birthday?

  2. Dengdeng

    我(wǒ)不得已(bùdéyǐ)留在(liúzài)公司(gōngsī)加班(jiābān)。

    I had no choice but to stay and work overtime.

  3. Liangliang

    真的(zhēnde)不得已(bùdéyǐ)吗(ma)？

    Really no choice?

  4. Dengdeng

    真的(zhēnde)。我(wǒ)还(hái)买了(mǎile)一盒(yīhé)巧克力(qiǎokèlì)当(dāng)礼物(lǐwù)。

    Really. I even bought a box of chocolates as a gift.

  5. Liangliang

    巧克力(qiǎokèlì)呢(ne)？

    Where are the chocolates?

  6. Dengdeng

    加班(jiābān)太累(tàilèi)，我(wǒ)不得已(bùdéyǐ)先(xiān)吃了(chīle)。

    Overtime was so tiring that I had no choice but to eat them first.

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

他(tā)不(bù)得(dé)已(yǐ)取(qǔ)消(xiāo)了(le)原(yuán)定(dìng)的(de)旅(lǚ)行(xíng)。

He had no choice but to cancel the originally planned trip.

02

由(yóu)于(yú)天(tiān)气(qì)恶(è)劣(liè)，我(wǒ)们(men)不(bù)得(dé)已(yǐ)提(tí)前(qián)回(huí)家(jiā)。

Because of the bad weather, we had no choice but to go home early.

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Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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