Chinese–EnglishWith examples

无能为力

wú néng wéi lì · wu neng wei li

Traditional 無能為力

HSK 7–9Old HSK 6

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. impotent (idiom)
  2. powerless
  3. helpless
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In a conversation

0:14 cartoon

No seats left

  1. Liangliang

    今天(jīntiān)人(rén)太(tài)多(duō)了(le)，没有(méiyǒu)位子(wèizi)。

    Today there are too many people. There are no seats.

  2. Dengdeng

    你(nǐ)能(néng)想想(xiǎngxiǎng)办法(bànfǎ)吗(ma)？

    Can you think of a way?

  3. Liangliang

    我(wǒ)真的(zhēnde)无能为力(wúnéngwéilì)。

    I really am powerless here.

  4. Dengdeng

    老板(lǎobǎn)说(shuō)，二楼(èrlóu)还有(háiyǒu)位子(wèizi)！

    The owner says there are still seats upstairs!

  5. Liangliang

    那(nà)我(wǒ)就(jiù)不是(bùshì)无能为力(wúnéngwéilì)了(le)，走吧(zǒuba)！

    Then I am not powerless anymore. Let's go!

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

我(wǒ)不(bú)是(shì)不(bù)同(tóng)情(qíng)你(nǐ)，但(dàn)我(wǒ)实(shí)在(zài)是(shì)无(wú)能(néng)为(wéi)力(lì)。

It's not that I am unsympathetic, but I am not able to help you.

Tatoeba: Chinese by nickyeow · English by blay_paul · CC BY 2.0 FR. Simplified Chinese conversion; Pinyin added or corrected.

02

面(miàn)对(duì)这(zhè)场(chǎng)自(zì)然(rán)灾(zāi)害(hài)，我(wǒ)们(men)感(gǎn)到(dào)无(wú)能(néng)为(wéi)力(lì)。

Facing this natural disaster, we feel powerless.

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Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

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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