Chinese–EnglishWith examples

行不通

xíng bu tōng · xing bu tong

Same in simplified and traditional Chinese

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. won't work
  2. will get (you) nowhere
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In a conversation

0:22 cartoon

The table that won't fit

  1. Liangliang

    这张(zhèzhāng)桌子(zhuōzi)太大了(tàidàle)，我们(wǒmen)直接(zhíjiē)抬(tái)进去(jìnqù)吧(ba)。

    This table is too big. Let's just carry it in.

  2. Dengdeng

    直接(zhíjiē)抬(tái)行不通(xíngbutōng)，门(mén)太(tài)窄了(zhǎile)。

    Carrying it straight in won't work. The door is too narrow.

  3. Liangliang

    那(nà)斜着(xiézhe)抬(tái)呢(ne)？

    Then what about carrying it tilted?

  4. Dengdeng

    斜着(xiézhe)抬(tái)也(yě)行不通(xíngbutōng)！你(nǐ)看(kàn)，卡住(kǎzhù)了(le)。

    Tilted won't work either! Look, it's stuck.

  5. Liangliang

    那(nà)怎么办(zěnmebàn)？我们(wǒmen)把(bǎ)门(mén)拆(chāi)了(le)吧(ba)？

    Then what do we do? Should we take the door off?

  6. Dengdeng

    别急(biéjí)，说明书(shuōmíngshū)说(shuō)桌腿(zhuōtuǐ)可以(kěyǐ)拆下来(chāixiàlái)。

    Don't rush. The manual says the legs can come off.

Tap a word for its meaning in this line. The characters’ voices are computer-generated.

In a sentence

2 examples
01

给(gěi)你(nǐ)解(jiě)释(shì)这(zhè)为(wèi)什(shén)么(me)行(xíng)不(bu)通(tōng)要(yào)花(huā)很(hěn)多(duō)时(shí)间(jiān)。

It would take me too much time to explain to you why it's not going to work.

Tatoeba: Chinese by fucongcong · English by Zifre · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

02

我(wǒ)们(men)都(dōu)认(rèn)为(wéi)您(nín)的(de)想(xiǎng)法(fǎ)是(shì)行(xíng)不(bu)通(tōng)的(de)。

We all consider your idea to be impractical.

Tatoeba: Chinese by fucongcong · English by kebukebu · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

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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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