Expressing "no" (noun) "to" (verb) with "wu... ke..."
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This pattern is formal and has sort of a classical feel to it. It's a more condensed form of "没有 [Noun] 可以 [Verb]." 无 (wú) means "to not have" (same as 没有), and 可 can stand in for 可以. This pattern is useful when you want to express that a person is unable to perform the verb because the noun/object is not present.
Structure
无 +Noun + 可 + Verb
Sources and further reading
Examples
- 哥哥很聪明, 我在他面前无计可施. My brother is very smart, I have nothing to do/show/calculate in front of him.
- 一定要认真地修改公司条款, 让对方无机可乘. They must carefully change the company's terms, so opponents will not have an opportunity to take advantage.
- 公司破产了, 张生变成了无家可归的人. The company went bankrupt, and Zhang Sheng became a homeless person (a person with no home to return to).
Here are some common pairings for the structure: 无迹可寻、无利可图、无路可走、无懈可击、无计可施、无机可乘、无计可施.
