Difference between revisions of "Inability with "mei banfa""

 
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If you are trying to express that something is impossible, you can use the phrase 没办法 (méi bànfǎ). 没办法 (méi bànfǎ) essentially means, "there is no way" and can be used in various situations.
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If you are trying to express that something is impossible, you can use the phrase 没办法 (méi bànfǎ). 没办法 (méi bànfǎ) essentially means "there is no way," and while it works just fine by itself, it can also come before [[verb]]s.
  
=== Structure ===
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== Structure ==
  
One easy way to express inability is to use the phrase 没办法 (méi bànfǎ). Literally this translates as "to have no way" and is commonly used in situations where something is not possible. The structure:
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One easy way to express inability is to place the phrase 没办法 (méi bànfǎ) before the verb.
  
 
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=== Examples ===
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== Examples ==
  
 
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* <em>没 办法</em> 帮 你 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>méi bànfǎ</em> bāng nǐ.</span> <span class="trans">I have no way to help you.</span>
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* 今天 太 忙 了,中午 <em>没 办法</em> 出去 吃饭。 <span class="pinyin">Jīntiān tài máng le, zhōngwǔ <em>méi bànfǎ</em> chūqù chīfàn.</span><span class="trans">It's too busy today. There's no way to go out for lunch.</span>
* 他 <em>没 办法</em> 去 中国 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>méi bànfǎ</em> qù Zhōngguó.</span> <span class="trans">He has no way to go to China.</span>
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* 他 没 带 手机,<em>没 办法</em> 给 我 打电话。 <span class="pinyin">Tā méi dài shǒujī, <em>méi bànfǎ</em> gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.</span><span class="trans">He didn't bring his phone, so he has no way to give me a call.</span>
* 我们 <em>没 办法</em> 出去 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>méi bànfǎ</em> chūqù.</span> <span class="trans">We have no way of going out. (maybe we are busy, etc.)</span>
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* 没有 水,我们 <em>没 办法</em> 洗 衣服。<span class="pinyin">Méiyǒu shuǐ,  wǒmen <em>méi bànfǎ</em> xǐ yīfu.</span><span class="trans">There's no water. There's no way for us to wash clothes.</span>
* 没有 糖 , 我 <em>没 办法</em> 做 蛋糕 。 <span class="pinyin">Méiyǒu táng, wǒ <em>méi bànfǎ</em> zuò dàngāo.</span> <span class="trans">I don't have sugar, there's no way to make a cake.</span>
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* 这里 太 吵 了,我 <em>没 办法</em> 工作。<span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ tài chǎo le, wǒ <em>méi bànfǎ</em> gōngzuò.</span><span class="trans">It‘s too noisy here. I can't work.</span>
* <em>没 办法</em> 让 所有 人 都 喜欢 我 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>méi bànfǎ</em> ràng suǒyǒu rén dōu xǐhuan wǒ.</span> <span class="trans">There is no way I can make everyone like me.</span>
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* 他 不 开门,所以 她 <em>没 办法</em> 进去。<span class="pinyin">Tā bù kāimén, suǒyǐ tā <em>méi bànfǎ</em> jìnqù.</span><span class="trans">He didn't open the door, so she has no way to enter.</span>
* 不 会 说 中文 , 我 <em>没 办法</em> 跟 中国 人 说话 。 <span class="pinyin">bù huì shuō Zhōngwén, <em>méi bànfǎ</em> gēn Zhōngguó rén shuōhuà.</span> <span class="trans">I can't speak Chinese, I have no means of talking with Chinese people.</span>
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* 不 会 说 中文,<em>没 办法</em> 在 我们公司 工作。<span class="pinyin">bù huì shuō Zhōngwén, <em>méi bànfǎ</em> zài wǒmen gōngsī gōngzuò.</span><span class="trans">You can't speak Chinese, so there is no way for you to work for our company.</span>
* 事情 太 多 了 , 我 <em>没 办法</em> 在 这 个 星期 做完 。 <span class="pinyin">Shìqíng tài duō le, wǒ <em>méi bànfǎ</em> zài zhè ge xīngqī zuòwán.</span> <span class="trans">There's too much to do, I have no means for finishing this week.</span>
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* 事情 太 多 了,我 今天 <em>没 办法</em> 做完。<span class="pinyin">Shìqing tài duō le, wǒ jīntiān  <em>méi bànfǎ</em> zuò wán.</span><span class="trans">There's too much to do. I have no way to finish today.</span>
* 我 没 带 钱 包 , 所以 我 <em>没 办法</em> 买 东西 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ méi dài qián bāo, suǒyǐ wǒ <em>méi bànfǎ</em> mǎi dōngxī.</span> <span class="trans">I didn't bring my wallet, so I have no means of buying things.</span>
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* 老板 不 同意,我 <em>没 办法</em> 帮 你。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn bù tóngyì , wǒ <em>méi bànfǎ</em> bāng nǐ.</span><span class="trans">The boss didn't agree, so I have no way to help you.</span>
* 我 没 有 手机 , 所以 我 <em>没 办法</em> 打电话 给 你 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ méi yǒu shǒujī, suǒyǐ wǒ <em>méi bànfǎ</em> dǎdiànhuà gěi nǐ.</span> <span class="trans">I don't have a phone, so I have no way of giving you a call.</span>
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* 这里 没有 wifi,我 <em>没 办法</em> 上网。<span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ méiyǒu wifi,wǒ <em>méi bànfǎ</em> shàngwǎng.</span><span class="trans">There is no wifi here, so I have no way of going online.</span>
* 他 很 笨 , 我 <em>没 办法</em> 跟 他 一起 工作 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā hěn bèn, wǒ <em>méi bànfǎ</em> gēn tā yīqǐ gōngzuò.</span> <span class="trans">He's really dumb, there is no way I can work with him.</span>
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* 他 很 笨,我 <em>没 办法</em> 跟 他 一起 工作。<span class="pinyin">Tā hěn bèn, wǒ <em>méi bànfǎ</em> gēn tā yīqǐ gōngzuò.</span><span class="trans">He's really dumb. There is no way I can work with him.</span>
  
 
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== Sources and further reading ==
 
== Sources and further reading ==
*[[Exemplification of Common Sentence Patterns in Spoken Chinese 汉语口语常用句式例解]] (p. 159) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%8F%A3%E8%AF%AD%E5%B8%B8%E7%94%A8%E5%8F%A5%E5%BC%8F%E4%BE%8B%E8%A7%A3/dp/B0011435Y2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1386917823&sr=8-1 →buy]
 
 
  
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{{Source|Exemplification of Common Sentence Patterns in Spoken Chinese 汉语口语常用句式例解|159}}
  
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK3}}
 
{{Used for|Describing actions}}
 
{{Used for|Describing actions}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing impossibility}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing impossibility}}
 
{{Used for|Indicating conditions}}
 
{{Used for|Indicating conditions}}
{{Basic Grammar|办法|A2|没办法 + V|我 <em>没 办法</em> 帮 你。|grammar point|ASGI2KHC}}
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{{Basic Grammar|办法|A2|没办法 + Verb|我 <em>没 办法</em> 帮 你。|grammar point|ASGI2KHC}}
 
{{Rel char|没}}
 
{{Rel char|没}}
 
{{POS|Verbs}}
 
{{POS|Verbs}}
 
{{Subprop|Verb phrases}}
 
{{Subprop|Verb phrases}}

Latest revision as of 08:16, 10 April 2019

If you are trying to express that something is impossible, you can use the phrase 没办法 (méi bànfǎ). 没办法 (méi bànfǎ) essentially means "there is no way," and while it works just fine by itself, it can also come before verbs.

Structure

One easy way to express inability is to place the phrase 没办法 (méi bànfǎ) before the verb.

Subj. + 没办法 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

  • 今天 太 忙 了,中午 没 办法 出去 吃饭。 Jīntiān tài máng le, zhōngwǔ méi bànfǎ chūqù chīfàn.It's too busy today. There's no way to go out for lunch.
  • 他 没 带 手机,没 办法 给 我 打电话。 Tā méi dài shǒujī, méi bànfǎ gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.He didn't bring his phone, so he has no way to give me a call.
  • 没有 水,我们 没 办法 洗 衣服。Méiyǒu shuǐ, wǒmen méi bànfǎ xǐ yīfu.There's no water. There's no way for us to wash clothes.
  • 这里 太 吵 了,我 没 办法 工作。Zhèlǐ tài chǎo le, wǒ méi bànfǎ gōngzuò.It‘s too noisy here. I can't work.
  • 他 不 开门,所以 她 没 办法 进去。Tā bù kāimén, suǒyǐ tā méi bànfǎ jìnqù.He didn't open the door, so she has no way to enter.
  • 你 不 会 说 中文,没 办法 在 我们公司 工作。Nǐ bù huì shuō Zhōngwén, méi bànfǎ zài wǒmen gōngsī gōngzuò.You can't speak Chinese, so there is no way for you to work for our company.
  • 事情 太 多 了,我 今天 没 办法 做完。Shìqing tài duō le, wǒ jīntiān méi bànfǎ zuò wán.There's too much to do. I have no way to finish today.
  • 老板 不 同意,我 没 办法 帮 你。Lǎobǎn bù tóngyì , wǒ méi bànfǎ bāng nǐ.The boss didn't agree, so I have no way to help you.
  • 这里 没有 wifi,我 没 办法 上网。Zhèlǐ méiyǒu wifi,wǒ méi bànfǎ shàngwǎng.There is no wifi here, so I have no way of going online.
  • 他 很 笨,我 没 办法 跟 他 一起 工作。Tā hěn bèn, wǒ méi bànfǎ gēn tā yīqǐ gōngzuò.He's really dumb. There is no way I can work with him.

See also

Sources and further reading