Potential complement "bu liao"

不了 (bùliǎo) is a very common potential complement that expresses you "can't do something." Note that the "了" here, when acting as part of a complement, is read as "liǎo" and never "le."

Structure

The potential complement 不了 adds the meaning of "can't" to a verb. It is subtly different from using 不能 because 不了 usually suggests some external factor out of one's control. In practice, however, it's best not to over-analyze the verb or agonize much an external factor is involved, and just get used to which verbs tend to take the 不了 complement.

It is used like this:

Verb + 不了

Examples

• 他 今晚 有事，来 不了 。 Tā jīnwǎn yǒu shì, lái bùliǎo.He has something to do tonight, so he can't come.
• 我 还 在 上班，现在 走 不了。 Wǒ hái zài shàngbān, zǒu bùliǎo.I'm still at work. I can't leave.
• 我 的 手机 没 电 了，游戏 玩 不了 了。 Wǒ de shǒujī méi diàn le, yóuxì wán bùliǎo le.My cell phone has run out of power. I can't play the game.
• 爸爸 的 车 坏 了，开 不了 了。 Bàba de chē huài le, kāi bùliǎo le. Dad's car has broken down. He can't drive it.
• 孩子 这么 小， 吃 不了 这么 多 米饭。 Háizi zhème xiǎo, chī bùliǎo zhème duō mǐfàn.The kid is so young. He can't eat so much rice.
• 她 的 身体 现在 很 差，生 不了 孩子。 Tā de shēntǐ xiànzài hěn chà, shēng bùliǎo háizi.Her health is pretty bad right now. She can't give birth to a baby.
• 没有 签证 ，你 就 去 不了 美国。 Méi yǒu qiānzhèng, nǐ jiù qù bùliǎo Měiguó. Without a visa, you can't go to America.
• 老师 的 嗓子 今天 很 不 舒服，说 不了 话。 Lǎoshī de sǎngzi jīntiān hěn bù shūfu, shuō bùliǎo huà.The teacher's throat is not well today. She can't speak.
• 这 个 忙，我 真的 帮 不了 你。 Zhège máng, wǒ zhēnde bāng bùliǎo nǐ. With this, I really can't help you.
• 这 里 没有 Wi-Fi， 上 不了 网。 Zhè lǐ méiyǒu Wi-Fi, shàng bùliǎo wǎng .There is no wifi here. We can't go online.

See also

• Potential complement "bu xia"
• Potential complement "bu dong"
• Positive and negative potential complements

Sources and further reading

Books

• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (1st ed) (p. 203)

HSK4