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

It is used like this:

Verb + 不了

Examples

• 他 今晚 有事，来 不了 。 Tā jīnwǎn yǒu shì, lái bùliǎo.I can't go.
• 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，玩 不了 了。 Wǒ shǒujī méi diàn le, yòng bùliǎo le.My cellphone is off power.I can't play.
• 爸爸 的 车 坏 了，开 不了 了。 Bàba de chē huài le, kāi bùliǎo le.Dad's car is broken.He can't drive it.
• 孩子 这么 小， 吃 不了 这么 多 米饭。 Hāizi 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.She is currently in a very bad condition.She can't give birth to a baby.
• 我们 还 不到 18 岁，结 不了 婚。 Wǒmen hái bù dào shí bā suì, jié bùliǎo hūn.We are both not 18 yet.We can't get married
• 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 being well today.She can't talk.
• 这 个 忙，我 真的 帮 不了 你。 Zhè ge máng, wǒ zhēnde bāng bùliǎo nǐ.I really can't help you with this.
• 这 里 没有 Wi-Fi， 上 不了 网。 Zhè lǐ méi yǒu Wi-Fi, shàng bùliǎo wǎng .There is no Wi-Fi 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