不禁 bùjīn can't help (doing something)
can't help (doing something); can't refrain from
How to remember 不禁: 不 not + 禁 to restrict = can't help (doing something).
Characters
How it is used
- 'Can't help but' do something involuntarily - 不禁笑了 (bùjīn xiào le) couldn't help laughing; 不禁流泪 (bùjīn liúlèi) couldn't hold back tears.
- Directly precedes the verb and pairs with spontaneous reactions (laughing, crying, sighing).
- 禁 here is the 4th-tone jìn 'to restrain'; slightly literary. Compare 忍不住 (rěnbuzhù), the more colloquial 'can't hold back'.
Example sentences
- 我不禁想我的儿子一直都在生。 Wǒ bùjīn xiǎng wǒ de érzi yìzhí dōu zài shēng.I cannot help thinking that my son is still alive.