无法 wúfǎ unable to
unable to; incapable of
How to remember 无法: 无 have not + 法 law = unable to.
Characters
How it is used
- Formal, written; placed directly before a verb: 无法忍受 (wúfǎ rěnshòu, unable to bear/stand it).
- Compare 不能 (bùnéng): 不能 is the everyday spoken "cannot," while 无法 is more emphatic and literary, meaning "there's simply no way to."
- Common in news and essays: 无法解决 (wúfǎ jiějué, unable to resolve).
Example sentences
- 你无法证明。 Nǐ wúfǎ zhèngmíng.You can't prove that.
- 我也无法解释。 Wǒ yě wúfǎjiěshì.I can't explain it either.
- 人无法长生不死。 Rén wúfǎ chángshēngbùsǐ.Man cannot live forever.