无能为力 wúnéngwéilì powerless to do anything about it
(idiom) powerless to do anything about it
How to remember 无能为力: 无 have not + 能 able to + 为 for + 力 power = powerless to do anything about it.
Characters
How it is used
- Idiom: powerless to help / can do nothing about it - 对此我无能为力 (duìcǐ wǒ wúnéngwéilì) there's nothing I can do about this.
- A polite, common way to say you're unable to help despite wanting to. 为力 = to exert effort.
Example sentences
- 我对此无能为力。 Wǒ duìcǐ wúnéngwéilì.There's nothing I can do about it.