English–Chinese

“can't help but” in Chinese

Chinese

Also不禁 (bù jīn) · 不由得 (bù yóu de)

Pronunciation

Pinyinqíng bù zì jīn

Example

看到老朋友，我情不自禁地笑了。kàn dào lǎo péng yǒu wǒ qíng bú zì jīn dì xiào le

When I saw an old friend, I couldn't help but smile.

Illustration for 情不自禁 (can't help but)

How to say “can't help but” in Chinese

“Can't help but” in Chinese is 情不自禁 (qíng bù zì jīn).

An inner reaction moves straight into words, facial expressions, or actions before deliberate control can stop it.

Full entry for 情不自禁: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 情不自禁

看到老照片，他情不自禁地想起了过去。kàn dào lǎo zhào piān tā qíng bú zì jīn dì xiáng qǐ le guò qù

When he saw the old photos, he couldn't help but think of the past.

Tips for using 情不自禁

  • English speakers may hear control oneself as deliberate self-discipline, but this Chinese idiom usually describes an emotion-driven response rather than a chosen act.

Other Chinese words for “can't help but”

2

不禁

bù jīn

adverbcan't help but

看到那个笑话，我不禁笑了。kàn dào nà ge xiào huà wǒ bù jīn xiào le

Seeing that joke, I couldn't help laughing.

看到照片，我不由得笑了。kàn dào zhào piān wǒ bù yóu de xiào le

When I saw the photo, I couldn't help but laugh.

“can't help but” in other languages