English–Chinese

“can't help” in Chinese

Chinese

Also禁不住 (jīn bù zhù)

Pronunciation

Pinyinrěn bù zhù

Example

她忍不住把礼物打开了。tā rěn bú zhù bǎ lǐ wù dǎ kāi le

She couldn't help opening the gift.

Illustration for 忍不住 (can't help)

How to say “can't help” in Chinese

“Can't help” in Chinese is 忍不住 (rěn bù zhù).

A feeling or urge breaks past the point of control and produces an action on its own.

Full entry for 忍不住: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 忍不住

听到那个笑话，他忍不住笑出声来。tīng dào nà ge xiào huà tā rěn bú zhù xiào chū shēng lái

When he heard that joke, he couldn't help laughing out loud.

Tips for using 忍不住

  • In everyday conversation, this verb often introduces an observable reaction rather than a lasting condition, so it fits sudden laughter, tears, or speech that slips out.

Other Chinese words for “can't help”

看到宝宝睡得这么香，我禁不住笑了。kàn dào báo bǎo shuì de zhè me xiāng wǒ jīn bú zhù xiào le

Seeing the baby sleep so soundly, I couldn't help laughing.

“can't help” in other languages