HSK · Level 75
60 words
Chinese word
恨不得
Pronunciation
Pinyinhèn bu de
Meaning
- adverbwish I could
Example
恨不得现在就回家。hèn bu de xiàn zài jiù huí jiā
I wish I could go home right now.
More examples
分手后，他恨不得把伤痛忘掉。fēn shǒu hòu tā hèn bu de bǎ shāng tòng wàng diào
After the breakup, he wished he could forget the pain.
Core concept
A desired action feels so pressing that waiting or being unable to do it becomes hard to bear.
Common phrases
恨不得跟你在一起hèn bu de gēn nǐ zài yì qǐ
wish I could be with you
恨不得把伤痛忘掉hèn bu de bǎ shāng tòng wàng diào
wish I could forget the pain
恨不得马上见到你hèn bu de mǎ shàng jiàn dào nǐ
wish I could see you right away
Similar words
巴不得bā bu de: A strong, heartfelt wish to do something right away, common in casual speech.
迫不及待pò bù jí dài: A strong urge to begin without delay because waiting feels impossible.
Definition in Chinese
用来表示对某事或某种状态有强烈的愿望，希望事情马上发生或自己马上做某事，语气比一般的想更迫切。yòng lái biǎo shì duì mǒu shì huò móu zhǒng zhuàng tài yǒu qiáng liè de yuàn wàng xī wàng shì qíng mǎ shàng fā shēng huò zì jǐ mǎ shàng zuò mǒu shì yǔ qì bǐ yì bān de xiǎng gèng pò qiè
Word origin
恨 (hèn, "resent") + 不 (bù, "not") + 得 (dé, "be able to") presents a desire so strong that being unable to fulfill it feels painful, giving the expression its urgent-wish sense.
Usage tips
- The word is common in conversation and online writing, where it can describe an impossible or purely imagined action as well as a real plan.
Other meanings
- long forverb