Chinese word

无能为力

Pronunciation

Pinyinwú néng wéi lì

Meaning

  • adjectivehelpless

Example

遇到这种情况，我真的感到无能为力。yù dào zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng wǒ zhēn de gǎn dào wú néng wéi lì

Faced with this situation, I really felt helpless.

Illustration for 无能为力 (helpless)

More examples

对于这类复杂的历史问题，学者们也常常显得无能为力。duì yú zhè lèi fù zá de lì shǐ wèn tí xué zhě men yě cháng cháng xiǎn de wú néng wéi lì

When faced with complex historical problems of this kind, scholars often seem helpless too.

Core concept

No workable means remain for dealing with a situation or changing its outcome.

Common phrases

  • 对……无能为力duì wú néng wéi lì

    be unable to do anything about ___

  • 在……面前显得无能为力zài miàn qián xiǎn de wú néng wéi lì

    appear helpless before ___

  • 让人无能为力ràng rén wú néng wéi lì

    leave people feeling helpless

Similar words

无可奈何wú kě nài hé: Forced to accept an unwanted situation because there is no way to change it.
无奈wú nài: At a loss and unable to carry out a desired action or find a solution.
力不从心lì bù cóng xīn: Not able to achieve what one wants because one's skills or physical strength fall short.
无计可施wú jì kě shī: Unable to act because every possible plan or method has been exhausted.

Definition in Chinese

对某种情况或问题没有办法处理或改变，表示自己缺乏可行的手段和能力。duì móu zhǒng qíng kuàng huò wèn tí méi yǒu bàn fǎ chú lǐ huò gǎi biàn biǎo shì zì jǐ quē fá kě xíng de shǒu duàn hé néng lì

Word origin

无能为力 (wúnéngwéilì, "helpless") combines 无 (wú, "not have"), 能 (néng, "be able"), 为 (wéi, "act") and 力 (lì, "strength"), forming the idea of lacking the ability or means to act.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, the phrase often marks a firm limit on what the speaker can do, so it can sound like a closing statement unless it is followed by a possible alternative.

Opposites

Word lists with this word