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Chinese/Dictionary entry

无奈

wú nàidictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
to have no alternative / frustrated / exasperated / helpless / (conjunction) but unfortunately
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-1386ed46b795a961. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

無奈 无奈 [wu2 nai4] /to have no alternative/frustrated/exasperated/helpless/(conjunction) but unfortunately/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 無奈

  • 无
    mó

    used in 南無|南无[nā mó]

    wú

    not to have / no / none / not / to lack / un- / -less

  • 奈
    nài

    used in expressions that convey frustration and futility, such as 無奈|无奈[wú nài] and 莫可奈何|莫可奈何[mò kě nài hé] (literary) / used for its phonetic value in writing foreign words

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.