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Chinese/Dictionary entry

由不得

yóu bu dedictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
cannot help / to be beyond control of
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-4b09b34b7b5f0575. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

由不得 由不得 [you2 bu5 de5] /cannot help/to be beyond control of/

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.

  • 由
    yóu

    to follow / from / because of / due to / by / via / through / (before a noun and a verb) it is for ... to ...

  • 不
    bù

    no / not so / (bound form) not / un-

  • 得
    dé

    to obtain / to get / to gain / to catch (a disease) / proper / suitable / proud / contented / to allow / to permit / ready / finished

    dè

    used in 得瑟[dè se]

    de

    structural particle: used after a verb (or adjective as main verb), linking it to following phrase indicating effect, degree, possibility etc

    děi

    to have to / must / ought to / to need to

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.