无能 (wú néng) — incapable; incompetent; powerless

Definition

无能 (wúnéng) is an adjective for a person judged incompetent or powerless, often carrying a strong critical tone. Stronger and more judgmental than the verb 无力 (lack of strength) and more personal than the idiom 无能为力 (helpless in a situation).

adjective

incapableincompetentpowerless

Examples

无能。
Tā yīn wèi gōng zuò wú néng bèi lǎo bǎn pī píng le.
He was criticized by his boss for being incompetent at work.
，无能。
Miàn duì kùn nan, wǒ men bù néng xiǎn de wú néng.
Facing difficulties, we cannot appear powerless.
无能，。
Tā jué de zì jǐ hěn wú néng, suǒ yǐ hěn jǔ sàng.
He feels very incompetent, so he is very depressed.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Personality & Traits

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.