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不能自拔 (bù néng zì bá) — cannot extricate oneself; be unable to pull oneself out (of a feeling, situation, or habit)

Definition

An idiom meaning so trapped in a feeling, habit, or situation that one cannot pull free — often used for emotions (love, guilt) or addictions. Literally "unable to pull oneself out."

idiom
cannot extricate oneselfbe unable to pull oneself out (of a feeling, situation, or habit)

Examples

  • ，不能自拔。
    Tā xiàn rù le yí duàn tòng kǔ de liàn qíng, bù néng zì bá.
    He fell into a painful love affair and couldn't extricate himself.
  • ，不能自拔，。
    Tā chén mí yú wǎng luò yóu xì, bù néng zì bá, lián gōng kè dōu dān wu le.
    He was addicted to online games and couldn't stop, even neglecting his homework.
  • ，不能自拔。
    Tā fǎn fù dì zì zé, shēn shēn xiàn rù bù néng zì bá de kuì jiù zhōng.
    She repeatedly blamed herself, deeply trapped in guilt from which she couldn't extricate herself.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

不能unable
不bùnot能néngcan
偏正Modifier + head
自拔pull oneself out
自zìself拔bápull out
主谓Subject + predicate

“不能” means unable, and “自拔” means pulling oneself out, so it describes being stuck in a feeling or habit.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

能 is an old picture of a bear, showing two paws and a face with an open mouth.

Open 能 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

自 originally drew a nose. It was borrowed purely for its sound to write 自, so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

Open 自 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
犮
犮bá拔bá
Same sound today

In 拔, the left side 扌 is a hand and the right side 犮 gives the sound; the shape pictures a hand pulling.

Open 拔 →
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Idioms & Set Phrases

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