不得已而为之 (bù dé yǐ ér wéi zhī) — to have no other choice but to do something; to be forced to do something as a last resort

Definition

A formal, written idiom meaning 'to do something only because there was no alternative' — stronger and more literary than simply saying 没办法/不得不. Use it for decisions you regret or had no real choice in.

verb
to have no other choice but to do somethingto be forced to do something as a last resort

Examples

  • 不得已而为之，。
    Tā zhè yàng zuò wán quán shì bù dé yǐ ér wéi zhī, nǐ bié guài tā.
    He did this completely because he had no other choice; don't blame him.
  • 不得已而为之。
    Gōng sī cái yuán shì bù dé yǐ ér wéi zhī de jué dìng.
    The company's layoffs were a last-resort decision.
  • ，不得已而为之。
    Zài nà zhǒng qíng kuàng xià, wǒ zhǐ néng bù dé yǐ ér wéi zhī.
    In that situation, I had no choice but to do it.

Origin

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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The old form 㝵 showed a hand picking up a cowry, meaning to obtain; later changes turned that picture into 得.

Open 得 →

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

The shape of 已 may originally have been a drawing of either a snake or a fetus.

Open 已 →

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

The shape of 而 is a picture of a beard.

Open 而 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 為; 为 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 為 showed a hand holding an elephant; the simplified 为 is a later shorthand.

Open 为 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape pairs 止, a foot, with 一, a beginning place, and means to go.

Open 之 →

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