不禁 (bù jīn) — can't help (doing sth), can't refrain from

Definition

不禁 (bù jīn) is an adverb meaning 'can't help doing sth', placed directly before the verb to express an involuntary emotional reaction, common in written Chinese. Compared to 不由自主 (bù yóu zì zhǔ), which emphasizes lack of control, and 不由得 (bù yóu de), which can also be a verb, 不禁 is more concise and literary. Note that 不禁 cannot take an object, unlike the verb 禁不住 (jīn bu zhù).

adverb

can't help (doing sth)can't refrain from

Easily confused

不仅bù jǐnsound-alikenot only (..., but also ...); not just

Examples

，不禁。
Kàndào zhè fú huà, wǒ bù jīn xiǎngqǐ le gùxiāng.
Seeing this painting, I can't help thinking of my hometown.
，不禁。
Tīngdào zhège hǎo xiāoxi, tā bù jīn huānhū qǐlái.
Hearing this good news, she couldn't help cheering.
，不禁。
Kànzhe háizi tiānzhēn de xiàoróng, tā bù jīn lùchū le wēixiào.
Looking at the child's innocent smile, he couldn't help showing a smile.

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