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免不了 (miǎn bu liǎo) — cannot be avoided; is bound to; inevitably

Definition

免不了 means 'cannot avoid, bound to' — describes something inevitable given the circumstances. Compared to 注定 (fated by destiny), 免不了 is about practical necessity, not fate.

verb
cannot be avoidedis bound toinevitably

Examples

  • ，免不了。
    Kǎo shì qián, miǎn bu liǎo jǐn zhāng.
    Before an exam, it's inevitable to be nervous.
  • ，免不了。
    Gāng xué kāi chē, miǎn bu liǎo fàn cuò wù.
    When you just learn to drive, you are bound to make mistakes.
  • 免不了。
    Měi gè rén zài shēng huó zhōng dōu miǎn bu liǎo yù dào kùn nan.
    Everyone is bound to encounter difficulties in life.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

免miǎnavoid
不了not possible
不bùnot了liǎopossible
偏正Modifier + head

免 means avoid and 不了 means not possible, so the sense is “cannot avoid”.

Characters in this word

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

免 originally drew a man wearing a ceremonial hat. It was later used for meanings such as avoid and exempt.

Open 免 →

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.

了 was once drawn to show a baby with no arms; some old comments say it showed crossed or tangled legs.

Open 了 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract Concepts

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