忘不了 (wàng bù liǎo) — cannot forget, unforgettable (as a fixed expres… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

忘不了 (wàng bù liǎo) is a fixed verbal expression meaning 'cannot forget' — it stresses an ongoing inability rather than a single past act. Often pairs with 永远 to emphasize permanence.

verb

cannot forgetunforgettable (as a fixed expression)

Examples

忘不了。
Nà cì lǚ xíng wǒ yǒng yuǎn wàng bù liǎo.
I will never forget that trip.
忘不了。
Tā shuō de měi jù huà wǒ dōu wàng bù liǎo.
I can't forget a single word he said.
，忘不了。
Tóng nián de shì suī rán guò qù le, dàn wǒ hái shì wàng bù liǎo.
Although childhood things are in the past, I still can't forget them.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

不了cannot finish

不bùnot了liǎofinish

偏正Modifier + head

The 忘 with 不了 means cannot forget.

Characters in this word

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

亡心忘

Meaning part形符xíngfú

心心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

亡

亡wáng忘wàng

Same sound today

忘 combines 亡, which gives the sound, with 心 (“heart”), showing the sense is about the heart or mind.

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.

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.

Appears in

Thinking & Cognition

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