Definition
禁不住 (jīn bu zhù) is a verb with two related senses: 'can't help (doing something)' — an involuntary emotional reaction — and 'can't bear / can't withstand' — a physical or mental inability to endure. Unlike the adverb 不禁 (bù jīn, 'can't help but'), which only modifies a verb, 禁不住 can stand as a predicate and also expresses physical incapacity. For the 'can't bear' sense, 受不了 (shòu bu liǎo) focuses on endurance rather than capacity.
verb
can't help (doing something)can't bear / can't withstand
Examples
- ,禁不住。Kàn dào zhège xiàohua, wǒ jīn bu zhù xiào le qǐlái.Seeing this joke, I couldn't help laughing.
- 禁不住。Zhè zuò qiáo jīn bu zhù zhème dà de kǎchē.This bridge can't bear such a large truck.
- 禁不住,。Tā jīn bu zhù nèixīn de jīdòng, liú xià le yǎnlèi.She couldn't help her inner excitement and shed tears.
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