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赶不及 (gǎn bù jí) — to be unable to make it in time; can't manage to do something on time

Definition

赶不及 means 'can't make it in time' — used when a deadline or appointment slips away. Similar to 来不及 but with a stronger sense of hurried effort falling short.

verb
to be unable to make it in timecan't manage to do something on time

Examples

  • ，赶不及。
    Wǒ men yào chí dào le, kǒng pà gǎn bù jí le.
    We're going to be late; I'm afraid we won't make it.
  • ，赶不及。
    Tā pǎo dé tài kuài, wǒ gǎn bù jí tā de sù dù.
    He runs too fast; I can't keep up with his pace.
  • ，赶不及。
    Yīn wèi lù shang dǔ chē, wǒ gǎn bù jí cān jiā huì yì.
    Because of a traffic jam, I couldn't make it to the meeting on time.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

赶gǎncatch up
不及not reach
不bùnot及jíreach
偏正Modifier + head

赶 means to catch up, and 不及 means not reach, so 赶不及 describes failing to make it in time.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 趕; 赶 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
走走zǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
旱
旱hàn趕gǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 趕 combines 走, for the meaning, and 旱, for the sound; this is about 趕, not 赶.

Open 赶 →

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.

及 pairs 人 (person) with 又 (hand), showing a hand grabbing a person.

Open 及 →
Appears in
Time (Abstract)

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