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无能为力 (wú néng wéi lì) — (idiom) powerless, helpless, unable to do anything about it

Definition

Emphasizes that one's ability or power is the limit, not just having no choice — stronger than 无奈 and 无可奈何 (which focus on the situation). Pairs naturally with 无能 and 无力 in writing.

idiom
powerlesshelplessunable to do anything about it

Examples

  • ，无能为力。
    Miàn duì zhè yàng de qíng kuàng, tā gǎn dào wú néng wéi lì.
    Faced with such a situation, he felt powerless.
  • 无能为力，。
    Wǒ yǐ jīng wú néng wéi lì le, zhǐ néng jiē shòu xiàn shí.
    I'm already helpless; I can only accept reality.
  • ，无能为力。
    Wú lùn tā zěn me nǔ lì, tā hái shì wú néng wéi lì.
    No matter how hard he tried, he was still powerless.
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Idioms & Set Phrases5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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