Short set phrases for surprise, relief, regret, impatience and not being able to bear something.
Many everyday reactions in Chinese are fixed three-syllable phrases with 得 or 不 in the middle: 来得及 “there is still time”, 来不及 “too late”. In these phrases the middle syllable is unstressed and loses its tone. Learn them whole, because the meaning is often more than the parts: 了不起 is “remarkable”, and 舍不得 is the feeling of not wanting to let something or someone go.
The words
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Verb (18)
舍不得to hate to part with; to be unwilling to (spend, leave)Verb4
要毕业了，我真舍不得离开大家。We’re about to graduate, and I really hate to leave everyone.
Also of money: 舍不得花钱, to begrudge spending.
看不起to look down onVerb4
不要看不起没上过大学的人。Don’t look down on people who didn’t go to university.
看不惯to be unable to put up with (someone’s ways)Verb4
我看不惯他在饭桌上一直玩手机。I can’t stand the way he plays with his phone all through dinner.
恨不得to be itching to; to wish one couldVerb4
听到这个好消息，我恨不得马上告诉所有人。When I heard the good news I was dying to tell everyone at once.
Nothing to do with hatred: an impatient wish for something one cannot quite do.
免不了to be unavoidable; bound to happenVerb4
第一次做这个工作，出点儿错是免不了的。The first time you do this job, a few mistakes are unavoidable.
忍不住can’t help (doing)Verb4
他的话太好笑了，大家都忍不住笑了。What he said was so funny that nobody could help laughing.
顾不上to have no time for; to be unable to attend toVerb4
最近工作太忙，我连吃饭都顾不上。Work has been so busy lately that I haven’t even had time to eat.
不在乎not to care; not to mindVerb4
别人怎么说，她一点儿也不在乎。She doesn’t care at all what other people say.
吃不消to be too much for; unable to cope withVerb4
每天加班到半夜，谁都吃不消。Working until midnight every day would be too much for anyone.
合得来to get along wellVerb4
我和新同屋很合得来。I get on really well with my new roommate.
用不着there is no need toVerb4
这点儿小事，用不着这么着急。There’s no need to get so worked up about such a small thing.
离不开cannot do withoutVerb4
现在的年轻人离不开手机。Young people today can’t do without their phones.
放不下cannot stop worrying about; cannot let go ofVerb4
孩子第一次一个人出远门，妈妈心里总是放不下。The first time her child travelled far alone, the mother just couldn’t stop worrying.
对得起to do right by; not to let downVerb4
我要努力学习，才能对得起父母。I must study hard so as not to let my parents down.
Its negative 对不起 is the everyday “sorry”.
巴不得to be only too eager to; can’t wait toVerb4
他巴不得早点儿放假，好回家看父母。He can’t wait for the holidays so that he can go home and see his parents.
Unlike 恨不得, it is used of something that may well happen.
想得开to take things philosophicallyVerb4
她很想得开，丢了工作也不难过。She takes things in her stride; even losing her job didn’t get her down.
想不开to take things too hard; to broodVerb4
考试没考好没关系，别想不开。Doing badly in an exam isn’t the end of the world — don’t take it so hard.
犯不着not worth itVerb4
为了几块钱跟他吵架，犯不着。It isn’t worth quarrelling with him over a few yuan.
Adverb (4)
说不定perhaps; maybeAdverb4
带把伞吧，说不定下午会下雨。Take an umbrella — it might rain this afternoon.
不得不to have no choice but toAdverb4
路上堵车，我不得不走路去上班。The roads were jammed, so I had no choice but to walk to work.
好不容易with great difficulty; only justAdverb4
我找了半天，好不容易才找到他家。I searched for ages and only just managed to find his house.
Means the same as 好容易: both say it was hard.
好在fortunately; luckilyAdverb4
雨下得很大，好在我带了伞。It rained heavily, but luckily I had brought an umbrella.