忍不住

rěn bu zhù

unbearable; unable to restrain

HSK Level 5

Example Sentences

我忍不住笑了。

wǒ rěn bù zhù xiào le.

I couldn't help but laugh.

他忍不住哭了。

tā rěn bù zhù kū le.

He couldn't help but cry.

我们忍不住跳了起来。

wǒ men rěn bù zhù tiào le qǐ lái.

We couldn't help but jump up.

Synonyms

禁不住 (jīn bù zhù)

can't help but

不由得 (yóu bù dé)

can't help but

Antonyms

忍住 (rěn zhù)

hold back

克制 (kè zhì)

restrain

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Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 忍不住 (rěn bù zhù) is a compound of three characters. The first character, 忍 (rěn), means "to endure" or "to bear". The second character, 不 (bù), is a negation particle. The third character, 住 (zhù), means "to stop" or "to stay". Together, the three characters mean "unable to endure" or "unable to stop".The word 忍不住 is often used to describe a situation in which someone is overwhelmed by their emotions or desires and is unable to control themselves. For example, someone who is 忍不住哭 (rěn bù zhù kū) is unable to stop crying, while someone who is 忍不住笑 (rěn bù zhù xiào) is unable to stop laughing.The word 忍不住 can also be used to describe a situation in which someone is unable to resist a temptation. For example, someone who is 忍不住吃 (rěn bù zhù chī) is unable to resist eating, while someone who is 忍不住买 (rěn bù zhù mǎi) is unable to resist buying something.The word 忍不住 is a versatile word that can be used in a variety of situations. It is a useful word to know for HSK learners who want to be able to express themselves in Chinese.