Meaning of 不能不
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- have to
- cannot but
How to use 不能不
不能不 is placed before a verb to say something is unavoidable or obligatory, often with a sense of reluctance or strong reason. It sounds a bit more emphatic and written than 得 (děi). Example: 明天有考试，我不能不复习。(Míngtiān yǒu kǎoshì, wǒ bù néng bù fùxí.) There is a test tomorrow, so I have to review.
Two negatives cancel out: 不 (bù, not) + 能 (néng, can) + 不 (bù, not) means "cannot not do it," so you have to. Think of it as a door with no exit except doing the task.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes drop the second 不 and say 不能复习, which means the opposite: "cannot review." Also remember both 不 stay fourth tone here because 能 (néng) is second tone, so no tone change happens.
不能不 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
不 bù · no · 4 strokes
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- 2
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能 néng · can · 10 strokes
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不 bù · no · 4 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 不能不.
| 对不起 | duìbuqǐ | I'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon; to let (sb) down; to disappoint |
| 是不是 | shì bu shì | is or is not (used to form yes-no questions) |
| 不用 | bùyòng | need not |
| 不大 | bù dà | not very (clear, far away etc); not too; not often; infrequently |
| 不对 | bùduì | incorrect; wrong |
| 不客气 | bù kèqì | you're welcome; don't mention it |
| 不要 | bùyào | don't!; must not |
| 可能 | kěnéng | might (happen); possible |
| 不过 | bùguò | only; merely |
| 不错 | bùcuò | correct; right |
| 不行 | bùxíng | won't do; be out of the question |
| 不同 | bù tóng | different; distinct |
Questions about 不能不
What does 不能不 mean?
不能不 (bù néng bù) means "have to; cannot but".
How do you write 不能不?
不能不 is made of 3 characters: 不 (4 strokes), 能 (10 strokes), 不 (4 strokes). That is 18 strokes in total.
Is 不能不 an HSK word?
Yes. 不能不 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 不能不 and 不得不?
Both mean "have to." 不得不 (bùdébù) stresses being forced by circumstances, often unwillingly, while 不能不 can also express a moral or logical need, as in 不能不承认 (cannot help but admit).
Can 不能不 mean "cannot help but" feel something?
Yes. With verbs of thinking or feeling it often means you cannot help it, for example 我不能不佩服他 (Wǒ bù néng bù pèifu tā), I cannot help but admire him.