Meaning of 受不了
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- unbearable
- unable to endure
- can't stand
How to use 受不了
受不了 is very common in speech to complain about heat, noise, pain, or annoying people. It can stand alone or take an object. Example: 这么热，我真受不了。(Zhème rè, wǒ zhēn shòubuliǎo.) It's so hot, I really can't stand it.
受 (shòu) means to receive or bear, and 了 (liǎo) here means to finish or manage. Put 不 (bu) in the middle and you get "can't manage to bear it," so 受不了 means you can't stand something.
Common mistake: In 受不了, 了 is read liǎo, not the particle le, so don't say shòubule. Also don't confuse 受 (shòu) with the similar-looking 爱 (ài), which has 友 at the bottom instead of 又.
受不了 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.
受 shòu · to receive · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
不 bù · no · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
了 le · completed action marker · 2 strokes
- 1
- 2
Related words
Words that share a character with 受不了.
| 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 |
| 不过 | bùguò | only; merely |
| 不错 | bùcuò | correct; right |
| 不行 | bùxíng | won't do; be out of the question |
| 接受 | jiēshòu | to accept (a suggestion, punishment, bribe etc); to acquiesce |
| 不同 | bù tóng | different; distinct |
Questions about 受不了
What does 受不了 mean?
受不了 (shòubuliǎo) means "unbearable; unable to endure" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 受不了?
受不了 is made of 3 characters: 受 (8 strokes), 不 (4 strokes), 了 (2 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 受不了 an HSK word?
Yes. 受不了 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the positive form of 受不了?
The positive form is 受得了 (shòudeliǎo), meaning able to bear it. It often appears in questions, like 你受得了吗？(Nǐ shòudeliǎo ma?) Can you stand it?
Can I put an object after 受不了?
Yes. You can say 我受不了他。(Wǒ shòubuliǎo tā.) I can't stand him. You can also put the thing first, as in 这种天气我受不了。(Zhè zhǒng tiānqì wǒ shòubuliǎo.) I can't stand this kind of weather.