Meaning of 无法
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- unable to; incapable of
How to use 无法
无法 comes before a verb and sounds more formal or written than 不能 (bù néng). It often describes situations beyond someone's control. Example: 我无法相信这是真的。(Wǒ wúfǎ xiāngxìn zhè shì zhēn de.) I can't believe this is true.
无 (wú) means "without" and 法 (fǎ) means "method" or "way", as in 办法 (bànfǎ). Having no way to do something means you are unable to do it.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes put a noun after 无法, as in 无法钱. It needs a verb, so say 没有钱 (méiyǒu qián) instead. Also keep the second tone on 无 (wú) and do not drift into 五 (wǔ).
无法 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.
无 wú · not to have · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
法 fǎ · law · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Related words
Words that share a character with 无法.
| 办法 | bànfǎ | way of handling sth; means; measure; (practical) solution to a problem |
| 想法 | xiǎngfǎ | way of thinking; opinion; notion; to think of a way (to do sth) |
| 方法 | fāngfǎ | method; way; technique; procedure |
| 看法 | kànfǎ | way of looking at a thing; view |
| 做法 | zuòfǎ | way of handling sth; method for making |
| 合法 | héfǎ | lawful; legitimate |
| 法律 | fǎlǜ | law |
| 无论 | wúlùn | no matter what or how; regardless of whether... |
| 法官 | fǎguān | judge (in court) |
| 无聊 | wúliáo | bored; boring |
| 无所谓 | wúsuǒwèi | to be indifferent; not to matter |
| 法院 | fǎyuàn | court of law; court |
Questions about 无法
What does 无法 mean?
无法 (wúfǎ) means "unable to; incapable of" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 无法?
无法 is made of 2 characters: 无 (4 strokes), 法 (8 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 无法 an HSK word?
Yes. 无法 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 无法 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 无法 is written 無法.
What is the difference between 无法 and 没办法?
Both mean "unable to", but 没办法 (méi bànfǎ) is casual and common in speech. 没办法 can also stand alone to mean "there's nothing I can do". 无法 normally needs a following verb and suits writing or formal speech.
What does 无法无天 mean?
无法无天 (wúfǎ wútiān) is an idiom meaning "lawless" or "defying all rules". Here 法 means "law" rather than "method". It describes someone who behaves completely out of control.