Meaning of 用不着
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- not need
- have no use for
How to use 用不着
用不着 is a potential complement form, so it means something is unnecessary or will not be needed. It often comes before a verb or noun, and it sounds natural in speech. Example: 你用不着担心。(Nǐ yòngbuzháo dānxīn.) You don't need to worry.
Break it into 用 (yòng, use) + 不 (bu, not) + 着 (zháo, reach or succeed). You try to use something but it never gets to the point of being needed, so you do not need it.
Common mistake: Learners often read 着 here as zhe or zhuó. In 用不着 it is zháo, and the 不 is light and toneless. Also, do not write 用不到 when you mean "no need to". 用不到 leans toward "won't get to use it", while 用不着 often means "there is no need".
用不着 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.
用 yòng · to use · 5 strokes
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不 bù · no · 4 strokes
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着 zhe · aspect particle indicating action in pr… · 11 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 用不着.
| 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 |
| 有用 | yǒuyòng | useful |
| 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 |
| 不同 | bù tóng | different; distinct |
Questions about 用不着
What does 用不着 mean?
用不着 (yòngbuzháo) means "not need; have no use for" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 用不着?
用不着 is made of 3 characters: 用 (5 strokes), 不 (4 strokes), 着 (11 strokes). That is 20 strokes in total.
Is 用不着 an HSK word?
Yes. 用不着 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 用不着 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 用不着 is written 用不著.
What is the positive form of 用不着?
The positive form is 用得着 (yòngdezháo), meaning something will be needed or useful. It often appears in questions, such as 这个你用得着吗? (Zhège nǐ yòngdezháo ma?) Will you need this?
How is 用不着 different from 不用?
Both can mean "no need to", and 不用 (bùyòng) is more common and neutral. 用不着 can sound a bit stronger, sometimes suggesting the action is pointless, as in 用不着这么生气 (yòngbuzháo zhème shēngqì), there's no need to get this angry.