不得已
bù dé yǐ
Pinyin

Definition

不得已
 - 
bù dé yǐ
  1. to act against one's will
  2. to have no alternative but to
  3. to have to
  4. to have no choice
  5. must

Character Decomposition

Related Words (20)

不
bù
  1. 1 (negative prefix)
  2. 2 not
  3. 3 no
已
yǐ
  1. 1 already
  2. 2 to stop
  3. 3 then
  4. 4 afterwards
已经
yǐ jīng
  1. 1 already
得
dé
  1. 1 to obtain
  2. 2 to get
  3. 3 to gain
  4. 4 to catch (a disease)
  5. 5 proper
  6. 6 suitable
  7. 7 proud
  8. 8 contented
  9. 9 to allow
  10. 10 to permit
  11. 11 ready
  12. 12 finished
获得
huò dé
  1. 1 to obtain
  2. 2 to receive
  3. 3 to get

Idioms (20)

一不做，二不休
yī bù zuò , èr bù xiū
  1. 1 don't do it, or don't rest (idiom); either give up, or go through to the end
  2. 2 Since we started, we must carry it through whatever happens.
  3. 3 in for a penny, in for a pound
一人得道，鸡犬升天
yī rén dé dào , jī quǎn shēng tiān
  1. 1 lit. when a man achieves the Dao, his poultry and dogs rise to Heaven (idiom)
  2. 2 fig. to ride on sb else's success
  3. 3 Once one man gets a government position, all his cronies get in too
  4. 4 Once sb has cracked the problem, every Tom, Dick and Harry can do it
一问三不知
yī wèn sān bù zhī
  1. 1 lit. to reply "don't know" whatever the question (idiom)
  2. 2 fig. absolutely no idea of what's going on
  3. 3 complete ignorance
一尘不染
yī chén bù rǎn
  1. 1 untainted by even a speck of dust (idiom); selfless and incorruptible
  2. 2 spotless
一夔已足
yī kuí yǐ zú
  1. 1 one talented person is enough for the job (idiom)

Sample Sentences

我想，您当初进宫也是迫不得已吧？
wǒ xiǎng ，nín dāngchū jìn gōng yě shì pòbùdéyǐ ba ？
I imagine the original decision to enter you into the palace wasn't your's to make, am I right?
Go to Lesson 
他恐怕是不得已吧。陈瑶，你的丈夫对你忠诚吗？
tā kǒngpà shì bùdéyǐ ba 。Chén Yáo ，nǐ de zhàngfu duì nǐ zhōngchéng ma ？
I'm afraid he had no choice. Chen Yao, was your husband faithful to you?
Go to Lesson 
话也不能这么说。我看过好多研究统计，都说死刑与犯罪的升降并不具有必然的关系。好多人犯罪是迫不得已，再说碰到冤案怎么办？白白死一个无辜的人？
huà yě bùnéng zhème shuō 。wǒ kàn guo hǎo duō yánjiū tǒngjì ，dōu shuō sǐxíng yǔ fànzuì de shēngjiàng bìngbù jùyǒu bìrán de guānxi 。hǎo duō rén fànzuì shì pòbùdéyǐ ，zàishuō pèngdào yuān'àn zěnme bàn ？báibái sǐ yī ge wúgū de rén ？
You can't say that. I've seen a lot of research statistics, and they all say that the death penalty isn't necessarily related to the crime rate. A lot of people commit crimes because they are compelled to. Furthermore, what about when you run into a mistaken conviction? Kill an innocent person for nothing?
Go to Lesson