DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT
欲罷不能
简 欲罢不能 · 繁 欲罷不能Mandarin · pinyin yù bà bù néng
Meanings
- want to stop but can't (idiom)
- to be unable to stop oneself
- to feel an urge to continue
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Mandarin tones
4–4–4–2 · yu4 ba4 bu4 neng2
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
Connected dictionary
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Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
juk6 baa6 bat1 nang4
Cantonese word readings for 欲罷不能. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
juk6 baa6 bat1 nang4
Pleco · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Word reading; meanings not aligned.
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
phrase
- (idiomatic) to be unable to stop doing something despite wanting to
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack