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力有未逮

Mandarin · pinyin lì yǒu wèi dài

beyond one's reach or power (to do sth)

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Characters in this entry

力: lì · power, capability, influence; Kangxi radical 19
有: yǒu · have, own, possess; exist
未: wèi · not yet; eighth earthly branch
逮: dǎi · seize, catch; reach, arrive

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–3–4–4 · li4 you3 wei4 dai4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

lik6 jau5 mei6 dai6

Cantonese word readings for 力有未逮. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to lack the ability

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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