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沒奈何

简没奈何 · 繁沒奈何

Mandarin · pinyin mò nài hé

to have no alternative; to be helpless

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Characters in this entry

沒: méi · not, have not, none; to drown, sink
奈: nài · but, how; bear, stand, endure
何: hé · what, why, where, which, how
没: méi · not, have not, none; drown, sink

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

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Mandarin tones

4–4–2 · mo4 nai4 he2

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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.

沒奈何 · find source passages ↗ · 没奈何 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 3 senses

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

verb

to have no way out; to have no alternative

noun

(historical) extra-large silver ingot (i.e. impossible to make use)
(historical) a kind of weapon used in fire attacks (i.e. impossible for the enemy to defend)

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

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