不得已 (bùdéyǐ) · to have no choice

不得已 (bùdéyǐ) means “to have no choice; against one's will”. It is written with 3 characters: 不 (not) + 得 (to get) + 已 (already). It is an old HSK 6 word (HSK 2.0).

How 不得已 is built

The characters

不 bù · not

What 不 is made of

一 — horizontal stroke

Origin hint: A bird flying toward the sky 一 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

得 dé · to get

What 得 is made of

彳chì — to step with the left foot
- 丨 — vertical stroke
旦dàn — dawn
- 日rì — sun; day
  - 口kǒu — mouth
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
寸cùn — inch

Origin hint: A hand 寸 grabbing a shell 旦 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

已 yǐ · already

What 已 is made of

已 is not built from smaller parts; it is written with 3 strokes.

Example sentences

我也是不得已才这么做的。Wǒ yě shì bùdéyǐ cái zhème zuò de.I had no choice but to do this.

不到不得已的时候，别找他帮忙。Búdào bùdéyǐ de shíhou, bié zhǎo tā bāngmáng.Don't ask him for help unless you have to.

Questions about 不得已

What does 不得已 mean?

不得已 (bùdéyǐ) means “to have no choice; against one's will”.

How do you pronounce 不得已?

不得已 is pronounced bùdéyǐ.

Which HSK level is 不得已?

不得已 is in Old HSK 6.

Related words

Learn 不得已 with its group

It is part of Old HSK 6 · Group 16: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.

Open the group