巴不得 (bābude) · to be eager to

巴不得 (bābude) means “to be eager to; can't wait to”. It is written with 3 characters: 巴 (to desire) + 不 (not) + 得 (to get). It is an old HSK 6 word (HSK 2.0).

How 巴不得 is built

The characters

巴 bā · to desire

What 巴 is made of

巳sì — the hours from 9 to 11
- 乚 — hook stroke

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)

Example sentences

我巴不得马上放假。Wǒ bābude mǎshàng fàngjià.I can't wait for the holidays to start.

孩子们巴不得天天过年。Háizimen bābude tiāntiān guònián.The kids wish every day were New Year.

Questions about 巴不得

What does 巴不得 mean?

巴不得 (bābude) means “to be eager to; can't wait to”.

How do you pronounce 巴不得?

巴不得 is pronounced bābude.

Which HSK level is 巴不得?

巴不得 is in Old HSK 6.

Related words

Learn 巴不得 with its group

It is part of Old HSK 6 · Group 2: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.

Open the group