HSK 5 grammar · new HSK syllabus
舍不得, 来不及, 用不着: fixed potential forms
舍不得 = can’t bear to; 来不及 = too late to; 用不着 = no need; 好得不得了 = extremely good.
Structure
- 舍不得 + verb / noun
- 来不及 / 来得及 + verb
- 用不着 + verb
- Adjective + 得不得了
How it works
舍不得 means you can’t bear to part with or spend something: 我舍不得离开这里.
来不及 means there isn’t enough time; 来得及 means there is: 还来得及.
用不着 means there’s no need: 用不着这么着急.
Adjective + 得不得了 means “extremely”: 高兴得不得了.
Examples
-
要离开了，我真舍不得这里的朋友。
I’m leaving and I really don’t want to leave my friends here.
-
快走吧，再不走就来不及了。
Let’s go, or it’ll be too late.
-
别着急，现在去还来得及。
Don’t worry, there’s still time if we go now.
-
这点儿小事，用不着麻烦别人。
There’s no need to trouble anyone over something this small.
-
听到这个消息，她高兴得不得了。
She was overjoyed at the news.
Words in these examples (38)
| 要 | yào | to want; will; should | HSK 1 |
| 离开 | líkāi | to leave | HSK 3 |
| 了 | le | (particle marking a completed action or a change) | HSK 1 |
| 我 | wǒ | I; me | HSK 1 |
| 真 | zhēn | really; truly | HSK 1 |
| 舍不得 | shěbude | to hate to do sth; to hate to part with; to begrudge | HSK 5 |
| 这里 | zhèlǐ | here | HSK 1 |
| 的 | de | (particle linking a describer to a noun, like "'s") | HSK 1 |
| 朋友 | péngyou | friend | HSK 1 |
| 快 | kuài | fast; quick; soon | HSK 2 |
| 走 | zǒu | to walk; to leave | HSK 2 |
| 吧 | ba | (particle for suggestions: "let's…", "…, OK?") | HSK 1 |
| 再 | zài | again | HSK 1 |
| 不 | bù | not; no | HSK 1 |
| 就 | jiù | then; just; right away; only | HSK 2 |
| 来不及 | láibují | not enough time; too late | HSK 4 |
| 别 | bié | don't | HSK 2 |
| 着急 | zháojí | worried; anxious | HSK 3 |
| 现在 | xiànzài | now | HSK 1 |
| 去 | qù | to go | HSK 1 |
| 还 | hái | still; also | HSK 1 |
| 来得及 | láidejí | there's still time | HSK 4 |
| 这 | zhè | this | HSK 1 |
| 点 | diǎn | o'clock; (measure word) a little | HSK 1 |
| 小 | xiǎo | small; little; young | HSK 1 |
| 事 | shì | matter; thing (to do) | HSK 1 |
| 用 | yòng | to use | HSK 3 |
| 着 | zhe | (particle after a verb: in a state of, as in 坐着) | HSK 2 |
| 麻烦 | máfan | troublesome; to trouble; trouble | HSK 4 |
| 别人 | biérén | other people | HSK 3 |
| 听 | tīng | to listen; to hear | HSK 1 |
| 到 | dào | to arrive; to go to | HSK 1 |
| 这个 | zhège | this one | HSK 1 |
| 消息 | xiāoxi | news; message | HSK 4 |
| 她 | tā | she; her | HSK 1 |
| 高兴 | gāoxìng | happy; glad | HSK 1 |
| 得 | de | (particle after a verb before a description of how it is done, as in 说得很好) | HSK 2 |
| 不得了 | bùdéliǎo | desperately serious; disastrous; extremely | HSK 5 |
Common mistakes
-
✗我不舍得离开。
✓我舍不得离开。
The fixed form is 舍不得.
-
✗我来不及了去。
✓我来不及去了。
Verb follows 来不及 directly.
Check yourself
Choose the word that fills the gap.
1. 这件衣服太贵了，我 买。
2. 飞机马上起飞了，现在去已经 了。
3. 他高兴得 。