HSK 4 grammar · new HSK syllabus
Double negatives: 不得不, 非…不可
Two negatives make a strong positive: 不得不 = have no choice but to.
Structure
- 不得不 + verb
- 没有 + noun + 不 + verb
- 不能不 + verb
How it works
不得不 means “have no choice but to”: 下大雨了，我们不得不取消比赛.
没有…不… means “there is no one / nothing that doesn’t”, i.e. everyone or everything: 没有人不喜欢他.
不能不 means “must, can’t avoid”: 这件事我不能不管.
Examples
-
下大雨了，比赛不得不推迟。
Xià dà yǔ le, bǐsài bùdébù tuīchí.
It’s pouring, so the match has to be postponed.
-
我们班没有人不喜欢王老师。
Wǒmen bān méiyǒu rén bù xǐhuan Wáng lǎoshī.
Everyone in our class likes Teacher Wang.
-
这件事很重要，我不能不告诉你。
Zhè jiàn shì hěn zhòngyào, wǒ bù néng bú gàosu nǐ.
This is important; I have to tell you.
-
钱不够，他不得不放弃了这个计划。
Qián búgòu, tā bùdébù fàngqì le zhège jìhuà.
Without enough money, he had to give up the plan.
-
这个地方没有人不知道。
Zhège dìfang méiyǒu rén bù zhīdào.
Everyone knows this place.
Words in these examples (31)
| 下 | xià | down; below; to go down; to get off; next | HSK 1 |
| 大 | dà | big; large; old (age) | HSK 1 |
| 雨 | yǔ | rain | HSK 1 |
| 了 | le | (particle marking a completed action or a change) | HSK 1 |
| 比赛 | bǐsài | match; competition | HSK 3 |
| 不得不 | bùdébù | to have no choice but to | HSK 4 |
| 推迟 | tuīchí | to postpone | HSK 4 |
| 我们 | wǒmen | we; us | HSK 1 |
| 班 | bān | class (group of students); shift | HSK 2 |
| 没有 | méiyǒu | not have; there isn't; did not | HSK 1 |
| 人 | rén | person; people | HSK 1 |
| 不 | bù | not; no | HSK 1 |
| 喜欢 | xǐhuan | to like | HSK 1 |
| 老师 | lǎoshī | teacher | HSK 1 |
| 这 | zhè | this | HSK 1 |
| 件 | jiàn | (measure word for clothes, matters, items) | HSK 1 |
| 事 | shì | matter; thing (to do) | HSK 1 |
| 很 | hěn | very | HSK 1 |
| 重要 | zhòngyào | important | HSK 3 |
| 我 | wǒ | I; me | HSK 1 |
| 能 | néng | can; to be able to | HSK 1 |
| 告诉 | gàosu | to tell | HSK 2 |
| 你 | nǐ | you | HSK 1 |
| 钱 | qián | money | HSK 1 |
| 不够 | búgòu | not enough | HSK 4 |
| 他 | tā | he; him | HSK 1 |
| 放弃 | fàngqì | to give up | HSK 4 |
| 这个 | zhège | this one | HSK 1 |
| 计划 | jìhuà | plan; to plan | HSK 4 |
| 地方 | dìfang | place | HSK 3 |
| 知道 | zhīdào | to know (a fact) | HSK 1 |
Common mistakes
-
✗我得不得去。
✓我不得不去。
The fixed form is 不得不.
-
✗没有人喜欢他。（meaning everyone likes him）
✓没有人不喜欢他。
You need both negatives for “everyone”.
Check yourself
Choose the word that fills the gap.
1. 车坏了，我 走路去上班。
2. 没有人 知道这件事。
3. 这个会很重要，我 参加。