Word: 不到 (bùdào)

一个槽里的两头叫驴,拴不到一起

yí gè cáo lǐ de liǎngtóu jiàolǘ,shuān búdào yìqǐ

two male donkeys at one trough: can't be tied together

三十晚上买猪肉,买的找不到卖的

sānshíwǎnshang mǎi zhūròu,mǎi de zhǎo búdào mài de

buying pork on New Year's Eve night: the buyer can't find a seller

不到河边不脱鞋

búdào hébiān bù tuōxié

don't take off your shoes until you reach the river

不到西天，不知佛大小

búdào xītiān, bùzhī fó dàxiǎo

until you reach the Western Heaven, you don't know how big the Buddha is

世上只有想不到的事，没有做不到的事

shìshàng zhǐyǒu xiǎngbúdào de shì, méiyǒu zuò búdào de shì

in the world there are only things you haven't thought of, no things that can't be done

他不幸找不到工作。

Tā búxìng zhǎo búdào gōngzuò.

He had no luck in finding work.

他们也听不到我说话。

Tāmen yě tīng búdào wǒ shuōhuà.

They can't hear me either.

他信用不好，借不到钱。

Tā xìnyòng bù hǎo, jiè búdào qián.

His credit is bad, so he can't borrow money.

他发球太快，我接不到。

Tā fāqiú tài kuài, wǒ jiē búdào.

His serve is so fast that I can't return it.

他已经离得太远听不到我们了。

Tā yǐjīng lí de tài yuǎn tīng búdào wǒmen le.

He's already too far away to hear us.

他等不到消息，心急如焚。

Tā děng búdào xiāoxi, xīnjírúfén.

He couldn't get any news and was sick with anxiety.

仪表坏了，速度看不到。

Yíbiǎo huàile, sùdù kàn búdào.

The meter is broken, so I can't see the speed.

你们可吓不到我。

Nǐmen kě xià búdào wǒ.

You guys can't scare me.

你怎么会看不到？

Nǐ zěnme huì kàn búdào?

How are you not seeing that?

你要是不帮他，他做不到的。

Nǐ yàoshi bù bāng tā, tā zuò búdào de.

If you don't help him, he won't make it.

出国不到一个月，他就生病了。

Chūguó búdào yí gè yuè, tā jiù shēngbìng le.

Within one month of going abroad, he became sick.

吃不穷，穿不穷，打算不到就受穷

chī bù qióng, chuān bù qióng, dǎsuàn búdào jiù shòuqióng

eating won't make you poor, wearing won't make you poor; without planning you'll end up poor

大海无边无际，看不到岸。

Dàhǎi wúbiānwújì, kàn búdào àn.

The sea is boundless, and no shore is in sight.

太晚了，机票都买不到了。

Tài wǎn le, jīpiào dōu mǎi búdàole.

It's too late - we won't be able to buy plane tickets now.

她在人群里看不到她的朋友了。

Tā zài rénqún lǐ kàn búdào tā de péngyou le.

She lost sight of her friend in the huge crowd.

她太矮了，看不到围墙外面。

Tā tài ǎile, kàn búdào wéiqiáng wàimiàn.

She was too short to see over the fence.

她永远也做不到保守秘密。

Tā yǒngyuǎn yě zuò búdào bǎoshǒu mìmì.

She can never keep a secret.

如果没有我，你什么也做不到。

Rúguǒ méiyǒu wǒ, nǐ shénme yě zuò búdào.

Without me, you wouldn't get anything done.

学校距我家不到一公里。

Xuéxiào jù wǒjiā búdào yì gōnglǐ.

The school is less than a kilometer from my home.

对不起，我找不到座位了。

Duìbùqǐ, wǒ zhǎo búdào zuòwèi le.

Sorry, I couldn't find my seat.

少子化让小学招不到新生。

Shǎozǐhuà ràng xiǎoxué zhāo búdào xīnshēng.

The declining birthrate means primary schools can't find enough new students.

山里手机接收不到信号。

Shān lǐ shǒujī jiēshōu búdào xìnhào.

The phone can't pick up a signal in the mountains.

崇祯殡天,盼谁谁不来,叫谁谁不到

chóngzhēn bìn tiān,pàn shuí shuí bù lái,jiào shuí shuí búdào

when Emperor Chongzhen died: those he longed for didn't come, those he called didn't arrive

工人拿不到基本工资。

Gōngrén ná búdào jīběn gōngzī.

The workers didn't get their basic wage.

干屎抹不到人身上

gān shǐ mǒ búdào rén shēnshang

dry dung can't be smeared on a person

干池塘里的泥鳅，滑不到哪里去

gàn chítáng lǐ de níqiu, huá búdào nǎlǐ qù

a loach in a dried-up pond: can't be very slippery

幸福是买不到的。

Xìngfú shì mǎi búdào de.

You cannot buy happiness.

快递迟迟不到，我有点着急。

Kuàidì chíchí búdào, wǒ yǒudiǎn zháojí.

The package is taking forever to arrive, and I'm getting anxious.

您可能找不到。

Nín kěnéng zhǎo búdào.

You might not find it.

我一直收不到短信验证码。

Wǒ yìzhí shōu búdào duǎnxìn yànzhèngmǎ.

I keep not receiving the text message verification code.

我为什么找不到你？

Wǒ wèishénme zhǎo búdào nǐ?

Why can't I find you?

我什么也听不到。

Wǒ shénme yě tīng búdào.

I've heard nothing.

我们做不到。

Wǒmen zuò búdào.

We couldn't do that.

我们看不到月亮的另一边。

Wǒmen kàn búdào yuèliang de lìng yìbiān.

We cannot see the other side of the moon.

我任何地方都找不到我的伞。

Wǒ rènhé dìfang dōu zhǎo búdào wǒ de sǎn.

I can't find my umbrella anywhere.

我几乎听不到他的声音。

Wǒ jīhū tīng búdào tā de shēngyīn.

I could hardly hear him.

我几乎听不到你。

Wǒ jīhū tīng búdào nǐ.

I can hardly hear you.

我到处找不到钥匙。

Wǒ dàochù zhǎo búdào yàoshi.

I can't find my keys anywhere.

我到处找你，但却找不到你。

Wǒ dàochù zhǎo nǐ, dàn què zhǎo búdào nǐ.

I looked for you everywhere and didn't find you.

我只能走路，因为打不到出租车。

Wǒ zhǐnéng zǒulù, yīnwèi dǎ búdào chūzūchē.

There are no taxis, so I must walk.

我听不到你。

Wǒ tīng búdào nǐ.

I can't hear you.

我听不到你！

Wǒ tīng búdào nǐ!

I can't hear you!

我听不到你在说什么。

Wǒ tīng búdào nǐ zài shuō shénme.

I can't hear what you're saying.

我听不到你的声音。

Wǒ tīng búdào nǐ de shēngyīn.

I can't hear you.

我在他的理论中找不到任何问题。

Wǒ zài tā de lǐlùn zhōng zhǎo búdào rènhé wèntí.

I can't find a single flaw in his theory.

我在哪儿都找不到她。

Wǒ zài nǎr dōu zhǎo búdào tā.

I couldn't find her anywhere.

我已经找不到回家的路。

Wǒ yǐjīng zhǎo búdào huíjiā de lù.

I already can't find the way home.

我快看不到你了。

Wǒ kuài kàn búdào nǐ le.

I can barely see you.

我感觉不到它。

Wǒ gǎnjué búdào tā.

I can't feel it.

我手机里搜不到这首歌。

Wǒ shǒujī lǐ sōu búdào zhè shǒu gē.

I can't find this song when I search on my phone.

我找不到他的家。

Wǒ zhǎo búdào tā de jiā.

I couldn't find his house.

我找不到刀。

Wǒ zhǎo búdào dāo.

I can't find the knife.

我找不到她。

Wǒ zhǎo búdào tā.

I couldn't find her.

我找不到我三件套的背心。

Wǒ zhǎo búdào wǒ sān jiàn tào de bèixīn.

I can't find the waistcoat of my three piece suit.

我找不到我的包了。

Wǒ zhǎo búdào wǒ de bāole.

I can't find my bag.

我找不到我的眼镜。

Wǒ zhǎo búdào wǒ de yǎnjìng.

I can't find my glasses.

我找不到我的票。

Wǒ zhǎo búdào wǒ de piào.

I can't find my ticket.

我找不到我的笔。

Wǒ zhǎo búdào wǒ de bǐ.

I can't find my pen.

我找不到我的袜子！

Wǒ zhǎo búdào wǒ de wàzi!

I couldn't find my socks!

我抓不到句子的确切含义。

Wǒ zhuā búdào jùzi de quèqiè hányì.

I can't get at the exact meaning of the sentence.

我曾经在中国不到一个月。

Wǒ céngjīng zài Zhōngguó búdào yí gè yuè.

I've been in China for less than a month.

我有不到五个朋友会说法语。

Wǒ yǒu búdào wǔ gè péngyou huì shuō Fǎyǔ.

I have less than five friends who can speak French.

我看不到任何东西。

Wǒ kàn búdào rènhé dōngxi.

I can't see anything.

抽屉里杂乱无章，钥匙找不到。

Chōuti lǐ záluànwúzhāng, yàoshi zhǎo búdào.

The drawer is such a mess that I can't find the key.

捧着猪头打转，拜不到庙门

pěngzhe zhūtóu dǎzhuàn, bài búdào miào mén

carrying a pig's head in circles, never reaching the temple door

有粉搽不到脸上，装人也不会装

yǒu fěn chá búdào liǎnshàng, zhuāng rén yě búhuì zhuāng

has powder but can't put it on the face: can't even pretend to be a person

树大阴凉小，照映不到

shù dà yīnliáng xiǎo, zhàoyìng búdào

a big tree, a small patch of shade: its shade can't cover everything

没有了我的眼镜我几乎看不到。

Méiyǒule wǒ de yǎnjìng wǒ jīhū kàn búdào.

I can hardly see without my glasses.

没有她的帮助我做不到。

Méiyǒu tā de bāngzhù wǒ zuò búdào.

I can't do without her help.

河很宽，我游不到那一岸。

Hé hěn kuān, wǒ yóu búdào nà yí àn.

The river is wide, and I can't swim to the other bank.

火候不到不揭锅

huǒhou búdào bù jiēguō

if the heat isn't right, don't lift the lid

灶膛里煨白薯，不到熟透不外掏

zàotáng li wēi báishǔ, búdào shútòu bú wài tāo

roasting sweet potatoes in the stove ashes: you don't take them out until fully cooked

爱情让他盲目到看不到她的错。

Àiqíng ràng tā mángmù dào kàn búdào tā de cuò.

Love blinded him to her faults.

猛张飞钓不到大鱼

měng Zhāng Fēi diào búdào dà yú

fierce Zhang Fei can't catch big fish

癞蛤蟆垫床脚,高不到哪里去

làiháma diàn chuáng jiǎo,gāo búdào nǎlǐ qù

A toad propping up a bed leg: it won't raise it very high

看不到任何一棵树。

Kàn búdào rènhé yì kē shù.

There was not a tree in sight.

瞎子烧香,摸不到庙门

xiāzi shāoxiāng,mō búdào miào mén

a blind man going to burn incense: can't find the temple gate

窗外多云，看不到月亮。

Chuāng wài duōyún, kàn búdào yuèliang.

It's cloudy outside, so you can't see the moon.

算计不到一世穷

suànji búdào yíshì qióng

if you don't calculate, you are poor all your life

箭掉在草地上，找不到了。

Jiàn diào zài cǎodì shàng, zhǎo búdàole.

The arrow fell onto the grass and can't be found.

网站改版后，我找不到东西。

Wǎngzhàn gǎibǎn hòu, wǒ zhǎo búdào dōngxi.

Since the website was redesigned, I can't find anything.

老虎吃天,摸不到边

lǎohǔ chī tiān,mō búdào biān

A tiger trying to eat the sky: can't find an edge

臣妾做不到啊！

Chénqiè zuò búdào a!

Your humble concubine just cannot do it!

节令不到，不知冷暖；人不相处，不知厚薄

jiélìng búdào, bùzhī lěngnuǎn; rén bù xiāngchǔ, bùzhī hòubó

until the season arrives you don't know cold or warm; until people spend time together you don't know how warm or cool they are

草原辽阔，一眼望不到边。

Cǎoyuán liáokuò, yìyǎn wàng búdào biān.

The grassland is vast, stretching beyond what the eye can see.

药品要放在孩子拿不到的地方。

Yàopǐn yào fàng zài háizi ná búdào de dìfang.

Medicines should be kept where children can't reach them.

药最好存放在孩子拿不到的地方。

Yào zuìhǎo cúnfàng zài háizi ná búdào de dìfang.

Medicine is best stored where children can't reach it.

蜜糖抹在鼻尖儿上，嘴馋舔不到

mìtáng mǒ zài bí jiānr shàng, zuǐchán tiǎn búdào

honey smeared on the tip of the nose: greedy mouth can't lick it

豆腐渣贴门联，粘不到一起

dòufuzhā tiē ménlián, zhān búdào yìqǐ

pasting door couplets with bean curd dregs: they won't stick together

这个字字典里查不到。

Zhège zì zìdiǎn lǐ chá búdào.

This word can't be found in the dictionary.

这个旧政权维持了不到十年。

Zhège jiù zhèngquán wéichíle búdào shínián.

This old regime lasted less than ten years.

这个词字典里面怎么查不到？

Zhège cí zìdiǎn lǐmiàn zěnme chá búdào?

Why can't I find it in this dictionary?

这里真的很暗，我什么都看不到。

Zhèlǐ zhēnde hěn àn, wǒ shénme dōu kàn búdào.

It's really dark here. I can't see anything.

这间房照不到很多阳光。

Zhè jiān fáng zhào búdào hěn duō yángguāng.

This room does not get much sun.

这顿饭人均不到一百块钱。

Zhè dùnfàn rénjūn búdào yìbǎi kuài qián.

This meal cost less than a hundred yuan per person.