Word: 不能 (bùnéng)

我不能想象他会做这种事。

Wǒ bùnéng xiǎngxiàng tā huì zuò zhèzhǒng shì.

It is inconceivable to me that he would do such a thing.

我不能抓到他演讲的重点。

Wǒ bùnéng zhuā dào tā yǎnjiǎng de zhòngdiǎn.

I couldn't get the point of his speech.

我不能接受你的礼物。

Wǒ bùnéng jiēshòu nǐ de lǐwù.

I cannot accept your gift.

我不能接受这个计划。

Wǒ bùnéng jiēshòu zhège jìhuà.

I cannot accept this plan.

我不能掩饰我的心情。

Wǒ bùnéng yǎnshì wǒ de xīnqíng.

I can't hide my feelings.

我不能收这份礼。

Wǒ bùnéng shōu zhè fèn lǐ.

I cannot accept this gift.

我不能放弃我的梦想。

Wǒ bùnéng fàngqì wǒ de mèngxiǎng.

I can't give up on my dreams.

我不能每天去看望你。

Wǒ bùnéng měitiān qù kànwàng nǐ.

I can't visit you every day.

我不能永远地等。

Wǒ bùnéng yǒngyuǎn de děng.

I can't wait forever.

我不能流利的用英文表达。

Wǒ bùnéng liúlì de yòng Yīngwén biǎodá.

I can't speak English fluently.

我不能相信。

Wǒ bùnéng xiāngxìn.

I can't believe it.

我不能相信他做到了。

Wǒ bùnéng xiāngxìn tā zuòdàole.

I can't believe he did that.

我不能相信你爱我。

Wǒ bùnéng xiāngxìn nǐ ài wǒ.

I can't believe that you love me.

我不能破例。

Wǒ bùnéng pòlì.

I can't make an exception.

我不能离开家，即使是一会儿。

Wǒ bùnéng líkāi jiā, jíshǐ shì yíhuìr.

I can't leave home, even if only for a while.

我不能离开，还太早了。

Wǒ bùnéng líkāi, hái tài zǎole.

I cannot leave. It's too early.

我不能等你。

Wǒ bùnéng děng nǐ.

I can't wait for you.

我不能给你看这个。

Wǒ bùnéng gěi nǐ kàn zhège.

I can't show you this.

我不能肯定。

Wǒ bùnéng kěndìng.

I can't be positive.

我不能让他们抓到我。

Wǒ bùnéng ràng tāmen zhuā dào wǒ.

I cannot let them catch me.

我不能让他当我的老师。

Wǒ bùnéng ràng tā dāng wǒ de lǎoshī.

I can't have him as my teacher.

我不能让你去波士顿。

Wǒ bùnéng ràng nǐ qù Bōshìdùn.

I can't let you go to Boston.

我不能让你和他出去。

Wǒ bùnéng ràng nǐ hé tā chūqù.

I cannot approve of your going out with him.

我不能让你进来这里。

Wǒ bùnéng ràng nǐ jìnlái zhèlǐ.

I can't let you in here.

我不能让自己做这样的事。

Wǒ bùnéng ràng zìjǐ zuò zhèyàng de shì.

I cannot bring myself to do such a thing.

我不能让那事发生。

Wǒ bùnéng ràng nà shì fāshēng.

I can make that happen.

我不能跳舞。

Wǒ bùnéng tiàowǔ.

I can't dance.

我不能适应这里的气候。

Wǒ bùnéng shìyìng zhèlǐ de qìhòu.

I can't adjust myself to the climate here.

我不能预言会发生什么。

Wǒ bùnéng yùyán huì fāshēng shénme.

I can't predict what'll happen.

我不能马上跟他们说话。

Wǒ bùnéng mǎshàng gēn tāmen shuōhuà.

I can't talk to them right now.

我临时有事，不能去你家了。

Wǒ línshí yǒushì, bùnéng qù nǐ jiā le.

Something came up at the last moment, so I can't come to your place.

我们不能一直把它当秘密守着。

Wǒmen bùnéng yìzhí bǎ tā dāng mìmì shǒuzhe.

We can't keep this a secret forever.

我们不能光坐着。

Wǒmen bùnéng guāng zuòzhe.

We can't sit idly by.

我们不能分辨那对双胞胎。

Wǒmen bùnéng fēnbiàn nà duì shuāngbāotāi.

We could not tell the twins one from the other.

我们不能在这里待很长时间。

Wǒmen bùnéng zài zhèlǐ dài hěn cháng shíjiān.

We can't stay in here very long.

我们不能在这里谈。

Wǒmen bùnéng zài zhèlǐ tán.

We can't talk here.

我们不能强迫人去做。

Wǒmen bùnéng qiǎngpò rén qù zuò.

We can't force people to do that.

我们不能放弃。

Wǒmen bùnéng fàngqì.

We can't give up.

我们不能放弃他。

Wǒmen bùnéng fàngqì tā.

We can't just give up on him.

我们不能让他们那么做。

Wǒmen bùnéng ràng tāmen nàme zuò.

We can't let them do that.

我们不能让你做。

Wǒmen bùnéng ràng nǐ zuò.

We can't let you do that.

我们不能让对方钻空子。

Wǒmen bùnéng ràng duìfāng zuānkòngzi.

We can't leave the counterparty any loopholes.

我们不能违背我们的承诺。

Wǒmen bùnéng wéibèi wǒmen de chéngnuò.

We must not break our promise.

我们为什么不能做？

Wǒmen wèishénme bùnéng zuò?

Why can't we do it?

我们什么都不能承诺。

Wǒmen shénme dōu bùnéng chéngnuò.

We can't promise anything.

我们再也不能一起回到从前了。

Wǒmen zàiyě bùnéng yìqǐ huídào cóngqián le.

We will never be able to return to the way things were in the past.

我们就不能只做朋友吗？

Wǒmen jiù bùnéng zhǐ zuò péngyou ma?

Can't we just be friends?

我们没有电力和水就不能生活。

Wǒmen méiyǒu diànlì hé shuǐ jiù bùnéng shēnghuó.

There is no life without electricity and water.

我做得好到不能再好了。

Wǒ zuò de hǎo dào bùnéng zài hǎole.

I can't do any better.

我再也不能工作了。

Wǒ zàiyě bùnéng gōngzuòle.

I can't work any more.

我几乎不能工作了。

Wǒ jīhū bùnéng gōngzuòle.

I was barely able to work.

我几乎不能走路。

Wǒ jīhū bùnéng zǒulù.

I can hardly walk.

我太忙了不能去。

Wǒ tài mángle bùnéng qù.

I am too busy to go.

我就是不能说不。

Wǒ jiùshì bùnéng shuō bù.

I just couldn't say no.

我应该不能再见到他了。

Wǒ yīnggāi bùnéng zài jiàndào tā le.

There is little chance of my meeting him again.

我很忙，所以我不能去了。

Wǒ hěn máng, suǒyǐ wǒ bùnéng qùle.

As I am busy, I cannot go.

我很抱歉今天不能过来。

Wǒ hěn bàoqiàn jīntiān bùnéng guòlái.

I'm sorry that I cannot come over today.

我很遗憾我不能和她一起去。

Wǒ hěn yíhàn wǒ bùnéng hé tā yìqǐ qù.

I regret that I couldn't go with her.

我恐怕不能帮你了。

Wǒ kǒngpà bùnéng bāng nǐ le.

I am afraid I can't help you.

我想，但我不能。

Wǒ xiǎng, dàn wǒ bùnéng.

I want to, but I can't.

我既不能确认也不能否定。

Wǒ jì bùnéng quèrèn yě bùnéng fǒudìng.

I can neither confirm nor deny that.

我爸爸有慢性胃病，不能吃太辣。

Wǒ bàba yǒu mànxìng wèibìng, bùnéng chī tài là.

My dad has a chronic stomach illness and can't eat very spicy food.

我现在不能告诉你。

Wǒ xiànzài bùnéng gàosu nǐ.

I can't tell you now.

我现在不能回答你。

Wǒ xiànzài bùnéng huídá nǐ.

I can't answer you now.

我现在不能解释。

Wǒ xiànzài bùnéng jiěshì.

I can't explain it now.

我的旧手机现在几乎不能用了。

Wǒ de jiù shǒujī xiànzài jīhū bùnéng yòng le.

My old cell phone is barely working now.

我看看明天能不能吧。

Wǒ kànkan míngtiān néng bùnéng ba.

Let's see if I can tomorrow.

我真是不能相信。

Wǒ zhēnshi bùnéng xiāngxìn.

I just can't believe it.

我知道原因，但我不能告诉你。

Wǒ zhīdào yuányīn, dàn wǒ bùnéng gàosu nǐ.

I know the reason, but I can't tell you.

我累得不能再累了。

Wǒ lèi de bùnéng zài lèile.

I'm as tired as tired can be.

我能不能看一下你的报纸？

Wǒ néng bùnéng kàn yíxià nǐ de bàozhǐ?

Can I have a look at your newspaper?

我能看德语，但是不能说。

Wǒ néng kàn Déyǔ, dànshì bùnéng shuō.

I can read German, but I can't speak it.

我腰疼，不能打网球。

Wǒ yāo téng, bùnéng dǎ wǎngqiú.

My back hurts; I can't play tennis.

我觉得他不能帮你。

Wǒ juéde tā bùnéng bāng nǐ.

I don't think he can help you.

我认为我们不能再等了。

Wǒ rènwéi wǒmen bùnéng zài děng le.

I don't think we can wait any longer.

我迷路了，能不能请您帮我一下？

Wǒ mílù le, néng bùnéng qǐng nín bāng wǒ yíxià?

I am lost. Can you help me, please?

我除了听从他之外什么也不能做。

Wǒ chúle tīngcóng tā zhīwài shénme yě bùnéng zuò.

I can't do anything but obey him.

找工作不能守株待兔。

Zhǎo gōngzuò bùnéng shǒuzhūdàitù.

You can't just sit around waiting for a job to come to you.

护照过期了就不能出境。

Hùzhào guòqī le jiù bùnéng chūjìng.

You can't leave the country once your passport has expired.

报告里不能有一点差错。

Bàogào lǐ bùnéng yǒu yìdiǎn chācuò.

There can't be a single error in the report.

按照小区的条例，晚上不能装修。

Ànzhào xiǎoqū de tiáolì, wǎnshang bùnéng zhuāngxiū.

According to the community's rules, renovation isn't allowed at night.

排队要讲先后，不能插队。

Páiduì yào jiǎng xiānhòu, bùnéng chāduì.

In a queue you go by order of arrival, so no cutting in.

文件已锁定，你不能修改。

Wénjiàn yǐ suǒdìng, nǐ bùnéng xiūgǎi.

The file is locked, so you can't edit it.

时间不够，你能不能变通一下？

Shíjiān búgòu, nǐ néng bùnéng biàntōng yíxià?

There isn't enough time, so could you make an adjustment?

春天湖里不能捕捞，要让鱼长大。

Chūntiān húlǐ bùnéng bǔlāo, yào ràng yú zhǎngdà.

You can't fish in the lake in spring, so the fish can grow.

是你不能还是你不想？

Shì nǐ bùnéng háishi nǐ bùxiǎng?

Is it that you can't or that you don't want to?

暴风骤雨中，船不能出海了。

Bàofēngzhòuyǔ zhōng, chuán bùnéng chūhǎile.

In the violent storm, the boats couldn't go out to sea.

有些事情不能忘。

Yǒuxiē shìqing bùnéng wàng.

Some things shouldn't be forgotten.

有什么是你不能证明确相信的呢？

Yǒu shénme shì nǐ bùnéng zhèngmíng què xiāngxìn de ne?

What do you believe is true even though you cannot prove it?

有你不能做的事吗？

Yǒu nǐ bùnéng zuò de shì ma?

Is there anything you can't do?

有的地方不能理解。

Yǒu de dìfang bùnéng lǐjiě.

Some parts are hard to understand.

有钱也不能这样挥霍啊。

Yǒuqián yě bùnéng zhèyàng huīhuò a.

Even if you have money, you can't squander it like this.

服用这种药以后，你不能开车。

Fúyòng zhèzhǒng yào yǐhòu, nǐ bùnéng kāichē.

After taking this medicine, you can't drive.

未成年人不能买烟和酒。

Wèichéngniánrén bùnéng mǎi yān hé jiǔ.

Minors can't buy cigarettes or alcohol.

未满十八周岁不能开车。

Wèi mǎn shíbā zhōusuì bùnéng kāichē.

You can't drive if you are under eighteen.

林场附近不能随便生火。

Línchǎng fùjìn bùnéng suíbiàn shēnghuǒ.

You can't light fires carelessly near the forest management area.

正当防卫也不能超过限度。

Zhèngdàngfángwèi yě bùnéng chāoguòxiàndù.

Even legitimate defense cannot go beyond certain limits.

武艺不能俱全

wǔyì bùnéng jùquán

martial skills can't all be mastered

每周工时不能超过四十小时。

Měizhōu gōngshí bùnéng chāoguò sìshí xiǎoshí.

Weekly working hours can't exceed forty.

毛羽不成，不能高飞

máoyǔ bùchéng, bùnéng gāo fēi

until the feathers are grown, you can't fly high