力不从心

力不從心
lìbùcóngxīn
idiom HSK 7 #23,051

Meanings

  1. 1 willing but unable
  2. 2 the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
  3. 3 beyond one's ability

Examples

Wǒ xiǎng bāng nǐ, dàn shízài shì lìbùcóngxīn.
I want to help you, but I really don't have the ability.
Niánjì dà le, gàn zhònghuó yuè lái yuè lìbùcóngxīn.
Getting older, doing heavy work is increasingly beyond my ability.

Tips

memory
Literally: "strength-not-follow-heart" — your strength cannot follow where your heart wants to go.
usage
Used as a humble way to express inability despite willingness. Compare with 不足 (xīn yǒu yú ér lì bùzú), a longer expression with the same meaning.

Stroke Order

cóng
xīn