奈何

nàihé

phrase #23,341

Meanings

1 what can be done?
2 how to deal with?
3 to no avail
4 helpless against

Characters

to bear / how / what to do

how? / what? / why?

Examples

无可奈何，只好接受现实。

Wúkě nàihé, zhǐhǎo jiēshòu xiànshí.

With no recourse, one can only accept reality.

你奈何不了他，他太强大了。

Nǐ nàihé bùliǎo tā, tā tài qiángdà le.

You can do nothing against him — he is too powerful.

Tips

grammar

奈何 is classical and often appears in fixed phrases: 无可奈何 (helpless), 奈何不了 (can do nothing about), 莫可奈何 (nothing can be done). In modern speech, 没办法 is the everyday equivalent.

Stroke Order

奈 nài

何 hé