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情不自禁

qíngbù-zìjīn
idiom HSK 7-9 #9,375

Meanings

  1. 1 unable to contain oneself
  2. 2 can't help but
  3. 3 involuntarily

Characters

情
qíng
emotion; feeling
不
bù
not
自
zì
self
禁
jīn
restrain; hold back
Literally 'emotion cannot self-restrain' — feelings one cannot hold back

Examples

听到这首歌，她情不自禁地流下了眼泪。
Tīngdào zhè shǒu gē, tā qíngbùzìjīn de liúxià le yǎnlèi.
Hearing this song, she couldn't help but shed tears.
看到那美丽的风景，我们情不自禁地停下了脚步。
Kàndào nà měilì de fēngjǐng, wǒmen qíngbùzìjīn de tíngxià le jiǎobù.
Seeing that beautiful scenery, we couldn't help but stop in our tracks.

Tips

mistakes
The 禁 here is pronounced jīn (1st tone), not jìn (4th tone). This is one of the most commonly mispronounced characters in this idiom.
usage
Often followed by 地 (de) + verb. Used for emotional or physical reactions that happen involuntarily.

Stroke Order

情 qíng
不 bù
自 zì
禁 jìn