无奈

無奈

wúnài

adjective HSK 5 #15,152

Meanings

Without a 'what to do' - helpless, with no alternative.

HSK 3

虽然不想去，但无奈没有别的选择。

Suīrán bù xiǎng qù, dàn wúnài méiyǒu biéde xuǎnzé.

Although I didn't want to go, unfortunately there was no other choice.

HSK 4

面对这种情况，我们很无奈。

Miànduì zhèzhǒng qíngkuàng, wǒmen hěn wúnài.

Facing this situation, we feel helpless.

HSK 5

他无奈地摇了摇头。

Tā wúnài de yáo le yáotóu.

He shook his head helplessly.

usage

无奈 expresses resigned helplessness - you don't like the situation but can't change it. 实属无奈 = truly helpless/no choice at all.

usage

Similar: 无可奈何 is the full four-character idiom meaning 'having no way out; utterly helpless.'

As a conjunction meaning 'but unfortunately / however', 无奈 carries a formal, literary tone.

无 wú

奈 nài