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行不通

xíngbùtōng
phrase #5,730

Meanings

  1. 1 won't work
  2. 2 not feasible
  3. 3 impracticable

Characters

行
xíng
to go; to work; to be OK
不
bù
not
通
tōng
through; to pass
Literally 'cannot go through' — an approach or plan that cannot succeed.

Examples

这个方法行不通。
Zhège fāngfǎ xíngbùtōng.
This method won't work.
在中国，这种做法是行不通的。
Zài Zhōngguó, zhè zhǒng zuòfǎ shì xíngbùtōng de.
In China, this approach is not feasible.

Tips

grammar
行不通 follows the potential complement pattern: verb + 不 + result. The positive form is 行得通 (xíngdetōng, 'feasible').
usage
Often used to reject a plan or idea: 这样行不通 (This won't work like that).

Stroke Order

行 xíng
不 bù
通 tōng