力不从心

力不從心
lìbù-cóngxīn
idiom HSK 7-9 #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

HSK 2
Wǒ xiǎng bāng nǐ, dàn shízài shì lìbù-cóngxīn.
I want to help you, but I really don't have the ability.
HSK 3
Niánjì dà le, gàn zhònghuó yuèláiyuè lìbù-cóngxīn.
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 心有余而力不足 (xīn yǒu yú ér lì bùzú), a longer expression with the same meaning.

Stroke Order

cóng
xīn