无能为力

無能為力

wúnéng-wéilì

idiom HSK 7-9 #3,651

Meanings

1 powerless to do anything; helpless
2 unable to help

Characters

strength; effort

Literally 'unable to exert any effort' - not because of laziness, but because the situation is beyond one's power.

Examples

HSK 2

对不起，这件事我无能为力。

Duìbuqǐ, zhè jiàn shì wǒ wúnéng-wéilì.

I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do about this.

HSK 5

面对自然灾害，人类有时候无能为力。

Miànduì zìrán zāihài, rénlèi yǒushíhou wúnéng-wéilì.

In the face of natural disasters, humans are sometimes powerless.

Tips

usage

Unlike 无能 (incompetent, a character flaw), 无能为力 expresses helplessness without blame - the situation is simply beyond anyone's control. It's a sympathetic way to say 'my hands are tied.'

Stroke Order

无 wú

能 néng

为 wéi

力 lì