How to Say ‘Cannot; must not’ in Simplified Chinese
不能
bù néng
[boo nung]
💬 Usage Tip: [不能] can mean either [cannot] or [must not], depending on context: [不能吃] may be about ability or about advice/rules. In health talk it often sounds stronger than [别].
Phrase Breakdown
不能
bù néng
[boo nung]
cannot; must not
Used to say something is not allowed, not possible, or not advisable.
空腹的时候不能吃太甜。
When fasting, you must not eat things that are too sweet.
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