How to Say ‘Cannot’ in Simplified Chinese
不能
bù néng
[boo-nung]
💬 Usage Tip: [不能] is stronger than just not doing something: it means "cannot" or "be unable to." Compare [不来] "not coming" with [不能来] "can't make it."
Phrase Breakdown
不能
bù néng
[boo-nung]
cannot; be unable to
Used to say someone is not able to do something.
今天我不能按时来吃饭。
Today I can’t come eat on time.
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