不了 (bùliǎo) — unable to; cannot (after a verb) in Mandarin
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#827 most common word
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
不了 is pronounced bùliǎo. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Wǒ chī buliǎo zhème duō.
I can't eat this much.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 不了 mean?+
不了 (bùliǎo) means "unable to; cannot (after a verb)" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 不了?+
不了 is pronounced bùliǎo. It uses the tone 4 (falling), then the tone 3 (rising/dipping). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 不了 in Mandarin?+
不了 is the #827 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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