bất lực
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Powerless, helpless: Lacking the strength, ability, or power to act, change a situation, or achieve a desired outcome. It describes a state of being unable to do anything effective.
- Impotent: Often used in formal or medical contexts to describe a lack of power or efficacy, or specifically, male sexual impotence.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Anh ấy cảm thấy hoàn toàn bất lực khi không thể giúp đỡ người thân. (He felt completely helpless when he couldn't help his relative.)
- Chính quyền tỏ ra bất lực trong việc kiểm soát lạm phát. (The government appeared powerless in controlling inflation.)
- Con người không bao giờ chịu bất lực trước thiên nhiên. (Man will never resign himself to remaining powerless in the face of nature.)
Advanced Usage
- "bất lực trước...": helpless/powerless in the face of...; impotent against...
- Bất lực trước số phận. (Helpless in the face of fate.)
- Used in formal or literary contexts to emphasize a profound lack of agency.
- Một nỗi buồn bất lực. (A feeling of impotent sorrow.)
Variants and Related Words
- Sự bất lực (n): Powerlessness, helplessness, impotence.
- Cảm giác sự bất lực thật đáng sợ. (The feeling of helplessness is truly frightening.)
- Bất tài (adj): Incompetent, incapable (focuses on lack of skill/ability rather than general powerlessness).
Synonyms
- Vô phương: Having no way/method (to do something).
- Bó tay: Literally "to tie one's hands"; to be unable to do anything, to give up.
- Bất khả kháng: Irresistible, compelling (often used in legal contexts like - force majeure); when describing a state, it implies something is beyond one's power to resist or change.
Related Phrases/Idioms
- Bất lực vô phương: Completely helpless and without recourse.
- Các bác sĩ đã bất lực vô phương trước căn bệnh hiểm nghèo. (The doctors were completely helpless against the severe illness.)
- Đành bất lực: To have no choice but to accept one's powerlessness.
- Chứng kiến tai nạn mà đành bất lực. (To witness an accident and be forced to accept one's helplessness.)
adj
- Powerless, helpless, impotent
- con người không bao giờ chịu bất lực trước thiên nhiênman will never resign himself to remaining powerless in face of nature