不禁

• 拼音: bù jīn
• 汉字拆解: 不 = negation; 禁 = 林 (forest) + 示, to restrain/forbid

含义

Cannot help but; involuntarily; can't refrain from. Indicates an irresistible urge or reaction.

An adverb expressing that one cannot control a certain reaction, usually emotional. Often followed by verbs describing emotional responses like 笑 (laugh), 哭 (cry), 感叹 (sigh), 想起 (recall). Common in written Chinese and more literary speech.

例句

1. 看到这个搞笑视频，我不禁笑出声来。
2. 回忆起往事，她不禁流下了眼泪。
3. 面对如此美景，游客们不禁发出赞叹。

用法指南

语境: emotional, literary, narrative

语气: emotional

正确说法

• 听到这个消息，他不禁松了一口气。(Hearing this news, he couldn't help but feel relieved.)
• 看到孩子们天真的笑脸，我不禁想起了自己的童年。(Seeing the children's innocent smiles, I couldn't help but recall my own childhood.)

错误说法

• 不要把'不禁'(bùjīn)和'不仅'(bùjǐn)混淆 (Don't confuse 不禁 bùjīn 'can't help but' with 不仅 bùjǐn 'not only')

起源与历史

Compound of 不 (not) + 禁 (to restrain, endure). Literally 'cannot restrain oneself from.'

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal