Definition
不得已 (bù dé yǐ) is a formal adjective meaning 'having no alternative' — it describes a situation where one is forced by circumstances. Unlike the adverbs 不得不 or 只好, which directly precede the verb in everyday speech, 不得已 is more literary and often used as a modifier (不得已的措施) or predicatively (这样做是不得已的). It also appears in the set phrase 不得已而为之.
adjective
to have no alternativeto be compelled by circumstancesto have no choice but to
Examples
- 不得已。Tā zhèyàng zuò yě shì bù dé yǐ de.He had no choice but to do this.
- 不得已，。bù dé yǐ, tā zhǐhǎo jiēshòu le zhège tiáojiàn.Having no alternative, he had to accept this condition.
- 不得已，。Zài bù dé yǐ de qíngkuàng xià, wǒmen zhǐ néng fàngqì.In a situation where we had no choice, we could only give up.
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