Definition
不忍 is an auxiliary verb expressing emotional or moral reluctance — you use it when you cannot bring yourself to do something because it would cause pain or suffering, out of pity or compassion. It appears before a verb and is common in formal or literary Chinese. Unlike 不能 (physical inability), 不忍 is about emotional unwillingness.
aux.
cannot bear to (do something out of pity or compassion)
Examples
- ，不忍。Tā kàn dào nà zhī shòushāng de xiǎo māo, bù rěn líkāi.He saw the injured kitten and couldn't bear to leave.
- 不忍。Tā bù rěn gàosu tā zhège huài xiāoxi.She couldn't bear to tell him the bad news.
- 不忍。Lǎorén bù rěn kàn dào háizimen shòukǔ.The old man couldn't bear to see the children suffer.
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