What does 不能不 mean in Chinese?

不能不 (bù néng bù) means "have to; cannot but" in Chinese.

How do you pronounce 不能不?

不能不 is pronounced "bù néng bù" in Mandarin Chinese. It is made up of 3 syllables.

What HSK level is 不能不?

不能不 is not part of the HSK vocabulary lists. It may be a specialized or advanced word.

What characters make up 不能不?

不能不 is made up of the characters 不, 能, 不. Each character has its own meaning and can appear in other words.

How do you write 不能不?

You can practice writing 不能不 using our stroke order tool.

不能不 (bù néng bù), have to

不能不

bù néng bù

have to; cannot but

Characters in This Word

不能不

Definitions

have to
cannot but

Example Sentences

我不能不告诉你真相。

Wǒ bùnéngbù gàosu nǐ zhēnxiàng

I have to tell you the truth

→

一口吃不成胖子(yī kǒu chī bù chéng pàng zi)· lit. you cannot get fat with only one mouthful (proverb)

→

一寸光阴一寸金，寸金难买寸光阴(yī cùn guāng yīn yī cùn jīn , cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāng yīn)· lit. An interval of time is worth an ounce of gold, money cannot buy you time. (idiom)

→

一木难支(yī mù nán zhī)· lit. a single post cannot prop up a falling house (idiom)

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HSK levels

New HSK exam: Not tested
HSK 2.0: Not listed
HSK Lord study list: HSK 5 list

New exam levels follow the CLEC syllabus released 15 November 2025. The first official sitting is announced for 13 December 2026. HSK 7-9 is one advanced band.

Not on the new exam

不能不 is not on the new HSK syllabus. Build the words the exam does test.

HSK Lord starts you at your level and schedules each review right before you would forget the word. Free to start.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.

不能不