Discussion of 不得不 [bù dé bù] have to, have no choice or option but to

Discussion of 不得不

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不得已 can not be followed by a verb
他也是不得已，才出此下策。 -/- [phr] He had no other alternative, as a result he had to make such an unwise decision.

不得不 must be followed by a verb
我不得不去买汽油 r/- [phr] I have no other choice but go to buy gas.

lisaC

Note that 不由得 and 由不得 can mean "cannot help but...".

不得不 means "have to, have no choice or option but to"

The difference here is that when 不由得 and 由不得 means "cannot help but...", it's referring to someone's feeling or compulsion, therefore the subject is usually a person. 不得不, on the other hand, is a cognitive decision made based on objective conditions, and circumstances:

Compare these two examples:

- 不由得 here refers to the compulsion to laugh:
E.g. 看着他的滑稽模样，我不由得大笑起来。Seeing his funny appearance, I couldn't help laughing.
- 不得不 is followed by a decision that is made based on the situation that the task has to be completed but is yet to be:
E.g. 任务还没完成，所以周末我们不得不加班。 The task is not completed, so on the weekend we will have to work extra hours.

lisaC

Are there any situations when I should not use 不得不 (bù dé bù)?

个学生

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不得不 should not be used when there is an option or choice available. For example, if you are asking someone to do something, you should not use 不得不, as it implies that the person has no choice but to do it. Instead, you should use words such as 要求 (yāo qiú) or 请求 (qǐng qiú) which imply that the person has a choice.

当老师

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Are there any other words or phrases that have a similar meaning to 不得不 (bù dé bù)?

个学生

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"不得不..." versus "非...不可":

"不得不..." (bù dé bù...) and "非...不可" (fēi...bù kě) are both used to express necessity in Chinese, but there are some differences in their usage and nuances:

1. "不得不" (bù dé bù) is used to indicate that there is no choice but to do something, often due to external factors or circumstances. It conveys a sense of having to do something out of necessity, even if one may not want to do it.
E.g. 因为下雨了，我不得不取消计划。 (Yīnwèi xià yǔ le, wǒ bù dé bù qǔxiāo jìhuà.) Because it's raining, I have no choice but to cancel the plan.

2. "非...不可" (fēi...bù kě) emphasizes that something must be done and cannot be avoided. It often conveys a strong sense of obligation and is used for more serious or important matters.
E.g. 考试前一天，非好好复习不可。 (Kǎoshì qián yītiān, fēi hǎohǎo fùxí bù kě.) - The day before the exam, I must study well; there's no other option.

lisaC

How do I use 不得不 (bù dé bù) in a sentence?

个学生

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不得不 (bù dé bù) is a three-character phrase that means "have to, have no choice or option but to". It is used to express that one has no choice but to do something. For example, 他不得不接受这个结果 (tā bù dé bù jiēshòu zhège jiéguǒ) - He had no choice but to accept the result.

当老师

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