不免
bù miǎn HSK 6

English Meaning

📚 Example Sentences

第一次演讲,他不免有些紧张。
Dì yī cì yǎnjiǎng, tā bù miǎn yǒuxiē jǐnzhāng.
For his first speech, he was bound to be somewhat nervous.
面对困难,我们不免感到压力。
Miànduì kùnnán, wǒmen bù miǎn gǎndào yālì.
Facing difficulties, we unavoidably feel pressure.
长期分离,他们不免思念对方。
Chángqī fēnlí, tāmen bù miǎn sīniàn duìfāng.
After long separation, they were bound to miss each other.
他难免会紧张。
Tā nánmiǎn huì jǐnzhāng.
He is bound to be nervous.
这结果不免失望。
Zhè jiéguǒ bùmiǎn shīwàng.
This result is inevitably disappointing.

💡 Memory Tip

Break it down as 不 (not) + 免 (avoid), literally 'cannot avoid', and associate it with situations where you 'cannot help but' feel or do something, like '不免担心' (bound to worry).

📝 Usage Notes

Used in formal and written contexts, such as essays, speeches, or analytical writing, to express logical or emotional inevitability. It often appears in sentences describing reactions, outcomes, or feelings that are expected or unavoidable, like '不免感到遗憾' (bù miǎn gǎndào yíhàn - cannot help but feel regret). Avoid in casual daily speech where simpler terms like 一定 (yīdìng - definitely) might be preferred.

📖 Grammar Points

Typically placed before a verb or adjective phrase to modify it, as in 不免 + verb (e.g., 不免失望, bù miǎn shīwàng - bound to be disappointed). Often used in complex sentences to explain causes and effects, such as '由于...,不免...' (yóuyú..., bù miǎn... - due to..., inevitably...). Can be paired with modal verbs or adverbs for emphasis, like 不免会 (bù miǎn huì - will inevitably).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, 不免 reflects a philosophical acceptance of inevitability, often tied to concepts of fate or natural order, and is used in contexts emphasizing humility or reflection on human limitations.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 难免 (nán miǎn), which also means 'hard to avoid' but is more neutral and common in spoken Chinese, 不免 is slightly more literary and emphasizes a stronger sense of inevitability. Compared to 必然 (bìrán - inevitable), 不免 focuses on subjective or emotional outcomes rather than objective certainty.

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