不得了
bù dé liǎo HSK 5

English Meaning

📚 Example Sentences

这件事可不得了!
Zhè jiàn shì kě bùdéliǎo!
This matter is terribly serious!
他的病越来越不得了。
Tā de bìng yuè lái yuè bùdéliǎo.
His illness is becoming increasingly serious.
天气热得不得了。
Tiānqì rè de bùdéliǎo.
The weather is terribly hot.
他急得不得了。
Tā jí de bù dé liǎo.
He is extremely anxious.
这消息不得了。
Zhè xiāo xi bù dé liǎo.
This news is terribly serious.

💡 Memory Tip

Break it down as 不 (not) + 得 (get) + 了 (finish), imagining a situation so bad you 'cannot get it finished' or resolved—linking to its meaning of something terribly serious.

📝 Usage Notes

Used primarily in spoken and informal contexts to emphasize severity, such as describing a crisis, a major problem, or an intense emotion. It often follows a subject or situation (e.g., 这件事不得了 - This matter is terrible) and can stand alone as an exclamation (e.g., 不得了! - Oh no!). Avoid in formal writing where more precise terms like 严重 (yánzhòng - serious) are preferred.

📖 Grammar Points

Typically follows a subject or verb with 得 (de) to form a complement of degree (e.g., 他急得不得了 - He is extremely anxious). Can function as a predicate adjective (e.g., 情况不得了 - The situation is terrible). Often used in exclamatory sentences to express shock or warning.

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, 不得了 reflects a tendency to use hyperbolic language in daily speech to convey strong emotions or societal concerns, such as in gossip or warnings about risks.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 严重 (yánzhòng), which neutrally means 'serious', 不得了 emphasizes an extreme, often emotional intensity. Compared to 可怕 (kěpà - scary), 不得了 is broader, covering any disastrous situation, not just fear.

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