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Expressing 'unable to' or 'cannot' with 无法 (wúfǎ)
Negation
Permission & Ability
Structure
Subject + 无法 + Verb
Explanation
无法 (wúfǎ) means "unable to" or "cannot" and expresses the impossibility of doing something, often due to circumstances beyond one's control. It is more formal than 不能 and is frequently used in written language and news reports. For example, 无法参加 means "unable to attend."
Examples
这条路被封了，车辆无法通行。
Zhè tiáo lù bèi fēng le, chēliàng wúfǎ tōngxíng.
This road is blocked, and vehicles cannot pass through.
他因为生病无法参加考试。
Tā yīnwèi shēngbìng wúfǎ cānjiā kǎoshì.
He was unable to take the exam because of illness.
我现在无法确认这个消息。
Wǒ xiànzài wúfǎ quèrèn zhège xiāoxi.
I am unable to confirm this information right now.