不得不
to have no choice but to
Structure
主语 不得不 动词
What it means
“To have no choice but to”: forced by circumstances, against your wishes.
How it is built
Subject + 不得不 + verb: 末班车走了，我们不得不打车回家 (The last bus had gone, so we had to take a taxi home).
When to use it
必须 is a neutral “must”; 只好 is softer, “so we just had to”. 不得不 stresses that you would rather not.
Watch out
It means “must”, not “must not”. And the negative of 必须 is 不必: ✗ 你不必须来。 ✓ 你不必来。
Examples
不少家庭不得不借钱娶媳妇。
Many families have no choice but to borrow for a wedding.
末班车走了，我们不得不打车回家。
The last bus had gone, so we had to take a taxi home.
Learn this in Lesson 28 · HSK 5–6: 房子与婚姻 (Housing and marriage)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. This lesson is free.
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