动词／形容词 + 不得
must not be …; cannot afford to … (a warning)
Structure
事情（话题） ＋ （可／千万） ＋ 动词／形容词（急、马虎、大意、碰、小看） 不得
What it means
A warning: something must not be done, or done that way, or harm will follow: 急不得 (it can't be hurried), 马虎不得 (you can't afford to be careless).
How it is built
Topic + (可／千万／万万) + verb or adjective + 不得: 开车可马虎不得 (You can't afford to be careless at the wheel).
When to use it
Spoken, and in doctors' and officials' advice. Others: 碰不得, 小看不得, 吃不得 (not fit to eat). 要不得 judges an idea or habit unacceptable: 这种想法要不得.
Watch out
吃不了 = can't finish it; 吃不得 = mustn't eat it. 不得 before a verb is the written ban of notices (不得吸烟, 5-3). 舍不得, 恨不得, 巴不得, 怪不得 are fixed words of their own.
Examples
减肥这种事急不得，一个月瘦十公斤反而伤身体。
Losing weight is not something to rush: dropping ten kilos in a month does your body more harm than good.
开车可马虎不得，一不小心就会出事。
You cannot afford to be careless at the wheel: one slip and there is an accident.
别看他年纪小，这个对手可小看不得。
He may be young, but this opponent is not to be underestimated.
Learn this in Lesson 114 · HSK 7–9: 国家喊你减肥 (Data story: the state wants you to lose weight)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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