…绕不开…
cannot be told without; there is no getting round
Structure
话题／故事／问题 ＋ 绕不开 ＋ 人／事／难题 · 谁也绕不开
What it means
There is no getting round it: a story cannot be told without a certain person, or a problem has to be faced. 绕开 is to go round; 绕不开 is its potential negative.
How it is built
Topic + 绕不开 + person / event / difficulty: 讲中国的杂交水稻，绕不开袁隆平这个名字 (you cannot tell the story of hybrid rice without Yuan Longping). Also 谁也绕不开….
When to use it
Features and commentary, and common in speech. 绕不过（去） is a close variant; 回避不了 is more formal. The positive 绕得开 is rare outside questions: 这个问题绕得开吗？
Watch out
Not 离不开 (to depend on): 天眼离不开南仁东 says it could not exist without him; 天眼的故事绕不开南仁东 says you cannot tell its story without him.
Examples
讲中国的杂交水稻，绕不开袁隆平这个名字。
You cannot tell the story of China’s hybrid rice without the name Yuan Longping.
城市要发展，谁也绕不开交通拥堵这道难题。
If a city is to grow, no one can get round the problem of traffic jams.
谈到中国近代史，就绕不开1840年的鸦片战争。
Talk about modern Chinese history and there is no getting round the Opium War of 1840.
Learn this in Lesson 178 · HSK 7–9: 中国天眼 (China’s Sky Eye)
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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