舍不得＋动词
cannot bear to; to be reluctant to (spend, throw away, part with)
Structure
主语 ＋ 舍不得 ＋ 动词短语 （正面多用问句： 舍得 ＋ 动词短语 ？）
What it means
You value something or someone too much to do it: you can’t bear to spend, throw away, leave, or let a loved one suffer.
How it is built
Subject + 舍不得 + verb phrase: 奶奶舍不得扔旧衣服 (Grandma can’t bring herself to throw old clothes away). With a noun alone: 舍不得你 (hate to part with you).
When to use it
舍不得 is about attachment or thrift; 不忍心 is about not having the heart to cause pain. The positive 舍得 appears mostly in questions or contrasts: 你舍得扔吗？ 他舍得花钱。
Watch out
The standard negative is 舍不得: ✗舍得不扔 ✓舍不得扔. 不舍得 is heard in some regions but is best avoided in writing.
Examples
她舍不得让丈夫走得“不完整”。
She could not bear to let her husband go “incomplete”.
奶奶舍不得扔旧衣服，柜子里堆得满满的。
Grandma cannot bring herself to throw old clothes away, so the wardrobe is crammed full.
他平时舍不得花钱，给女儿交学费却从来不犹豫。
He usually hates spending money, but he never hesitates when it comes to his daughter’s school fees.
Learn this in Lesson 157 · HSK 7–9: 器官捐献 (Organ donation)
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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