不能自拔

bù néng zì bá

unable to extricate oneself; in too deep to get out

Character by character

不bù
not

能néng
able

自zì
oneself

拔bá
pull out

他炒股亏了钱，总想把本钱赚回来，结果越陷越深，不能自拔。

Having lost money on shares he kept trying to win it back, and sank deeper and deeper until he could not get out.

Tone: negative (criticism).

Usually after 陷入, 沉迷于 or 越陷越深: 陷入痛苦，不能自拔. In speech 无法自拔 is just as common, and young people use it jokingly of a TV series or a crush: 这部剧我已经无法自拔了.

Learn this in Lesson 163 · HSK 7–9: 戒不掉的瘾 (The habits we cannot break)

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.