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Level Upper-Intermediate Chinese · HSK 4

Can and Can't: V得了 / V不了, V得起 / V不起, 来得及, 过来 and 过去

English uses 'can' and 'can't' for almost every kind of ability. Chinese often puts 得 or 不 between a verb and its complement to say whether something can be done: 吃得了 (can finish eating), 买不起 (can't afford). These forms are short, idiomatic and very frequent in speech.

V得了 / V不了 and V得起 / V不起

了 here is read liǎo, not le. V不了 (bù liǎo) means 'can't (manage to)': because of quantity, ability or circumstances. 这么多菜，我吃不了 (I can't eat all this). It can also express a prediction: 他来不了了 (he won't be able to come).

起 (qǐ) in V得起 / V不起 is about affordability or social standing: 买不起 (can't afford to buy), 住不起 (can't afford to live there). 看不起 (kàn bu qǐ) is fixed: 'look down on'.

FormPinyinMeaning
吃不了chī bu liǎocan't eat (all of it)
受不了shòu bu liǎocan't stand it
买不起mǎi bu qǐcan't afford it
看不起kàn bu qǐlook down on
来得及 / 来不及lái de jí / lái bu jíbe / not be in time

  • 这么多工作，我一个人做不了。

    Zhème duō gōngzuò, wǒ yí ge rén zuò bu liǎo.

    I can't do this much work on my own.

  • 市中心的房子太贵了，我们买不起。

    Shì zhōngxīn de fángzi tài guì le, wǒmen mǎi bu qǐ.

    Flats in the city centre are too expensive; we can't afford one.

来得及 and 来不及

来得及 (lái de jí) means 'there's still time', and 来不及 (lái bu jí) means 'there isn't time, too late'. They come before a verb phrase: 还来得及买票 (there's still time to buy tickets).

  • 别着急，现在出发还来得及。

    Bié zháojí, xiànzài chūfā hái lái de jí.

    Don't worry, if we leave now we'll still make it.

  • 来不及吃早饭了，我路上买点儿吧。

    Lái bu jí chī zǎofàn le, wǒ lùshang mǎi diǎnr ba.

    There's no time for breakfast; I'll grab something on the way.

Figurative 过来 and 过去

过来 (guòlai) and 过去 (guòqu) literally mean 'come over' and 'go over'. Figuratively, 过来 is a return to a normal state (醒过来, come round; 改过来, correct it) and 过去 is a loss of it (昏过去, pass out; 晕过去, faint). After the verb they are read in the neutral tone.

  • 病人终于醒过来了。

    Bìngrén zhōngyú xǐng guolai le.

    The patient finally came round.

  • 他听到消息，差点儿晕过去。

    Tā tīngdào xiāoxi, chàdiǎnr yūn guoqu.

    When he heard the news, he nearly fainted.

Common mistakes

  • ✗我不能吃这么多菜。

    ✓这么多菜，我吃不了。

    Zhème duō cài, wǒ chī bu liǎo.

    不能 sounds as if something stops you: a rule, your health, your diet. When the problem is simply too much for you (quantity or capacity), Chinese uses the potential complement 吃不了, where English just says 'can't'.

  • ✗这个包太贵了，我不买得起。

    ✓这个包太贵了，我买不起。

    Zhège bāo tài guì le, wǒ mǎi bu qǐ.

    The negative goes between the verb and the complement: V不起, never 不V得起.

  • ✗我来不及了买票。

    ✓我来不及买票了。

    Wǒ lái bu jí mǎi piào le.

    The verb phrase follows 来不及 directly; the 了 of change goes at the end of the sentence.

Questions learners ask

How do I ask with these forms?

Use 吗 or the A-not-A pattern: 你吃得了吗？ or 你吃得了吃不了？

Is 受不了 rude?

No, it's everyday speech for 'I can't stand it' and can be playful: 热得受不了 (unbearably hot).

Practice this in lessons

The Upper-Intermediate Chinese lessons teach this step by step, with exercises and review built in.

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