lik6 bat1 cung4 sam1力不從心力不从心
Jyutpinglik6 bat1 cung4 sam1
Yalelihk bāt chùhng sām
Definition
To be unable to achieve one's desires or ambitions due to a lack of ability or strength.
neutralemotiondescriptions
How it's used
This idiom carries a sense of frustration or regret, specifically when someone has the desire or ambition to complete a task but lacks the physical or mental capacity to follow through. It is often used to excuse oneself from a responsibility or to describe a decline in performance due to age or exhaustion. Unlike simply saying you are busy, this phrase emphasizes a genuine mismatch between intent and ability.
Examples
I want to help you, but I'm really not capable enough to do so.
Do you feel like you're unable to achieve what you want?
Related words
Common phrases
to feel unable to do as one wishes
Common mistake
Learners often use this to mean they are just lazy or unwilling, but it specifically implies that the person is trying their best and still failing to meet their own standards.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
