叵 (pǒ) - cannot & impossible

叵Tone 3

pǒ ｜ 5 strokes ｜ radical: 口

柠七

叵 · pǒ

cannot;

impossible;

un-;

not;

used to form negative meanings.

cannotimpossibleun-

Usage highlights

unfathomableimpossible to accomplishunpredictable intentionsdifficult to endureuntrustworthy

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 可— can; possible
  • 能— able

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This is impossible to accomplish (叵测).
  • His intentions are unfathomable (居心叵测).
  • The situation is unpredictable (心怀叵测).

Collocations

  • unfathomable(叵测)
  • impossible to accomplish(叵耐)
  • unpredictable intentions(居心叵测)
  • difficult to endure(叵奈)
  • untrustworthy(叵信)

Idioms

  • With unfathomable intentions(居心叵测)
  • Impossible to endure(叵耐之极)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally meant 'cannot' in Classical Chinese, now mainly used in fixed expressions.
  • The character structure is '反可' (reverse of 可), visually representing the opposite meaning of 'can'.

FAQ