無可奈何

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See also: 无可奈何

Chinese

cannot; can't
how; what; what is to be done
how; what; what is to be done; what can be done
 
trad. (無可奈何) 無可 奈何
simp. (无可奈何) 无可 奈何
alternative forms 無可柰何无可柰何

Pronunciation



Rime
Character
Reading # 1/1 1/1 1/2 2/2 1/2
Initial () (4) (29) (8) (8) (33)
Final () (24) (94) (25) (94) (94)
Tone (調) Level (Ø) Rising (X) Departing (H) Departing (H) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Closed Open Open Open Open
Division () III I I I I
Fanqie
Baxter mju khaX najH naH ha
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang
/mɨo/ /kʰɑX/ /nɑiH/ /nɑH/ /ɦɑ/
Pan
Wuyun
/mio/ /kʰɑX/ /nɑiH/ /nɑH/ /ɦɑ/
Shao
Rongfen
/mio/ /kʰɑX/ /nɑiH/ /nɑH/ /ɣɑ/
Edwin
Pulleyblank
/muə̆/ /kʰaX/ /najH/ /naH/ /ɦa/
Li
Rong
/mio/ /kʰɑX/ /nɑiH/ /nɑH/ /ɣɑ/
Wang
Li
/mĭu/ /kʰɑX/ /nɑiH/ /nɑH/ /ɣɑ/
Bernard
Karlgren
/mi̯u/ /kʰɑX/ /nɑiH/ /nɑH/ /ɣɑ/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex
nài nuò
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex
mou4 ho2 naai6 no6 ho4
BaxterSagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character
Reading # 1/3 1/1 1/1 1/1
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin)
nài
Middle
Chinese
‹ mju › ‹ khaX › ‹ najH › ‹ ha ›
Old
Chinese
/*ma/ /*ʰˁaʔ/ /*nˁa-s/ /*ˁaj/
English not have may; acceptable cope with what

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character
Reading # 1/1 1/1 1/2 2/2 1/2
No. 13117 7446 9349 9350 7458
Phonetic
component
Rime
group
Rime
subdivision
0 1 1 1 1
Corresponding
MC rime
Old
Chinese
/*ma/ /*kʰaːlʔ/ /*naːls/ /*naːds/ /*ɡaːl/

Verb

無可奈何

  1. to have no way out; to have no alternative; to have no choice; to feel helpless about; to be unable to do anything with; to resign oneself to (doing something unpleasant); to be at the end of one's resources

Synonyms

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (無可奈何):
  • Korean: 무가내하(無可奈何) (muganaeha)

References

  • Fielde, Adele Marion (1883) “ (bô̤)”, in A Pronouncing and Defining Dictionary of the Swatow Dialect, Arranged According to Syllables and Tones, Shanghai: American Presbyterian Mission Press, page 15