力不从心
lì​bù​cóng​xīn HSK7

to lack the ability

  • created sense approved 力不从心/力不從心 · lì​bù​cóng​xīn · to lack the ability — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    力不从心 / 力不從心

    lì​bù​cóng​xīn

    to lack the ability

    (idiom) to lack the power or ability to do what one wishes; for one's ability to not be equal to one's ambition

    力 (literal) → 力 · lì · strength 不 (literal) → 不 · bù · not 从 (literal) → 从/從 · cóng · to comply with 心 (literal) → 心 · xīn · intention

    Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

    created sense