不得已 - Expressing "having no alternative but to"

HSK 6

不得已 (bù dé yǐ) is an expression used to say that someone has to do something because there are no other options or because it is the only choice left. It appears after the verb:

Verb + 不得已 – to express doing something because there was no other option.

Synonym: 无可奈何 (wú kě nài hé) – have no way out, be helpless.

Sample sentences

他不得已才同意了。He reluctantly agreed.

我不得已才去参加会议。I had no choice but to attend the meeting.

In A Text

由于工作繁忙，他不得已取消了与朋友的聚会。他原本期待着放松一下，但工作上的紧急任务让他无法推脱。他知道自己必须承担起责任，完成工作后再安排其他事情。

• 推脱 (tuītuō) – to shirk, to avoid, to evade (responsibility, a task, etc.)

• 承担起 (chēngdān qǐ) – to take on, to assume (responsibility, a task)

Due to his busy work schedule, he had no choice but to cancel the gathering with his friends. He had originally been looking forward to relaxing, but the urgent tasks at work made it impossible for him to decline. He knew he had to take on the responsibility and would arrange other things after completing his work.