忍不住: couldn't help it

忍不住 means 'couldn’t help doing it': you tried to hold back, but the laugh, the tears or the thought came out anyway. The negative 不 is already inside the word, so add no second one. What slipped out follows: 忍不住笑, 忍不住哭, 忍不住想.

Examples

• 我忍不住笑了。 Wǒ rěnbuzhù xiào le. I couldn't help laughing.
• 她忍不住哭了。 Tā rěnbuzhù kū le. She couldn't help crying.
• 我忍不住想你。 Wǒ rěnbuzhù xiǎng nǐ. I can't help thinking of you.

More in this chapter

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