Same character, different tone, different job. 得得 dé here is second tone, not the neutral-tone 得得 de from earlier — and it turns the verb into a warning or a permission, not a skill check.
1 What Is V + 得得 dé / 不得不得 bùdé?
Every other 可能補語可能补语 kěnéng bǔyǔ you’ve seen so far asks “can this actually happen?” — physically, practically, in terms of time or energy. This one asks a completely different question: is it okay to do this at all? 不得不得 bùdé warns that something is unsafe, unwise, or simply mustn’t be done — it has nothing to do with whether you’re capable of doing it.
| Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|
| 得得 de | neutral tone | general potential complement — 聽得懂听得懂 tīng dé dǒng (able to understand) |
| 得得 dé | 2nd tone | permissible / safe to — 吃得吃得 chī dé (okay to eat) |
| 得得 děi | 3rd tone | “must, have to” — a different word entirely, not covered here |
這種藥吃得還是吃不得？这种药吃得还是吃不得？
Is this medicine okay to take, or not?
This “V 得得 dé / V 不得不得 bùdé” side-by-side question works like an A-not-A question — a natural way to ask whether something is safe or allowed.
2 不得不得 bùdé — Warnings & Prohibitions
The negative form is by far the more common one — it’s how you warn someone off something risky, inappropriate, or off-limits.
那孩子打不得也罵不得那孩子打不得也骂不得
That child can’t be hit, and can’t be scolded either.
這種話說不得这种话说不得
Words like that mustn’t be said.
這是公司機密，馬虎不得这是公司机密，马虎不得
This is a company secret — you can’t afford to be careless about it.
老闆的脾氣，你可惹不得老板的脾气，你可惹不得
You really shouldn’t provoke the boss’s temper.
這種玩笑開不得，會傷到別人的心这种玩笑开不得，会伤到别人的心
That kind of joke shouldn’t be made — it could hurt someone’s feelings.
3 得得 dé — Rarer, But It Exists
The positive form on its own is much less common — you’ll mostly see it inside the “V 得得 dé / V 不得不得 bùdé” question pattern from Section 1, or paired directly against 不得不得 bùdé for contrast.
有些事做得，有些事做不得有些事做得，有些事做不得
Some things are fine to do, some things mustn’t be done.
4 More V + 得得 de / 不不 bù + V
These use the everyday 得得 de / 不不 bù pattern from Potential Complement 1 — not the 得得 dé / 不得不得 bùdé pattern above — but the complement verbs carry their own extended meanings worth knowing.
1. 想想 xiǎng + 得得 de / 不不 bù + 起來起来 qǐlái — Remembering
我想不起來你的前女友叫什麼我想不起来你的前女友叫什么
I can’t remember what your ex-girlfriend’s name was.
你想得起來上次我們一起喝酒的酒館在哪裡嗎？你想得起来上次我们一起喝酒的酒馆在哪里吗？
Do you remember where the bar was that we drank together last time?
年紀大了，很多事都想不起來了年纪大了，很多事都想不起来了
Now that I’m older, I can’t remember a lot of things anymore.
2. 動动 dòng — Physical Capability
你一個人搬得動這張桌子嗎？你一个人搬得动这张桌子吗？
Can you move this table by yourself?
這牛排太硬了，我咬不動这牛排太硬了，我咬不动
This steak is too tough, I can’t bite through it.
我走不動了，休息一下吧我走不动了，休息一下吧
I can’t walk anymore, let’s take a break.
你吃太多了，我抱不動你你吃太多了，我抱不動你
You ate too much, I can’t carry you.
5 Common Mistake
Don’t reach for 不了不了 liǎo (Potential Complement 2 — incapable of) when you actually mean 不得不得 bùdé (this article — forbidden/unwise). They fail for completely different reasons.
❌
這種話說不了这种话说不了
✅
這種話說不得这种话说不得
說不了说不了 shuō bu liǎo means you’re physically or emotionally unable to get the words out. 說不得说不得 shuō bùdé means the words themselves are dangerous or inappropriate to say — nothing to do with whether you’re capable of saying them.
6 Practice
Translate each sentence into Chinese, then tap the card to check your answer.
01This water isn’t safe to drink — don’t drink it.
這水喝不得，別喝这水喝不得，别喝
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02Grandma’s temper — you really shouldn’t provoke it.
奶奶的脾氣，你真的惹不得奶奶的脾气，你真的惹不得
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03This contract is important — it can’t be handled carelessly.
這份合約很重要，馬虎不得这份合约很重要，马虎不得
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04I really can’t remember his phone number.
我真的想不起來他的電話號碼我真的想不起来他的电话号码
This is the everyday 得得 de pattern from PC1’s 起來起来 qǐlái section, not the 得得 dé / 不得不得 bùdé pattern above.
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05That secret mustn’t be told to anyone.
那個秘密跟誰都說不得那个秘密跟谁都说不得
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06This kind of joke shouldn’t be made — it’ll hurt her feelings.
這種玩笑開不得，會傷她的心这种玩笑开不得，会伤她的心
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07This piano is too heavy — the two of us can’t move it.
這台鋼琴太重了，我們兩個人搬不動这台钢琴太重了，我们两个人搬不动
This is the everyday 得得 de pattern from PC1’s 動动 dòng section, not the 得得 dé / 不得不得 bùdé pattern above.
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08Some things are fine to do, some things mustn’t be done.
有些事做得，有些事做不得有些事做得，有些事做不得
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09This cat is fierce — it can’t be pet.
這隻貓很兇，摸不得这只猫很凶，摸不得
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10This water is icy cold — you shouldn’t swim in it.
這水太冰了，游不得这水太冰了，游不得
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