Writing
不行 (bù xíng) — how to say "not allowed" in Chinese
不行
Not allowed, won't work
verb · adjective
Character composition
不
not
行
go, be permissible
Radicals / Keys
行
Walk enclosure
#144 · xíng · 6 strokes
一
One
#1 · yī · 1 stroke
Collocations
没有你不行
méi yǒu nǐ bù xíng
We can’t do without you.
Examples
这样做绝对不行
Doing it this way is absolutely not okay
这样做不行，你得换个方法。
This won't work, you need to change your approach.
Mnemonic
[bù xíng-] The mole Bo wants to ride his scooter down a steep staircase. His friends wave their paws: «不行, that's not allowed, you'll fall!» Bo sulkily parks the scooter in the corner — that trick really won't work. 🛴🚫
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Frequently asked questions
How do you say "not allowed" in Chinese?
"not allowed" in Chinese is 不行 (bù xíng).
不行 meaning in English
不行 (bù xíng) means "Not allowed, won't work".
How is 不行 pronounced?
It is pronounced bù xíng (written as bu xing, buxing). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "not allowed" in Chinese characters?
It is written 不行: 不 has 4 strokes, 行 has 6 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK 3.0 level is 不行?
不行 is on the HSK 3.0 level 3 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.
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