<p>You should translate like this:</p>

<p>Sorry 抱歉</p>

<p>I 我</p>

<p>wasn't 没</p>

<p>able 上</p>

<p>to</p>

<p>help 帮忙</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-21T12:07:29.853Z
2019-11-21T12:07:29.853Z
帕菲菲
<p>上 denotes this sense: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>（用在动词后， 表示动作的结果）(Used after a verb to indicate its result)  E.g. 穿上外衣; 考上大学</p>
</blockquote>

<p>我没帮上忙 means (<em>the result is that) I have been being helpless.</em>. It's not a word for word translation though. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-21T02:25:42.157Z
2019-11-21T02:25:42.157Z
dan
<p><strong>上</strong> functions here as a resultative complement, just like the second character in 做<strong>完</strong> or 吃<strong>好</strong>. </p>

<p>Consider the difference in English between <em>"I have not helped you"</em> and <em>"I have not managed to help you."</em> <code>managed</code>, here, appears with the meaning of <code>"could"</code> or <code>"succeeded"</code>. Think of <code>上</code> in the same way in this case.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-21T08:41:47.567Z
2019-11-21T08:41:47.567Z
Yoav Vollansky
<p>it carries the same meaning as the out in "sorry,I wasnt able to help out"</p>

<p>Out by itself does not mean much, but couple with help, it reinforced the help word</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-22T03:41:23.883Z
2019-11-22T03:41:23.883Z
emkay
<p>I could roughly understand the meaning of the sentence.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Sorry, I didn't help much.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>By the simple Chinese-English dictionary, 上 means</p>

<pre><code>up
get on
good
superior
</code></pre>

<p>There are tons of meanings by the advanced dictionary. I couldn't figure it out.</p>

<meaning-in-context>
What does 上 mean as in 抱歉我没帮上忙?
# What does 上 mean as in 抱歉我没帮上忙?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-11-21)

I could roughly understand the meaning of the sentence.

> Sorry, I didn't help much.

By the simple Chinese-English dictionary, 上 means

```
up
get on
good
superior

```

There are tons of meanings by the advanced dictionary. I couldn't figure it out.

**Tags:** meaning-in-context


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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-11-21. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

You should translate like this:

Sorry 抱歉

I 我

wasn't 没

able 上

to

help 帮忙


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### Answer by username_2 on 2019-11-21. Score: 3

上 denotes this sense:

> （用在动词后， 表示动作的结果）(Used after a verb to indicate its result) E.g. 穿上外衣; 考上大学

我没帮上忙 means (*the result is that) I have been being helpless.*. It's not a word for word translation though.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2019-11-21. Score: 2

**上** functions here as a resultative complement, just like the second character in 做**完** or 吃**好**.

Consider the difference in English between *"I have not helped you"* and *"I have not managed to help you."* `managed`, here, appears with the meaning of `"could"` or `"succeeded"`. Think of `上` in the same way in this case.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2019-11-22. Score: 1

it carries the same meaning as the out in "sorry,I wasnt able to help out"

Out by itself does not mean much, but couple with help, it reinforced the help word


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