<p>First, both of your examples are a little awkward. The following changes make them more natural Chinese sentences:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>他不由得哭了。</p>
<p>我不禁要责怪你。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Second, yes, both 不由得 and 不禁 are more common in written instead of spoken Chinese. A colloquial expression will be 忍不住:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>他忍不住哭了。</p>
<p>我忍不住要责怪你。</p>
</blockquote>
<p><code>... can't help but ...</code> implies <code>I don't want to do so but I can't control my feelings.</code> So does 忍不住.</p>
<p>For your first example, you can also use 不由自主地. It has the same meaning, but is more of written style.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>他不由自主地哭了。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As for other suggestions such as 不得不 and 没法不, the meaning is a little different. It means <code>I don't want to but the objective circumstances compels me to do so.</code> It is more a description of the physical world than an expression of the psychological mood.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>他不得不哭。(In this case, there is no 了 at the end of the sentence. He had to cry but we do not know if he actually cried. The same below.)</p>
<p>他没法不哭。</p>
<p>我不得不责怪你。</p>
<p>我没法不责怪你。</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-10T03:56:08.737Z
2012-04-10T03:56:08.737Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Betty
<p>There are actually two meanings of <em>"can't help but"</em> here, with a rather subtle distinction. In your first example, the guy cannot control the fact that he wants to cry - he simply let go of his emotions. In your second example, you <em>can</em> control your behavior, and in fact you're very <em>determined</em> to do it.</p>

<p>In the first example, an equivalent phrase would be: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>不由自主地 (did something without control)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In the second example, an equivalent phrase would be </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>没有办法不[责怪你]  (have no choice but to [blame you]).  </p>
</blockquote>

<p>You're right that the phrase 不由得 is rarely used. In fact, when it is used, it usually has a different meaning: telling another person "You have no choice", e.g.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>这件事情不由得你 = You have no say in this matter</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-10T06:05:43.087Z
Thanks for this, you picked it out well. Sometimes I have trouble seeing things when they are the said the same way in English.
going
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-10T14:33:28.040Z
For `这件事情不由得你`, I think `这件事情由不得你` is more common.
Betty
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-10T02:14:57.490Z
2012-04-10T02:20:19.840Z
2012-04-10T02:20:19.840Z
Yang
<p><code>I can't help but</code>
 在你的两个例子中, <code>忍不住</code>是最好的选择. 表达了人物想控制, 但是控制不住自己的情绪.</p>

<p>In your example, <code>忍不住</code> is the best fit choice. It express the person that want to control himself but failed. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-11T17:19:58.833Z
2012-04-11T17:19:58.833Z
madper
<p>The best direct translation to the phrase <code>... can't help but...</code> that I can think of is <code>...不得不...</code></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>He can't help but cry - 他不得不哭</p>
  
  <p>I can't help but to blame you - 我不得不责怪你</p>
  
  <p>I can't help but to think of you - 我不得不想你</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The phrase <code>...不得不...</code> basically means one might not want to do something, but is compelled by whatever reason to it anyway.  Which is very similar to the meaning of the English phrase <code>... can't help but...</code>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-11T18:11:15.143Z
If you say 他不得不哭in Chinese, that means someone forces him to cry
Hamster SSi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-10T03:09:02.230Z
2012-04-10T03:09:02.230Z
Bojin Li
<p>From a lesson in a Chinese text book was the following sentence:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>他不由得哭 (Tā bùyóude kū)</p>
</blockquote>

<p><em>He could not help but cry</em></p>

<p>I've never heard 不由得 used in a sentence, and I want to know if it is common and if not, what is typically used.</p>

<p>The sentence I was hoping to say is:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"I can't help but blame you"</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Google translate offers the following:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我不禁责怪你</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In particular I want spoken Chinese rather than written if there is a difference.</p>

<word-choice>
How to say "I can't help but..."
# How to say "I can't help but..."

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-04-10)

From a lesson in a Chinese text book was the following sentence:

> 他不由得哭 (Tā bùyóude kū)

*He could not help but cry*

I've never heard 不由得 used in a sentence, and I want to know if it is common and if not, what is typically used.

The sentence I was hoping to say is:

> "I can't help but blame you"

Google translate offers the following:

> 我不禁责怪你

In particular I want spoken Chinese rather than written if there is a difference.

**Tags:** word-choice


---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2012-04-10. Score: 6

There are actually two meanings of *"can't help but"* here, with a rather subtle distinction. In your first example, the guy cannot control the fact that he wants to cry - he simply let go of his emotions. In your second example, you *can* control your behavior, and in fact you're very *determined* to do it.

In the first example, an equivalent phrase would be:

> 不由自主地 (did something without control)

In the second example, an equivalent phrase would be

> 没有办法不[责怪你] (have no choice but to [blame you]).

You're right that the phrase 不由得 is rarely used. In fact, when it is used, it usually has a different meaning: telling another person "You have no choice", e.g.

> 这件事情不由得你 = You have no say in this matter

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks for this, you picked it out well. Sometimes I have trouble seeing things when they are the said the same way in English.  
> **username_1**: For `这件事情不由得你`, I think `这件事情由不得你` is more common.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-04-10. Score: 5

First, both of your examples are a little awkward. The following changes make them more natural Chinese sentences:

> 他不由得哭了。
>
> 我不禁要责怪你。

Second, yes, both 不由得 and 不禁 are more common in written instead of spoken Chinese. A colloquial expression will be 忍不住:

> 他忍不住哭了。
>
> 我忍不住要责怪你。

`... can't help but ...` implies `I don't want to do so but I can't control my feelings.` So does 忍不住.

For your first example, you can also use 不由自主地. It has the same meaning, but is more of written style.

> 他不由自主地哭了。

As for other suggestions such as 不得不 and 没法不, the meaning is a little different. It means `I don't want to but the objective circumstances compels me to do so.` It is more a description of the physical world than an expression of the psychological mood.

> 他不得不哭。(In this case, there is no 了 at the end of the sentence. He had to cry but we do not know if he actually cried. The same below.)
>
> 他没法不哭。
>
> 我不得不责怪你。
>
> 我没法不责怪你。


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2012-04-11. Score: 2

`I can't help but`
在你的两个例子中, `忍不住`是最好的选择. 表达了人物想控制, 但是控制不住自己的情绪.

In your example, `忍不住` is the best fit choice. It express the person that want to control himself but failed.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2012-04-10. Score: 0

The best direct translation to the phrase `... can't help but...` that I can think of is `...不得不...`

> He can't help but cry - 他不得不哭
>
> I can't help but to blame you - 我不得不责怪你
>
> I can't help but to think of you - 我不得不想你

The phrase `...不得不...` basically means one might not want to do something, but is compelled by whatever reason to it anyway. Which is very similar to the meaning of the English phrase `... can't help but...`.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: If you say 他不得不哭in Chinese, that means someone forces him to cry  

---

