Jinbuzhu

[xuechengfeng]

This is a direction in my movie script, meaning that it is not actually spoken, so I am not sure about the tone.

The vocabulary lists the word as "cannot help." Unfortunately, I do not have a word processor, so hopefully you know what I am talking about.

In one part of the script it is:

-jin3bu1zhu4 . . . (then)

-jin1bu2zhu4 . . . (and then)

-jin4buzhu4

[skylee]

禁不住 (jin1 bu zhu4) (according to Xiandai Hanyu Cidian)

禁 (jin1) - to endure

禁 (jin4) - to forbid

[shibo77]

The correct form, at least on the mainland, is:

禁不住 jīnbuzhù (jin1 bu5 zhu4) to be unable to bear, endure, withstand something/someone; to not be able to refrain from doing something;

But I have heard and spoken this with different tones also:

jin1 bu2 zhu4

jin1 bu5 zhu5

jin4 bu5 zhu4

jin4 bu5 zhu5

jin3 bu1zhu4 sounds heavily accented and almost comical.

Also there is 禁得住 jīndezhù (jin1 de5 zhu4) which means that one could bear, endure, withstand something/someone.

-Shìbó

[aeon]

I thought 受不了 was 'unbearable' as in 'unable to endure/bear something/someone'

and 禁不住 was 'unable to help/stop oneself from doing something' as in 看他这么可怜的样子，我禁不住帮助他 - seeing him in such dire straights, I couldn't help but lend a hand. Or have I got this wrong?

[skylee]

aeon, that is right.