How is 无奈 pronounced?

无奈 is pronounced “wú nài” in pinyin.

What HSK level is 无奈?

无奈 belongs to HSK 5 in the HSK 3.0 vocabulary.

HSK 5adverbadjective

无奈

Traditional: 無奈

wú nài

无奈 (wú nài) means “to have no alternative; frustrated; exasperated; helpless; (conjunction) but unfortunately”. It is an HSK 5 Chinese word (traditional 無奈) in the HSK 3.0 vocabulary.

How to write 无奈

Practice each character:

无

Example

面对这种无可奈何的局面我们只能接受现实。

Miànduì zhè zhǒng wú kě nàihé de júmiàn wǒmen zhǐnéng jiēshòu xiànshí.

Faced with this helpless situation, we can only accept reality.

More HSK 5 vocabulary

HSK 5 →

哎āihey!; (interjection used to attract attention or to express surprise or disapprobation)唉āiinterjection or grunt of agreement or recognition (e.g. yes, it's me!); to sigh 爱护ài hùto cherish; to treasure; to take care of; to love and protect 爱惜ài xīto cherish; to treasure; to use sparingly 爱心ài xīncompassion; kindness; care for others; love; charity (bazaar, golf day etc); heart (the symbol ♥)安慰ān wèito comfort; to console 安装ān zhuāngto install; to erect; to fix; to mount; installation 岸ànvariant of 岸暗ànvariant of 暗熬夜áo yèto stay up late or all night 把握bǎ wòto grasp (also fig.); to seize; to hold; assurance; certainty; sure (of the outcome)摆bǎito arrange; to exhibit; to move to and fro; a pendulum

Frequently asked questions

What does 无奈 mean?: 无奈 (wú nài) means “to have no alternative; frustrated; exasperated; helpless; (conjunction) but unfortunately”. It is an HSK 5 word.
How is 无奈 pronounced?: 无奈 is pronounced “wú nài” in pinyin.
What HSK level is 无奈?: 无奈 belongs to HSK 5 in the HSK 3.0 vocabulary.

Updated: 2026-05-27