爱莫能助 — “To be willing to help but powerless to do so”
爱莫能助 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be willing to help but powerless to do so”. To wish to help but be unable to. Literally, “Love but unable to assist”.
爱莫能助 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 爱ài
- 莫mò
- 能néng
- 助zhù
爱莫能助 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 爱莫能助
Origin and Story of 爱莫能助
During the reign of King Xuan of Zhou, a violent uprising occurred in the State of Qi, leading to the death of Duke Li of Qi and the burning of the capital city.
King Xuan dispatched Zhong Shanfu to quell the rebellion and oversee the reconstruction of the city. Although Zhong Shanfu sympathized with the actions of the people, he understood that killing a ruler and burning a city constituted grave offenses. He resolved to act swiftly.
As he departed from the capital, his relatives and friends gathered to bid him farewell, composing poems to laud his accomplishments. One such verse included the line, '维仲山甫举之，爱莫助之,' which means 'Zhong Shanfu undertakes this immense task, while others, though caring, are unable to assist,' highlighting the heavy responsibility he bore alone despite others' concern.
Idioms Related to 爱莫能助
Synonyms of 爱莫能助
Antonyms of 爱莫能助
More idioms starting with 爱
- ài爱bù不rěn忍shì释too fond to part with
- ài爱bù不shì释shǒu手love something too much to part with it
- ài爱zhī之yù欲qí其shēng生love someone so much you wish them to live
- ài爱zhī之yù欲qí其shēng生，，è恶zhī之yù欲qí其sǐ死love to live, hate to die
- ài爱ren人yǐ以dé德Love others with virtue and integrity
- ài爱ren人lì利wù物cherish and benefit others
- ài爱rén人hào好shì士cherish and value talented individuals
- ài爱zé则jiā加zhū诸xī膝，，è恶zé则zhuì坠zhū诸yuān渊Love or hate dictates all actions
- ài爱bié别lí离kǔ苦the pain of parting from loved ones
- ài爱shì势tān贪cái财obsessed with power and greedy for money
- ài爱bó博ér而qíng情bù不zhuān专love widely but not dedicated
- ài爱kǒu口shí识xiū羞too shy to speak
Questions about 爱莫能助
- What does 爱莫能助 mean?
- 爱莫能助 (ài mò néng zhù) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be willing to help but powerless to do so”.
- How do you pronounce 爱莫能助?
- 爱莫能助 is pronounced ài mò néng zhù in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 爱莫能助 literally mean?
- Literally, 爱莫能助 means “Love but unable to assist”. It is used to mean “to be willing to help but powerless to do so”.
- Where does 爱莫能助 come from?
- 爱莫能助 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 爱莫能助?
- 爱：爱惜；莫：不。虽然心中关切同情，却没有力量帮助。