can't help

verb

To be unable to avoid a situation, or stop something from happening.

“I can't help crying whenever I see Romeo and Juliet.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbcan't help (third-person singular simple present can't help, no present participle, simple past couldn't help, no past participle)

past couldn't help · alternative cannot help

  1. idiomaticno past participleno present participleTo be unable to avoid a situation, or stop something from happening.

    I can't help crying whenever I see Romeo and Juliet.

Translations

Chinese Cantonese 忍唔住
  • 忍唔住 (jan² m⁴ zyu⁶)not be able to avoid something
Chinese Mandarin 忍不住, 不禁
  • 忍不住 (rěnbuzhù)not be able to avoid something
  • 不禁 (bùjīn)not be able to avoid something
French être plus fort que soi, ne pas pouvoir s'empêcher de
  • être plus fort que soinot be able to avoid something
  • ne pas pouvoir s'empêcher denot be able to avoid something
  • ne rien pouvoir y fairenot be able to avoid something
German nicht umhin können, nicht lassen können
  • nicht umhin könnennot be able to avoid something
  • nicht lassen könnennot be able to avoid something
  • nicht anders können alsnot be able to avoid something
Italian non poter fare a meno di, non potere fare a meno di
  • non poter fare a meno dinot be able to avoid something
  • non potere fare a meno dinot be able to avoid something
  • non poterci fare nientenot be able to avoid something
Japanese ...しないではいられない
  • ...しないではいられない (...shinaide wa irarenai)not be able to avoid something
Korean 안 … ᆯ(할) 수 없다
  • 안 … ᆯ(할) 수 없다not be able to avoid something
Polish nie móc nic poradzić, nie móc przestać
  • nie móc nic poradzićnot be able to avoid something
  • nie móc przestaćnot be able to avoid something
  • nie móc się powstrzymaćnot be able to avoid something
Portuguese não conseguir evitar, não conseguir deixar de
  • não conseguir evitarnot be able to avoid something
  • não conseguir deixar denot be able to avoid something
Russian не мочь не
  • не мочь не (ne močʹ ne)not be able to avoid something
Spanish no poder evitar, no poder dejar de
  • no poder evitarnot be able to avoid something
  • no poder dejar denot be able to avoid something
Swedish inte kunna låta bli, inte rå för
  • inte kunna låta blinot be able to avoid something
  • inte rå förnot be able to avoid something
  • inte kunna rå förnot be able to avoid something
Cite this entry
APA

can't help. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/can't%20help

MLA

“can't help.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/can't%20help. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “can't help,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/can't%20help.

Source: can't help on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.