力不从心
- Literal
- one's strength does not follow one's heart
- Figurative
- To genuinely want to do something but not be able to, because you no longer have the strength, time, or means for it.
Where does 力不从心 come from?
The phrase comes from the biography of Ban Chao in the 《后汉书》. After some thirty years in charge of the Western Regions, Ban Chao was an old and ailing man asking to come home. The memorial sent to the emperor pleading for his return argued that if a sudden crisis arose, Ban Chao's strength would no longer answer what his spirit wanted to do. From that idea —the will intact, the body spent— comes the meaning the expression still carries.
Source (出处): 《后汉书》
How is 力不从心 used? Two examples
- 我很想帮你搬家，可是最近腰不好，实在力不从心。
I'd really like to help you move, but my back has been bad lately and I just can't manage it.
- 又要上班又要照顾孩子，他常常觉得力不从心。
Between his job and the kids he has to cover everything, and he often feels he just can't keep up.
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