Have no way to / no means to (无从/无以)

Structure 无从 + verb (there is no way to…) ／无以 + verb (have nothing to … with)

Two related literary set-phrases. 无从 (wú cóng) means "there is no way in": faced with something too tangled, you do not know where to begin — 千头万绪，无从下手 = "with so many loose ends, there is no way to start". 无以 (wú yǐ) means "to have nothing to do it with" and stresses the lack of means or resource — 无以言表 = "there are no words to express it". Both belong to refined prose; 无从 looks at the WAY or method, 无以 looks at the MEANS or instrument.

Examples

事shì情qíng千qiān头tóu万wàn绪xù，让ràng人rén无wú从cóng下xià手shǒu。
The matter has a thousand loose ends; there is no way to even begin.
档dàng案àn早zǎo已yǐ遗yí失shī，真zhēn相xiàng已yǐ无wú从cóng查chá证zhèng。
The records were lost long ago; the truth can no longer be verified.
内nèi心xīn的de感gǎn激jī之zhī情qíng，实shí在zài无wú以yǐ言yán表biǎo。
The gratitude I feel within truly has no words to express it.
若ruò不bù努nǔ力lì工gōng作zuò，将jiāng无wú以yǐ报bào答dá父fù母mǔ的de养yǎng育yù之zhī恩ēn。
If he does not work hard, he will have no means to repay his parents' care.

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