不可避免

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: bù kě bì miǎn
• English Translation: Inevitable / Unavoidable
• Idiom Composition: 「不」（Not / No (negation)）＋「可」（Can / Able to (possibility)）＋「避」（To avoid / To evade）＋「免」（To escape / To be exempt from）
• Meaning: Refers to a situation or result that is impossible to avoid due to objective laws or logical cause-and-effect. While it is a neutral term, it is frequently used to describe negative outcomes like failure, conflict, or aging that must be accepted.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「不可避免」 contains the following nuances:

• Emphasis on Inevitability: It highlights that the future or result is fixed and cannot be changed by individual will or effort.
• Logical Consequence: It is often used to explain the occurrence of an event as a logical result of a specific cause (e.g., 'If A happens, then B is bound to follow').

3. Usage

「不可避免」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Logical and Objective Analysis: Frequently used in essays, news, and business analysis to discuss the inevitability of certain trends or results.
  • Example:「随着技术的进步，传统行业的转型是不可避免的。」
    （With the advancement of technology, the transformation of traditional industries is inevitable.）
• Acceptance of Negative Events: Used when speaking about mistakes, conflicts, or aging—things that are undesirable but must be accepted as facts.
  • Example:「在激烈的比赛中，身体接触是不可避免的。」
    （In an intense game, physical contact is unavoidable.）

Additional Examples:

1. 只要有人群的地方，矛盾就是不可避免的。
   （Wherever people gather, conflict is unavoidable.）
2. 由于缺乏经验，他在创业初期不可避免地走了一些弯路。
   （Due to a lack of experience, he inevitably took some detours during the early stages of his business.）
3. 通货膨胀似乎是经济快速增长中不可避免的副作用。
   （Inflation seems to be an unavoidable side effect of rapid economic growth.）
4. 我们必须面对现实，衰老是每个人都不可避免的过程。
   （We must face reality; aging is an unavoidable process for everyone.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Vocabulary Nature: This is a modern four-character idiom (成语, chéng yǔ) widely used in contemporary Chinese rather than a historical fable. It is primarily used in written language but is also common in formal speech.
• Grammatical Role: It is flexible, acting as an adjective to modify nouns (e.g., 'an unavoidable result') or as an adverb to modify verbs (e.g., 'to inevitably occur').
• Logic vs. Fatalism: Unlike emotional expressions of 'fate,' this term emphasizes strong causality—the idea that because certain conditions are met, the outcome is logically bound to happen.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 在所难免 (zài suǒ nán miǎn): Hard to avoid; often used with a nuance of 'this is a common occurrence' or 'to be expected' given the circumstances.
  • 势在必行 (shì zài bì xíng): Imperative; something that must be done or is bound to happen given the current momentum or situation.
  • 势不可当 (shì bù kě dāng): Irresistible; unstoppable.link
  • 理所当然 (lǐ suǒ dāng rán): It is natural and right for something to happen or be the case.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 喜出望外 (xǐ chū wàng wài): Overjoyed at an unexpected result; used for positive outcomes that were not predicted or seen as inevitable.link
  • 出人意料 (chū rén yì liào): Beyond one's expectations.link
  • 意料之外 (yì liào zhī wài): Beyond expectation or unforeseen.link

6. Summary

The idiom 不可避免 (bù kě bì miǎn) is a formal expression used to describe results that are logically or objectively **unavoidable**. It is common in business, academic, or analytical contexts to emphasize the necessity of a certain outcome. While similar to 在所难免 (zài suǒ nán miǎn), which often carries a nuance of 'it happens often,' 不可避免 (bù kě bì miǎn) sounds more definitive and objective.