tun, was man nicht lassen kann: meaning & examples

Meanings:

• 1.

  German-speaking countriesneutral
  • To do something that one cannot refrain from doing.

  Examples

  Beta

  • Obwohl er wusste, dass es verboten ist, hat er getan, was man nicht lassen kann und das Geheimnis verraten.

    Although he knew it was forbidden, he did what he could not help and revealed the secret.

  • Wir haben ihr zugesehen, wie sie getan hat, was man nicht lassen kann, und das Geschenk geöffnet hat.

    We watched her do what she could not help and opened the gift.

• 2.

  Standard Germaninformal
  • To act on an irresistible impulse or compulsion; to do something despite knowing one should not.

  Examples

  Beta

  • Er hat wieder getan, was man nicht lassen kann und die Schokolade heimlich gegessen.

    He did again what he could not resist and secretly ate the chocolate.

  • Manchmal muss man einfach tun, was man nicht lassen kann, auch wenn es Konsequenzen hat.

    Sometimes you just have to do what you cannot refrain from, even if there are consequences.

  • Sie hat getan, was sie nicht lassen konnte, obwohl sie wusste, dass es falsch war.

    She did what she could not help, even though she knew it was wrong.