Grammar Reference

用“非⋯⋯不可”表示强调

Emphasis with 非⋯⋯不可 · 用 (yòng)“非 (fēi)⋯⋯不可 (bùkě)”表示强调

• 不管天气怎么样，我们非去不可。 Bùguǎn tiānqì zěnmeyàng, wǒmen fēi qù bùkě. No matter what the weather is like, we absolutely must go.
• 还有这么长准备时间呢，你非要现在写完不可吗？ Háiyǒu zhème zhǎng zhǔnbèi shíjiān ne, nǐ fēiyào xiànzài xiěwán bùkě ma? There's still so much preparation time — must you insist on finishing it right now?

X到Y头上来了

X到Y头上来了 · X到 (dào)Y头上来了

• 他都欺负到你头上来了，你也不在乎吗？ Tā dōu qīfu dào nǐ tóushàng lái le, nǐ yě bùzàihu ma? He's bullying you to your face — don't you care?
• 人家都求到我们头上来了，还是帮帮他们吧。 Rénjiā dōu qiú dào wǒmen tóushàng lái le, háishi bāng bāng tāmen ba. They've come begging to us for help — let's give them a hand.

X就X吧

X就X吧 · X就 (jiù)X吧 (bā)

• 等等就等等吧，没有别的办法了。 Děngděng jiù děngděng ba, méiyǒu biéde bànfǎ le. Wait, then, let it be — there's no other way.
• 少点儿就少点儿吧，总比没有强。 Shǎo diǎnr jiù shǎo diǎnr ba, zǒng bǐ méiyǒu qiáng. Less, then, let it be — better than nothing.

X是X

X是X · X是 (shì)X

• 去是去了，就是不知道结果怎么样。 Qù shì qù le, jiùshì bù zhīdào jiēguǒ zěnmeyàng. I did go — only I don't know how it turned out.
• 好是好，但不知道老师会不会同意我们这样做。 Hǎo shì hǎo, dàn bù zhīdào lǎoshī huìbùhuì tóngyì wǒmen zhèyàng zuò. Good it is — but who knows whether the teacher will approve of our doing this.

不X不⋯⋯，一X⋯⋯

不X不⋯⋯，一X⋯⋯ · 不 (bù)X不 (bù)⋯⋯，一 (yī)X⋯⋯

• 不看不知道，一看吓一跳，这里变化太大了！ Bù kàn bù zhīdào, yì kàn xiàyítiào, zhèlǐ biànhuà tài dà le! You never know until you look — one look gave me a shock. The changes here are enormous!
• 这题目看起来简单，不做不知道，一做真不会！ Zhè tímù kànqǐlai jiǎndān, bú zuò bù zhīdào, yí zuò zhēn bùhuì! The problem looks simple — you never know till you try, and trying, you truly can't do it!

好你个X

• 好你个小偷儿，敢偷我的东西，我送你去警察局！ Hǎo nǐ gè xiǎotōur, gǎn tōu wǒ de dōngxī, wǒ sòng nǐ qù jǐngchájú! You little thief — daring to steal my things! I'm taking you to the police!
• 好你个大骗子，还好我聪明，没上你的当！ Hǎo nǐ gè dà piànzi, háihǎo wǒ cōngming, méi shàng nǐ de dāng! You scoundrel of a swindler — luckily I was smart enough not to fall for your trick!

动词+什么（就）是什么

Colloquial pattern · 动词 (dòngcí)+什么 (shénme)（就 (jiù)）是什么

• 行啊！你说什么是什么，都听你的。 Xíng a! Nǐ shuō shénme shì shénme, dōu tīng nǐ de. All right! Whatever you say goes — we'll do as you say.
• 哪有这么容易的，你想什么就是什么？ Nǎ yǒu zhème róngyì de, nǐ xiǎng shénme jiùshì shénme? How could it be that easy? You think whatever you want just happens?

早（也）不X，晚（也）不X

早（也）不X，晚（也）不X · 早 (zǎo)（也 (yě)）不 (bù)X，晚（也）不X

• 早不来，晚不来，恰好要出门的时候他来了。 Zǎo bù lái, wǎn bù lái, qiàhǎo yào chūmén de shíhou tā lái le. He came neither early nor late — just when I was about to go out.
• 早也不走，晚也不走，需要他的时候他却走了。 Zǎo yě bù zǒu, wǎn yě bù zǒu, xūyào tā de shíhou tā què zǒu le. He would leave neither early nor late — but when I needed him, off he went.

看/瞧把+宾语（施事）+X得

看/瞧把+宾语（施事）+X得 · 看 (kān)/瞧把+宾语 (bīnyǔ)（施事 (shīshì)）+X得

• 真是小孩子呀，看把他乐得。 Zhēnshi xiǎoháizi ya, kàn bǎ tā lè de. What a child — look how pleased he is!
• 瞧把他得意得，都不知道自己是谁了。 Qiáo bǎ tā déyì de, dōu bù zhīdào zìjǐ shì shuí le. Look how pleased with himself he is — he's forgotten who he even is.

放着X不Y

放着X不Y · 放着X不 (bù)Y

• 你可别放着好日子不过，在这儿找麻烦。 Nǐ kě bié fàng zhe hǎorìzi bùguò, zài zhèr zhǎomáfan. Don't go spoiling good days by stirring up trouble here.
• 他放着好好的学不上，非要跑去外面打工。 Tā fàng zhe hǎohǎo de xué bù shàng, fēiyào pǎo qù wàimiàn dǎgōng. He had perfectly good schooling to attend, yet insisted on going out to work instead.

X来X去，都是/就是⋯⋯

X来X去，都是/就是⋯⋯ · X来 (lái)X去 (qù)，都是/就是 (jiùshì)⋯⋯

• 不管我们怎么争来争去，都是没有用的。 Bùguǎn wǒmen zěnme zhēng lái zhēng qù, dōu shì méiyǒu yòng de. However much we argue back and forth, it's all useless.
• 说来说去，就是没有统一的意见。 Shuōláishuōqù, jiùshì méiyǒu tǒngyī de yìjiàn. Talk it round and round — still there is no unified opinion.

X了就X了，（没）有⋯⋯

X了就X了，（没）有⋯⋯ · X了就X了 (le)，（没 (méi)）有 (yǒu)⋯⋯

• 坏了就坏了，有什么大不了的？ Huàile jiù huàile, yǒu shénme dàbuliǎo de? If it's broken, it's broken — what's the big deal?
• 输了就输了，没有什么好难过的。 Shū le jiù shū le, méiyǒu shénme hǎo nánguò de. If you lose, you lose — there's nothing to be sad about.

这/那也不X，那/这也不Y

这/那也不X，那/这也不Y · 这 (zhè)/那也不X，那 (nǎ)/这也不Y

• 这也不吃，那也不喝，结果就是身体越来越差。 Zhè yě bù chī, nà yě bù hē, jiēguǒ jiùshì shēntǐ yuèláiyuè chà. Won't eat this, won't drink that — the result is health going from bad to worse.
• 那也不合适，这也不对，我真的不明白她到底想怎样。 Nà yě bù héshì, zhè yě bùduì, wǒ zhēnde bù míngbai tā dàodǐ xiǎng zěnyàng. That doesn't fit, this isn't right — I truly don't understand what she wants.

后—、亲—

后—、亲— · 后 (hòu)—、亲 (qīn)—

• 奥运场馆开工之前，就要考虑到后奥运时代的需求。 àoyùn chǎngguǎn kāigōng zhīqián, jiùyào kǎolǜ dào hòu àoyùn shídài de xūqiú. Before the Olympic venues even break ground, the needs of the post-Olympic era must be taken into account.
• 市长对老人们嘘寒问暖，并亲手将慰问品送到老人手中。 Shìzhǎng duì lǎo rénmen xūhánwènnuǎn, bìng qīnshǒu jiāng wèiwèn pǐn sòng dào lǎorén shǒu zhōng. The mayor asked warmly after the elders' comfort and placed the gifts in their hands himself.

—观、—鬼、—界、—然、—坛、—为、—制

—观、—鬼、—界、—然、—坛、—为、—制 · —观 (guān)、—鬼 (guǐ)、—界 (jiè)、—然、—坛、—为、—制

• 新时代农民的价值观、消费观、审美观都和以往有了很大的不同。 Xīnshídài nóngmín de jiàzhíguān, xiāofèi guān, shěnměiguān dōu hé yǐwǎng yǒule hěn dà de bùtóng. The values, consumption outlook and aesthetic outlook of the new-era farmer differ greatly from those of the past.
• 只给孩子花钱却不花时间陪伴孩子的家长同样是小气鬼。 Zhǐ gěi háizi huāqián què bù huāshíjiān péibàn háizi de jiāzhǎng tóngyàng shì xiǎoqìguǐ. Parents who spend money on their children but no time with them are misers all the same.
• 我的导师在学术界和产业界都享有崇高的声望。 Wǒ de dǎoshī zài xuéshùjiè hé chǎnyè jiè dōu xiǎngyǒu chónggāo de shēngwàng. My advisor enjoys lofty renown in both academia and industry.
• 经过七个小时的飞行，我终于在异国安然落地。 Jīngguò qī gè xiǎoshí de fēixíng, wǒ zhōngyú zài yìguó ānrán luòdì. After seven hours in the air, I landed safely in a foreign land at last.

巴不得、并非、除外、犯不着、犯得着、恨不得、可否、可谓、免不了、所谓、有所、予以

巴不得、并非、除外、犯不着、犯得着、恨不得、可否、可谓、免不了、所谓、有所、予以 · 巴不得 (bābude)、并非 (bìngfēi)、除外 (chúwài)、犯不着、犯得着、恨不得、可否、可谓、免不了、所谓、有所、予以

• 他巴不得早点儿退休，好能到处游山玩水。 Tā bābude zǎodiǎnr tuìxiū, hǎo néng dàochù yóushānwánshuǐ. He is only too eager to retire early so he can travel and enjoy the scenery everywhere.
• 在外漂泊多年的游子归心似箭，巴不得一步跨进家门。 Zàiwài piāobó duōnián de yóuzǐ guīxīnsìjiàn, bābude yí bù kuà jìn jiāmén. The wanderer long adrift abroad, homebound with an arrow's eagerness, wished he could stride through the door in a single step.
• 一种艺术风格的形成并非一蹴而就，必须经历一个渐进发展的过程。 Yìzhǒng yìshù fēnggé de xíngchéng bìngfēi yícùérjiù, bìxū jīnglì yìge jiànjìn fāzhǎn de guòchéng. An artistic style does not form overnight; it must go through a gradual process of development.
• 你之所以落选，并非你不优秀，而是你的风格和他们的需求不完全匹配。 Nǐ zhīsuǒyǐ luòxuǎn, bìngfēi nǐ bù yōuxiù, érshì nǐ de fēnggé hé tāmen de xūqiú bù wánquán pǐpèi. The reason you weren't chosen is not that you aren't good, but that your style doesn't quite match what they need.

我

我 · 我 (wǒ)

• 我校教育质量上乘，办学几十年间为国家培养、输送了大批优秀人才。 Wǒ xiào jiàoyù zhìliàng shàngchéng, bànxué jǐ shí niánjiān wèi guójiā péiyǎng, shūsòng le dàpī yōuxiù réncái. Our school's educational quality is first-rate; in the decades since its founding it has cultivated and supplied the country with large numbers of outstanding talent.
• 我公司始终秉持“以客户为中心”的理念，致力于为客户提供最优质的服务。 Wǒ gōngsī shǐzhōng bǐngchí yǐ kèhù wèi zhōngxīn de lǐniàn, zhìlìyú wèi kèhù tígōng zuì yōuzhì de fúwù. Our company has always upheld the principle of "customer first," devoted to providing clients the finest service.

人称代词

彼、这么着、兹

彼、这么着、兹 · 彼 (bǐ)、这么着 (zhèmezhe)、兹 (zī)

• “古典小说”鼎盛于明清时期，彼时涌现了如四大名著等众多经典之作。 Gǔdiǎn xiǎoshuō dǐngshèng yú míngqīng shíqī, bǐshí yǒngxiàn le rú sìdàmíngzhù děng zhòngduō jīngdiǎn zhī zuò. Classical Chinese fiction flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties, when a wealth of classics such as the Four Great Masterpieces emerged.
• 提起朝阳，人们往往会想到北京的朝阳区。然而我们今日前往参观的此“朝阳”非彼“朝阳”，乃是被誉为“三燕古都”的辽宁省朝阳市。 Tíqǐ cháoyáng, rénmen wǎngwǎng huì xiǎngdào běijīng de cháoyángqū. Ránér wǒmen jīnrì qiánwǎng cānguān de cǐ cháoyáng fēi bǐ cháoyáng , nǎishì bèi yù wèi sān yàn gǔdū de liáoníngshěng cháoyángshì. When Chaoyang is mentioned, people tend to think of Beijing's Chaoyang District. Yet the "Chaoyang" we go to visit today is not that one, but Chaoyang City in Liaoning Province, hailed as the "ancient capital of the Three Yans."
• 在商务谈判中，应尽量做到知己知彼，这样才能争取到最大的利益。 Zài shāngwù tánpàn zhōng, yīng jǐnliàng zuòdào zhījǐzhībǐ, zhèyàng cáinéng zhēngqǔ dào zuì dà de lìyì. In business negotiations you should strive to know yourself and the other side — only thus can you secure the greatest benefit.
• 你们觉得这么着好就这么办，不必再来问我的意见了。 Nǐmen juéde zhème zhe hǎo jiù zhème bàn, bùbì zài lái wèn wǒ de yìjiàn le. If you think it's better done this way, then do it so — no need to come ask my opinion again.

指示代词

何、怎么着

何、怎么着 · 何 (hé)、怎么着 (zěnmezhāo)

• 历史学家的任务之一是在浩瀚的史料中挖掘出何时、何地发生了何种事件。 Lìshǐxuéjiā de rènwu zhīyī shì zài hàohàn de shǐ liàozhòng wājué chū héshí, hé de fāshēng le hé zhǒng shìjiàn. One task of the historian is to dig out of the vast historical records when, where and what kind of events took place.
• 这座滨江小城魅力何在？因何引得诸多文人骚客留下脍炙人口的名篇？ Zhè zuò bīnjiāng xiǎochéng mèilì hézài? Yīn hé yǐndé zhūduō wénrén sāokè liúxià kuàizhìrénkǒu de míngpiān? Where lies the charm of this small riverfront city? What drew so many men of letters to leave here their much-loved masterpieces?
• 他夜里翻来覆去地想着这件事，可是还是不知道该怎么着才好。 Tā yèli fānláifùqù de xiǎng zhe zhè jiàn shì, kěshì háishi bù zhīdào gāi zěnmezhāo cái hǎo. He tossed and turned all night thinking about this, yet still had no idea what to do.
• 你说她半天在那儿一声不吭，是生气了还是怎么着？ Nǐ shuō tā bàntiān zàinar yìshēngbùkēng, shì shēngqì le háishi zěnmezhāo? Tell me — she sat there silent for ages. Is she angry, or what?

疑问代词

若干

若干 · 若干 (ruògān)

• 经过初赛、复赛和决赛，大赛产生了“十佳歌手”和若干“优秀歌手”。 Jīngguò chūsài, fùsài hé juésài, dàsài chǎnshēng le shí jiā gēshǒu hé ruògān yōuxiù gēshǒu . Through preliminary, intermediate and final rounds, the contest produced the "Ten Best Singers" and a number of "Outstanding Singers."
• 她一生著有长篇小说七部，另有中短篇小说、散文、诗歌、随笔若干。 Tā yìshēng zhù yǒu chángpiānxiǎoshuō qī bù, lìngyǒu zhōng duǎnpiānxiǎoshuō, sǎnwén, shīgē, suíbǐ ruògān. In her lifetime she wrote seven novels, along with a number of novellas, short stories, essays, poems and jottings.

数量代词