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Grammar Point:The structure 一旦 yídàn···就 jiù··· is often used in Chinese to express “once”. In this pattern, 就 jiù serves as a condition marker and can be translated as “then” or “in that case”. This structure indicates that once a certain condition is met, the action or consequence in the second part will occur. It…
Grammar Point:Although 雖虽然, suīrán and but 但是, dànshì can both be translated as ‘although’ and ‘but,’ in English, you wouldn’t use ‘but’ in the same sentence as ‘although.’ In Chinese, however, ‘although’ and ‘but’ are often used together, especially in written text. Structure 雖然/虽然 ······，但是 or 可是 ······ Think of ‘although’ and ‘but’ as a…
Degree complements, known as 程度補語补语 chéngdù bǔyǔ, are used to intensify or modify the degree of an action, the nature of a thing, or the degree of a state that has been reached. State complements, referred to as 狀態補語状态补语 zhuàngtài bǔyǔ, describe the state that an action has reached. The usage and structures of both…
Grammar Point:數量補語数量补语 shùliàng bǔyǔ (Quantitative Complement) is also called the complement of quantity, which indicates the quantity, frequency, or duration of an action or state. In this article, we are going to talk about the frequency or quantity of an action or state. Chinese Duration Complement Chinese Quantitative Complement Duration Complements Here, it’s important to…
A complement is a word or phrase following a verb or an adjective that provides more information to the verb phrase. Complements are super common in Chinese. It can be one character, a phrase, or a sentence. Complements provide additional explanations associated with verbs, such as degree, result, direction, or possibility. 6 Commonest Complements in…
Grammar Point:In this article, we’ll explore how to form comparison sentences without using 比 bǐ, as well as a more formal way to express comparisons in Chinese. Structure A + Adj. + B + Quantitative Complement This structure indicates how much A differs from B in terms of a specific quality, often providing the exact numerical difference. 他tā高gāo我wǒ五wǔ公分gōngfēn他tā高gāo我wǒ五wǔ公分gōngfēnHe is five…
Grammar Point:A 程度補語补语 chéngdù bǔyǔ or “degree complement” is used to intensify or modify the degree of an action, the nature of a thing, or the degree reached in a state. Why do we need it Structure V + 得 de + Degree Complement 得 de serves as a particle that indicates the degree or…
Grammar Point:The combination V 來来 lái V 去 qù is often used to describe repeated actions or activities that involve moving back and forth, indicating cycles, continuous movement, or doing something without a clear direction. Structure V + 來来 lái + V + 去 qù The pattern V 來来 V 去 is often paired with words like 還还是 háishì, 依然 yīrán, 仍然…
Grammar Point:The way to express comparisons in Chinese is by using 比 bǐ. In this article, we will discuss how to use a verb with 比 bǐ to make comparisons. Structure A + 比 bǐ + B + V 得 + Adj. Remember, when there is a verb and an adjective together, you always need…
怕 pà, 害怕 hàipà, 可怕 kěpà, and 恐怕 kǒngpà are all related to the concept of fear, but they have different nuances in meaning and usage in Chinese. 害怕 hàipà V. be afraid; be scared. You always need an object after it. 我wǒ害怕hàipà鬼guǐ我wǒ害怕hàipà鬼guǐI am afraid of ghosts. 媽媽māma害怕hàipà蟑螂zhāngláng妈妈māma害怕hàipà蟑螂zhānglángMom is afraid of cockroaches. 可怕 kěpà Adj….