Grammar Point:In Chinese, the structures 在 zài··· 看来 kànlái and 从 cóng··· 来看 láikàn are commonly used to express a viewpoint. They can be translated as “in someone’s opinion” or “judging from a certain perspective.” Structure 在 + Somebody + 看來来 + Commentary This structure translates to “in someone’s opinion” or “from someone’s perspective.” It highlights a subjective…
Author: tiffany
Only if in Chinese 2 – 除非 chúfēi… 才 cái…
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 6 Grammar Point · HSK 6 除非除非 chúfēi… 才才 cái… 除非除非 chúfēi still sets up the one exception, but instead of warning what happens if it doesn’t come true, 才才 cái marks the result as something that only becomes possible once that exception is met — this is the “Only…
Unless in Chinese
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 6 Grammar Point · HSK 6 除非除非 chúfēi…否則否则 fǒuzé… 除非除非 chúfēi sets up the one exception that changes everything, then 否則否则 fǒuzé, 不然不然 bùrán, or 要不然要不然 yàobùrán delivers the consequence if that exception doesn’t happen — together they build the Chinese “unless A, otherwise B” structure. Unlike English, where “otherwise”…
Even If in Chinese 3
Grammar Point:To express even if in Chinese, we need to use 即使 jíshǐ or 哪怕 nǎpà and usually followed by the second clause 也 yě. In this pattern, the first clause is a supposition, which is then struck down as impossible by the statement’s second clause. Structure 即使 + ···,也 + ··· Subject 1 can…
Using Yǒu to Express Attachment
Grammar Point:The “you sentence”, we call it 有字句 yǒuzìjù in Chinese. The word 有 yǒu has many functions. In this article, we are going to talk about “attachment” and “possession.” attachment in Chinese Structure S + 有 yǒu + 著/着 zhe + O It use to indicate existence or possession. 兩liǎng個ge國家guójiā之間zhījiān有yǒu著zhe長期chángqí的de友好yǒuhǎo關係guānxī两liǎng个ge国家guójiā之间zhījiān有yǒu着zhe长期chángqī的de友好yǒuhǎo关系guānxiThe two countries have a…
Using Yǒu to Express Existence
Grammar Point:The Chinese language features the “you sentence,” which is known as 有字句 yǒuzìjù. The word 有 yǒu has many functions. In this article, we are going to talk about “to have” and “existence.” have has in Chinese Structure S + 有 yǒu + O This simple structure can express ownership. As Chinese does not…
“Once” in Chinese 2 – yídàn
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…
Although in Chinese
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 3
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…
Quantity Complements 2
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…






