对 (duì) and 对于 (duìyú)

Same as prep.
When 对 and 对于 are used as prepositions, they are basically the same. As a matter
of fact, when used this way 对 is just the simplification of 对于!

Structure

对／对于 + 动作对象 + Verb

Examples

The example sentence pairs below mean the same thing.

 对于 这 种 事情，你 有 什么 看法？
 对 这 种 事情，你 有 什么 看法？As for this kind of thing, what's
your perspective?

我 对于 上海 从来 没 喜欢 过 也 没 讨厌 过。
 我 对 上海 从来 没 喜欢 过 也 没 讨厌 过。I've never liked or
disliked Shanghai.

对 can be placed in more parts of the sentence

对 can be placed before the subject, after the subject, or after the adverb. 对于 in the
middle of a sentence can only be placed after the adverb.

Examples

对 这 个 问题，我们 都 很 感兴趣。
 对于 这 个 问题，我们 都 很 感兴趣。

 我们 对 这 个 问题 都 很 感兴趣。
 我们 对于 这 个 问题 都 很 感兴趣。
  我们 都 对 这 个 问题 很 感兴趣。

 我们 都 对于 这 个 问题 很 感兴趣。

All of the above examples mean "We are all interested in this problem."

对 can be used as a verb

 As a verb meaning "direction"

 When 对 is used as a verb, it expresses the meaning of direction or purpose. It

is often used in a verb phrase, like 对着, 对上, 对不上.

 Subj. + 对着／对上／对不上

Examples

 枪口 不 要 对着 人。Don't point the gun at people.

我 喜欢 对着 镜子 笑。I like to laugh at the mirror.
这 两 本 账 对不上。These two accounts don't match up.

As a verb meaning "to treat"

对 as a verb can also mean to 对待, meaning "to treat." When the verb is like this, 对
can be used for people or abstract things.

A + 对 + B + Adj.

Examples

我 的 男 朋友 对 我 很 好。My boyfriend treats me very well.

 他 对 工作 很 认真。He treats his work very seriously.

Examples of right and wrong sentences

 我们都对于这个问题很感兴趣。

 我们都对这个问题很感兴趣。

他 对于 工作 很 认真。

他 对 工作 很 认真。

Example Dialog

 A: 对于 这 件 事，你 怎么 看？What do you think about this?

 B: 我 对 她 很 了解，她 不 会 这么 做 的。I understand her
completely. She can't do it like this.

2. Both 离 (lí) and 从 (cóng) can be translated into English as “from.” In Chinese however,
their meanings are different.

从 is used in cases where the subject's position relative to a fixed location changes.

离 expresses a “static” distance, or a distance that is unchanging. Both can be used in

defining distance or time, however 从 has more meanings than 离.

从 as "from" (time)

Structure

从 + Time + 开始 / 起 / 以来 ⋯⋯

Examples

从 明天 开始，我 不 抽烟 了。Cóng míngtiān kāishǐ, wǒ bù

chōuyān le.Starting tomorrow, I will not smoke.
 从 有 了 女朋友 以后，他 不 泡妞 了。Cóng yǒu le nǚ péngyou
yǐhòu, tā bù pàoniū le.After he gets a girlfriend, he won’t hit on women.

从 as "from" (place)

Structure

从 + Place + 到 / 向 + Place

Examples

他 从 地上 拿 起来了 一百 块。Tā cóng dìshàng ná qǐláile yībǎi

kuài.He picked up one hundred RMB from the ground.

从 as "from" (amount)

Examples

从 学生 到 老师 都 放假 了。Cóng xuéshēng dào lǎoshī dōu

fàngjiàle.Everyone, from the students to the teachers, are on holiday.

从 as "from" (change)

Examples

他 从 最 差 的 学生 变成 了 最 认真 的 学生。Tā cóng zuì chà

de xuéshēng biànchéng le zuì rènzhēn de xuéshēng.He went from
being the worst student to the best student.
离 as "from" (distance)

Structure

离 + Place + Distance

Examples

我 的 学校 离 你家 很远。Wǒ de xuéxiào lí nǐ jiā hěn yuǎn.My

school is far from your house.

离 as "from" (time)

Structure

离 + Event + [Time Duration]

Examples

 第一次 世界 大战 离第二次 世界 大战 不到 50 年。Dì-yī cì

shìjiè dàzhàn lí dì èr cì shìjiè dàzhàn bù dào 50 nián.World War I
and World War II are less than 50 years apart.
Setence patterns

1.When conceding a point, we often put emphasis on the point we are conceding, and in
Chinese there is a way to do that with 是 (shì).

"⋯⋯是⋯⋯, 但是⋯⋯" (... shì... , dànshì...) is a pattern often used in an argument or debate.
It's usually indicating that the speaker is conceding a point, but they still have some
reservations about the topic at hand.

中国 的 产品 便宜 是 便宜 ， 但是 质量 不 太 好 。
Zhōngguó de chǎnpǐn piányi shì piányi, dànshì zhìliàng bù tài hǎo.
Chinese goods may be cheap, but their quality isn't very good.

这个 东西 好 是 好 ，但是 太 贵 了 。Zhège
dōngxi hǎo shì hǎo, dànshì tài guì le.This thing is good, but it isn't cheap.

这 种 车 快 是 快 ， 但是 不 安全 。Zhè zhǒng
chē kuài shì kuài, dànshì bù ānquán.This car is fast, but it isn't safe.

我 的 老师 教 得 好 是 好 ，但是 作业 太多 。Wǒ de lǎoshī jiāo

de hǎo shì hǎo, dànshì zuòyè tài duō.My teacher teaches well，but the
assignments are too much.

2. This pattern tells us that as soon as one thing happened, then another thing
happened immediately afterwards. You mark the two events with 一 (yī) and 就 (jiù).

Structure

The pattern involves two different events, the first preceded by "一," and then the
second event, which follows in quick succession, preceded by 就.

The subjects of the two "Events" can be the same, but they don't have to be. If
they're the same, then you don't need to repeat the subject for the second one.

老师 一 进来 大家 就 不 说话 了。Lǎoshī yī jìnlái dàjiā jiù bù shuōhuà le.As

soon as the teacher came in, everyone stopped talking.

他 一 下课 就 跑 出去 玩 了。Tā yī xiàkè jiù pǎo chūqù wán le.As soon the

class is over, he went out to play.

老板 一 走 他 就 开始 抽烟 了。Lǎobǎn yī zǒu tā jiù kāishǐ chōuyān le.As

soon as the boss left, he started smoking.
他 一 下班 就 回家 了。Tā yī xiàbān jiù huíjiā le.As soon as he got off work, he
went home.

Expressing “every time” with 一……就……

In this case, 一 means "every time," followed by some certain condition, which could
be the reason or the cause of what happened after 就. The subjects of the two
"Events" are usually the same.

我 一 想到 这 件 事 就 不 高兴。Wǒ yī xiǎngdào zhè jiàn shì jiù bù

gāoxìng.Every time I think about this, I get upset.

她 一 看到 她 喜欢 的 男生 就 紧张 。Tā yī kàndào tā xǐhuan de

nánshēng jiù jǐnzhāng.Every time she sees a boy she likes, get nervous.

老师 一 生气 就 脸红。Lǎoshī yī shēngqì jiù liǎn hóng.Every time the teacher

gets angry, his face turns red.

她 一 吃 火锅 就 拉肚子。Tā yī chī huǒguō jiù lā dùzi.Every time she eats

hotpot, she has diarrhea.

就要 (jiùyào) is similar to 快要 (kuàiyào), meaning "about to." They are

interchangeable in some cases. But there is a major difference that you need to take
a good look at.

Situations where both can be used

Colloquially, you can just say 快 instead of 快要. But 就要 can't be used that way.

Structure

快（要） / 就（要） + Verb Phrase + 了

他 快要 去 美国 了。Tā kuài yào qù Měiguó le.He's about to go to the USA.

快要 下 雨 了！Kuài yào xià yǔ le!It's about to rain!

他们 就要 结婚 了。Tāmen jiù yào jiéhūn le.They are about to get married

就要 下课 了，还有 别的 问题 吗？Jiù yào xiàkè le, háiyǒu bié de wèntí

ma?The class is almost over. Are there any other questions?

Situations where only "就要" can be used

快要 (kuài yào) is generally "about to" [happen], but 就要 (jiù yào) could be used to
mark a more specific time. 要 (yào) here can be omitted. For this one, you wouldn't
normally use "about to" for this English translation, but the feeling is nevertheless that
the impending event is coming up fast.

还有 + Time Period + 就（要） + Verb Phrase + 了

还有 十 天 宝宝 就 一 岁 了。Háiyǒu shí tiān bǎobǎo jiù yī suì le.In ten more

days, the baby will be one year old.

还有 十 分钟 就 下班 了。Háiyǒu shí fēnzhōng jiù xiàbān le.In 10 more

minutes I get off work.

还有 五 天 就要 放假 了。Háiyǒu wǔ tiān jiù yào fàngjià le.In 10 more days, I

go on vacation.

还有 一 个 月 就要 过年 了。Háiyǒu yī gè yuè jiù yào guònián le.In another

month it will be Chinese New Year.

还有 两 个 星期 就要 考试 了。Háiyǒu liǎng gè xīngqí jiù yào kǎoshì

le.We're just two weeks away from the test date.
都⋯⋯了 (dōu... le) is a pattern used to express that something has already
happened, similar to "已经⋯⋯了." However, 都⋯⋯了 is used more emphatically,
implying that the speaker holds some sort of attitude in relation to the event, and is
not merely objectively stating the facts, as with "已经⋯⋯ 了." The two options can
actually also be combined in the pattern "都已经⋯⋯ 了." Here the meaning is the
same as "都⋯⋯ 了."

都 + Time Word / Quantity + 了

Subj. + 都 + Adj. / Verb + 了

都 九点 了，快 起床 吧！Dōu jiǔ diǎn le, kuài qǐchuáng ba!It's already nine
o'clock. Get out of bed!

都 十二 点 了，你 还不 睡？Dōu shí'èr diǎn le, nǐ hái bù shuì?It's already

12am. Aren't you going to bed?

都 一 个 小时 了，他 还 在 厕所 里。Dōu yī gè xiǎoshí le, tā hái zài cèsuǒ

lǐ.It's already been an hour. He's still in the bathroom.

都 二十一 世纪 了，你 还 这么 想？Dōu èrshí-yī shìjì le, nǐ hái zhème

xiǎng?It's already the 21st century and you still think this way?

你 都 快 三十 了，说话 还 像 个 孩子。Nǐ dōu kuài sānshí le, shuōhuà hái

xiàng gè háizi.You're 30, and you still talk like a small child.

饭 都 凉 了，快 吃 吧。Fàn dōu liáng le. Kuài chī ba.The food is cold already.
Let's eat.

牛奶 都 坏了，扔掉 吧 。Niúnǎi dōu huài le, rēngdiào ba.The milk's gone bad.
You should throw it away.

我 都 说 了 三 遍 了，不想 再 说 了 。Wǒ dōu shuō le sān biàn le, bù

xiǎng zài shuō le.I've said it three times already. I don't want to repeat any more.
这个 电影 你 都 看 过 了，看 别的 吧。Zhège diànyǐng nǐ dōu kàn guo le,
kàn biéde bā.You've seen this movie already. Let's watch something else.

他 都 道歉 了，你 别 生气 了。Tā dōu dàoqiàn le, nǐ bié shēngqì le.He's

made an apology. Stop being so mad at him.

The grammar pattern "虽然⋯⋯ 但是⋯⋯" (suīrán... dànshì...) is one of the most
common used patterns in Chinese, especially in written Chinese. You can think of it
as meaning "although," but unlike in English, you still need to follow it with a "but"
word in Chinese.

Structure
"虽然 ⋯⋯ 但是 ⋯⋯ " expresses that while the former part of the sentence is true,
there is an adverse reaction in the latter part.

虽然 + Subj. + 但是 + Contrary Reaction

Simply put, the pattern means, although..., but... In English, you wouldn't normally
need the "but" there, but it is required in Chinese. Be aware that "可是" can be used
interchangeably with "但是" for the "but" part.

虽然 他 是 美国 人 ，但是 他 还 没 去 过 华盛顿。Suīrán tā shì Měiguó

rén, dànshì tā hái méi qùguò Huáshèngdùn.Although he's American, he still hasn't
been to Washington D.C.

虽然 她 说 不 太 饿，但是 她 点 了 很 多 菜。Suīrán tā shuō bù tài

è, dànshì tā diǎn le hěn duō cài.Even though she said she isn't hungry, she ordered a
lot of food.

虽然 他 的 家里 很 有钱，可是 他 从来 不浪费 钱。Suīrán tā de jiālǐ hěn

yǒu qián, kěshì tā cónglái bù làngfèi qián.Even though he‘s got a rich family, he
never wastes money.
任何 (rènhé) is a modifier that means means "any," "whichever," or "whatsoever." It is
also like the English phrases "any and all" or "no matter what."

This modifier usually does not use 的. It is often paired with 都 or 也.

任何 + Noun

这 是 我们 俩 的 秘密 ， 跟 任何 人 都 不要 说 。Zhè shì wǒmen liǎ de

mìmì, gēn rènhé rén dōu bùyào shuō.This is our secret. Don't tell it to anyone.

我 父母 不 让 我 参加 任何 校外 的 活动 。Wǒ fùmǔ bù ràng wǒ

cānjiā rènhé xiàowài de huódòng.My parents won't let me participate in any school
activity.

这么 多 年 过去 了 ， 他 还是 没有 任何变化 。Zhème duō nián guòqù le,

tā háishì méiyǒu rènhé biànhuà.So many years have passed, and he hasn't changed a
bit.

这 种 情况 在 任何 时候 都 不能 发生 。Zhè zhǒng qíngkuàng

zài rènhé shíhou dōu bù néng fāshēng.You can't let this kind of thing happen in any
circumstance.

我们 老板 人 很 好 ， 你 有 任何 想法 都 可以 跟 他 说 。Wǒmen lǎobǎn
rén hěn hǎo, nǐ yǒu rènhé xiǎngfǎ dōu kěyǐ gēn tā shuō.Our boss is a very good
person. Any thoughts you have you can discuss with him.

我 先 走 了 ，有 任何 需要 给 我 打 电话 吧 。Wǒ xiān zǒu le,

yǒu rènhé xūyào gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà bā.I'm leaving now. Call me if you need
anything.

When we want to express "to do something as one pleases," we can use the "想 +
verb +就 + verb" form.
Basic Usage
This structure is similar to how we would say in English "Whatever I want to eat, I
eat" or "Wherever I want to go, I go." What comes after the 想 and 就 are the same
verb.

想 + Verb (+ Obj.) + 就 + Verb (+ Obj.)

你 想 来 就来 。Nǐ xiǎng lái jiù lái.If you want to come, come.

想唱 就 大声 唱 。Xiǎng chàng jiù dàshēng chàng.If you want to sing, sing

loudly.

想 做 就做 ， 不 想 做 就 别 做 。Xiǎng zuò jiù zuò, bù xiǎng zuò jiù bié

zuò.Do what you want to do, don't do what you don't want to do.

Used with a Question Word

You can also add in a question word, like 什么, 哪儿, or 怎么. When this is the case,
the pronouns don't necessarily refer to any specific thing. They can be seen more as
words like "whatever" or "wherever." This way, question pronouns (什么,谁,什么时
候,etc) serve as "indefinite references."

Structure

想 + Verb + Question Word + 就 + Verb + Question Word

想 去 哪儿 就 去哪儿 。Xiǎng qù nǎr jiù qù nǎr.Wherever you want to go, go

there.

你 想 吃 什么 就 吃 什么 ， 我 无所谓 。Nǐ xiǎng chī shénme jiù chī

shénme, wǒ wúsuǒwèi.Eat whatever you want, I don't care.

我 想怎样 就怎样 ，不 关 你 的 事 。Wǒ xiǎng zěnyàng jiù zěnyàng, bù

guān nǐ de shì.I will do it how I want to do it. It has nothing to do with you.
"连⋯⋯ 都 / 也⋯⋯" (lián...dōu/yě...) is a pattern that can be used to emphasize
certain unexpected or surprising events or information. It is used the same
way even is in English.

连 Followed by Noun

Structure

连 + Noun + 都 / 也 + Verb Phrase

你们 连 我 都 不 相信？Nǐmen lián wǒ dōu bù xiāngxìn?How come you don't

even believe in me?

他 什么 都 吃，连 狗肉 都 吃。He eats everything, even dog meat.

你 连 他 的 名字 都 没 听说 过？Nǐ liántā de míngzi dōu méi tīngshuō

guo?You haven't even heard about his name?

这个 汉字 太 难 了 ，连 我 的 中文 老师 也 不 认识 。Zhège Hànzì tài

nán le, lián wǒ de Zhōngwén lǎoshī yě bù rènshi.This Chinese character is so
difficult that even my Chinese teacher doesn't know it.

Not even One with 连

连 + 一 + Measure Word + (Noun) + 都 / 也 + 不 / 没 + Verb Phrase

两 年 前，他 连 一 句 中文 都 不 会 说。Liǎng nián qián, tā lián yī jù

Zhōngwén dōu bù huì shuō.He couldn't even speak one sentence in Chinese two
years ago.

你 在 国外 连 一 个 朋友 都 没有？Nǐ zài guówài lián yī gè

péngyou dōu méiyǒu?You don't even have a friend abroad?

我们 连 一 次 也 没 见 过。Wǒmen lián yī cì yě méi jiàn guo.We haven't even

met once.
连 Followed by Verb
The verb used in this structure is mostly one syllable verb.

Structure

连 + Verb + 也 / 都 + 不 / 没 + Verb（，就⋯⋯）

Using this type of sentence structure emphasizes "not even at all..."

我 连 见 都 没 见 过 。Wǒ lián jiàn dōu méi jiàn guo.I didn't meet him at all.

你 怎么 连 想 都 不 想 ？Nǐ zěnme lián xiǎng dōu bù xiǎng?How did you not

think about it at all?

他 连 看 都 没 看 ， 就 说 我 的 衣服 很 难看 。Tā lián kàn dōu méi kàn,

jiù shuō wǒ de yīfu hěn nánkàn.He didn't even look at them at all, he just said my
clothes were ugly.

他 连 问 都 不 问 ， 就 把 我们 的 东西 扔 掉 了 。Tā lián wèn dōu bù

wèn, jiù bǎ wǒmen de dōngxi rēngdiào le.He didn't even ask at all, he just threw
away my stuff.

你们 连 尝 都 没 尝 ， 怎么 知道 不 好吃 ？Nǐmen lián cháng dōu méi

cháng, zěnme zhīdào bù hǎochī?You guys didn't even taste it at all, how do you
know that it tastes bad?

连 Followed by Sentence

连 + Sentence + 都 / 也 + Verb Phrase

你们 连 他 叫 什么 都 不 问？Nǐmen lián tā jiào shénme dōu bù wèn?How

come you don't even believe in me?

他 连 他 女朋友 喜欢 吃 什么 都 不 知道。Tā lián tā nǚpéngyou xǐhuan chī

shénme dōu bù zhīdào.How come you don't even believe in me?
她 连 我 每天 跟 谁 一起 吃饭 都 要 问。Tā lián wǒ měi tiān gēn shéi yīqǐ
chīfàn dōu yào wèn.<She even asks me about who I have dinner with everyday.

每⋯⋯都⋯⋯ (měi... dōu...) is a pattern used to express "every time," even though the
phrase 每次 (měi cì) may not be explicitly used.

You should already be familiar with how 每 and 都 work together. In this grammar
structure, the focus is on what happens every time a certain action is done, for
example, "every time he comes across a problem, he needs to write it down."

每 + Verb + Number + Measure Word + Noun + 都 + Verb

他 每 遇到 一 个 问题 都 要 记 下来 。Tā měi yùdào yī gè wèntí dōu yào jì

xiàlái.Every time he comes across a problem, he needs to write it down.

她 每 去一个 地方 都 要 拍照 。Tā měi qùyī gè dìfang dōu yào

pāizhào.Every time she visits some place, she takes photos.

他 每 拍 完 一部 电影 都 要 休息 一个月 。Tā měi pāi wán yī bù

diànyǐng dōu yào xiūxi yī gè yuè.Every time he finishes shooting a movie, he needs to
take a break for one month.

记住 ，每 写 完 一 篇 文章 都 要 保存 。Jìzhù, měi xiě wán yī piān

wénzhāng dōu yào bǎocún.Remember, every time you finish writing an article, save
it.

他 每 换 一 个 工作 ， 都 要 搬家 。Tā měi huàn yī gè gōngzuò, dōu yào

bānjiā.Every time he starts a new job, he moves.

为什么 我 每 说 一 件 事 ， 你 都 要 问 “真的吗” ？Wèishénme

wǒ měi shuō yī jiàn shì, nǐ dōu yào wèn"zhēnde ma"?Why you have to ask
"really" every time I say something?
This grammar point is not about how to use 每 (měi) to mean "every," but rather how
to combine question wordswith 都 (dōu) to make words and phrases like
"everywhere" or "everyone." You may have learned this same pattern for expressing
"everything," but now it's time to extend it.

Expressing "Everyone" with 谁 都

"谁 都" (shéi dōu) is a pattern used to express "everyone" (or possibly "anyone") in
Chinese. The placement of the question word 谁 is very similar to the way 什么
(shénme) can be used to express "every", along with other question words like 哪儿
(nǎr) and 多少 (duōshǎo).

Structure

谁 + 都 + Verb Phrase

谁 都 喜欢 美食。Shéi dōu xǐhuan měishí.Everyone likes delicious food.

这个 地方 谁 都 可以 进 。Zhège dìfang shéi dōu kěyǐ jìn.Everyone can go

inside this place.

谁 都 不 相信 他 说 的 话 。Shéi dōu bù xiāngxìn tā shuō de huà.No one

believes what he said.

谁 都 不 希望 发生 这样 的 事 。Shéi dōu bù xīwàng fāshēng zhèyàng de

shì.No one wants this kind of thing to happen.

谁 都 没 办法 证明 他 拿 了 公司 的 钱 。Shéi dōu méi bànfǎ zhèngmíng

tā ná le gōngsī de qián.No one can prove that he took the company's money.

Expressing "Everywhere" with 哪儿 都

This pattern also works with 哪儿 (nǎr).

Structure

哪儿 / 哪里 + 都 + Verb Phrase

你 家 太 乱 了 ， 哪儿 都 是 脏 衣服 。Nǐ jiā tài luàn le, nǎr dōu shì zāng

yīfu.Your place is so messy. Dirty clothes are everywhere.

昨天 运动 得 太 厉害 了 ， 现在 哪儿 都 疼 。Zuótiān yùndòng de tài lìhai

le, xiànzài nǎr dōu téng.I exercised too strenuously yesterday. Now everywhere hurts.

我 太 累 了，哪儿 都 不想 去。Wǒ tài lèi le, nǎr dōu bù xiǎng qù.I'm too
tired. I don't want to go anywhere.

Expressing "Whenever" with 什么时候 都

什么时候 (shénme shíhou) combines with 都 (dōu) to mean "whenever" or "anytime."

Structure

什么 时候 + 都 + Verb Phrase

你 什么 时候 来 都 行 。Nǐ shénme shíhou lái dōu xíng.You can come anytime.

什么 时候 开始 都 不 晚 。Shénme shíhou kāishǐ dōu bù wǎn.It's never too

late to begin.

我 家 什么 时候 都 有 人 在 。Wǒ jiā shénme shíhou dōu yǒu rén zài.There

is always someone at home.

Expressing "However Much" with 多少 都

多少 (duōshao) also works with "都" in this case.

Structure

多少 (+ Noun) + 都 + Verb Phrase

多少 钱 都 买 不到 这个 东西 。Duōshao qián dōu mǎi bùdào zhège

dōngxi.You can't buy this thing at any price.

你 想 吃 多少 都 可以 。Nǐ xiǎng chī duōshao dōu kěyǐ.You can eat however

much you want.

这些 是 免费 的 ， 我们 拿 多少 都 没 问题 。Zhèxiē shì miǎnfèi de,

wǒmen ná duōshao dōu méi wèntí.These are all free. We can take however much we
want.

Expressing "However" with 怎么 都

怎么 (zěnme) also works with "都" in this case.

Structure

怎么 + 都 + Verb Phrase

我 想 怎么 做 都 可以 吗 ？Wǒ xiǎng zěnme zuò dōu kěyǐ ma?Is it OK if I do

however I want?

别人 怎么 想 都 不 重要 。Biérén zěnme xiǎng dōu bù zhòngyào.It doesn't

matter however other people think.

这 件 衣服 怎么 穿 都 好看 。Zhè jiàn yīfu zěnme chuān dōu hǎokàn.This

clothing looks good however you wear it.

Using 除了 (chúle)⋯⋯ 以外 (yǐwài) will help you spruce up your sentences when you
want to express "except," "besides," and "in addition." You may feel that "except" has
a pretty different meaning form the other two. Well, read on!

Structure
"除了⋯⋯ (以外), 都⋯⋯ " (chúle... (yǐwài), dōu...) is a pattern used to express
"except." Make a special note of the 都!

除了 + Noun Phrase + (以外) + Noun Phrase + 都 + Verb

除了 妈妈 以外 ， 我们 全家 都 去 香港 。Chúle māma yǐwài, wǒmen

quánjiā dōu qù Xiānggǎng.Except for mother, the whole family went to Hong Kong.

除了 白酒 以外 ， 他 什么 酒 都 喝 。Chúle báijiǔ yǐwài, tā shénme jiǔ dōu

hē.He will drink anything except white wine.

除了 星期天 以外 ， 我们 每 天 都 上班 。Chúle Xīngqītiān yǐwài, wǒmen

měi tiān dōu shàngbān.Except for Sunday, we work every day.

An important note is that either 除了 or 以外 (usually it's 以外) can be omitted from
the sentence without losing its meaning.

Expressing "in Addition"

Structure

"除了⋯⋯ (以外), 也/还⋯⋯ " (chúle... (yǐwài), yě/hái... ) is a pattern used to express
"in addition." Make a special note of the 也 or 还!

除了 + Noun Phrase + (以外) + Noun Phrase + 也 / 还 + Verb

除了 海南岛 以外 ， 我 还 想 去 台湾 旅行 。Chúle Hǎinán Dǎo yǐwài, wǒ

hái xiǎng qù Táiwān lǚxíng.In addition to Hainan Island, I also want to travel to
Taiwan.

除了 牛肉 以外 ， 她 也 很喜欢 吃 鸡肉 。Chúle niúròu yǐwài, tā yě hěn

xǐhuan chī jīròu.In addition to beef, she also likes to chicken.
中国 的 功夫 明星 除了 成龙 ， 李连杰 也 很 有名 。Zhōngguó de
gōngfu míngxīng chúle Chéng Lóng, Lǐ Liánjié yě hěn yǒumíng.In addition to
Jackie Chen, Jet Li is also very famous as a kung fu star.

Although there are a number of ways to express "it depends" in Chinese, the most
common ones in spoken Chinese involve the verb 看 (kàn). Some common
expressions include:

 要看 (yào kàn)
 得看 (děi kàn)

Both 得看 (děi kàn) and 要看 (yào kàn) mean "depends on." Literally, they both mean
"have to look at," so the logic is not hard to understand. Both of them are informal
spoken patterns. If you're looking for more formal language, consider 取决于 (qǔjué
yú), "to be dependent on."

As an answer to a question
If you're answering a question with "it depends on..." then this is the pattern you
want. It's a bit simpler than 取决于 (qǔjué yú).

Structure

(这 / 那) + 得看 / 要看 + [What "It" Depends On]

Examples

Keep in mind that the "answers" below are meant to be an answer to some imaginary
question that we don't include.

这 得看 你 的 时间 。Zhè děikàn nǐ de shíjiān.This depends on when you are

available.

这 得看 天气 怎么样 。Zhè děikàn tiānqì zěnmeyàng.It depends on how the

weather is.
那 得看 考试 难 不 难 。Nà děikàn kǎoshì nán bu nán.That depends on
whether the exam is difficult or not.

那 要看 他 有 没有 女朋友 。Nà yàokàn tā yǒu méiyǒu nǚpéngyou.That

depends on whether or not he has a girlfriend.

那 要看 孩子 怎么 想 。Nà yàokàn háizi zěnme xiǎng.It depends on what the

child thinks.

As part of a full sentence

Structure

If you're going to write a full sentence explaining what "it" depends on, then you're
going to need to lead off with some kind of explanation of the "unknown outcome" of
what "it depends" on. So you'll start with the "unknown outcome" in the first part of
the sentence (before 要看 / 得看), and then end up with what "it depends on" (after 要
看 / 得看).

[Unknown Outcome] + 得看 / 要看 + [What "It" Depends On]

The "unknown outcome" normally includes some kind of question word, meaning
something like "whether or not x happens" or "what x does," etc.

去 不 去 要看 他 的 心情 。Qù bu qù yàokàn tā de xīnqíng.Whether he comes

or not depends on his mood.

能 不 能 得到 这 个 工作 要看 你 的 面试 结果 。Néng bu néng dédào

zhè gè gōngzuò yàokàn nǐ de miànshì jiéguǒ.Whether you can get this job depends
on the result of the job interview.

请 多少 人 来 得看 你们 的 预算 是 多少 。Qǐng duōshao rén

lái děikàn nǐmen de yùsuàn shì duōshao.When to meet this client depends on what
time he will be available.

送 什么 礼物 要看 她 喜欢 什么 。Sòng shénme lǐwù yàokàn tā xǐhuan

shénme.What birthday present to give to her depends on what she really likes.
能 不 能 赢 得看 我们 的 团队 合作 得 怎么样 。Néng bu néng
yíng děikàn wǒmen de tuánduì hézuò de zěnmeyàng.Whether we can win
depends on how our teamwork is.

越来越 (yuèláiyuè) is used frequently in Chinese to express that some quality or state
is increasing with time, or in tune with another factor. There are two forms of this
pattern, the "simple" one (using 来), and the more complex one (which uses two
different adjectives/verbs).

Using 越来越 before an Adjective

This structure expresses that something is becoming more and more adjective over
time, with the latter adjective changing with the verb. The most common structure is:

Structure

Subj. + 越来越 + Adj. + 了

天气 越来越 冷 了。Tiānqì yuèláiyuè lěng le.The weather is getting colder and

colder.

你 女儿 越来越 漂亮 了。Nǐ nǚér yuèláiyuè piàoliang le.Your daughter is

getting more and more beautiful.

你 做 的 菜 越来越 好吃 了。Nǐ zuò de cài yuèláiyuè hǎochī le.The food that

you cook is more and more delicious.

汽油 越来越 贵 了。Qìyóu yuèláiyuè guì le.Gasoline is getting more and more

expensive.

Using 越来越 before a Verb

It's mainly psychological verbs that can be used in this way.

Structure
 Subj. + 越来越 + Verb + 了

来 中国 以后，他 越来越 喜欢 吃 辣 了。Lái Zhōngguó yǐhòu,

tā yuèláiyuè xǐhuan chī là le.After he came to China, he likes eating spicy food more
and more.

我 越来越 想 家 了。Wǒ yuèláiyuè xiǎng jiā le.I'm getting more and more
homesick.

大家 越来越 习惯 当地 的 生活 了。Dàjiā yuèláiyuè xíguàn dāngdì de

shēnghuó le.Everyone is getting more and more used to local life.

你 越来越 会 做 菜 了。Nǐ yuèláiyuè huì zuò cài le.You're getting better and
better at cooking.

有 了 孩子 以后，我 越来越 能 理解 我 自己 的 父母 了。Yǒu le háizi

yǐhòu, wǒ yuèláiyuè néng lǐjiě wǒ zìjǐ de fùmǔ le.After I have my own kid, I can
understand my own parents more and more.

In English we might want to say something like "I have absolutely no money, not
even one penny." That "not even one" is the focus of this article.

Basic Usage
Structure

This structure is usually used for emphasizing how little of something you have. The
measure word in the middle of the sentence and the noun should be compatible with
the verb at the end.

一 + Measure Word + (Noun) + 也 / 都 + 不 / 没 + Verb

我 一 口 都 没 吃 。Wǒ yī kǒu dōu méi chī.I didn't take a single bite.

他 一 句 中文 都 不 会 说 。Tā yī jù Zhōngwén dōu bù huì shuō.He can't
speak one sentence of Chinese.

为什么 这里 一 个 人 都 没有 ？Wèishénme zhèlǐ yī gè

rén dōu méiyǒu?Why aren't there any people here?

她 一 瓶 酒 也 没 喝 。Tā yī píng jiǔ yě méi hē.She didn't drink a bottle of wine.

来 上海 以前 ， 他 一 个 外国 朋友 都 没有 。Lái Shànghǎi yǐqián,

tā yī gè wàiguó péngyou dōu méiyǒu.He didn't have a foreign friend before he came
to Shanghai.

Advanced Usage
Structure

If you want to put the topic of your conversation at the beginning of the sentence,
make sure it has a strong emphasis or some kind of exaggerated remark.

Topic + Subj. + 一 + Measure Word + (Noun) + 也 / 都 + Verb

这个 人 我 一 次 都 没 见 过 。Zhège rén wǒ yī cì yě méi jiàn guo.I haven't

seen this person once.

这样 的 菜 我 一 次 也 没 吃 过 。Zhèyàng de cài wǒ yī cì yě méi chī

guo.I've never eaten this kind of food before.

这 次 活动 我们 公司 一个 人 也 没 参加 。Zhè cì huódòng wǒmen

gōngsī yī gè rén yě méi cānjiā.Not one person in our company has participated in
this activity.

"不但⋯⋯，而且⋯⋯" (bùdàn..., érqiě...) is a very commonly used pattern that

indicates "not only, ... but also...."

Used with One Subject

Structure
 Subj. + 不但 + Adj. / Verb， 而且 + Adj. / Verb

The same subject should apply to both the first part and the second part (the part
after 而且).

The pattern can also be used omitting 而且, and instead using adverbs like 也 and 还
in its place.

这 种 菜 不但 好吃 ， 而且 有 营养 。Zhè zhǒng
cài bùdàn hǎochī, érqiě yǒu yíngyǎng.This kind of vegetable is not only delicious,
but nutritious as well.

她 不但 聪明 ， 而且 很 努力 。Tā bùdàn cōngming, érqiě hěn nǔlì.She is

not only smart, but also very hard-working.

他 不但 做 完 了 ， 而且 做 得 非常 好 。Tā bùdàn zuò wán le, érqiě zuò

de fēicháng hǎo.Not only did he finish, but he also did it extremely well.

Used with Two Different Subjects

When there is only one subject with 不但⋯⋯而且⋯⋯, the subject has to come at the
beginning of the sentence, before both 不但 and 而且. When using two different
subjects, however, you need to put one after 不但 and one after 而且.

Structure

So here's the pattern with one subject:

Subj. + 不但 + Adj. / Verb， 而且 + Adj. / Verb

And here's the pattern with two subjects:

不但 + Subj. 1 + Adj. / Verb， 而且 + Subj. 2 + Adj. / Verb

不但 我 会 做饭，而且 会 洗衣服。One subject, but in the wrong placeNot only can I

cook, but I can also do the laundry.
我 不但 会 做饭，而且 会 洗衣服。One subjectNot only can I cook, but I can also
do the laundry.

我 不但 会 做饭，而且 我妹妹 也会 做饭。Two subjects, first one in the wrong

placeNot only can I cook, but my little sister can as well.

不但 我 会 做饭，而且 我妹妹 也会 做饭。Two subjectsNot only can I cook, but

my little sister can as well.

"不知道⋯⋯好" (bù zhīdào...hǎo) is an expression used to indicate and emphasize

that the speaker does not know how to do something, or at least does not know how
to do something well.

Structure

Subj. + 不知道 + Verb Phrase + 好

You will sometimes see the adverb 才 preceding the final 好, which serves the
purpose of emphasis.

这 件 事 我 真的 不 知道 怎么办 好 。Zhè jiàn shì wǒ zhēnde bù

zhīdào zěnmebàn hǎo.I really don't know what to do with this.

那 时候 我 真 不 知道 说 什么 好 。Nà shíhou wǒ zhēn bù zhīdào shuō

shénme hǎo.I didn't know what to say at that time.

他 的 短信 我 不 知道 怎么 回复 好 。Tā de duǎnxìn wǒ bù zhīdào zěnme

huífù hǎo.I don't know how to reply to his message.

这些 东西 我们 不 知道 放 在 哪儿 好 。Zhèxiē dōngxi wǒmen bù

zhīdào fàng zài nǎr hǎo.We don't know where to put there stuff.
好吃 的 太 多 了 ， 他 不 知道 先 吃 哪个 好 。Hǎochī de tài duō le, tā bù
zhīdào xiān chī nǎge hǎo.There are too much delicious food. He doesn't know which
one to start with.

When talking about various aspects of a situation, "一方面⋯⋯， (另)一方面⋯⋯" (yī

fāngmiàn..., (lìng) yī fāngmiàn...) can be used in a similar way that "On one hand...,
on the other hand..." is in English.

Structure

一 方面 + Aspect 1， (另) 一 方面 + Aspect 2

The two aspects in the sentence can both be similar in tone, or as it is more common
in English, they can be in direct opposition of each other.

我们 一 方面 要 让 客户 满意 ， 另 一 方面 又 不 能 让 公司 有 损
失 。Wǒmen yī fāngmiàn yào ràng kèhù mǎnyì, lìng yī fāngmiàn yòu bù néng
ràng gōngsī yǒu sǔnshī.One one hand, we need to make our clients satisfied, but on
the other hand, we can't cause the company any loss.

这个 项目 一 方面 能 增加 当地 人 的 收入 ， 另 一 方面 还 能 保护 当
地 的 环境 。Zhège xiàngmù yī fāngmiàn néng zēngjiā dāngdì rén de
shōurù, lìng yī fāngmiàn hái néng bǎohù dāngdì de huánjìng.One one hand, this
project can increase local people's income; on the other hand, it can protect local
environment.

他 一 方面很 想 创业 ， 另 一 方面 又 担心 风险 太 大 。Tā yī
fāngmiàn hěn xiǎng chuàngyè, lìng yī fāngmiàn yòu dānxīn fēngxiǎn tài dà.On
one hand, he wants to start a business, but on the other hand, he's afraid the risk is too
great.

智能 手机 一 方面 让 我们 的 生活 方便 了 很 多 ， 另 一 方面 也 浪费
了 我们 不少 时间 。Zhìnéng shǒujī yī fāngmiàn ràng wǒmen de shēnghuó
fāngbiàn le hěn duō, lìng yī fāngmiàn yě làngfèi le wǒmen bùshǎo shíjiān.One
one hand, smart phone makes our life more convenient; on the other hand, it wastes a lot
of our time.

开发 太阳能 一 方面 可以 减少 污染 ，一 方面也 可以 降低
成本 。Kāifā tàiyángnéng yī fāngmiànkěyǐ jiǎnshǎo wūrǎn, yī fāngmiàn yě
kěyǐ jiàngdī chéngběn.On one hand, developing solar power can reduce pollution; on
the other hand, it could also reduce the cost.

“要我说” (yào wǒ shuō) is another, more colloquial way to say "in my opinion" or "the
way I see it." It is generally used to express a person's perspective or opinion about a
matter.

Structure
The structure is very simple. All you need to do is put "要我说" in front of your
opinion. Context will take care of the rest!

要我说， Opinion

要我说 ， 这 件 事 先 不要 告诉 爸妈 。Yào wǒ shuō, zhè jiàn shì xiān

bùyào gàosu bà mā.The way I see it, this is something we shouldn't tell Mom and Dad.

要我说 ， 就 去 外面 吃 吧 ， 不要 在 家 做饭 了 。Yào wǒ shuō, jiù qù

wàimiàn chī ba, bùyào zài jiā zuòfàn le.I say we should just eat out instead of
cooking at home.

要我说 ， 他 就 不 应该 跟 老婆 离婚 。Yào wǒ shuō, tā jiù bù yīnggāi gēn

lǎopo líhūn.I think he shouldn't divorce his wife.

要我说 ， 带 不 带 礼物 都 没 关系 ， 重要 的 是 人 要 去 。Yào wǒ
shuō, dài bu dài lǐwù dōu méi guānxi, zhòngyào de shì rén yào qù.In my
opinion, bringing gifts or not isn't what matters, the important thing is that people go.
要我说 ， 你们 还是 分手 吧 ， 他 不 适合 你 。Yào wǒ shuō, nǐmen
háishì fēnshǒu ba, tā bù shìhé nǐ.I think you guys should break up. He's not right for
you

You probably already know how to express location with "在". In this article, we'll go
more in depth as to how you can make idiomatic phrases using that construction.
This kind of form is actually similar to some that we have in English, so it won't be too
difficult.

Expressing "on the topic of" with "在⋯⋯上"

This construction can be translated as "on the topic of" or "in regards to." It can be
used to comment on an idea or concept. The examples below will help.

在 + Abstract Concepts + 上， Comment Sentence

在 这 个 问题 上，我们 的 看法 不 一样。In regards to this problem, our

perspective is not the same.

中国 和 美国 的 大学 在 教学 方法 上 有 很 大 的 不同。As far as teaching

methods, Chinese and American universities have big differences.

这个 句子 在 语法 上 是 可以 说 的，就是 不 太 自然。This sentence is

okay to say in terms of grammar, it's just not very natural.

在美国 历史 上，最 重要 的 总统 是 谁？In American history, who is the most

important president?

你 知道 南方人 和 北方人 在 生活 习惯 上 有 什么 不同 吗？Do you know

what the differences are between northern and southern people as far as living habits?

Expressing "under" with "在⋯⋯下"

This construction can be translated (rather directly) as "under" and expresses

conditions that affected the comment that comes after.
 在 + Abstract Concept + 下， Result／Comment Sentence

在 这样 的 环境 下长大，孩子 怎么 可能 会 快乐？How can kids be happy

growing up in this kind of environment?

在 这种 情况下，你 会 怎么 做？In this situation, what would you do?

在 这样 的 天气 条件下开车 是 很 不 安全 的。Under these weather

conditions, driving is very unsafe.

在 老师 的 鼓励 下，我 决定 去 参加 这个面试。With the encouragement of

the teacher, I have decided to go participate in this interview.

在 朋友 的 支持 下，我 自己 开 了 一 个 公司。With the support of my

friends, I was able to start my own business.

在政府 的 帮助下，他 读 完 了 四年大学。With the financial help of the

government, he was able to finish four year college education.

Expressing "on the topic of" with "在⋯⋯方面"

This construction is very similar to the "在⋯⋯上" above. It translates to "in relation to"
or "on the topic of."

在 + Abstract Concept + 方面， Comment Sentence

很多 中国 父母在家庭 教育 方面还有 很多 问题。On the topic of raising

children, Chinese parents still have a lot of problems.

在 工资 方面，我 觉得 我们 还 要 再 讨论 一下。On the topic of salaries, I

think we should discuss a little more.
在 网游 方面，他 是 专家。On the topic of online games, he is an expert.

我们 公司在 这些方面 的 服务 还不够好 。In these aspects, our company's

service is not good enough.

他刚来公司不久，在 工作 方面，还需要你多帮帮他。He hasn't been at the

company very long. As far as doing his work, he still needs you to help him.

中西方文化在 某些 方面是有很多共同点的。In certain aspects, Chinese and

Western culture have a lot in common.

There are many ways to explain why you are doing something or what's the use of
things. This article will explain another way to do that, and it just happens to involve
"是⋯⋯的." This isn't to say that you can't make these sentences without using "是"
and "的" but this can help emphasize why you are doing something or what's the use
of thing, giving your sentence a little more kick.

When the subject is a person

Structure

If the subject is a person, there is often a "来" or "去" after the "是," indicating
direction like "coming here" or "going there."

Person + 是 + 来 / 去 + Verb Phrase + 的

我们 都 是 来 做 生意 的。Wǒmen dōu shì lái zuò shēngyi de.We are all here
doing business.

我 是 来 上海 旅游 的。Wǒ shì lái Shànghǎi lǚyóu de.I came to Shanghai to

travel.

他们 都 是 来 实习 的。Tāmen dōu shì lái shíxí de.They all came here to do an

internship.
你 真的 是 来 帮 我们的 吗？Nǐ zhēnde shì lái bāng wǒmen de ma?Are you
here to help us? Really?

你 要 记住，你 是 去 学习 的，不 是 去 玩 的。Nǐ yào jìzhù,

nǐ shì qù xuéxí de, bùshì qù wán de.You need to remember, you went (to school) to
study, not to hang out with people.

When the subject is a thing

Structure

If the subject is a thing, "用来" is often used. Look at the examples below for some
more clarification.

Thing + 是 + 用来 + Obj Verb Phrase + 的

Thing + 是 + 给 + Obj.＋Verb Phrase + 的

钱 是 用来 花 的。Qián shì yònglái huā de.Money is for spending.

这 种 菜 是 用来 做 汤 的。Zhè zhǒng cài shì yònglái zuò tāng de.This kind

of vegetable is for making soup.

这 种 车 是 用来 搬家 的。Zhè zhǒng chē shì yònglái bānjiāde.This kind of

car is for moving.

这 个 房间 是 给 客人 住 的。Zhège fángjiān shì gěi kèrén zhù de.This room

is for our guest to live in.

这些 钱 是 给孩子 上 大学 的。zhèxiē qián shì gěi háizi shàng

dàxué de.This money is for our children going to college.

In this grammar structure, we learn about a way to say "all" that is, well, a bit more
epic. Sort of like how we might say "all the king's men" or "all the money in the world."

Structure
"所有的⋯⋯ 都⋯⋯" (suǒyǒude... dōu...) is a pattern used to refer to "every" or "all" of
a noun, with the quantity of said noun usually being fairly large. You can sometimes
not use “的” after “所有”.

所有的 + Noun + 都 + Verb / Adj.

我 爱 吃 所有的 中国 菜。Wǒ ài chī suǒyǒude Zhōngguó cài.I love eating all

the Chinese food.

他 记得 所有 人 的 生日。Tā jìde suǒyǒu rén de shēngrì.He remembers

everyone's birthday.

这里 所有 的 女孩 都 没 上 过 学。Zhèlǐ suǒyǒude nǚhái dōu méi shàng

guò xué.All of the girls here have never gone to school

不 是 所有的 美国 人 都 爱 喝 咖啡。Bù shì suǒyǒude Měiguó rén dōu ài

hē kāfēi.Not all the Americans like drinking coffee.

我们 部门 所有的 员工 都 会 说 英文。Wǒmen
bùmén suǒyǒude yuángōng dōu huì shuō Yīngwén.All the employees from our
department can speak English.

你们 公司 所有的 经理 都 是 男的 吗？Nǐmen
gōngsī suǒyǒude jīnglǐ dōu shì nán de ma?All the managers in your company are
male?

我 看 过 所有的 迪斯尼 动画片。Wǒ kàn guò suǒyǒude Dísīní

dònghuàpiàn.I've seen all the Disney movies.

他 找 了 所有 的 朋友，但是 没有 人 帮 他。Tā zhǎo

le suǒyǒude péngyǒu, dànshì méiyǒu rén bāng tā.He went to all his friends, but
nobody helped him.