Grammar set - 10 Flashcards
Complement with “dao”
=》One kind of complement in Chinese involves putting 到 after the verb. 到 (dào) is used to indicate that the action has obtained a goal or a certain state.
% Structure = Verb (+ 一直) + 到 + Time / Event
》You will sometimes see 一直 (yīzhí) proceeding 到, which serves the purpose of the emphasis on the "ongoing duration." 》Note that the verbs are mostly single-syllable verb. Examples
你们 要 玩 到 几 点 ？Nǐmen yào wán dào jǐ diǎn?When will you be done playing?
我们 在 酒吧 一直 聊 到 半夜 。Wǒmen zài jiǔbā yīzhí liáo dào bànyè.We were chatting in the bar until midnight.
你 弟弟 要 在 我们 家 住 到 什么 时候 ？Nǐ dìdi yào zài wǒmen jiā zhù dào shénme shíhou?How much longer is your younger brother going to stay in our house?
昨天 的 会 一直 开 到 晚上 九点 。Zuótiān de huì yīzhí kāi dào wǎnshang jiǔ diǎn.Yesterday’s meeting lasted until 9 pm.
我 邻居 今天 吵架 了 ，一直 吵 到 警察 过来 。Wǒ línjū jīntiān chǎojià le, yīzhí chǎo dào jǐngchá guòlái.My neighbors had a fight today, which lasted until the police came.
我们 晚上 去 吃火锅 了 ，一直 吃 到 火锅店 关门 。Wǒmen wǎnshang qù chī huǒguō le, yīzhí chī dào huǒguō diàn guānmén.We went to eat hotpot tonight and we didn’t finish until the place was closed.
他 昨天 一天 都 在 打游戏 ，一直 打 到 他 妈妈 回家 。Tā zuótiān yī tiān dōu zài dǎ yóuxì, yīzhí dǎ dào tā māma huí jiā.He was playing computer games all day yesterday. He didn’t stop until his mother came home.
>If the is a verb phrase proceeding 到, use this structure:
% Structure = [Verb Phrase] (+ 一直) + Verb + 到 + Time / Event
Some examples:
你 知不知道 我们 等 你 等 到 半夜 ？Nǐ zhī bu zhīdào wǒmen děng dào bànyè?Do you know we waited for you until midnight?
我 女儿 昨天 晚上 写作业 写 到 十二 点 半 。Wǒ nǚ’ér zuótiān wǎnshang xiě xiě zuòyè dào shí’èr diǎn bàn.My daughter didn’t finish her homework until 12:30 last night.
她 给 男朋友 打电话 打 到 手机 没 电 。Tā gěi nánpéngyou dǎ diànhuà dǎ dào shǒujī méi diàn.She called her boyfriend and they kept talking until her phone was out of battery.
Doing something less with “shao”
=》Often heard when scolding or giving advice (like when parents talk to children) is 少 (shǎo), which can mean “to do less of something.”
》Just as you can use 多 to talk about doing something more, you can use 少 to talk about doing something less.
% Structure = 少 + Verb
》Note that in English we don't use the word "less" so much. For example, rather than saying "drink less water," we might say "don't drink so much water." In Chinese, though, using 少 is quite natural and common. Avoiding the negative command (telling someone not to do something) is also a subtle way of sounding less bossy and annoying. Examples
请 少 放 点 盐 。Qǐng shǎo fàng diǎn yán.Less salt, please.
少 吃 垃圾 食品 。Shǎo chī lājī shípǐn.Eat junk food less.
少 买 点 ，吃不完 会 坏 的 。Shǎo mǎi diǎn, chī bu wán huì huài de.Don’t buy too much. It will go bad if we can’t finish eating all.
你 能不能 少 抽 点 烟 ？Nǐ néng bu néng shǎo chōu diǎn yān?Can you smoke less?
快 期中 考试 了 ，少 玩 点 游戏 吧 。Kuài qīzhōng kǎoshì le, shǎo wán diǎn yóuxì ba.You’re going to take the mid-term exam. Stop playing so much video games.
少 喝 点 ，明天 还要 上班 呢 。Shǎo hē diǎn, míngtiān háiyào shàngbān ne.Don’t drink so much. You need go to work tomorrow.
少 看 点 电视 ，多 看书 。Shǎo kàn diǎn diànshì, duō kànshū. Watch TV less. Read more.
少 吃 点 肉 ，多 吃 点 蔬菜 。Shǎo chī diǎn ròu, duō chī diǎn shūcài.Eat less meat and more vegetables.
Colloquial Sayings
少 来 。Shǎo lái.Don’t give me that. (Stop it!)
少 说 废话 。Shǎo shuō fèihuà.Cut the crap.
少 管 闲事 。Shǎo guǎn xiánshì.Stay out of other people’s business.
Doing something more with “duo”
=》In China, you often hear you should do this or that more (eat more, drink more water, wear more warm clothing etc.), and they often use the word 多 (duō). What’s not intuitive to learners is that the word 多 should come before the verb.
》This structure is often used in commands or suggestions. Note the position of 多:
% Structure = 多 + Verb
》This structure is not used exclusively as a command, so you could also include a subject if you needed to. Examples 》In English we like to say things like "eat more" and "drink more beer" and "I need to exercise more." Notice that in every one of these cases, the word "more" (equivalent to this use of 多) comes after the verb in English. In Chinese, it's more natural to put the 多 before the verb.
多 吃 点 。Duō chī diǎn.Eat a little more.
多 放 点 辣 。Duō fàng diǎn là.Put a little more spice.
多 拿 一点 。Duō ná yīdiǎn.Take more.
爷爷 ，你 要 多 出去 走走 。Yéye, nǐ yào duō chūqù zǒuzou.You need to go out and take a walk more often.
多 给 他 点 时间 吧 。Duō gěi tā diǎn shíjiān ba.Give him a little more time.
我 想 多 陪陪 家人 。Wǒ xiǎng duō péipei jiārén.I want to spend more time with my family.
感冒 的 时候 要 多 喝 水 。Gǎnmào de shíhou yào duō hē shuǐ.Drink more water when you have a cold.
医生 让 我 多 运动 。Yīshēng ràng wǒ duō yùndòng.The doctor told me to exercise more.
他 比 你 有 经验 ，你 应该 多 向 他 学习 。Tā bǐ nǐ yǒu jīngyàn, nǐ yīnggāi duō xiàng tā xuéxí.He’s more experienced than you. You should learn from him more.
想 提高 汉语 口语 ，就要 多 练习 。Xiǎng tígāo Hànyǔ kǒuyǔ, jiùyào duō liànxí.If you want to improve your speaking Chinese, you need to practice more.
Counter-Examples
》Just to be completely clear, the following uses of 多 are not as natural as the ones above. They'll be understood, and they might not be technically wrong, but you can do better!
!!! - 吃 多 点。Chī duō diǎn.
!!! - 我 要 回家多点！Wǒ yào huíjiā duō diǎn!
!!! - 我 应该 运动 多 点。Wǒ yīnggāi yùndòng duō diǎn.
》The opposite of 多 is, of course, 少. It is further explained in the article doing something less with "shao".
Expressing “must” with “dei”
=》Learning how to use 得 (děi) to mean “must” must be done by those wishing to master Chinese!
》Normally when you see 得 it's a particle and is pronounced "de." However, it can also be an auxiliary verb. In this case it's pronounced děi and means "must."
% Structure = Subj. + 得 + [Verb Phrase]
Examples
我们 得 走 了 。Wǒmen děi zǒu le.We have to leave.
时间 不 早 了，我 得 回家 了。Shíjiān bù zǎo le, wǒ děi huíjiā le.It’s getting late. I have to go home.
他 是 你 弟弟 ，你 得 帮 他 。Tā shì nǐ dìdi, nǐ de bāng tā.He is your younger brother. You must help him.
不 好意思 ，你 得 马上 离开 。Bù hǎoyìsi, nǐ děi mǎshàng líkāi.Sorry, you have to get out of here right now.
在 学校 就 得 听 老师 的 话 。Zài xuéxiào jiù děi tīng lǎoshī de huà.You have to listen to the teacher at school.
你 得 先 付钱 再 进 。Nǐ děi xiān fù qián zài jìn.You need to pay before you come inside.
是 你 的 错 ，你 得 道歉 。Shì nǐ de cuò, nǐ děi dàoqiàn.It’s your fault. You must apologize.
他 没有 经验 ，你 得 教教 他 。Tā méiyǒu jīngyàn, nǐ děi jiāojiao tā.He doesn’t have experience. You must teach him.
明天 去 面试 ，你 得 穿 得 正式 一点 。Míngtiān qù miànshì, nǐ děi chuān de zhèngshì yīdiǎn.You must wear something more formal for tomorrow’s job interview.
你 病 得 太 厉害 了，得去 看 医生。Nǐ bìng de tài lìhai le, děi qù kàn yīshēng.You are badly ill. You must go see a doctor.
Expressing “not often” with “bu zenme”
=》You might be tempted to conclude that 不怎么 (bù zěnme) seems to mean “not how,” but it actually means “not often” when used together with a verb.
》When 不怎么 is used with a verb, it means that one does not put a lot of time or energy into doing it. In other words, the action is done "not often." When the verb is used with an object, it also means that the number (or quantity) is really small.
% Structure = Subj. + 不怎么 + Verb
Examples
他 不怎么 爱 说话 。Tā bù zěnme ài shuōhuà.He doesn’t like talking too much.
我 老公 不怎么 运动 。Wǒ lǎogōng bù zěnme yùndòng.My husband doesn’t exercise very often.
我们 在家 不怎么 看 电视 。Wǒmen zài jiā bù zěnme kàn diànshì.We don’t watch a lot of television at home.
我 儿子 不怎么吃 零食 。Wǒ érzi bùzěnme chī língshí.My son doesn’t eat snacks very often.
老板 不怎么 来 办公室 。Lǎobǎn bù zěnme lái bàngōngshì.My boss doesn’t come to the office very often.
我 不怎么 在 网上 买 东西 。Wǒ bù zěnme zài wǎngshàng mǎi dóngxi.I don’t do online shopping very often.
他们 不怎么 跟 朋友 出去 玩 。Tāmen bù zěnme gēn péngyou chūqù wán.They don’t go out and have fun with her friends very often.
Usage of 没怎么
=》Note that the examples below use 没 instead of 不. This is because the verb uses or implies 有 and thus it uses the same the 有 negation rules.
我 没 怎么 复习 。Wǒ méi zěnme fùxí.I didn’t review much.
我 没 怎么 想 过 这个 问题 。Wǒ méi zěnme xiǎng guo zhège wèntí.I didn’t really think about this before.
昨天 我 肚子 不 舒服 ，没 怎么 吃 东西 。Zuótiān wǒ dùzi bù shūfu, méi zěnme chī dōngxi.I didn’t feel well in the stomach yesterday, so I didn’t eat much.
》Lastly, make sure to use 不怎么 with a verb if you want it to mean "not often." Using it with an adjective gives it a different meaning.
Expressing actions in progress (full form)
=》You may have learned that 在 (zài) and 正在 (zhèngzài) can be used before verbs to express that an action is ongoing or in progress. They are used to create the Mandarin equivalent of present continuous in English. But that pattern is actually a part of a longer, fuller pattern. It’s rarely used in its full form, but bits and pieces of it are frequently used in everyday speech, so it’s important to know the full form, even if you don’t use it regularly yourself.
% Structure = Subj. + 正在 / 正 / 在 + Verb + 呢
》If it's a Separable verb, you need to put the 着 between the verb and the object, or you can just leave 着 out.
% Structure = Subj. (+ 正) + Verb + 着 + Obj. + 呢
% Structure = Subj. + Verb + Obj. + 呢
》It's important to remember that virtually every part of the above pattern is optional, so you're going to see all sorts of variations of it (and rarely the full form). The most common variation is just the "在 + V" pattern that you probably already learned long ago. Another common variation is "正 + V" pattern. Examples
1）
我 正在 吃饭 。Wǒ zhèngzài chīfàn.
我 正 吃 着 饭 呢 。Wǒ zhèng chī zhe fàn ne.
我 吃 饭 呢。Wǒ chīfàn ne.I’m eating now.
2）
爷爷 正在 看 报纸 ，别 打扰 他 。Yéye zhènzài kàn bàozhǐ, bié dǎrǎo tā.
爷爷 在 看 报纸 呢 ，别 打扰 他 。Yéye zài kàn bàozhǐ ne, bié dǎrǎo tā.
爷爷 看 报纸 呢 ，别 打扰 他 。Yéye kàn bàozhǐ ne, bié dǎrǎo tā.Grandpa is reading newspapers now. Don’t disturb him.
3）
他 在 上厕所 。Tā zài shàng cèsuǒ.
他 正 上 厕所呢 。Tā zhèng shàng cèsuǒ ne.
他 上 厕所 呢 。Tā shàng cèsuǒ ne.He’s using the bathroom now.
4）
我们 在 上 汉语 课 。Wǒmen zài shàng Hànyǔ kè.
我们 正 上 汉语 课 呢 。Wǒmen zhèng shàng Hànyǔ kè ne.
我们 上 着 汉语 课 呢 。Wǒmen shàng zhe Hànyǔ kè ne.We’re having a Chinese lesson now.
5）
老板 在 开会，不 方便 接 电话 。Lǎobǎn zài kāihuì, bù fāngbiàn jiē diànhuà.
老板 正 开 着 会 ，不 方便 接 电话 。Lǎobǎn zhèng kāi zhe huì, bù fāngbiàn jiē diànhuà.
老板 开 着 会 呢 ，不 方便 接 电话 。Lǎobǎn kāi zhe huì ne, bù fāngbiàn jiē diànhuà.The boss is in the middle of a meeting. It’s not convenient for him to talk on the phone.
Measure words for verbs
=》When a verb is done more than once, it also requires a measure word to accompany it. This way the measure word is acting as a way to count the frequency or re-occurrence of an action.
% Structure = Verb + Number + Measure Word
》The grammar pattern is very similar to English. For example, "看三次" and "saw three times" mirror each other in structure. In Chinese sentences, these measure words can either come after the verb (as a complement) or before the word (as an adverb). You should also know that, like nouns, some verbs have special measure words to go with them. The basic verbal measure word, however, is 次.
Examples
再 说 一 遍 。Zài shuō yī biàn.Say it again.
你 能 再 读 一 遍 吗 ？Nǐ néng zài dú yī biàn ma?Could you please read it again?
这个 电影 我 看 过 两 遍 。Zhège diànyǐng wǒ kàn guo liǎng biàn.I’ve seen this movie twice.
这个 故事 我 听 她 说 过 一 百 多 遍 了 。Zhège gùshi wǒ tīng tā shuō guo yī bǎi duō biàn le.I’ve heard her tell this story more than one hundred times.
我们 去 过 两 次 。Wǒme qù guo liǎng cì.We’ve been there twice.
我 问 了 他 很 多 次 ，可是 他 不 告诉 我 。Wǒ wèn le tā hěn duō cì, kěshì tā bù gàosu wǒ.I’ve asked him about it many times, but he wouldn’t tell me.
这个 问题 我们 讨论 过 几 次 。Zhège wèntí wǒmen tǎolùn guo jǐ cì.We’ve discussed this a few times.
那个 红 头发 的 男孩 打 了 我 三 下 。Nàge hóng tóufa de nánhái dǎ le wǒ sān xià.That red-haired boy hit me three times.
他 轻轻 地 拍 了 我 两 下 。Tā qīngqīng de pāi le wǒ liǎng xià.He pat me twice very slightly.
你 没 听见 吗 ？我 敲 了 好 几 下 。Nǐ méi tīngjiàn ma? Wǒ qiāo le hǎo jǐ xià.Did you not hear the door? I knocked quite a few times.
Separable verb
=》”Separable verbs” get their name from their ability to “separate” into two parts (a verb part and an object part), with other words in between. In fact, you could also simply call separable verbs “verb-object phrases.”
Appearance with “kanqilai”
=》One of the most common ways to express “it looks like” is to use 看起来 (kànqǐlái). This is what we would use if we wanted to express something like, “she looks tired.”
Used for Judgement
% Structure = Subj. + 看起来 ⋯⋯
Examples
蛋糕 看起来 很 好吃 。Dàngāo kànqǐlái hěn hǎochī.This cake looks really tasty.
这 家 餐厅 看起来 不错。Zhè jiā cāntīng kànqǐlái bùcuò.This restaurant looks good.
你 男朋友 看起来 很 成熟 。Nǐ nánpéngyou kànqǐlái hěn chéngshú.Your boyfriend seems very mature.
老板 看起来 有点 不 高兴 。Lǎobǎn kànqǐlái yǒudiǎn bù gāoxìng.The boss seems a little unhappy.
你们 看起来 差不多 高 。Nǐmen kànqǐlái chàbuduō gāo.You two seem to have the same height.
Used for Analogy
% Structure = Subj. + 看起来 + 像 ⋯⋯
Examples
你 妈妈 真 年轻 ！看起来 像 你 姐姐 。Nǐ māma zhēn niánqīng! Kànqǐlái xiàng nǐ jiějie.Your mother is so young! She looks like your elder sister.
我 看起来 像 不 像 大 老板 ？Wǒ kànqǐlái xiàng bu xiàng dà lǎobǎn.Do I seem like a big boss?
你们 俩 看起来 像 情侣 。Nǐmen liǎ kànqǐlái xiàng qínglǚ.You two look like a couple.
他们 看起来 不 像 有钱 人 。Tāmen kànqǐlái bù xiàng yǒuqián rén.They don’t seem like rich people.
那 个 喝醉 的 男人 看起来 像 你 老公 。Nà gè hēzuì de nánrén kànqǐlái xiàng nǐ lǎogōng.That drunk guy seems like your husband.
Causative verbs
=》Causative verbs are used to cause or influence people to do things. In English, these are verbs like “make,” “let,” “have,” and “get,” as in “get Billy to eat dinner.” The “get” is the causative verb.
》The most common causative verbs in Chinese are: 让 (ràng)
叫 (jiào)
请 (qǐng) 使 (shǐ) 》Make sure to take note of the different meanings and levels of formality. For example, 使 (shǐ) and 让 (ràng) when used as causative verbs basically mean the same thing (to make) but 使 (shǐ) is used in more formal or written Chinese while 让 (ràng) is used more in spoken Chinese.
% Structure = Subj. + [Causative Verb] + Person + Predicate
》The predicate part of the pattern can be a verb or an adjective.
“Make” vs. “Let”
》It's worth noting that 让 is the most common causative verb in spoken Mandarin, and is often translated into English as either "make" or "let." It may seem strange to speakers of English that these two very different words are the same word in Chinese. "Make" is kind of like forcing, and "let" is kind of like allowing, right? But in Chinese, the understood concept generally makes clear how willing the object of the causative verb is. It's just something that takes time to get used to.
Examples
你 为什么 不 让 我 去 ？Nǐ wèishénme bù ràng wǒ qù?Why wouldn’t you let me go there?
这 部 电影 让 人 很 感动 。Zhè bù diànyǐng ràng rén hěn gǎndòng.This movie really moves people.
那个 老人 让 我 想到 了 我 爷爷 。Nàge lǎorén ràng wǒ xiǎng dào le wǒ yéye.That old man makes me think about my grandpa.
他 不 听话 ，你 叫 我 怎么办 ？Tā bù tīnghuà, nǐ jiào wǒ zěnmebàn?He wouldn’t listen to me. What are you expecting me to do?
他 偷偷 约 别的 女孩 ，你 叫 我 怎么 想 ？Tā tōutōu yuē bié de nǚhái, nǐ jiào wǒ zěnme xiǎng?He secretly asked other girls out. What are you expecting me to think?
你 儿子 在 学校 的 表现 叫 老师 很 头疼 。Nǐ érzi zài xuéxiào de biǎoxiàn jiào lǎoshī hěn tóuténg.Your son’s behaviors at school give the teacher a lot of headache.
我 想 请 你 帮 我 一 个 忙 。Wǒ xiǎng qǐng nǐ bāng wǒ yī gè máng.I want to ask you to do me a favor.
能 不 能 请 你 明天 照顾 一下 我 的 狗 ？Néng bu néng qǐng nǐ míngtiān zhàogu yīxià wǒ de gǒu?Can I ask you to look after my dog tomorrow?
他 的 演讲 使 听众 们 非常 激动 。Tā de yǎnjiǎng shǐ tīngzhòng men fēicháng jīdòng.His speech made the audience very excited.
经济 危机 使 很多 公司 倒闭 了 ，也 使 很多 人 失去 了 工作 。Jīngjì wēijī shǐ hěn duō gōngsī dǎobì le, yě shǐ hěn duō rén shīqù le gōngzuò.The financial crisis caused lot of company out of business, and many people lost their job because of this.
Expressing “after” with “jingguo”
=》When 经过 (jīngguò) is used as a verb, it means “to pass by” or “to pass through.” It’s like saying “I went through downtown” or “I passed by the shop.” 经过 can be also used as a preposition to mean “to experience something” or “going through a time.”
Used as a Verb
Examples
我 每天 上班 都 经过 这里 。Wǒ měi tiān shàngbān dōu jīngguò zhèlǐ.I pass by this place every day on the way to work.
我 坐 火车 回 老家 常常 经过 这个 城市 。Wǒ zuò huǒchē huí lǎojiā chángcháng jīngguò zhège chéngshì.I usually pass by this city when I go back to hometown train.
你 经过 我 家 门口 的 时候 叫 我 一下 。Nǐ jīngguò wǒ jiā ménkǒu de shíhou jiào wǒ yīxià.Call me when you pass by my door.
她 经过 这个 咖啡店 的 时候 就 会 想到 他 。Tā jīngguò zhège kāfēidiàn de shíhou jiù huì xiǎngdào tā.She thinks about him when she walks past this cafe.
Used as a Preposition
》As a preposition, 经过 is used to emphasizes the process of that experience. If it is talking about "going through a time," it is usually talking about the past.
% Structure = 经过 + Event / Time ，⋯⋯
Examples
经过 自己 的 努力 ，她 考上 了 北京 大学 。Jīngguò zìjǐ de nǔlì, tā kǎoshàng le Běijīng dàxué.After all of her hard work, she was admitted into Peking University.
经过 两 个 月 的 准备 ，他 顺利 地 通过 了 这 次 面试 。Jīngguò liǎng gè yuè de zhǔnbèi, tā shùnlì de tōngguò le zhè cì miànshì.After two months of preparation, he successfully passed the job interview.
经过 这 几 年 的 发展 ，这个 城市 发生 了 很 大 变化 。Jīngguò zhè jǐ nián de fāzhǎn , zhège chéngshì fāshēng le hěn dà biànhuà.After the last few years of development, this city has changed a lot.
经过 一 个 星期 的 调查 ，警察 认为 他 没有 罪 。Jīngguò yī gè xīngqī de diàochá, jǐngchá rènwéi tā méiyǒu zuì.After one week of investigation, the police believes that he’s innocent.
Used as Noun
=》As a noun, 经过 refers to the process of something.
Examples
谁 都 不 知道 事情 的 经过 。Shéi dōu bù zhīdào shìqing de jīngguò.No one knows the actual course of this incident.
请 你 说说 他们 车祸 的 经过 。Qǐng nǐ shuōshuo chēhuò de jīngguò.Please tell us the whole story about f this car accident.
Expressing “don’t need to” with “buyong”
=》In Chinese, 要 (yào) has many meanings, one of which is “need to.” However, when you want to express “don’t need to”, you actually use 不用 (bùyòng), not 不要 (bùyào).
% Structure = Subj. + 不用 + [Verb Phrase]
Examples
不用 谢 。Bùyòng xiè.You don’t need to thank me.
不用 担心 。Bùyòng dānxīn.You don’t need to worry.
孩子 不用 买 票 。Háizi bùyòng mǎi piào.Kids don’t need to buy tickets.
你 不用 过去 ，她 会 过来 的 。Nǐ bùyòng guòqù, tā huì guòlái de.You don’t need to go over there. She will come here.
今天 不用 加班 。Jīntiān bùyòng jiābān.We don’t need to work overtime today.
这 件 事不用 跟 他 说 。Zhè jiàn shì bùyòng gēn tā shuō.You don’t need to tell him about this.
告诉 他 明天 不用 来 了 。Gàosu tā míngtiān bùyòng lái le.Tell him that he doesn’t need to come tomorrow.
买 吧 ，不用 考虑 价钱 。Mǎi ba, bùyòng kǎolǜ jiàqian.Buy it. You don’t need to worry about its price.
今天 人 少，不用 排队 。Jīntiān rén shǎo, bùyòng páiduì.There aren’t many people today. We don’t need to wait in line.
你们 不用 都 来 ，我们 不 需要 这么 多 人 。Nǐmen bùyòng dōu lái, wǒmen bù xūyào zhème duō rén.Not all of you need to come. We don’t need so many people.
Colloquial Saying
=》In spoken Chinese, the rhetorical question, “这还用说(吗)?”, indicates the speaker believes that the statement is obvious. It is equivalent to the speaker saying, “is that seriously a question?” or “do you really need to ask?” Often “这还用说(吗)?” is said in an impatient tone of voice.
Expressing “including” with “baokuo”Expressing “including” with “baokuo”
=》”包括”本身可以做动词，宾语可以是一个，也可以列举多个。此外，”包括”也可以放在句首作状语，相当于英文的”including”。
Basic Usage
% Structure = Subj. + 包括 ⋯⋯
Examples
他 说 “咱们”，当然 包括 你 。Tā shuō”zánmen”, dāngrán bāokuò nǐ.He said “us”. That certainly includes you.
我 每 个 月 的 房租 不 包括 水 电 费 。Wǒ měi gè yuè de fángzū bù bāokuò shuǐ diàn fèi.My monthly rent does not include my water and electric bill.
公司 的 福利 包括 很 多 方面。Gōngsī de fúlì bāokuò hěn duō fāngmiàn.The company’s welfare benefits includes many aspects.
他 对 很 多 话题 都 很 感兴趣，包括 政治。Tā duì hěn duō huàtí dōu hěn gǎn xìngqù, bāokuò zhèngzhì.He finds many topics of conversation interesting, including politics.
简历 一般 包括 个人 信息，教育 背景，工作 经历 等。Jiǎnlì yībān bāokuò gèrén xìnxī, jiàoyù bèijǐng, gōngzuò jīnglì děng.A résumé generally includes a person’s information, education background, work experience, etcetera.
Advanced Usage
=》在英文里，状语的位置通常比较灵活，如”包括”就常常放在句尾，表示补充。但在汉语里，”包括”只能在放在句首，一般会跟”在内”和”一共”连用，口语中”在内”、”一共”是可以省略的。
% Structure = 包括 ⋯⋯ (+在内) ，一共 ⋯⋯
Examples
包括 税，两 张 机票 一共 是 五千 。Bāokuò shuì, liǎng zhāng jīpiào yīgòng shì wǔ qiān. Including taxes, two airplane tickets all together are $5,000.
包括 我 在内，一共 有 十五 个 人 参加 这个 会议 。Bāokuò wǒ zàinèi, yīgòng yǒu shíwǔ gè rén cānjiā zhège huìyì.Including myself, 15 people total participated in this meeting.
包括 奖金 在内，这个 月 我 拿 了 一万 块 钱 工资。Bāokuò jiǎngjīn zàinèi, zhège yuè wǒ ná le yī wàn kuài qián gōngzī.Including bonuses, this month I received a salary of 1,000 RMB.
包括 母语 在内，他 一共 会 说 四 种 语言。Bāokuò mǔyǔ zàinèi, tā yīgòng huì shuō sì zhǒng yǔyán.Including my native language, I can speak a total of 4 languages.
包括 每 个 月 的 物业 费，我们 办公室 的 租金 是 两 万 。Bāokuò měi gè yuè de wùyè fèi, wǒmen bàngōngshì de zūjīn shì liǎng wàn.Including monthly property fees, our office’s rent is $20,000.
Expressing “it depends” with “kan”
=》Although there are a number of ways to express “it depends” in Chinese, the most common ones in informal spoken Chinese involve the verb 看 (kàn). Some common expressions include 要看 (yào kàn) and 得看 (děi kàn). Both mean “(it) depends (on).” Literally, they would translate as “have to look at,” so the logic is not hard to understand. If you’re looking for more formal language, consider 取决于 (qǔjué yú), “to be dependent on.”
Basic Pattern
=》If you’re answering a question with “it depends on…” then this is the pattern you want.
% Structure = 这 / 那 + 要看 / 得看 + [Unclear Situation]
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 děi kàn nǐ de shíjiān.This depends on when you are available.
这 得看 天气 怎么样 。Zhè děi kàn tiānqì zěnmeyàng.It depends on how the weather is.
那 得看 考试 结果 。Nà děi kàn kǎoshì jiéguō.That depends on whether the result of the test.
那 要看 他 愿 不 愿意 。Nà yào kàn tā yuàn bu yuànyì.That depends on whether he feels like it or not.
那 要看 老板 怎么 想 。Nà yào kàn lǎobǎn zěnme xiǎng.It depends on what the boss thinks.
Advanced Pattern
》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).
% Structure = [Unknown Outcome] + 要看 / 得看 + [Unclear Situation]
》The "unknown outcome" normally includes some kind of question word, meaning something like "whether or not x happens" or "what x does," etc.
Examples
去不去 得看 我 的 心情 。Qù bu qù de kàn wǒ de xīnqíng.It depends on my mood whether I go or not.
什么时候 去 要看 公司 的 安排 。Shénme shíhou qù yào kàn gōngsī de ānpái.When to go depends on the company’s arrangement.
学 音乐 还是 学 画画 要看 孩子 的 兴趣 。Xué yīnyuè háishì xué huàhuà yào kàn háizi de xìngqù.It depends on your children’s interest for them to study music or painting.
能不能 留在 中国 要看 我 能 不 能 拿到 签证 。Néng bu néng liú zài Zhōngguó yào kàn wǒ néng bu néng nádào Qiānzhèng.Whether I can stay in China or not depends on whether or not I can get the visa.
谁 当 总统 得看 大选 的 结果 。Shéi dāng zǒngtǒng děi kàn dàxuǎn de jiéguǒ.Who will be the president depends on the result of the election.
Expressing “it seems” with “haoxiang”
=》To express “seems,” the word 好像 (hǎoxiàng) can be used.
% Structure = Subj. + 好像 ⋯⋯
Examples
他 好像 是 英国 人 。Tā hǎoxiàng shì Yīngguó rén.He seems to be British.
你 好像 不 是 本地 人 。Nǐ hǎoxiàng bù shì běndì rén.You don’t seem to be local.
她 好像 生病 了 。Tā hǎoxiàng shēngbìng le.It seems like she’s sick.
你 好像 很 不 喜欢 她 。Nǐ hǎoxiàng hěn bù xǐhuan tā.It seems that you dislike her a lot.
王 先生 好像 很怕 他 老婆 。Wáng xiānsheng hǎoxiàng hěn pà tā lǎopo.Mr. Wang seems to fear his wife a lot.
他 一个人 坐 在 那儿 ，好像 在 想 事情 。Tā yī gèrén zuò zài nàr, hǎoxiàng zài xiǎng shìqing.He’s sitting there all by himself. It seems like that he’s thinking about something.
》Note that if this structure is used without a subject, it has the meaning of "it seems that..." in English. This could then be followed by an entire statement.
# 好像 不 行 。Hǎoxiàng bù xíng.It seems that it didn’t work.
好像 要 下雨 了 。Hǎoxiàng yào xiàyǔ le.It seems that it’s going to rain.
好像 有 人 敲门 。Hǎoxiàng yǒu rén qiāo mén.It seems that someone is knocking at the door.
好像 有 人 来 过 。Hǎoxiàng yǒu rén lái guo.It seems that someone was here.
