Tag: Chinese Grammar

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.

"不但⋯⋯，而且⋯⋯" (bùdàn…, érqiě…) is a very commonly used pattern that indicates "not only, … but also…."

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.

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."

When conceding a point, we often put emphasis on the point we concede, and in Chinese there is a way to do that in Chinese grammar.

"什么…都/也" (shénme…dōu/yě) is a pattern often used to express "all" or "everything". This pattern also works with other question words, such as 哪儿　and 什么时候 in Chinese grammar.

When we want to express "to do something as one pleases", we can use the "想 + verb +就 + verb" form in Chinese grammar.

"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 in Chinese grammar.

"每…都…" (měi…dōu…) is a pattern used to express "every" when talking about a quantitative amount. This is similar to how we say "every day I eat cereal" or "every student passed the exam" in Chinese grammar.