Difference between revisions of "Expressing "let alone" with "bie shuo""

Revision as of 03:37, 14 November 2011

别说 (bié shuō) means something like "leaving aside" or "don't think about", and is used in the following way:

别说 A ，就是/就连 B 也 Verb

In English we might say: "don't think about preparing a banquet, you can't even boil an egg". Note that this sentence structure is the reverse to the 更不用说 pattern.

Some examples:

别说做一大桌子的菜，你 就连 怎么煮鸡蛋也不知道。
别说一百，就是一块钱我也不给你。
别说白酒，就是啤酒的味道我也受不了。
别说开车，就连 骑自行车他也不会。

且不说 is more formal than 别说, and is used in the same way.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+别说 (bié shuō) means something like "leaving aside" or "don't think about", and is used in the following way:
 <div class="jiegou">
+别说  A ， 就是/就连  B  也  Verb
-别说 B ，就是 A
 </div>
-Notice that the less likely information is put first in Chinese, whereas it's usually put second in English. It's a bit like saying "let alone B, it's not even A".
+In English we might say: "don't think about preparing a banquet, you can't even boil an egg". Note that this sentence structure is the reverse to the [["Let Alone" with "geng buyong shuo"|更不用说]] pattern.
 Some examples:
 <div class="liju">
+* <em>别说</em> 做 一 大 桌子 的 菜，你 <em>就 连</em> 怎么 煮 鸡蛋 也 不 知道。
 * <em>别说</em> 一百 ， <em>就是</em> 一 块 钱 我 也 不 给 你 。
 * <em>别说</em> 白酒，<em>就是</em> 啤酒 的 味道 我 也 受 不了。
-* <em>别说</em> 开车，<em>就是</em> 骑 自行车 他 也 不 会。
+* <em>别说</em> 开车，<em>就 连</em> 骑 自行车 他 也 不 会。
 </div>
 [[Category:B2 grammar points]]
-且不说 is more formal than
+且不说 is more formal than 别说, and is used in the same way.