Limiting scope with "jiu"

"Limiting scope" means saying, "what I'm about to say applies to just this. You proceed the "this" with 就 (jiù) in this pattern.

Just "就"

"就”可以放在句中以指出主语进行观察、讨论、分析、说明等活动的对象或者范围。

Basic Structure

Subj. + 就 + 活动的对象或者范围 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

• 大家 就 中国互联网的发展发表了各自的看法。
• 中国主席 就 中国最近的经济改革做了发言。
• 来自各国的教育学者们 就 什么是最好的教育方法进行了激烈的讨论。

Pattern with "就"

Structure

就 (jiù) can be used to limit the scope of a comment, used in the following structure:

就 + Topic + (来说 / 而言) + Comment

This emphasizes that the speaker is just commenting on that particular topic and nothing else, like "just with regards to" in English. In this sense it is similar to 至于, but is generally used to introduce a new idea, rather than to move on from a previous related topic.

Note that in the pattern above, 来说 is more informal, and 而言 is more formal.

Examples

• 就 中国 的 独生子女 政策 而言，专家 各 有 各 的 看法。As for China's One Child Policy, every expert has their own opinion.
• 就 文化大革命 而言，大部分 的 人 都 认为 那 是 一 场 灾难。As for the Cultural Revolution, a large part of the people think it was a disaster.
• 就 这些 事情 来说，他 没有 错。In regards to these sorts of things, he didn't do anything wrong.

When used in this sense, 就 is generally only used in written Chinese.

See also

• "With Regards to" as "zhiyu"
• "For…" with "eryan"
• Marking a Topic with "de hua"

Sources and Further Reading

• 现代汉语虚词例释 (pp. 306) 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 →buy

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