Difference between revisions of "Expressing "not even one""
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*他 <em>一</em> 句 中文 <em>都</em> 不 会 说 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>yī</em> jù Zhōngwén <em>dōu</em> bù huì shuō.</span><span class="trans">He can't speak one sentence of Chinese.</span> | *他 <em>一</em> 句 中文 <em>都</em> 不 会 说 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>yī</em> jù Zhōngwén <em>dōu</em> bù huì shuō.</span><span class="trans">He can't speak one sentence of Chinese.</span> | ||
*为什么 这里 <em>一</em> 个 人 <em>都</em> 没有 ？ <span class="pinyin">Wèishénme zhèlǐ <em>yī</em> gè rén <em>dōu</em> méiyǒu? </span><span class="trans">Why aren't there any people here? </span> | *为什么 这里 <em>一</em> 个 人 <em>都</em> 没有 ？ <span class="pinyin">Wèishénme zhèlǐ <em>yī</em> gè rén <em>dōu</em> méiyǒu? </span><span class="trans">Why aren't there any people here? </span> | ||
| − | *他 <em>一</em> 句 话 <em>都</em> 没 说 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>yī</em> jù huà <em>dōu</em> méi shuō.</span><span class="trans"></span> | + | *他 <em>一</em> 句 话 <em>都</em> 没 说 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>yī</em> jù huà <em>dōu</em> méi shuō.</span><span class="trans">He didn't say a thing.</span> |
*她 <em>一</em> 瓶 酒 <em>也</em> 没 喝 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>yī</em> píng jiǔ <em>yě</em> méi hē.</span><span class="trans">She didn't drink a bottle of wine.</span> | *她 <em>一</em> 瓶 酒 <em>也</em> 没 喝 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>yī</em> píng jiǔ <em>yě</em> méi hē.</span><span class="trans">She didn't drink a bottle of wine.</span> | ||
| − | *我 <em>一</em> 点 消息 <em>都</em> 不 知道 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yī</em> diǎn xiāoxi <em>dōu</em> bù zhīdào.</span><span class="trans"></span> | + | *我 <em>一</em> 点 消息 <em>都</em> 不 知道 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yī</em> diǎn xiāoxi <em>dōu</em> bù zhīdào.</span><span class="trans">I don't know any information.</span> |
*来 上海 以前 ， 他 <em>一</em> 个 外国 朋友 <em>都</em> 没有 。 <span class="pinyin">Lái Shànghǎi yǐqián, tā <em>yī</em> gè wàiguó péngyou <em>dōu</em> méiyǒu.</span><span class="trans">He didn't have a foreign friend before he came to Shanghai.</span> | *来 上海 以前 ， 他 <em>一</em> 个 外国 朋友 <em>都</em> 没有 。 <span class="pinyin">Lái Shànghǎi yǐqián, tā <em>yī</em> gè wàiguó péngyou <em>dōu</em> méiyǒu.</span><span class="trans">He didn't have a foreign friend before he came to Shanghai.</span> | ||
Revision as of 07:22, 12 July 2019
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Level
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Used for
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Keywords
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.
Contents
Basic Pattern
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
Examples
- 我 一 口 都 没 吃 。 I didn't take a single bite.
- 他 一 句 中文 都 不 会 说 。 He can't speak one sentence of Chinese.
- 为什么 这里 一 个 人 都 没有 ？ Why aren't there any people here?
- 他 一 句 话 都 没 说 。 He didn't say a thing.
- 她 一 瓶 酒 也 没 喝 。 She didn't drink a bottle of wine.
- 我 一 点 消息 都 不 知道 。 I don't know any information.
- 来 上海 以前 ， 他 一 个 外国 朋友 都 没有 。 He didn't have a foreign friend before he came to Shanghai.
Advanced Pattern
Structure
If you want to put the topic of your conversation at the beginning of the sentence, make sure the comment which follows has a strong emphasis or some kind of extreme quality.
Topic + Subj. + 一 + Measure Word + (Noun) + 也 / 都 + Verb
Examples
- 这个 人 我 一 次 都 没 见 过 。 I haven't seen this person once.
- 这样 的 菜 我 一 次 也 没 吃 过 。I've never eaten this kind of food before.
- 这 次 活动 我们 公司 一个 人 也 没 参加 。 Not one person in our company has participated in this activity.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- HSK Standard Course 3 (pp. 4) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 153) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 37 - 9) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
Dictionaries
Websites
