Difference between revisions of "Expressing "not even one""
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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.  
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In English we might want to say something like "I have absolutely no money, not even one penny." Expressing that "not even one" can take one of several forms, all of which are common in everyday Chinese.
  
 
== Basic Pattern ==
 
== Basic Pattern ==
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=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
  
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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.  
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This structure is usually used for emphasizing how little of something there is. The measure word in the middle of the sentence and the noun should be compatible with the verb at the end.  
  
 
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*我 <em>一</em> 口 <em>都</em> 没 吃 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yī</em> kǒu <em>dōu</em> méi chī.</span><span class="trans">I didn't take a single bite.</span>
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*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>
 
*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>
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*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>
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*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 is there not a single person here? </span>
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*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>
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*我 <em>一</em> 口 <em>都</em> 没 吃 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yī</em> kǒu <em>dōu</em> méi chī.</span><span class="trans">I haven't had a single bite.</span>
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*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 any wine.</span>
 
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*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 single foreign friend before coming 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 single foreign friend before coming to Shanghai.</span>
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*她 <em>一</em> 瓶 可乐 <em>也</em> 没 喝 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>yī</em> píng kělè <em>yě</em> méi hē.</span><span class="trans">She didn't drink a single bottle of cola.</span>
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*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 a single thing.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 14:06, 24 July 2019

In English we might want to say something like "I have absolutely no money, not even one penny." Expressing that "not even one" can take one of several forms, all of which are common in everyday Chinese.

Basic Pattern

Structure

This structure is usually used for emphasizing how little of something there is. 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

  • 他 一 句 话 都 没 说 。 Tā yī jù huà dōu méi shuō.He didn't say a thing.
  • 他 一 句 中文 都 不 会 说 。 Tā yī jù Zhōngwén dōu bù huì shuō.He can't speak one sentence of Chinese.
  • 为什么 这里 一 个 人 都 没有 ？ Wèishénme zhèlǐ yī gè rén dōu méiyǒu? Why is there not a single person here?
  • 我 一 口 都 没 吃 。 Wǒ yī kǒu dōu méi chī.I haven't had a single bite.
  • 来 上海 以前 ， 他 一 个 外国 朋友 都 没有 。 Lái Shànghǎi yǐqián, tā yī gè wàiguó péngyou dōu méiyǒu.He didn't have a single foreign friend before coming to Shanghai.
  • 她 一 瓶 可乐 也 没 喝 。 Tā yī píng kělè yě méi hē.She didn't drink a single bottle of cola.
  • 我 一点 消息 都 不 知道 。 Wǒ yī diǎn xiāoxi dōu bù zhīdào.I don't know a single thing.

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 。 Zhège rén wǒ yī cì yě méi jiàn guo.Zhège rén wǒ yī cì dōu méi jiàn guo.
  • 这样 的 菜 我 一 次 也 没 吃 过 。Zhèyàng de cài wǒ yī cì yě méi chī guo.I've never eaten this kind of food before.
  • 这 次 活动 我们 公司 一个 人 也 没 参加 。 Zhè cì huódòng wǒmen gōngsī yī gè rén yě méi cānjiā.Not one person in our company has participated in this activity.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries

Websites


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