Difference between revisions of "Expressing "even" with "shenzhi""

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{{Grammar Box}}
 
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甚至 (shènzhì) is similar to "even" in English. It is often used to emphasise a person’s or group’s ability to do something. It can also be used to supplement the speaker’s initial thought, creating the impression that the speaker has realized half way through his statement that he hasn’t gone far enough, and wants to take the idea one step further.
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甚至 (shènzhì) is similar to "even" in English. It is used to emphasize something, often a person’s or group’s ability to do something. It can also be used to supplement the speaker’s initial thought, creating the impression that the speaker has realized half way through his statement that he hasn’t gone far enough, and wants to take the idea one step further.
  
==Structure==
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==Structure - emphasis ==
  
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<div class="jiegou">
  
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甚至 + focus of emphasis
  
 
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</div>
 
 
When used as a conjunction, it is generally used to emphasize the last idea of the sentence. Sometimes this kind of sentence has the feeling that the speaker realizes half way through the sentence that they haven't gone far enough, and want to take the idea one step further.
 
 
For example:
 
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 前 女友 照片 让 感到 遗憾 <em>甚至</em> 痛苦。
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* 他 骑 自行车 速度 <em>甚至</em> 比 汽车 还 快。
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* 是 个 探险家,他 <em>甚至</em> 去 过 北极。
 
* 在 中国,不但 教育 水平 高 的 人 会 背诵 唐诗, <em>甚至</em> 连 小 孩子 都 会。
 
* 在 中国,不但 教育 水平 高 的 人 会 背诵 唐诗, <em>甚至</em> 连 小 孩子 都 会。
* 我 觉得 两天 内 完成 这个 任务 很 难,<em>甚至</em> 是 不 可能 的。
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
==甚至 used as an adverb ==  
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Note the phrase  following 甚至 often uses 连, 都 or 也 to add further emphasis.
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==Structure - supplementary thought ==
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<div class="jiegou">
  
甚至 also can be used as an adverb, and is used like this:
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甚至 + additional thought
  
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</div>
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 他 骑 自行车 的 速度 <em>甚至</em> 比 汽车 还 快。
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* 前 女友 的 照片 让 感到 遗憾 <em>甚至</em> 痛苦。
* 他 是 个 探险家,他 <em>甚至</em> 去 过 北极。
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* 我 觉得 两天 内 完成 这个 任务 很 难,<em>甚至</em> 是 不 可能 的。
 
</div>
 
</div>
 
The phrase  following 甚至 often uses 连, 都 or 也 to add further emphasis.
 
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==

Revision as of 03:37, 18 September 2012

甚至 (shènzhì) is similar to "even" in English. It is used to emphasize something, often a person’s or group’s ability to do something. It can also be used to supplement the speaker’s initial thought, creating the impression that the speaker has realized half way through his statement that he hasn’t gone far enough, and wants to take the idea one step further.

Structure - emphasis

甚至 + focus of emphasis

  • 他 骑 自行车 的 速度 甚至 比 汽车 还 快。
  • 他 是 个 探险家,他 甚至 去 过 北极。
  • 在 中国,不但 教育 水平 高 的 人 会 背诵 唐诗, 甚至 连 小 孩子 都 会。

Note the phrase following 甚至 often uses 连, 都 or 也 to add further emphasis.

Structure - supplementary thought

甚至 + additional thought

  • 前 女友 的 照片 让 他 感到 遗憾 甚至 痛苦。
  • 我 觉得 两天 内 完成 这个 任务 很 难,甚至 是 不 可能 的。

See also

Sources and further reading

Books