Difference between revisions of "Expressing wasted efforts with "bai""

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白 (bái) doesn't only mean "white". When added before a verb it means to do that verb "in vain" or "with no effect". In a certain way, you can think of 白 as not being just "white" but also "blank", like when you do something for a long time without thinking, and you're just going through the motions. It's like doing something with a "blank" mind.\r\n== Structure with just 白 ==\r\nAll you have to do is but 白 before the verb.One important thing to note is that 白 is usually used with mono-syllabic words, like 帮, 做, 学 etc. You cannot put a 地 after 白.\r\n<div class="jiegou">\r\n白+V.\r\n</div>\r\n=== Examples ===\r\n<div class="liju">\r\n* <em>白</em> 花 了 一 百 块 钱，这 件 衣服 不 能 穿。<span class="trans">I just wasted a hundred kuai. I can't even wear these clothes.</span>
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白 (bái) doesn't only mean "white." When added before a verb it means to do that verb "in vain" or "with no effect."
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* <em>白</em> 写 了 两 个 小时 的 报告，老板 不 需要 了。<span class="trans">I just spent two hours writing this report for nothing. The boss doesn't need it.</span>
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* 他 不 来 吃 饭 了，我 这 些 菜 <em>白</em> 做了。<span class="trans">He's not coming to eat anymore, I made all this food for nothing.</span>
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== Basic Form with Just 白 ==
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* 你 一 句 汉语 都 不 会 说，<em>白</em> 学 了 这么 长 时间。<span class="trans">You can't speak even one sentence in Chinese, wasting all of that time studying.</span>\r\n</div>\r\n== Structure with 白白 ==\r\n白 can also be replaced with 白白, and they are basically the same, though 白白 has a stronger emphasis on the "wasted effort." 白白 also is usually paired with a disyllabic word, like 帮助, 准备, 学习 etc. Unlike 白, 白白 can be used with a 地.\r\n=== Examples ===\r\n<div class="liju">\r\n* 明天 不 考 中文， 小王 <em>白白</em> 准备 了 一 天。<span class="trans">There's not a Chinese test tomorrow. Little Wang studied the whole day in vain.</span>
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* 他 没 有 来，我 在 飞机场 <em>白白</em> 地 等 了 他 四 个 小时。<span class="trans">He hasn't come. I wasted four hours at the airport waiting for him.</span>
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All you have to do is put 白 before the verb. One important thing to note is that 白 is usually used with mono-syllabic words, like 做, 学, 跑, etc. You should put a 地 after 白.
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* 她 <em>白白</em> 学 了 十 年 的 英语， 她 看得懂 英文，但是 连 简单 的 对话 都 不 会 说！<span class="trans">She spent ten years fruitlessly studying English. She can read English, but she can't even speak a simple sentence.</span>\r\n</div>\r\n== Sources and further reading ==\r\n* [[现代汉语八百词]] (p.58) [http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001198GSW&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001198GSW →buy]
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* [[Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级)]] (p.160-161) [http://www.amazon.cn/gp/product/B004WA6JSQ/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B004WA6JSQ →buy]\r\n[[Category:B2 grammar points]]
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=== Structure ===
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{{Basic Grammar|白|B2|白+V.|<em>白</em> 花 了 一 百 块 钱，这 件 衣服 不 能 穿。|grammar point|ASGTIMTS}}
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<div class="jiegou">
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白 + Verb + 了
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</div>
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 +
=== Examples ===
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 +
<div class="liju">
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* <em>白</em> 花 了 一 百 块 钱，这 件 衣服 不 能 穿。<span class="pinyin"><em>Bái</em> huā le yībǎi kuài qián, zhè jiàn yīfu bù néng chuān.</span><span class="trans">I just wasted a hundred kuai. I can't even wear these clothes.</span>
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* 他 不 回来 吃饭 了？！我 这些 菜 <em>白</em> 做了。<span class="pinyin">Tā bù huílái chīfàn le?! Wǒ zhèxiē cài <em>bái</em> zuò le.</span><span class="trans">He's not coming back to eat?! I made all this food for nothing.</span>
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* 你 一 句 汉语 都 不 会 说，<em>白</em> 学 了 这么 长 时间。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ yījù Hànyǔ dōu bù huì shuō, <em>bái</em> xué le zhème cháng shíjiān.</span><span class="trans">You can't speak even one sentence in Chinese! All that time studying was a waste.</span>
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* 我 去 的 时候 他 不 在 家， 所以 我 <em>白</em> 跑 了 一 趟。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ qù de shíhou tā bù zài jiā, suǒyǐ wǒ <em>bái</em> pǎo le yī tàng.</span><span class="trans">He wasn't home when I got there, so I wasted all of that time going over there.</span>
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* 不好意思， 让 你 <em>白</em> 忙 了 一 个 早上，我们 老板 今天 来 不了 了。<span class="pinyin">Bù hǎoyìsi, ràng nǐ <em>bái</em> máng le yī gè zǎoshang, wǒmen lǎobǎn jīntiān lái buliǎo le.</span><span class="trans">Sorry to make you work this whole morning for nothing. Our boss just said that he couldn't come today.</span>
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</div>
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== Form with 白白 ==
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白 can also be replaced with 白白 with basically the same meaning, although 白白 has a stronger emphasis on the "wasted effort." 白白 is also usually paired with a disyllabic verb, like 帮助, 准备, 学习 etc. Unlike 白, 白白 can be used with a 地.
 +
 
 +
=== Structure ===
 +
 
 +
<div class="jiegou">
 +
白白 + Verb + 了
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
=== Examples ===
 +
 
 +
<div class="liju">
 +
* 明天 不 考 中文， 小王 <em>白白</em> 准备 了 一 天。<span class="pinyin">Míngtiān bù kǎo Zhōngwén, Xiǎo Wáng <em>báibái</em> zhǔnbèi le yītiān.</span><span class="trans">There's no Chinese test tomorrow. Little Wang spent the whole day studying in vain.</span>
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* 他 还是 没有 听 我 的 建议， 我 <em>白白</em> 给 他 说 了 这么 长 时间。<span class="pinyin">Tā háishì méiyǒu tīng wǒ de jiànyì, wǒ <em>báibái</em> gěi tā shuō le zhème cháng shíjiān.</span><span class="trans">He still doesn't listen to my advice. I spent such a long time talking to him, all for nothing.</span>
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* 他 没有 来，我 在 飞机场 <em>白白</em> 等 了 他 四 个 小时。<span class="pinyin">Tā méiyǒu lái, wǒ zài fēijīchǎng <em>báibái</em> děng le tā sì gè xiǎoshí.</span><span class="trans">He didn't come. I wasted four hours at the airport waiting for him.</span>
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* 父母 <em>白白</em> 养 了 你 这么 多 年，你 一点 也不 关心 你 的 父母。<span class="pinyin">Fùmǔ <em>báibái </em> yǎng le nǐ zhème duō nián, nǐ yīdiǎn yě bù guānxīn nǐ de fùmǔ.</span><span class="trans">Your parents raised you for so many years, just for you not to care about them at all.</span>
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* 她 <em>白白</em> 学 了 十 年 的 英语 。 她 看 得 懂 英文，但是 连 简单 的 对话 都 不 会 说！<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>báibái</em> xué le shí nián de Yīngyǔ. Tā kàn de dǒng Yīngwén, dànshì lián jiǎndān de duìhuà dōu bù huì shuō!</span><span class="trans">She spent ten years fruitlessly studying English. She can read English, but she can't even hold a simple conversation!</span>
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</div>
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== 白 as "For Free" ==
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There are a group of mono-syllabic verbs that combine with 白 in the same structure, but for these verbs, 白 means "for free." Think of these as set phrases. All relate to the senses or some form of "consumption." This list is not exhaustive:
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 +
<div class="liju">
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* <em>白</em>吃<span class="pinyin">bái chī</span><span class="trans">to eat for free</span>
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* <em>白</em>喝<span class="pinyin">bái hē</span><span class="trans">to drink for free</span>
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* <em>白</em>住<span class="pinyin">bái zhù</span><span class="trans">to stay (overnight) for free</span>
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</div>
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== Sources and further reading ==
 +
 
 +
{{Source|现代汉语八百词|58}}
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{{Source|Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级)|160-161}}
 +
 
 +
[[Category:B2 grammar points]]
 +
{{Basic Grammar|白|B2|白 + Verb|<em>白</em> 花 了 一 百 块 钱，这 件 衣服 不 能 穿。|grammar point|ASGTIMTS}}
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{{Rel char|白白}}
 
{{Used for|Describing actions}}
 
{{Used for|Describing actions}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing attitude}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing attitude}}
 
{{POS|Adverbs}}
 
{{POS|Adverbs}}

Latest revision as of 09:31, 18 January 2021

白 (bái) doesn't only mean "white." When added before a verb it means to do that verb "in vain" or "with no effect."

Basic Form with Just 白

All you have to do is put 白 before the verb. One important thing to note is that 白 is usually used with mono-syllabic words, like 做, 学, 跑, etc. You should put a 地 after 白.

Structure

白 + Verb + 了

Examples

  • 白 花 了 一 百 块 钱，这 件 衣服 不 能 穿。Bái huā le yībǎi kuài qián, zhè jiàn yīfu bù néng chuān.I just wasted a hundred kuai. I can't even wear these clothes.
  • 他 不 回来 吃饭 了？！我 这些 菜 白 做了。Tā bù huílái chīfàn le?! Wǒ zhèxiē cài bái zuò le.He's not coming back to eat?! I made all this food for nothing.
  • 你 一 句 汉语 都 不 会 说，白 学 了 这么 长 时间。Nǐ yījù Hànyǔ dōu bù huì shuō, bái xué le zhème cháng shíjiān.You can't speak even one sentence in Chinese! All that time studying was a waste.
  • 我 去 的 时候 他 不 在 家， 所以 我 白 跑 了 一 趟。Wǒ qù de shíhou tā bù zài jiā, suǒyǐ wǒ bái pǎo le yī tàng.He wasn't home when I got there, so I wasted all of that time going over there.
  • 不好意思， 让 你 白 忙 了 一 个 早上，我们 老板 今天 来 不了 了。Bù hǎoyìsi, ràng nǐ bái máng le yī gè zǎoshang, wǒmen lǎobǎn jīntiān lái buliǎo le.Sorry to make you work this whole morning for nothing. Our boss just said that he couldn't come today.

Form with 白白

白 can also be replaced with 白白 with basically the same meaning, although 白白 has a stronger emphasis on the "wasted effort." 白白 is also usually paired with a disyllabic verb, like 帮助, 准备, 学习 etc. Unlike 白, 白白 can be used with a 地.

Structure

白白 + Verb + 了

Examples

  • 明天 不 考 中文， 小王 白白 准备 了 一 天。Míngtiān bù kǎo Zhōngwén, Xiǎo Wáng báibái zhǔnbèi le yītiān.There's no Chinese test tomorrow. Little Wang spent the whole day studying in vain.
  • 他 还是 没有 听 我 的 建议， 我 白白 给 他 说 了 这么 长 时间。Tā háishì méiyǒu tīng wǒ de jiànyì, wǒ báibái gěi tā shuō le zhème cháng shíjiān.He still doesn't listen to my advice. I spent such a long time talking to him, all for nothing.
  • 他 没有 来，我 在 飞机场 白白 等 了 他 四 个 小时。Tā méiyǒu lái, wǒ zài fēijīchǎng báibái děng le tā sì gè xiǎoshí.He didn't come. I wasted four hours at the airport waiting for him.
  • 父母 白白 养 了 你 这么 多 年，你 一点 也不 关心 你 的 父母。Fùmǔ báibái yǎng le nǐ zhème duō nián, nǐ yīdiǎn yě bù guānxīn nǐ de fùmǔ.Your parents raised you for so many years, just for you not to care about them at all.
  • 她 白白 学 了 十 年 的 英语 。 她 看 得 懂 英文，但是 连 简单 的 对话 都 不 会 说！Tā báibái xué le shí nián de Yīngyǔ. Tā kàn de dǒng Yīngwén, dànshì lián jiǎndān de duìhuà dōu bù huì shuō!She spent ten years fruitlessly studying English. She can read English, but she can't even hold a simple conversation!

白 as "For Free"

There are a group of mono-syllabic verbs that combine with 白 in the same structure, but for these verbs, 白 means "for free." Think of these as set phrases. All relate to the senses or some form of "consumption." This list is not exhaustive:

  • 白吃bái chīto eat for free
  • 白喝bái hēto drink for free
  • 白住bái zhùto stay (overnight) for free

Sources and further reading

HSK5
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