Advanced uses of "lian"

连⋯⋯都⋯⋯ (lián... dōu...) is a pattern that can be used to emphasize certain unexpected or surprising events or information, like "even" in English.

连 as "Not at All"

Using this type of sentence structure emphasizes "not even... at all...."

Structure

连 + Verb + 都 + 不 / 没 + Verb (，就 ⋯⋯)

Note that the two verbs in this pattern are the same verb. It repeats.

Examples

• 朋友 ？这个 人 我 连 见 都 没 见 过 。Péngyou? Zhège rén wǒ lián jiàn dōu méi jiàn guo.Friends? I've never even met this person.
• 你 怎么 连 问 都 不 问 就 拿 别人 的 东西 ？Nǐ zěnme lián wèn dōu bù wèn jiù ná biérén de dōngxi?Why are you taking other people's stuff without even asking?
• 他 连 说 都 不 说 就 走 了 。Tā lián shuō dōu bù shuō jiù zǒu le.He just left without even saying anything.
• 你们 连 尝 都 没 尝 就 说 不 好吃 ？Nǐmen lián cháng dōu méi cháng jiù shuō bù hǎochī?You guys didn't even taste it at all and you say it's not good?
• 这 本 书，你 连 看 都 不 看 就 送人 了 。Zhè běn shū, nǐ lián kàn dōu bù kàn jiù sòng rén le.You gave this book away without even reading it first.

连 as "Not Even One"

Here 连 serves as an adverb to add emphasis. It can also be omitted.

Structure

连 + 一 + Measure Word (+ Noun) + 都 + 不 / 没 + Verb

Examples

• 两 年 前，他 连 一 句 中文 都 不 会 说 。Liǎng nián qián, tā lián yī jù Zhōngwén dōu bù huì shuō.He couldn't even say a sentence in Chinese two years ago.
• 他 连 一 套 西服 都 没有 ？Tā lián yī tào xīfú dōu méiyǒu?He doesn't even have a single suit?
• 我们 连 一 次 都 没 见 过 。Wǒmen lián yī cì dōu méi jiàn guo.We haven't met even once.
• 我 连 一 口 蛋糕 都 没 吃 到 。Wǒ lián yī kǒu dàngāo dōu méi chī dào.I haven't gotten even a single bite of cake.
• 小明 连 一 次 火车 都 没 坐 过 。 Xiǎo Míng lián yī cì huǒchē dōu méi zuò guo.Xiao Ming has never taken a train even once.

Sources and further reading

Books

• HSK Standard Course 4下 (pp. 5) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy

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