Difference between revisions of "Expressing the only two possibilities"
Yangrenjun (talk | contribs) |
m (Text replacement - "hǎohǎo" to "hǎohāo") |
||
(25 intermediate revisions by 8 users not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
− | {{Grammar Box}} | + | {{Grammar Box}} |
− | To describe a situation as being one of only two possibilities, you can use | + | To describe a situation as being one of only two possibilities, you can use the structure "不是⋯⋯就是⋯⋯" (bù shì... jiùshì...), which literally means, "if it's not... it's...." |
+ | |||
+ | == Structure == | ||
<div class="jiegou"> | <div class="jiegou"> | ||
− | + | 不是 + A,就是 + B | |
− | 不是 + | ||
− | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
− | This is like saying "if it's not A, then it's B" in English. A and B can be verbs, adjectives or nouns. | + | This is like saying "if it's not A, then it's B" in English. A and B can be verbs, adjectives, or nouns. |
− | |||
− | |||
+ | == Examples == | ||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
− | * 他 整天 <em>不 是</em> | + | * 他 整天 <em>不 是</em> 打 游戏 <em>就 是</em> 睡觉。<span class="pinyin">Tā zhěng tiān <em>bù shì</em> dǎ yóuxì <em>jiùshì</em> shuìjiào.</span><span class="trans">If he's not playing video games all day, he's sleeping.</span> |
− | * 他们 <em> | + | * 他们 约会 <em>不是</em> 去 咖啡馆 <em>就是</em> 去 电影院。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen yuēhuì <em>bù shì</em> qù kāfēiguǎn <em>jiùshì</em> qù diànyǐngyuàn.</span><span class="trans">When they go on dates, if it's not to a coffee shop, then it's to the movie theater.</span> |
− | * 她 穿 的 衣服 <em>不是</em> LV <em>就是</em> Gucci! | + | * 我 买 的 衣服 <em>不是</em> 大 <em>就是</em> 小,都 不 能 穿。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ mǎi de yīfu <em>bù shì</em> dà <em>jiùshì</em> xiǎo, dōu bù néng chuān.</span><span class="trans">The clothes that I bought are always either too big or too small. I can't wear any of them.</span> |
− | + | * 她 穿 的 衣服 <em>不是</em> LV <em>就是</em> Gucci!<span class="pinyin">Tā chuān de yīfu <em>bù shì</em> LV <em>jiùshì</em> Gucci!</span><span class="trans">If the clothes that she wears aren't Louis Vuitton, then they're Gucci!</span> | |
+ | * <em>不是</em> 你 <em>就是</em> 他 干 的 ,别人 一点 都 不 知道。<span class="pinyin"><em>Bù shì</em> nǐ <em>jiùshì</em> tā gàn de, biérén yīdiǎn dōu bù zhīdào.</span><span class="trans">Either you did it or he did it. No one else knows anything about it.</span> | ||
+ | * <em>不是</em> 哭 <em>就是</em> 闹,你 还 能 不 能 好好 工作 了?<span class="pinyin"><em>Bù shì</em> kū <em>jiùshì</em> nào, nǐ hái néng bù néng hǎohāo gōngzuò le?</span><span class="trans">If you're not crying then you're yelling. Can you just do your job properly?</span> | ||
+ | * 我 <em>不是</em> 点 外卖 <em>就是</em> 出去 吃,我 从来 不 自己 做饭。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù shì</em> diǎn wàimài <em>jiùshì</em> chūqù chī, wǒ cónglái bù zìjǐ zuòfàn.</span><span class="trans">I either order take-away food or go out to eat. I never cook for myself.</span> | ||
+ | * 他 <em>不是</em> 嫌 这 不 好 <em>就是</em> 嫌 那 不 好,十分 挑剔。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>bù shì</em> xián zhè bùhǎo <em>jiùshì</em> xián nà bùhǎo, shífēn tiāoti.</span><span class="trans">He either dislikes this or dislikes that. He is super picky.</span> | ||
+ | * 今年 一直 没有 去 旅游 , <em>不是</em> 觉得 地方 远 <em>就是</em> 觉得 自己 累。<span class="pinyin">Jīnnián yīzhí méiyǒu qù lǚyóu, <em>bù shì</em> juéde dìfang yuǎn <em>jiùshì</em> juéde zìjǐ lèi.</span><span class="trans">This year, I haven't traveled at all. I either find the places too far away or I feel too tired.</span> | ||
+ | * 这个 星期 <em>不是</em> 今天 开会 <em>就是</em> 明天 开会 。<span class="pinyin">Zhège xīngqí <em>bù shì</em> jīntiān kāihuì <em>jiùshì</em> míngtiān kāihuì.</span><span class="trans">This week, I'm having a meeting either today or tomorrow.</span> | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
− | *[["Not… | + | *[["Not… but rather…" with "er shi"]] |
*[[Expressing "either ... or ..." with "yaome"]] | *[[Expressing "either ... or ..." with "yaome"]] | ||
*[[Providing two options with double "huozhe"]] | *[[Providing two options with double "huozhe"]] | ||
Line 29: | Line 34: | ||
=== Books === | === Books === | ||
− | + | {{Source|New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)|84}} | |
[[Category:B2 grammar points]] | [[Category:B2 grammar points]] | ||
− | {{Basic Grammar|就是|B2| | + | {{Basic Grammar|就是|B2|不是⋯⋯,就是⋯⋯|<em>不是</em> 成功,<em>就是</em> 失败。|grammar point|ASGEXR6R}} |
{{Rel char|不是}} | {{Rel char|不是}} | ||
+ | {{Rel char|不}} | ||
+ | {{Rel char|就}} | ||
+ | {{Rel char|是}} | ||
{{Similar|"Not… But Rather…" with "er shi"}} | {{Similar|"Not… But Rather…" with "er shi"}} | ||
{{Similar|Expressing "either ... or ..." with "yaome"}} | {{Similar|Expressing "either ... or ..." with "yaome"}} | ||
{{Similar|Providing two options with double "huozhe"}} | {{Similar|Providing two options with double "huozhe"}} | ||
{{Structure|Sentence Patterns}} | {{Structure|Sentence Patterns}} | ||
+ | {{Used for|Giving alternatives}} | ||
+ | {{Used for|Differentiating}} | ||
+ | {{Translation|either}} | ||
+ | {{Translation|or}} |
Latest revision as of 06:59, 11 December 2020
-
Level
-
Similar to
-
Used for
-
Keywords
To describe a situation as being one of only two possibilities, you can use the structure "不是⋯⋯就是⋯⋯" (bù shì... jiùshì...), which literally means, "if it's not... it's...."
Structure
不是 + A,就是 + B
This is like saying "if it's not A, then it's B" in English. A and B can be verbs, adjectives, or nouns.
Examples
- 他 整天 不 是 打 游戏 就 是 睡觉。If he's not playing video games all day, he's sleeping.
- 他们 约会 不是 去 咖啡馆 就是 去 电影院。When they go on dates, if it's not to a coffee shop, then it's to the movie theater.
- 我 买 的 衣服 不是 大 就是 小,都 不 能 穿。The clothes that I bought are always either too big or too small. I can't wear any of them.
- 她 穿 的 衣服 不是 LV 就是 Gucci!If the clothes that she wears aren't Louis Vuitton, then they're Gucci!
- 不是 你 就是 他 干 的 ,别人 一点 都 不 知道。Either you did it or he did it. No one else knows anything about it.
- 不是 哭 就是 闹,你 还 能 不 能 好好 工作 了?If you're not crying then you're yelling. Can you just do your job properly?
- 我 不是 点 外卖 就是 出去 吃,我 从来 不 自己 做饭。I either order take-away food or go out to eat. I never cook for myself.
- 他 不是 嫌 这 不 好 就是 嫌 那 不 好,十分 挑剔。He either dislikes this or dislikes that. He is super picky.
- 今年 一直 没有 去 旅游 , 不是 觉得 地方 远 就是 觉得 自己 累。This year, I haven't traveled at all. I either find the places too far away or I feel too tired.
- 这个 星期 不是 今天 开会 就是 明天 开会 。This week, I'm having a meeting either today or tomorrow.
See also
- "Not… but rather…" with "er shi"
- Expressing "either ... or ..." with "yaome"
- Providing two options with double "huozhe"
Sources and further reading
Books