Difference between revisions of "Expressing "even" with "lian" and "dou""
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| − | * 我 <em>连</em> 见 <em>都</em> 没 见 过 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>lián</em> jiàn <em>dōu</em> méi jiàn guo. </span> <span class="trans"> I didn't meet him at all. </span> | + | * 我 <em>连</em> 见 <em>都</em> 没 见 过 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>lián</em> jiàn <em>dōu</em> méi jiàn guo. </span> <span class="trans">I didn't meet him at all. </span> |
* 你 怎么 <em>连</em> 想 <em>都</em> 不 想 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zěnme <em>lián</em> xiǎng <em>dōu</em> bù xiǎng? </span> <span class="trans">How did you not think about it at all? </span> | * 你 怎么 <em>连</em> 想 <em>都</em> 不 想 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zěnme <em>lián</em> xiǎng <em>dōu</em> bù xiǎng? </span> <span class="trans">How did you not think about it at all? </span> | ||
| − | * 他 <em>连</em> 看 <em>都</em> 没 看 ， 就 说 我 的 衣服 很 难看 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>lián</em> kàn <em> dōu</em> méi kàn, jiù shuō wǒ de yīfu hěn nánkàn. </span> <span class="trans"> He didn't even look at them at all, he just said my clothes were ugly. </span> | + | * 他 <em>连</em> 看 <em>都</em> 没 看 ， 就 说 我 的 衣服 很 难看 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>lián</em> kàn <em> dōu</em> méi kàn, jiù shuō wǒ de yīfu hěn nánkàn. </span> <span class="trans">He didn't even look at them at all, he just said my clothes were ugly. </span> |
| − | * 他 <em>连</em> 问 <em>都</em> 不 | + | * 他 <em>连</em> 问 <em>都</em> 不 问 ， 就 把 我们 的 东西 扔 掉 了 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>lián</em> wèn <em>dōu</em> bù wèn, jiù bǎ wǒmen de dōngxi rēngdiào le. </span> <span class="trans">He didn't even ask at all, he just threw away my stuff. </span> |
| − | * 你们 <em>连</em> 尝 <em>都</em> 没 | + | * 你们 <em>连</em> 尝 <em>都</em> 没 尝 ， 怎么 知道 不 好吃 ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <em>lián</em> cháng <em>dōu</em> méi cháng, zěnme zhīdào bù hǎochī? </span> <span class="trans"> You guys didn't even taste it at all, how do you know that it tastes bad? </span> |
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Revision as of 02:19, 6 March 2017
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Keywords
"连⋯⋯ 都 / 也⋯⋯" (lián...dōu/yě...) is a pattern that can be used to emphasize certain unexpected or surprising events or information. It is used the same way even is in English.
Contents
连 Followed by Noun
Basic Structure
连 + Noun + 也 / 都 + Adj. / Verb
Examples
- 这个 汉字 太 难 了 ，连 我 的 中文 老师 也 不 认识 。 This Chinese character is so difficult that even my Chinese teacher doesn't know it.
- 我们 家 人人 都 炒股 ， 连 我 奶奶 也 炒 。 Everyone in my family plays the stock market, even my grandma does.
- 你们 怎么 连 这么 简单 的 事情 都 做 不 好 ？ How can you guys mess up even the simplest thing?
- 我们 家 是 我 老婆 管 钱 ， 我 连 私房钱 都 没有。 Our family's money is managed by the wife. I don't even have secret stash.
- 你 怎么 穷 得 连 一 顿 饭 都 请 不起 ？ How could you be so poor? You can't even buy one meal for someone?
连 Followed by Verb
The verb used in this structure is mostly one syllable verb.
Advanced Structure
连 + Verb + 也 / 都 + 不 / 没 + Verb（，就⋯⋯）
Using this type of sentence structure emphasizes "not even at all..."
Examples
- 我 连 见 都 没 见 过 。 I didn't meet him at all.
- 你 怎么 连 想 都 不 想 ？ How did you not think about it at all?
- 他 连 看 都 没 看 ， 就 说 我 的 衣服 很 难看 。 He didn't even look at them at all, he just said my clothes were ugly.
- 他 连 问 都 不 问 ， 就 把 我们 的 东西 扔 掉 了 。 He didn't even ask at all, he just threw away my stuff.
- 你们 连 尝 都 没 尝 ， 怎么 知道 不 好吃 ？ You guys didn't even taste it at all, how do you know that it tastes bad?
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- Common Chinese Patterns 330 (汉语常用格式330例) (pp. 152)→buy
- Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 356-7)→buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 136) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 204-5) →buy
