Difference between revisions of "Expressing "enough" with "gou""

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== Affirmative Form ==
 
== Affirmative Form ==
  
In Chinese the word for "enough" comes before a verb more often than after an adjective. When it comes before an adjective, 了 is needed at the end of the sentence.
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In Chinese the word for "enough" comes before a verb more often than after an adjective.  
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + 够 + Verb / Adj. + 了
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够 + Verb / Adj. + 了
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
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*我们 买 了 很 多 菜 ,<em>够</em> 吃 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen mǎi le hěn duō cài, <em>gòu</em> chī <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">We bought a lot of food. It's enough for us to eat.</span>
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*这些 纸 <em>够</em> 用 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Zhèxiē zhǐ <em>gòu</em> yòng ma?</span><span class="trans">Are these paper good enough to use?</span>
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*放心 吧 ,我 带 的 钱 <em>够</em> 花 。<span class="pinyin">Fàngxīn ba, wǒ dài de qián <em>gòu</em> huā.</span><span class="trans">Don't worry. I've brought enough money to spend.</span>
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</div>
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When it comes before an adjective, 了 is needed at the end of the sentence.
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*对 你 <em>够</em> 好 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">duì nǐ <em>gòu</em> hǎo <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">He's been good enough to you.</span>
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*对 你 <em>够</em> 好 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">duì nǐ <em>gòu</em> hǎo <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">I've been good enough to you.</span>
*别 抱怨 了 ,你 已经 <em>够</em> 幸运 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Bié bàoyuàn le, nǐ yǐjīng <em>gòu</em> xìngyùn <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">Stop complaining. You've been lucky enough.</span>
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*别 抱怨 了 ,你 <em>够</em> 幸运 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Bié bàoyuàn le, nǐ <em>gòu</em> xìngyùn <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">Stop complaining. You've been lucky enough.</span>
*我们 只 有 三 个 人 ,你 的 车 肯定 <em>够</em> 坐 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen zhǐ yǒu sān gè rén, nǐ de chē kěndìng <em>gòu</em> zuò.</span><span class="trans">We only have three people. I'm sure your car is big enough to sit in.</span>
 
*这些 纸 <em>够</em> 用 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Zhèxiē zhǐ <em>gòu</em> yòng ma?</span><span class="trans">Are these paper good enough to use?</span>
 
*放心 吧 ,我 带 的 钱 <em>够</em> 花 。<span class="pinyin">Fàngxīn ba, wǒ dài de qián <em>gòu</em> huā.</span><span class="trans">Don't worry. I've brought enough money to spend.</span>
 
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|够|B1|Subj. + 够 + Predicate (+ 了) |我们 买 了 很 多 菜,肯定 <em>够</em> 吃 。|grammar point|ASG49BE6}}
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{{Basic Grammar|够|B1|Subj. + 够 + Predicate (+ 了) |我们 买 了 很 多 菜 ,<em>够</em> 吃 <strong>了</strong> 。|grammar point|ASG49BE6}}
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{{Rel char|了}}
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{{Rel char|够了}}
 
{{Used for|Describing degree}}
 
{{Used for|Describing degree}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing attitude}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing attitude}}
 
{{POS|Adverbs}}
 
{{POS|Adverbs}}
 
{{Translation|enough}}
 
{{Translation|enough}}

Revision as of 09:46, 9 January 2018

Chinese-grammar-wiki-le.jpg

Affirmative Form

In Chinese the word for "enough" comes before a verb more often than after an adjective.

Structure

够 + Verb / Adj. + 了

Sometimes you'll see an optional 了 added after the verb for emphasis (as in "no, really, it's enough!").

Examples

  • 我们 买 了 很 多 菜 ,Wǒmen mǎi le hěn duō cài, gòu chī le.We bought a lot of food. It's enough for us to eat.
  • 这些 纸 用 吗 ?Zhèxiē zhǐ gòu yòng ma?Are these paper good enough to use?
  • 放心 吧 ,我 带 的 钱 花 。Fàngxīn ba, wǒ dài de qián gòu huā.Don't worry. I've brought enough money to spend.

When it comes before an adjective, 了 is needed at the end of the sentence.

  • 我 对 你 Wǒ duì nǐ gòu hǎo le.I've been good enough to you.
  • 别 抱怨 了 ,你 幸运 Bié bàoyuàn le, nǐ gòu xìngyùn le.Stop complaining. You've been lucky enough.

Negative Form

Structure

Subj. + 不 + 够 + Verb / Adj.

Note that 了 can't be used when it's negated.

Examples

  • 他 觉得 他 女朋友 不够 漂亮 。Tā juéde tā nǚpéngyou bù gòu piàoliang.He thinks his girlfriend is not pretty enough.
  • 你 说 得 不够 清楚 。Nǐ shuō de bù gòu qīngchǔ.You didn't speak very clearly.
  • 这些 菜 不够 吃 ,再 点 几 个 菜 。Zhèxiē cài bù gòu chī, zài diǎn jǐ gè cài.These dishes are not enough to eat. Let's order some more.
  • 这里 太 小 了 ,不够 坐 。Zhèlǐ tài xiǎo le, bùgòu zuò.It's too small here. It's not big enough to sit.
  • 你 的 包 太 小 了,这些 东西 肯定不够 放 。Nǐ de bāo tài xiǎo le, zhème duō dōngxi kěndìng bùgòu fàng.You bag is too small. These stuff definitely can't fit in it.

Colloquial Saying

Literally 够了 means "it's enough." the speaker is "getting sick of [doing] something" or "done with [doing] something." 这些动词比较有限。常用的是:吃、喝、玩、看、听等感官类的。

A few common examples:

  • 够 了shòu gòu le!I had enough of it!
  • 天天 吃 外卖 ,我们 都 够了 Tiāntiān chī wàimài, wǒmen dōu chī gòu le.We eat take-away every day. We're sick of eating it.
  • 够了 没有 ?wán gòu le méiyǒu?Are you done playing or not?

See also

Sources and further reading

Books