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

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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
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In Chinese the word for "enough" is 够 (gòu). It also combines with other words and most often comes before [[verb]]s and [[adjective]]s, but there are a limited number of verbs that it can follow as well.
  
 
== Affirmative Form ==
 
== Affirmative Form ==
 
In Chinese the word for "enough" comes before a verb more often than after an adjective.
 
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
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</div>
 
</div>
  
Sometimes you'll see an optional added after the verb for emphasis (as in "''no, really, it's enough!''").
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The [[]] is not strictly required, but it adds a sense of emphasis.
  
 
=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
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In these examples, 够 (gòu) comes before verbs. You'll notice that ''who'' is doing the verb to ''what'' is normally just understood in context.
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<div class="liju">
  
 
*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>
 
*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>
*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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*这些 纸 <em>够</em> 用 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Zhèxiē zhǐ <em>gòu</em> yòng ma?</span><span class="trans">Is this paper enough for us 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>
 
*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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== Negative Form ==
 
== Negative Form ==
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In the negative form, you're not going to need a 了 (le).
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + 不 + 够 + Verb / Adj.
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Subj. + 不 + 够 + Adj. / Verb
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*他 觉得 他 女朋友 <em>不够</em> 漂亮 。<span class="pinyin">Tā juéde tā nǚpéngyou <em>bù gòu</em> piàoliang.</span><span class="trans">He thinks his girlfriend is not pretty enough.</span>
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*他 觉得 他 女朋友 <em>不 够</em> 漂亮 。<span class="pinyin">Tā juéde tā nǚpéngyou <em>bù gòu</em> piàoliang.</span><span class="trans">He thinks his girlfriend is not pretty enough.</span>
*你 说 得 <em>不够</em> 清楚 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ shuō de <em>bù gòu</em> qīngchǔ.</span><span class="trans">You didn't speak very clearly.</span>
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*你 说 得 <em>不 够</em> 清楚 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ shuō de <em>bù gòu</em> qīngchǔ.</span><span class="trans">You didn't speak clearly enough.</span>
*这些 菜 <em>不够</em> 吃 ,再 点 几 个 菜 。<span class="pinyin">Zhèxiē cài <em>bù gòu</em> chī, zài diǎn jǐ gè cài.</span><span class="trans">These dishes are not enough to eat. Let's order some more.</span>
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*这些 菜 <em>不 够</em> 吃 ,再 点 几 个 菜 。<span class="pinyin">Zhèxiē cài <em>bù gòu</em> chī, zài diǎn jǐ gè cài.</span><span class="trans">This food is not enough for us to eat. Let's order a few more dishes.</span>
*这里 太 小 了 ,<em>不够</em> 坐 。<span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ tài xiǎo le, <em>bùgòu</em> zuò.</span><span class="trans">It's too small here. It's not big enough to sit.</span>
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*这里 太 小 了 ,<em>不 够</em> 坐 。<span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ tài xiǎo le, <em>bù gòu</em> zuò.</span><span class="trans">It's too cramped here. There's not enough room to sit.</span>
*你 的 包 太 小 了,这些 东西 肯定<em>不够</em> 放 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ de bāo tài xiǎo le, zhème duō dōngxi kěndìng <em>bùgòu</em> fàng.</span><span class="trans">You bag is too small. These stuff definitely can't fit in it.</span>
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*你 的 包 太 小 了,这些 东西 肯定 <em>不 够</em> 放 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ de bāo tài xiǎo le, zhèxiē dōngxi kěndìng <em>bù gòu</em> fàng.</span><span class="trans">Your bag is too small. There's definitely not enough room to hold this stuff.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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Translations feel looser here, as the Chinese frequently omits the details about what's not enough for what. The verb and the context makes it clear enough.
  
 
== Colloquial Saying ==
 
== 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。
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Literally, 够了 means "it's enough." When the speaker is getting sick of doing something or feeling fed up, 够了 can be applied after a limited number of verbs.
  
 
A few common examples:
 
A few common examples:
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*我 <strong>受</strong> <em>够 了</em> !<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>shòu</strong> <em>gòu le</em>!</span><span class="trans">I had enough of it!</span>
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*我 <strong>受</strong> <em>够 了</em> !<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>shòu</strong> <em>gòu le</em>!</span><span class="trans">I've had enough!</span>
*天天 吃 外卖 ,我们 都 <strong>吃</strong> <em>够了 </em> 。<span class="pinyin">Tiāntiān chī wàimài, wǒmen dōu <strong>chī</strong> <em>gòu le</em>.</span><span class="trans">We eat take-away every day. We're sick of eating it.</span>
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*天天 吃 外卖 ,我们 都 <strong>吃</strong> <em>够 了</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Tiāntiān chī wàimài, wǒmen dōu <strong>chī</strong> <em>gòu le</em>.</span><span class="trans">We eat take-out every day. We're sick of eating it.</span>
*你 <strong>玩</strong> <em>够了</em> 没有 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>wán</strong> <em>gòu le</em> méiyǒu?</span><span class="trans">Are you done playing or not?</span>
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*你 <strong>玩</strong> <em>够 了</em> 没有 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>wán</strong> <em>gòu le</em> méiyǒu?</span><span class="trans">Are you done playing?</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 4下|45}}
  
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK4}}
 
{{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}}
 
{{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}}
 
{{Rel char|了}}
 
{{Rel char|了}}

Latest revision as of 04:50, 9 March 2019

Chinese-grammar-wiki-le.jpg

In Chinese the word for "enough" is 够 (gòu). It also combines with other words and most often comes before verbs and adjectives, but there are a limited number of verbs that it can follow as well.

Affirmative Form

Structure

够 + Verb / Adj. + 了

The is not strictly required, but it adds a sense of emphasis.

Examples

In these examples, 够 (gòu) comes before verbs. You'll notice that who is doing the verb to what is normally just understood in context.

  • 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?Is this paper enough for us 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

In the negative form, you're not going to need a 了 (le).

Structure

Subj. + 不 + 够 + Adj. / Verb

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 clearly enough.
  • 这些 菜 不 够 吃 ,再 点 几 个 菜 。Zhèxiē cài bù gòu chī, zài diǎn jǐ gè cài.This food is not enough for us to eat. Let's order a few more dishes.
  • 这里 太 小 了 ,不 够 坐 。Zhèlǐ tài xiǎo le, bù gòu zuò.It's too cramped here. There's not enough room to sit.
  • 你 的 包 太 小 了,这些 东西 肯定 不 够 放 。Nǐ de bāo tài xiǎo le, zhèxiē dōngxi kěndìng bù gòu fàng.Your bag is too small. There's definitely not enough room to hold this stuff.

Translations feel looser here, as the Chinese frequently omits the details about what's not enough for what. The verb and the context makes it clear enough.

Colloquial Saying

Literally, 够了 means "it's enough." When the speaker is getting sick of doing something or feeling fed up, 够了 can be applied after a limited number of verbs.

A few common examples:

  • 够 了shòu gòu le!I've had enough!
  • 天天 吃 外卖 ,我们 都 够 了Tiāntiān chī wàimài, wǒmen dōu chī gòu le.We eat take-out every day. We're sick of eating it.
  • 够 了 没有 ?wán gòu le méiyǒu?Are you done playing?

See also

Sources and further reading

Books