Difference between revisions of "Expressing "even" with "lian" and "dou""

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* 这个 汉字 太 难 了 ,<em>连</em> 我 的 中文 老师 <em>也</em> 不 认识 。 <span class="pinyin">Zhège hànzì tài nán le, <em>lián</em> wǒ de Zhōngwén lǎoshī <em>yě</em> bù rènshi. </span> <span class="trans">This Chinese character is so difficult that even my Chinese teacher doesn't know it. </span>
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* 这个 汉字 太 难 了 ,<em>连</em> 我 的 中文 老师 <em>也</em> 不 认识 。 <span class="pinyin">Zhège Hànzì tài nán le, <em>lián</em> wǒ de Zhōngwén lǎoshī <em>yě</em> bù rènshi. </span> <span class="trans">This Chinese character is so difficult that even my Chinese teacher doesn't know it. </span>
 
* 我们 家 人人 都 炒股 , <em>连</em> 我 奶奶 <em>也</em> 炒 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒmen jiā rénrén dōu chǎogǔ, <em>lián</em> wǒ nǎinai <em> yě</em> chǎo. </span> <span class="trans">Everyone in my family plays the stock market, even my grandma does.</span>
 
* 我们 家 人人 都 炒股 , <em>连</em> 我 奶奶 <em>也</em> 炒 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒmen jiā rénrén dōu chǎogǔ, <em>lián</em> wǒ nǎinai <em> yě</em> chǎo. </span> <span class="trans">Everyone in my family plays the stock market, even my grandma does.</span>
 
* 你们 怎么 <em>连</em> 这么 简单 的 事情 <em>都</em> 做 不 好 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen zěnme <em>lián</em> zhème jiǎndān de shìqing <em>dōu</em> zuò bu hǎo? </span> <span class="trans">How can you guys mess up even the simplest thing? </span>
 
* 你们 怎么 <em>连</em> 这么 简单 的 事情 <em>都</em> 做 不 好 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen zěnme <em>lián</em> zhème jiǎndān de shìqing <em>dōu</em> zuò bu hǎo? </span> <span class="trans">How can you guys mess up even the simplest thing? </span>

Revision as of 02:20, 6 March 2017

"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.

连 Followed by Noun

Basic Structure

连 + Noun + 也 / 都 + Adj. / Verb

Examples

  • 这个 汉字 太 难 了 , 我 的 中文 老师 不 认识 。 Zhège Hànzì tài nán le, lián wǒ de Zhōngwén lǎoshī bù rènshi. This Chinese character is so difficult that even my Chinese teacher doesn't know it.
  • 我们 家 人人 都 炒股 , 我 奶奶 炒 。 Wǒmen jiā rénrén dōu chǎogǔ, lián wǒ nǎinai chǎo. Everyone in my family plays the stock market, even my grandma does.
  • 你们 怎么 这么 简单 的 事情 做 不 好 ?Nǐmen zěnme lián zhème jiǎndān de shìqing dōu zuò bu hǎo? How can you guys mess up even the simplest thing?
  • 我们 家 是 我 老婆 管 钱 , 我 私房钱 没有。 Wǒmen jiā shì wǒ lǎopo guǎn qián, wǒ lián sīfàngqián dōu méiyǒu. Our family's money is managed by the wife. I don't even have secret stash.
  • 你 怎么 穷 得 一 顿 饭 请 不起 ? Nǐ zěnme qióng de lián yī dùn fàn dōu qǐng bu qǐ? 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

  • 没 见 过 。 lián jiàn dōu méi jiàn guo. I didn't meet him at all.
  • 你 怎么 不 想 ?Nǐ zěnme lián xiǎng dōu bù xiǎng? How did you not think about it at all?
  • 没 看 , 就 说 我 的 衣服 很 难看 。 lián kàn dōu méi kàn, jiù shuō wǒ de yīfu hěn nánkàn. He didn't even look at them at all, he just said my clothes were ugly.
  • 不 问 , 就 把 我们 的 东西 扔 掉 了 。 lián wèn dōu bù wèn, jiù bǎ wǒmen de dōngxi rēngdiào le. He didn't even ask at all, he just threw away my stuff.
  • 你们 没 尝 , 怎么 知道 不 好吃 ? Nǐmen lián cháng dōu méi cháng, zěnme zhīdào bù hǎochī? You guys didn't even taste it at all, how do you know that it tastes bad?

See also

Sources and further reading

Books