Difference between revisions of "Expressing "mistakenly think that" with "yiwei""

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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
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We often have mistaken beliefs about various topics. With this article, we learn how to express them in Chinese!
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When we talk about mistaken beliefs in English, we just use the word "thought," and the context and the rest of the sentence makes clear that we were wrong. In Chinese, there's a specific [[verb]] just for "think mistakenly": 以为 (yǐwéi).
  
 
== Structure ==
 
== Structure ==
  
In English, the verb "to think" can imply that the belief is incorrect, e.g. in "I thought it was legal here." Chinese has a specific verb for this kind of mistaken belief: 以为 (yǐwéi). Literally these two characters mean "take to be," i.e. someone takes one thing to be something else.
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In English, the verb "to think" can apply to both correct and incorrect notions. Chinese has a specific verb for "to mistakenly think that": 以为 (yǐwéi). Literally, these two characters mean, "take to be," i.e. someone takes one thing to be something else.
  
 
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The phrase will be a whole new statement that is actually incorrect.
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The part that follows 以为 will be a whole phrase that is actually incorrect information. Note that while it's quite common to refer to things that happened in the past, it could also refer to a situation in the present or even the future. It can also be used for commands, usually of the negative "don't think that..." type.
  
 
== Examples ==
 
== Examples ==
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*我 <em>以为</em> 他 是 英国 人 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yǐwéi</em> tā shì Yīngguó rén.</span><span class="trans">I thought he is British.</span>
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*我 <em>以为</em> 他 是 德国 人 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yǐwéi</em> tā shì Déguó rén.</span><span class="trans">I thought he was German.</span>
*我们 <em>以为</em> 你 不 在家 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>yǐwéi</em> nǐ bù zài jiā .</span><span class="trans">We thought you weren't at home.</span>
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*我们 <em>以为</em> 你 不 在 家 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>yǐwéi</em> nǐ bù zài jiā .</span><span class="trans">We thought you weren't at home.</span>
*同事 们 都 <em>以为</em> 我 二十 岁 。<span class="pinyin">Tóngshì men dōu <em>yǐwéi</em> wǒ èrshí suì.</span><span class="trans">My colleagues all thought I'm twenty.</span>
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*你 <em>以为</em> 你 是 谁 ? <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>yǐwéi</em> nǐ shì shéi?</span><span class="trans">Who do you think you are?</span>
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*同事 们 都 <em>以为</em> 我 二十 岁 。<span class="pinyin">Tóngshì men dōu <em>yǐwéi</em> wǒ èrshí suì.</span><span class="trans">My colleagues all thought I was twenty.</span>
 
*我们 都 <em>以为</em> 你 生气 了 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu <em>yǐwéi</em> nǐ shēngqì le.</span><span class="trans">We all thought you were angry.</span>
 
*我们 都 <em>以为</em> 你 生气 了 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu <em>yǐwéi</em> nǐ shēngqì le.</span><span class="trans">We all thought you were angry.</span>
*老师 <em>以为</em> 学生 都 听懂 了 。<span class="pinyin">Lǎoshī <em>yǐwéi</em> xuéshēng dōu tīngdǒng le.</span><span class="trans">The teacher thought students all understood.</span>
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*老师 <em>以为</em> 学生 都 听懂 了 。<span class="pinyin">Lǎoshī <em>yǐwéi</em> xuéshēng dōu tīngdǒng le.</span><span class="trans">The teacher thought all the students understood.</span>
*大家 都 <em>以为</em> 他 是 大 老板 。<span class="pinyin">Dàjiā dōu <em>yǐwéi</em> tā shì dà lǎobǎn.</span><span class="trans">Everybody thought he's the big boss.</span>
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* 不要 <em>以为</em> 他 是 你的 朋友 。<span class="pinyin">Bùyào <em>yǐwéi</em> tā shì nǐ de péngyou.</span><span class="trans">Don't think that he's your friend.</span>
*她 是 你 外婆 ?我 <em>以为</em> 是 你 妈妈 。<span class="pinyin">Tā shì nǐ wàipó? Wǒ <em>yǐwéi</em> shì nǐ māma.</span><span class="trans">She's your grandma? I thought she's your mother.</span>
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*她 是 你 外婆 ?我 <em>以为</em> 是 你 妈妈 。<span class="pinyin">Tā shì nǐ wàipó? Wǒ <em>yǐwéi</em> shì nǐ māma.</span><span class="trans">She's your grandma? I thought she was your mother.</span>
*你 去 吃 四川 火锅 了 ?我 <em>以为</em> 你 不 爱 吃辣 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ qù chī  Sìchuān huǒguō le? Wǒ <em>yǐwéi</em> nǐ bù ài chī là.</span><span class="trans">You went to eat Sichuan hotpot? I thought you don't like eating spicy food.</span>
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*你 去 吃 四川 火锅 了 ?我 <em>以为</em> 你 不 爱 吃 辣 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ qù chī  Sìchuān huǒguō le? Wǒ <em>yǐwéi</em> nǐ bù ài chī là.</span><span class="trans">You went to eat Sichuan hotpot? I thought you don't like eating spicy food.</span>
*你们 分手 了 ?我 <em>以为</em> 你们 还 在一起 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen fēnshǒu le? Wǒ <em>yǐwéi</em> nǐmen hái zài yīqǐ.</span><span class="trans">You guys broke up? I thought you are still together.</span>
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*你们 分手 了 ?我 <em>以为</em> 你们 还 在一起 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen fēnshǒu le? Wǒ <em>yǐwéi</em> nǐmen hái zài yīqǐ.</span><span class="trans">You guys broke up? I thought you were still together.</span>
*我 看到 那 张 照片 ,<em>以为</em> 你 有 男朋友 了 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yǐwéi</em> Zhōngguó diànyǐng zài Měiguó hěn shòu huānyíng.</span><span class="trans">I thought Chinese movies are very popular in the USA.</span>
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*我 看到 那 张 照片 ,<em>以为</em> 你 有 男朋友 了 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ kàndào nà zhāng zhàopiàn, <em>yǐwéi</em> nǐ yǒu nánpéngyou le.</span><span class="trans">I saw that picture and I thought you had a boyfriend.</span>
  
 
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 4上|43}}
 
{{Source|Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇)|106}}  
 
{{Source|Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇)|106}}  
 
{{Source|Contemporary Chinese 4 (当代中文4)|31}}
 
{{Source|Contemporary Chinese 4 (当代中文4)|31}}
  
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|以为|B1|以为⋯⋯|我 <em>以为</em> 你 不 是 我的 朋友。|grammar point|ASGRBC43}}
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{{HSK|HSK4}}
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{{Basic Grammar|以为|B1|Subj. + 以为⋯⋯|我 <em>以为</em> 你 不 是 我的 朋友。|grammar point|ASGRBC43}}
 
{{Rel char|以}}
 
{{Rel char|以}}
 
{{Rel char|为}}
 
{{Rel char|为}}

Latest revision as of 04:51, 9 March 2019

Chinese-grammar-wiki-wei.jpg

When we talk about mistaken beliefs in English, we just use the word "thought," and the context and the rest of the sentence makes clear that we were wrong. In Chinese, there's a specific verb just for "think mistakenly": 以为 (yǐwéi).

Structure

In English, the verb "to think" can apply to both correct and incorrect notions. Chinese has a specific verb for "to mistakenly think that": 以为 (yǐwéi). Literally, these two characters mean, "take to be," i.e. someone takes one thing to be something else.

Subj. + 以为 ⋯⋯

The part that follows 以为 will be a whole phrase that is actually incorrect information. Note that while it's quite common to refer to things that happened in the past, it could also refer to a situation in the present or even the future. It can also be used for commands, usually of the negative "don't think that..." type.

Examples

  • 以为 他 是 德国 人 。yǐwéi tā shì Déguó rén.I thought he was German.
  • 我们 以为 你 不 在 家 。Wǒmen yǐwéi nǐ bù zài jiā .We thought you weren't at home.
  • 以为 你 是 谁 ? yǐwéi nǐ shì shéi?Who do you think you are?
  • 同事 们 都 以为 我 二十 岁 。Tóngshì men dōu yǐwéi wǒ èrshí suì.My colleagues all thought I was twenty.
  • 我们 都 以为 你 生气 了 。Wǒmen dōu yǐwéi nǐ shēngqì le.We all thought you were angry.
  • 老师 以为 学生 都 听懂 了 。Lǎoshī yǐwéi xuéshēng dōu tīngdǒng le.The teacher thought all the students understood.
  • 不要 以为 他 是 你的 朋友 。Bùyào yǐwéi tā shì nǐ de péngyou.Don't think that he's your friend.
  • 她 是 你 外婆 ?我 以为 是 你 妈妈 。Tā shì nǐ wàipó? Wǒ yǐwéi shì nǐ māma.She's your grandma? I thought she was your mother.
  • 你 去 吃 四川 火锅 了 ?我 以为 你 不 爱 吃 辣 。Nǐ qù chī Sìchuān huǒguō le? Wǒ yǐwéi nǐ bù ài chī là.You went to eat Sichuan hotpot? I thought you don't like eating spicy food.
  • 你们 分手 了 ?我 以为 你们 还 在一起 。Nǐmen fēnshǒu le? Wǒ yǐwéi nǐmen hái zài yīqǐ.You guys broke up? I thought you were still together.
  • 我 看到 那 张 照片 ,以为 你 有 男朋友 了 。 Wǒ kàndào nà zhāng zhàopiàn, yǐwéi nǐ yǒu nánpéngyou le.I saw that picture and I thought you had a boyfriend.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books