Difference between revisions of "Using "er" to explain contrasting ideas"

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* 以后 后悔 的 人 不 是 我,<em>而</em> 是 你 自己。<span class="pinyin">Yǐhòu hòuhuǐ de rén bùshì wǒ, <em>ér</em> shì nǐ zìjǐ.</span><span class="trans">The regretful person isn't me. It's you.</span>
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* 以后 后悔 的 人 不 是 我,<em>而</em> 是 你 自己。<span class="pinyin">Yǐhòu hòuhuǐ de rén bù shì wǒ, <em>ér</em> shì nǐ zìjǐ.</span><span class="trans">The regretful person isn't me. It's you.</span>
* 现在 要 做 的 不 是 责怪 谁 错 了,<em>而</em> 是 怎么 解决。<span class="pinyin">Xiànzài yào zuò de bùshì zéguài shéi cuòle, <em>ér</em> shì zěnme jiějué.</span><span class="trans">Now is not the time to accuse who did it wrong, but to figure out how to resolve it.</span>
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* 现在 要 做 的 不 是 责怪 谁 错 了,<em>而</em> 是 怎么 解决。<span class="pinyin">Xiànzài yào zuò de bù shì zéguài shéi cuòle, <em>ér</em> shì zěnme jiějué.</span><span class="trans">Now is not the time to accuse who did it wrong, but to figure out how to resolve it.</span>
*我 没 说 <em>不 是</em>  想 骗 你 ,<em>而 是</em> 怕 你 不 高兴 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ méi shuō <em>bùshì</em> xiǎng piàn nǐ, <em>ér shì</em> pà nǐ bù gāoxìng.</span><span class="trans">The reason I didn't tell you isn't that I wanted to lie to you; it's that I was afraid you would be upset.</span>
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*我 没 说 <em>不 是</em>  想 骗 你 ,<em>而 是</em> 怕 你 不 高兴 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ méi shuō <em>bù shì</em> xiǎng piàn nǐ, <em>ér shì</em> pà nǐ bù gāoxìng.</span><span class="trans">The reason I didn't tell you isn't that I wanted to lie to you; it's that I was afraid you would be upset.</span>
*我 <em>不 是</em> 不 想 帮 你 ,<em>而 是</em> 没有 能力 帮 你 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bùshì</em> bù xiǎng bāng nǐ, <em>ér shì</em> méiyǒu nénglì bāng nǐ.</span><span class="trans">It's not that I don't want to help you, it's that I have no ability to help you.</span>
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*我 <em>不 是</em> 不 想 帮 你 ,<em>而 是</em> 没有 能力 帮 你 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù shì</em> bù xiǎng bāng nǐ, <em>ér shì</em> méiyǒu nénglì bāng nǐ.</span><span class="trans">It's not that I don't want to help you, it's that I have no ability to help you.</span>
*重要 的 <em>不是</em> 你 的 外表 ,<em>而是</em> 你 的 内心 。<span class="pinyin">Zhòngyào de <em>bùshì</em> nǐ de wàibiǎo, <em>ér shì</em> nǐ de nèixīn.</span><span class="trans">What's important is not how you look on the outside, but rather what's on the inside.</span>
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*重要 的 <em>不是</em> 你 的 外表 ,<em>而是</em> 你 的 内心 。<span class="pinyin">Zhòngyào de <em>bù shì</em> nǐ de wàibiǎo, <em>ér shì</em> nǐ de nèixīn.</span><span class="trans">What's important is not how you look on the outside, but rather what's on the inside.</span>
*生活 中 <em>不是</em> 缺少 美 ,<em>而是</em> 缺少 发现 美 的 眼睛 。<span class="pinyin">Shēnghuó zhōng <em>bùshì</em> quēshǎo měi, <em>ér shì</em> quēshǎo fāxiàn měide yǎnjīng.</span><span class="trans">It's not that life is lacking in beauty, but rather that we lack eyes that discover it.</span>
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*生活 中 <em>不是</em> 缺少 美 ,<em>而是</em> 缺少 发现 美 的 眼睛 。<span class="pinyin">Shēnghuó zhōng <em>bù shì</em> quēshǎo měi, <em>ér shì</em> quēshǎo fāxiàn měide yǎnjīng.</span><span class="trans">It's not that life is lacking in beauty, but rather that we lack eyes that discover it.</span>
*我们 <em>是</em> 来 办事 的 ,<em>不是</em> 来 玩 的 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>shì</em> lái bànshì de, <em>bùshì</em> lái wán de.</span><span class="trans">We're here to do our job, not to have fun.</span>
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*我们 <em>是</em> 来 办事 的 ,<em>不是</em> 来 玩 的 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>shì</em> lái bànshì de, <em>bù shì</em> lái wán de.</span><span class="trans">We're here to do our job, not to have fun.</span>
*你 这样 做 <em>是</em> 害 他 ,<em>不是</em> 帮 他 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhèyàng zuò <em>shì</em> hài tā, <em>bùshì</em> bāng tā.</span><span class="trans">By doing this you were hurting him, not helping him.</span>
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*你 这样 做 <em>是</em> 害 他 ,<em>不是</em> 帮 他 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhèyàng zuò <em>shì</em> hài tā, <em>bù shì</em> bāng tā.</span><span class="trans">By doing this you were hurting him, not helping him.</span>
*不好意思 ,我 <em>是</em> 不 小心 ,<em>不是</em> 故意 的 。<span class="pinyin">Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ <em>shì</em> bù xiǎoxīn, <em>bùshì</em> gùyì de.</span><span class="trans">I'm sorry. It was an accident. It wasn't on purpose.</span>
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*不好意思 ,我 <em>是</em> 不 小心 ,<em>不是</em> 故意 的 。<span class="pinyin">Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ <em>shì</em> bù xiǎoxīn, <em>bù shì</em> gùyì de.</span><span class="trans">I'm sorry. It was an accident. It wasn't on purpose.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 03:48, 11 November 2020

The conjunction (ér) is used to connect two sentences that are related to each other, and is also frequently used to emphasize contrast between two parts of the sentence. In this manner, it can be seen as a word meaning "but rather." 而 is often used in a more formal or literary sense, but is also common in everyday speech.

Start with 是

Frequently you'll see the pattern in one of these two more specific forms involving the verb :

Structure

不是……,而是……

是……,而不是……

Strictly speaking, the 而 isn't required in either of these patterns, but it makes the contrast super clear.

Examples

  • 以后 后悔 的 人 不 是 我, 是 你 自己。Yǐhòu hòuhuǐ de rén bù shì wǒ, ér shì nǐ zìjǐ.The regretful person isn't me. It's you.
  • 现在 要 做 的 不 是 责怪 谁 错 了, 是 怎么 解决。Xiànzài yào zuò de bù shì zéguài shéi cuòle, ér shì zěnme jiějué.Now is not the time to accuse who did it wrong, but to figure out how to resolve it.
  • 我 没 说 不 是 想 骗 你 ,而 是 怕 你 不 高兴 。Wǒ méi shuō bù shì xiǎng piàn nǐ, ér shì pà nǐ bù gāoxìng.The reason I didn't tell you isn't that I wanted to lie to you; it's that I was afraid you would be upset.
  • 不 是 不 想 帮 你 ,而 是 没有 能力 帮 你 。bù shì bù xiǎng bāng nǐ, ér shì méiyǒu nénglì bāng nǐ.It's not that I don't want to help you, it's that I have no ability to help you.
  • 重要 的 不是 你 的 外表 ,而是 你 的 内心 。Zhòngyào de bù shì nǐ de wàibiǎo, ér shì nǐ de nèixīn.What's important is not how you look on the outside, but rather what's on the inside.
  • 生活 中 不是 缺少 美 ,而是 缺少 发现 美 的 眼睛 。Shēnghuó zhōng bù shì quēshǎo měi, ér shì quēshǎo fāxiàn měide yǎnjīng.It's not that life is lacking in beauty, but rather that we lack eyes that discover it.
  • 我们 来 办事 的 ,不是 来 玩 的 。Wǒmen shì lái bànshì de, bù shì lái wán de.We're here to do our job, not to have fun.
  • 你 这样 做 害 他 ,不是 帮 他 。Nǐ zhèyàng zuò shì hài tā, bù shì bāng tā.By doing this you were hurting him, not helping him.
  • 不好意思 ,我 不 小心 ,不是 故意 的 。Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ shì bù xiǎoxīn, bù shì gùyì de.I'm sorry. It was an accident. It wasn't on purpose.

Generalized Pattern

Structure

Sentence 1, + 而 + Sentence 2

Examples

  • 我 今天 去 你 家 找 你 了, 你 不 在 家。Wǒ jīntiān qù nǐ jiā zhǎo nǐ le, ér nǐ bù zàijiā.I went to your house today to find you, but you weren't home.
  • 孩子 发烧 很 严重, 你 一点 都 不 关心。Hái zǐ fāshāo hěn yánzhòng, ér nǐ yīdiǎn dōu bù guānxīn.Your child has a very severe fever, but you must not care.
  • 她 在 公司 很 受 欢迎, 我 并 不 喜欢 她。Tā zài gōngsī hěn shòu huānyíng, ér wǒ bìng bù xǐhuān tā.She is very popular at the company, but I don't like her at all.

As you can see, 而 comes between the two to stress the contrast.

See Also

Sources and Further Reading

Books

Websites