Difference between revisions of "Using "nanguai" as a verb"

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难怪 (nán guài) can mean "[[Expressing "no wonder"|no wonder]]," but when used as a verb can be translated as "hard to blame," a much more literal application. This phrase is usually directed at a person, and it is similar to how in English we may say, "he's always sleepy, but you can't blame him because he works a night shift."
  
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==难怪 as a Verb==
  
难怪 (nánguài) when used as a verb can be translated as "hard to blame." This is usually directed at a person, and it is similar to how in English we may say "He's always sleepy, but you can't blame him because he works a night shift."
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When used as a verb, 难怪 expresses that the speaker assigns no blame in the situation. Most often a person is placed after 难怪.
 
 
==难怪 as a Verb==
 
  
 
==Structure==
 
==Structure==
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
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难怪 + [Specific Person / People] ……
难怪+ [Specific Person/People]
 
 
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
 
When used as a verb it expresses that the speaker assigns no blame in the situation he is describing i.e. that someone is not to be blamed. Often a person is placed after it, as in the latter two examples below.
 
  
 
==Examples==
 
==Examples==
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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* 他 迟到 了 , 这 也 <em>难怪</em>。 今天 地铁 坏 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tā chídào le, zhè yě <em>nánguài</em>. Jīntiān dìtiě huài le.</span><span class="trans">He's late, but we can't blame him for that. The subway broke down today.</span>
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* <em>难怪</em> 他,他 还 是 个 孩子 呢,什么 都 不 懂。<span class="pinyin"><em>Nánguài</em> tā, tā háishì gè háizi ne, shénme dōu bù dǒng.</span><span class="trans">Don't blame him, he's just a child. He doesn't know any better.</span>
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* 这 也 <em>难怪</em> 你,第一 次 到 这 个 地方 还 不 了解 这里 的 风俗。<span class="pinyin">Zhè yě <em>nánguài</em> nǐ, dì-yī cì dào zhège dìfang hái bù liǎojiě zhèlǐ de fēngsú.</span><span class="trans">No one can blame you for this. It's your first time in this place, and you aren't familiar with the local customs.</span>
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* 这 也 <em>难怪</em>,他 刚 来 嘛 , 算了 算了 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè yě <em>nánguài</em>, tā gāng lái ma, suànle suànle.</span><span class="trans">Don't blame him. He just got here, let's just forget about it.</span>
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* 这 也 <em>难怪</em>,他 已经 七十 岁 了,不 适合 做 高 强度 的 运动 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè yě <em>nánguài</em>, tā yǐjīng qīshí suì le, bù shìhé zuò gāo qiángdù de yùndòng.</span><span class="trans">We can't blame him. He is already seventy years old and is not suitable for high-intensity exercise.</span>
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* 孩子 把 爸爸 最 喜欢 的 花瓶 打 碎 了,也 <em>难怪</em> 爸爸 为什么 这么 生气 了。<span class="pinyin">Háizi bǎ bàba zuì xǐhuan de huāpíng dǎ suì le, yě <em>nánguài</em> bàba wèishénme zhème shēngqì le.</span><span class="trans">The child smashed his father's favorite vase. You can't blame the father for getting so angry.</span>
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* 如果 你 一定 要 晚上 弹 钢琴 ,那 就 <em>难怪</em> 邻居 抱怨 你。<span class="pinyin">Rúguǒ nǐ yīdìng yào wǎnshang tán gāngqín, nà jiù <em>nánguài</em> línjū bàoyuàn nǐ.</span><span class="trans">If you insist on playing the piano at night, you cna't blame the neighbors for complaining about you.</span>
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* 你 也 太 不 爱 说话 了,<em>难怪</em> 你 老婆 说 和 你 说话 真 是 浪费 时间 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ yě tài bù ài shuōhuà le, <em>nánguài</em> nǐ lǎopo shuō hé nǐ shuōhuà zhēn shì làngfèi shíjiān.</span><span class="trans">You're not much of a talker. You can't blame your wife for for saying that talking to you is a total waste of time.</span>
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* 本来 这 道 题 就 有 争议,也 <em>难怪</em> 学生 答 错 了。<span class="pinyin">Běnlái zhè dào tí jiù yǒu zhēngyì, yě <em>nánguài</em> xuéshēng dā cuò le.</span><span class="trans">This question was always controversial, so you cna't blame the students for getting it wrong.</span>
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* 你 把 给 他的 礼物 给了 别人,也 <em>难怪</em> 他 不 高兴 了。 <span class="pinyin">Nǐ bǎ gěi tā de lǐwù gěi le biérén, yě <em>nánguài</em> tā bù gāoxìng le.</span><span class="trans">You gave the gift that was supposed to be for him to someone else. You can't blame him for being unhappy.</span>
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</div>
  
* A: 他 迟到 了 。 <br />B: 这 也 <em>难怪</em>。 今天 地铁 坏 了 。<span class="trans">A: He's late. B: Don't blame him, the subway broke down today.</span>
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You can see how for some of these examples it wouldn't hard to use a "no wonder" translation. There is definitely a connection between this literal usage and the [[Expressing "no wonder"|idiomatic "no wonder" usage]].
* <em>难怪</em> 他,他 还 是 个 孩子 呢,什么 都 不 懂。<span class="trans">Don't blame him, he's just a child. He doesn't know any better.</span>
 
* 这 也 <em>难怪</em>你,第 一 次 到 这 个 地方 还 不 了解 这里 的 风俗。<span class="trans">No one can blame you, the first time I came here, I didn't understand the customs.</span>
 
* 这 也 <em>难怪</em>,他刚来嘛,算了算了。<span class="trans">Don't blame anyone, he just got here, forget it.</span>
 
</div>
 
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
* [[现代汉语八百词(增订本)]]  (p. 239) (p. 408) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B001198GSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693275&sr=8-1 →buy]
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{{Source|现代汉语八百词(增订本)|239, 408}}
  
 
=== Dictionaries ===
 
=== Dictionaries ===
  
* [[现代汉语词典(第5版)]] (p. 499)  (p. 981) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%8D%E5%85%B8/dp/B001B1RZCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693609&sr=8-1 →buy]
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{{Source|现代汉语词典(第5版)|499, 981}}
  
 
[[Category:B2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B2 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|难怪|B2|难怪 + Somebody, Reason|<em>难怪</em> 他,他还是个孩子呢,什么都不懂。|grammar point|ASGYKH5G}}
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{{Basic Grammar|难怪|B2|难怪 + Specific Person / People ……|<em>难怪</em> 他,他还是个孩子呢,什么都不懂。|grammar point|ASGYKH5G}}
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{{Similar|Expressing "no wonder"}} 
 
{{Used for|Expressing attitude}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing attitude}}
 
{{POS|Verbs}}
 
{{POS|Verbs}}

Latest revision as of 06:56, 11 December 2020

Chinese-grammar-wiki-难怪.jpg

难怪 (nán guài) can mean "no wonder," but when used as a verb can be translated as "hard to blame," a much more literal application. This phrase is usually directed at a person, and it is similar to how in English we may say, "he's always sleepy, but you can't blame him because he works a night shift."

难怪 as a Verb

When used as a verb, 难怪 expresses that the speaker assigns no blame in the situation. Most often a person is placed after 难怪.

Structure

难怪 + [Specific Person / People] ……

Examples

  • 他 迟到 了 , 这 也 难怪。 今天 地铁 坏 了 。Tā chídào le, zhè yě nánguài. Jīntiān dìtiě huài le.He's late, but we can't blame him for that. The subway broke down today.
  • 难怪 他,他 还 是 个 孩子 呢,什么 都 不 懂。Nánguài tā, tā háishì gè háizi ne, shénme dōu bù dǒng.Don't blame him, he's just a child. He doesn't know any better.
  • 这 也 难怪 你,第一 次 到 这 个 地方 还 不 了解 这里 的 风俗。Zhè yě nánguài nǐ, dì-yī cì dào zhège dìfang hái bù liǎojiě zhèlǐ de fēngsú.No one can blame you for this. It's your first time in this place, and you aren't familiar with the local customs.
  • 这 也 难怪,他 刚 来 嘛 , 算了 算了 。Zhè yě nánguài, tā gāng lái ma, suànle suànle.Don't blame him. He just got here, let's just forget about it.
  • 这 也 难怪,他 已经 七十 岁 了,不 适合 做 高 强度 的 运动 。Zhè yě nánguài, tā yǐjīng qīshí suì le, bù shìhé zuò gāo qiángdù de yùndòng.We can't blame him. He is already seventy years old and is not suitable for high-intensity exercise.
  • 孩子 把 爸爸 最 喜欢 的 花瓶 打 碎 了,也 难怪 爸爸 为什么 这么 生气 了。Háizi bǎ bàba zuì xǐhuan de huāpíng dǎ suì le, yě nánguài bàba wèishénme zhème shēngqì le.The child smashed his father's favorite vase. You can't blame the father for getting so angry.
  • 如果 你 一定 要 晚上 弹 钢琴 ,那 就 难怪 邻居 抱怨 你。Rúguǒ nǐ yīdìng yào wǎnshang tán gāngqín, nà jiù nánguài línjū bàoyuàn nǐ.If you insist on playing the piano at night, you cna't blame the neighbors for complaining about you.
  • 你 也 太 不 爱 说话 了,难怪 你 老婆 说 和 你 说话 真 是 浪费 时间 。Nǐ yě tài bù ài shuōhuà le, nánguài nǐ lǎopo shuō hé nǐ shuōhuà zhēn shì làngfèi shíjiān.You're not much of a talker. You can't blame your wife for for saying that talking to you is a total waste of time.
  • 本来 这 道 题 就 有 争议,也 难怪 学生 答 错 了。Běnlái zhè dào tí jiù yǒu zhēngyì, yě nánguài xuéshēng dā cuò le.This question was always controversial, so you cna't blame the students for getting it wrong.
  • 你 把 给 他的 礼物 给了 别人,也 难怪 他 不 高兴 了。 Nǐ bǎ gěi tā de lǐwù gěi le biérén, yě nánguài tā bù gāoxìng le.You gave the gift that was supposed to be for him to someone else. You can't blame him for being unhappy.

You can see how for some of these examples it wouldn't hard to use a "no wonder" translation. There is definitely a connection between this literal usage and the idiomatic "no wonder" usage.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries

HSK5