Using "nanguai" as a verb

Chinese-grammar-wiki-难怪.jpg


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."

难怪 as a Verb

Structure

难怪 + [Specific Person / People]

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

  • A: 他 迟到 了 。
    B: 这 也 难怪。 今天 地铁 坏 了 。A: Tā chídàole.
    B: Zhè yě nánguài. Jīntiān dìtiě huàile.
    A: He's late. B: Don't blame him, 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 zhè gè dìfāng hái bù liǎojiě zhèlǐ de fēngsú.No one can blame you, the first time I came here, I didn't understand the 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 anyone, he just got here, forget it.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries

HSK5