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In English, given a conversation between P1 and P2, it's possible to say:

P1: My wife died. Now I feel like I've got nothing. I'm so sad.
P2: Don't say that. You've still got your son. You have your daughter.

So, it's possible to use the word 'have' in an intimate way. We 'have' the people who are close to us.

But how can I express that in Chinese? Obviously, I can't say "我有他們" the same way I can say

P1: You're right. I have them. But my life is so sad now.

In Chinese, the literal meaning of those words just sounds non-sensical.

But, maybe there is a Chinese verb for this?

Or is it expressed a totally different way?

1 Answer 1

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Saying 我有他们 or 还有他们 is perfectly acceptable. I've heard this plenty of times before in conversation before, and it's a very common expression.

I guess this wasn't quite the answer you were looking for, but hopefully it's of use knowing that it's both acceptable and appropriate.

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  • One can also say 我拥有他们.
    – Laguna
    Jan 30, 2012 at 21:51
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    我拥有他们 sounds completely inappropriate, as though you possess them. 还有你的儿子和你的女儿 doesn't necessarily mean 'you have your son and your daughter'; it can also be understood as 'your son and daughter are there'. 有 doesn't have to have a possessive meaning.
    – Bathrobe
    Feb 1, 2012 at 13:23

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