8 votes
Accepted

How to use correctly 只要?

Yes, it is acceptable. For example, 只要有人在说话,就不要插嘴。 As long as someone is talking, do not intervene. 只要下雨,我们就不去了。 As long as it rains, we will not go. 只要客户不满意,我们就不会停止服务。 If customers are not ...
user-487's user avatar
  • 1,974
8 votes

What is the difference between 每天(都) and 天天?

Yes, 每天 is slightly more formal. And sometimes, 天天 can be used to emphasize "every day is too often": 我每天 (it's OK) 去工作,你却天天 (too often) 逃课!
Míng's user avatar
  • 181
7 votes
Accepted

What is the difference between 准时 and 按时?

准 = accurate; precise 准时 = on time/ on schedule (event or action take place at a precisely scheduled/ appointed time) ~ 按 = according to; base on 按时 = on schedule/ on time (event or action take ...
Tang Ho's user avatar
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6 votes
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How does 也 work in 宁愿冻死也不穿?

In this sentence 也 should not be understood individually.In Chinese 宁愿...也... is a coordinating conjunction. It means a choose relationship. You choose the option behind 宁愿 and you give up the option ...
Jian's user avatar
  • 146
6 votes

Can an adverb modify another adverb in Chinese?

we don't say 你太快说 你说得太快 means you speak too fast 你快说 expresses that I want you to speak faster, it's like a request. 你快说 can be used on informal occasions (with your friends or your family). We ...
yangyang's user avatar
5 votes
Accepted

Does 好 + adjective with negative connotation reinforce the negative connotation or mitigate it?

For your question, 好无聊 is almost the same intention as 很无聊。 However, they are sightly different in expressing emotions. 好无聊 is a slight complaint with a potential effort of trying to make the ...
zyy's user avatar
  • 3,089
5 votes

Function of 开了 in 我开车开了半天了

Basic SVO form: "我开车" (I drive) = [我(s)+ 开(v) + 车(o)] or [我(s)+开车(v)] Add description of the duration : [我开(半天)车] = [I drive (half a day)] Add verb particle '了' to indicate the verb is completed : [我开(...
Tang Ho's user avatar
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5 votes
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Function of 开了 in 我开车开了半天了

grammar topic:complements of duration with object, raised at this site several times (still searching locations),anyhow here is an excerpt from Yufa! A Practical Guide to Mandarin Chinese Grammar 13 ...
user6065's user avatar
  • 2,466
5 votes

What is the difference between 每天(都) and 天天?

The latter is used solely in spoken Chinese, while the former may be used in writing. e.g. 我每天都学习汉语。 is equivalent to 我天天学习汉语 Speaking the former one sounds (sometimes) a little weird, but not much. ...
Lily White's user avatar
4 votes
Accepted

Is it OK to use 只 (only) when it already uses 只 as a measure word?

"只有20-30万只蜜蜂" is a valid sentence in simplified Chinese. You just have to read the two 只 differently, because they have different meanings. The first "只" in the sentence means "only" in both ...
Tang Ho's user avatar
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4 votes

When should I use 地 with an adjective and when should I not use it with an adverb (and why do some adverbs require 地)?

一个劲儿地 is not a standard adverb, It is an adverbial phrase 一个劲儿 (constant effort) is a noun. Adding 地 make it an adverbial phrase 一个劲儿地 (with constant effort) 刻苦 is not only an adjective, it can also ...
Tang Ho's user avatar
  • 78.6k
4 votes

Can an adverb modify another adverb in Chinese?

太快 in 你说得太快 is a degree complement for action verb Structure: [V +得+ degree complement] Example: [她 做得 很好。](She worked very well.); [你 说得 太快] (You speak too fast) ~ 快 in 你快说 short for 快些 or 快點. It ...
Tang Ho's user avatar
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4 votes
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Can an adverb modify another adverb in Chinese?

In my opinion, 你太快说 or 你太快说放弃了 is ungrammatical although the latter is fine to use colloquially (because we have more tolerance in spoken). A correct way to express this can be 你说放弃说得太快了 or 你放弃说得太快了....
dan's user avatar
  • 24k
4 votes
Accepted

Adj. + 到 to express an extent

Your understanding is mostly right “A 到 B 了” means "become so A that have got into the condition of B" A: adj, but used as a verb, which means "become A" B: a condition "...
River's user avatar
  • 2,626
4 votes
Accepted

Should words like 一般 or 平时 be put before or after the time reference?

Tl;dr: There is inherent adverbial order in Chinese (point 2.). Sentences with the same adverbs ordered differently can have different meanings (points 3. to 6.). The correct order is 你平時/一般什麼時候做作業?. ...
L Parker's user avatar
  • 5,605
4 votes

Common use of character 大 as adverb

Besides being a common adjective, 大 is also a common adverb. It is mostly used with single character verb or adjective (more literary than colloquial) Example: 駡 (to scold) --> 大駡 (to scold ...
Tang Ho's user avatar
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3 votes

Can all adjectives be transformed into adverbs with 地?

Check out these dictionary entries for 地[de5]: ABC (adv.-forming, like English -ly) 很快地 hěn kuài de very quickly Oxford AUXILIARY [used with an adverb or adverbial phrase] 合理地安排和使用劳动力 dispose of ...
Mou某's user avatar
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3 votes
Accepted

这就是台湾,这才是台湾. Cracking the 就 again

A lot of people are trying to explain 就 vs 才 with english equivalent terms, but that makes it very confusing when it can be explained with simple logic statements, and it is crucial to understand the ...
Zukaberg's user avatar
  • 356
3 votes
Accepted

Use of 真的 as adverb: are 我真要走了 and 我真的要走了 equally correct?

"我真要走了" and "我真的要走了" are both good expressions. They are in fact no different at all. "真" and "真的" are both adverbs here.
user16520's user avatar
3 votes

How can I use 有点 or 一点 to add "a little" to a verb?

If asked 你会说汉语吗? On the positive side, you can say: 会一点。 or 我会一点。 or 我会说一点。 or 我会说一点汉语。 They are the same meaning. On the negative side, you can say: (我)一点也不会。 These mean you ...
Diaph's user avatar
  • 128
3 votes

When should I use 地 with an adjective and when should I not use it with an adverb (and why do some adverbs require 地)?

Many Chinese grammar books imitate those grammar books on Western languages. That does not fit well in Chinese grammar. The details I am not going to discuss here. While Western languages transform a ...
OmniBus's user avatar
  • 2,004
3 votes
Accepted

How to express "Now, ..." in Chinese (the usage of "now" to draw attention to a particular statement)?

Now, you found out that the store B sells the same item in $8. But it is located in 8 miles away. I am not a native English speaker, but I don't quite agree that now here means draw attention to a ...
dan's user avatar
  • 24k
3 votes

In 你多吃点 and 多给他点时间吧, is 多 an adjective or an adverb?

"多" here functions just like "more" in English. It can be an adjective or adverb In "多吃点", '多' (more) is an adverb for the verb '吃'(verb). In English, "多吃点水果" means "eat fruit more" ~ In "吃多点"...
Tang Ho's user avatar
  • 78.6k
3 votes

Difference in word order of these two adverbs: 再 又

I am trying to give two differences between 再 and 又 for you. Originally, 再 means 'second time', 又 means 'second time', or 'third time', or even more. But now, 再 sometimes also means repeatedly. In ...
jiadong's user avatar
  • 130
3 votes
Accepted

Using 得 with past particle 了

You could say "他把卫生间打扫干净了" The man have cleaned the bathroom. "他把卫生间打扫得很干净" The man cleaned the bathroom cleanly. 「得」字的用法: 1.覺得。feel. 2.介詞。preposition. After verb or adj. to express the result ...
高鵬翔's user avatar
  • 542
3 votes

Is it possible to know what 都 means in "Subj + 都 + Predicate + 了"?

It expresses "already" with the structure: Subj. + 都 + Predicate + 了 Only '了' indicates 'completion of a verb' in this structure '都' in [Subj. + 都 + Predicate + 了] mean 'even'. Try write a ...
Tang Ho's user avatar
  • 78.6k
3 votes

Common use of character 大 as adverb

Very good answer from Tang Ho. I'd just like to add a few 4-character expressions that use 大 as adverb: 大吃一驚 to be greatly surprise/ shocked 大灑金錢 to spend a lot of money 大興土木 to build many things (...
monalisa's user avatar
  • 6,131
3 votes

How is 都是 used here?

No, 卡着时间 does not mean stop time. It means "right on the clock"(or at the last moment). 卡点 is similar too( some time 卡点 means right on the beat with the music though). Basically the sentence ...
Archeosudoerus's user avatar
2 votes

How does 十分/不十分 work?

According to my book New practical Chinese HSK5 what I understood. 十分不满 or 十分不满意=fully not satisfied Not satisfied at all In the other hand 不十分满意=not fully satisfied
Vasilikaki Dafni's user avatar

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