Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

exPreSSiNG SatiSFaCtioN aNd diSSatiSFaCtioN 60.2 不合格 bù hé gé not up to standard 很差 hěn chà very inferior 太差了 tài chà le too inf ...

61 expressing gratitude and responding to expressions of gratitude 61.1 Expressing gratitude In Chinese culture, you thank other ...

exPreSSiNG GratitUde aNd reSPoNdiNG to exPreSSioNS oF GratitUde 61.2 61.1.2 indirect expressions of gratitude To express gratitu ...

62 invitations, requests, and refusals In Chinese culture, people are connected through a web of obligations and mutual social d ...

iNVitatioNS, reqUeStS, aNd reFUSalS 62.1 In Chinese, giving the listener a choice about whether or not to participate is conside ...

invitations 62.1 In general, appropriate refusals for most other kinds of invitations are indirect and involve face-saving strat ...

iNVitatioNS, reqUeStS, aNd reFUSalS 62.2 Expressions that indicate the location of the event: 在 zài (location of event) or 地点/地 ...

refusals 62.3 62.2.2 requesting information or assistance from teachers Teachers have an obligation to help you with learning so ...

iNVitatioNS, reqUeStS, aNd reFUSalS 62.3 This promise to try is more formal: 尽力而为。 盡力而為。 Jìnlì’érwéi. I will do everything possi ...

abandoning a request 62.4 我没有时间。 我沒有時間。 Wǒ méi yǒu shíjiān. I don’t have time. 对不起，我(那天)有事。 對不起，我(那天)有事。 Duìbuqǐ, wǒ (nà tiān) y ...

63 expressing apologies, regrets, sympathy, and bad news 63.1 Apologies and regrets Cultures differ in the kinds of things that ...

apologies and regrets 63.1 Reply to 对不起/對不起 duìbuqǐ by saying: 没事。 没关系。 不要紧。 沒事。 沒關係。 不要緊。 Méi shì. Méi guānxi. Bù yàojǐn. It’s ...

exPreSSiNG aPoloGieS, reGretS, SymPathy, aNd Bad NeWS 63.3 63.1.4 asking for forgiveness: 请原谅我/請原諒我 qHng yuánliàng wI ‘please fo ...

Conveying bad news 63.3 恐怕他们今天不会来了。 恐怕他們今天不會來了。 Kǒngpà tāmen jīntiān bù huì lái le. I am afraid that they may not come today. 恐怕 ...

64 expressing congratulations and good wishes 64.1 General expressions of congratulations and good wishes The following expressi ...

Fixed phrases of congratulations and good wishes for special events 64.2 64.2 Fixed phrases of congratulations and good wishes f ...

exPreSSiNG CoNGratUlatioNS aNd Good WiSheS 64.3 Occasion Phrase of congratulations and good wishes Graduation 祝贺你前途无量。 祝賀你前途無量。 ...

index with 了 le to indicate the completion of an action 11.3, 17.1, 37.1, 37.2 with 又 yòu to indicate that an action occurred ag ...

Index jiù 就 ‘as soon as’ 一 yī... 就 jiù 42.3.3, in conditional sentences 45.1, in sequence structures 17.1.2, 37.2, 42.2.2, indic ...

Index below, under 下头/下頭 xiàtou (下面 xiàmiàn) 47.1 béng 甭 ‘need not, do not have to’ 50.1.3 best thing to do is 最好 zuì hǎo 55.2.3 ...