exPreSSiNG SimUltaNeoUS SitUatioNS
43.6
43.5 Indicating that a situation is reached at a specific point in time
到 dào + time phrase/S 1 , S 2
when/by that time phrase/S 1 , S 2
到六月，我就在这儿教了十五年书了。
到六月，我就在這兒教了十五年書了。
Dào liù yuè, wǒ jiù zài zhèr jiào le shíwǔ nián shū le.
In June, I will have been teaching here for fifteen years.
到三月，我就三十岁了。
到三月，我就三十歲了。
Dào sānyuè, wǒ jiù sānshí suì le.
When March comes, I will be 30.
等 děng + S 1 , S 2
when/by the time that S 1 , S 2
等你学完这本书，你就学了很多中文了。
等你學完這本書，你就學了很多中文了。
Děng nǐ xuéwán zhè běn shū, nǐ jiù xué le hěn duō Zhōngwén le.
By the time you finish this book, you will have studied a lot of Chinese.
等菜来了我们都饿死了。
等菜來了我們都餓死了。
Děng cài lái le wǒmen dōu è sǐ le.
By the time the food arrived, we were all starving to death.
等到 děngdào + S 1 , S 2
when/by the time that S 1 , S 2
等到你毕业，你的中国话一定会说得很好。
等到你畢業，你的中國話一定會說得很好。
Děngdào nǐ bìyè, nǐ de Zhōngguó huà yīdìng huì shuō de hěn hǎo.
By the time you graduate, your spoken Chinese will be very good.
等到爸爸回家了，孩子都睡觉了。
等到爸爸回家了，孩子都睡覺了。
Děngdào bàba huí jiā le, háizi dōu shuì jiào le.
By the time Dad returned home, the children were already asleep.
43.6 Presenting simultaneous situations
To present two parallel circumstances that exist at the same time and describe the same
situation, say:
一方面 S 1 一方面 S 2
yī fāngmiàn S 1 yī fāngmiàn S 2
on the one hand S 1 , on the other hand S 2
她一定考得上大学。一方面她很聪明，一方面她很用功。
她一定考得上大學。一方面她很聰明，一方面她很用功。
Tā yīdìng kǎodeshàng dàxué. Yīfāngmiàn tā hěn cōngming, yīfāngmiàn tā hěn yònggōng.
She will certainly pass the college entrance exam. On the one hand, she is very smart;
on the other hand, she is very hardworking.
他的体重不会减轻。一方面，他吃得太多，一方面他不愿意运动。
他的體重不會減輕。一方面，他吃得太多，一方面他不願意運動。
Tā de tǐzhòng bù huì jiǎnqīng. Yīfāngmiàn, tā chī de tài duō, yīfāngmiàn tā bù
yuànyi yùndòng.
He can’t lose weight. On the one hand, he eats too much; on the other hand, he isn’t
willing to exercise.
