Chinese Grammar Final Review

原来 + new information

example: it turns out I like coffee

原来我喜欢喝咖啡

V来V去

repetitive action

example: I thought about it over and over again, and still didn’t come up with a solution

我想来想去，还没有想到一个建议

一会儿…一会儿…

one minute doing this, next minute doing that (actions are NOT done simultaneously)

一边….一边….

doing two actions simultaneously

verb +得/不 + resultative complement/directional complement

example: 说得好 (said well)

听得清楚 (heard clearly)

从。。。到。。。

from… to…

example: from morning until night, she didn’t leave her computer

从早到晚她都离不开他的电脑

对。。。上瘾

to be addicted to something

example: he’s addicted to drinking coffee

他对喝咖啡上瘾

害得 + subject + verb phrase

caused someone harm

example: 害得我迟到了

directional complements

下来，上来， 出来，起来，过来

适合 vs. 合适

适合：to suit (v.)

合适：suitable (adj.)

难怪

no wonder

说到 somebody/something

speaking of somebody/something

不是 A,就是B

if not A, then B

来

connects two verb phrases; “in order to”

才

indicates small numbers, only, late, difficult

为了 vs. 因为

为了：for/in order to

因为：because

大多 + v/noun

mostly, for the most part

v/adj. +起来

indicating the beginning of a state (something is changing)

the conjunction 而

and/but

最 adj … 不过了

similar to 最好; “would be best”

example: 她过生日，买花送他最好不过了。

(nothing would be a better gift for her birthday than flowers)