Meaning: 免得 (shěng de) so as to avoid Usage: “省得”的意思是避免让某事发生，一般是指不好的事儿或某种不必要的情况。“省得”常用在后一个分句中，前面的分句大多表示建议或者劝说。也可以作“免得”。 “省得(shěng de)” means to avoid something from happening. Normally the thing here indicates to either a bad incident or something unnecessary. “省得” is usually put in the latter clause, and the Continue Reading

Structure: Subject + 都 + Predicate Meaning: 都 can also mean 甚至, meaning “even to the point that”, and in this form it expresses emphasis Examples:  1. 我很想妈妈，有时候我都能看见她。     wǒ hěn xiǎnɡ mā mɑ, yǒu shí hou wǒ dōu nénɡ Continue Reading

Structure: Subject + 不仅/不但/不只 + one aspect, 而且/还/也 + another aspect Meaning: We’ve seen 不但……而且 in B1, but other than that there are a number of other structures which can be used to express “not only…but also”. 不但 can be Continue Reading

Structure: Noun + 不仅 + A，而且 + B Meaning: A and B could be adjectives, verbs or phrases Examples: 1. 这 道 菜不仅 好吃 而且 很 有 营养。     Zhè dào càibùjǐn hǎochī érqiě hěn yǒu yínɡyǎnɡ     This dish Continue Reading

Structure: Adj + Adj + 的 (+ Noun) Another way of putting that (and we’ll be using this form more extensively below) is: A A + 的 (+ Noun) Meaning: If an adjective is only one syllable (one character), then Continue Reading

Structure: 为 + [some part] + V Meaning: When you work for a company, or do other sorts of physical (and even mental) activities for another party, you’re likely to use the Chinese preposition 为 (wèi), which is often translated Continue Reading

Structure: Object + Subject + Verb + 错 + Meaning: To express that an action resulted in an error, you can use a result complement with -错. This covers what is often expressed with the adverb “incorrectly” in English Examples: Continue Reading

Structure: Object + Verb + 好 + 了 Meaning: Forming a result complement with 好 has a very similar meaning to forming one with 完. It expressed that the action has been completed successfully. When using result complements, it’s very Continue Reading

Structure: V + Number + M Meaning: The grammar pattern is very similar to English. For example, “看三次” and “saw three times” mirror each other in structure. In Chinese sentences, these measure words can either come after the verb (as Continue Reading

Structure: 像 + [items] + 之类的 Meaning: 之类的 can be translated as “and so on” or “and stuff like that.” As in English, this grammar point is used to continue a list without explicitly mentioning further items within it. Examples: Continue Reading