RealHSK

HSK 1Lesson 5 of 13 · 6 grammar points

Degree, scope, progress and negation

Adverbs normally appear before the predicate they modify. Determine whether an adverb concerns intensity, the size of a group, an ongoing action or repetition. Then check where negation falls: a small word-order change can alter the entire claim.

Learning goals (6)
  • Degree words.
  • All with 都.
  • Action in progress.
  • Doing something again.
  • Adding with 也 and 还.
  • Basic negation.

有点儿

Degree words

很、非常、太、真 precede adjectives. 有点儿 often introduces an unwelcome degree; 太…了 is a common evaluative frame.

今天有点儿冷。

Jīn tiān yǒu diǎnr lěng.

It is a little cold today.

More

很冷 can be a neutral description; 非常冷 is emphatically very cold; 太冷了 says too/so cold; 真冷 reacts to the cold; 有点儿冷 says a little cold, often unwelcome. Positive evaluations can also occur with 太: 太好了！

Pitfall: 一点儿 after a verb may be a quantity; 有点儿 before an adjective evaluates degree.

都

All with 都

都 usually follows the group it ranges over and precedes the predicate. Negation placement changes scope: 都不 versus 不都.

他们都喜欢喝茶。

Tā men dōu xǐ huān hē chá.

They all like drinking tea.

More

Pitfall: 都不喜欢 means none like it; 不都喜欢 means not all like it.

在、正在

Action in progress

在 or 正在 before a verb presents an ongoing action. An explicit time phrase can anchor the action in the past.

妈妈正在做饭。

Mā mā zhèng zài zuò fàn.

Mom is cooking.

More

Pitfall: 正在 is not automatically English present tense.

再

Doing something again

再 before a verb commonly requests or projects a later repetition. It also occurs in fixed leave-taking such as 再见.

请再说一次。

Qǐng zài shuō yī cì.

Please say it once more.

More

Pitfall: A repetition already completed is often expressed with 又, taught later.

还、也

Adding with 也 and 还

也 adds a parallel fact; 还 adds another item or activity. Both usually precede the predicate, not the subject.

我喜欢茶，也喜欢咖啡。

Wǒ xǐ huān chá, yě xǐ huān kā fēi.

I like tea and also like coffee.

More

Pitfall: Do not append 也 to a complete sentence as an English also translation.

没

Basic negation

不 commonly negates habitual or intended actions; 没 negates occurrence and 有. 不要 can prohibit an action.

我昨天没去学校。

Wǒ zuó tiān méi qù xué xiào.

I did not go to school yesterday.

More

Pitfall: Use 没有 for not having; 不有 is not the normal form.

Source details (official syllabus)

  • Degree words

    Syllabus item
    非常、很、太、真、有（一）点儿
    Category
    程度副词
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L1-015
    PDF page
    386 (printed 383)

  • All with 都

    Syllabus item
    都1
    Category
    范围副词
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L1-016
    PDF page
    386 (printed 383)

  • Action in progress

    Syllabus item
    在、正在
    Category
    时间副词
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L1-017
    PDF page
    386 (printed 383)

  • Doing something again

    Syllabus item
    再1
    Category
    频率副词
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L1-018
    PDF page
    386 (printed 383)

  • Adding with 也 and 还

    Syllabus item
    还1、也
    Category
    关联副词
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L1-019
    PDF page
    386 (printed 383)

  • Basic negation

    Syllabus item
    不、没（有）、不要
    Category
    否定副词
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L1-020
    PDF page
    386 (printed 383)