RealHSK

HSK 4Lesson 2 of 14 · 8 grammar points

Fine control of degree and stance

At this level, adverbs increasingly tell us how speakers assess timing, intention, certainty or surprise. Separate information about the event from the speaker's attitude. 往往 describes a pattern, whereas 竟然 highlights a violation of expectations.

Learning goals (8)
  • Degree and emphasis.
  • Scope restrictions and totals.
  • Timing and original expectations.
  • Repeated and typical events.
  • Deliberate and reciprocal action.
  • Unexpected contrast with 却.
  • Uncertain judgments.
  • Expectation, insistence and surprise.

稍微

Degree and emphasis

十分 intensifies, 更加 increases, 稍/稍微 attenuate, 尤其 singles out a notable case and 多么 supports exclamation.

请稍微等一下。

Qǐng shāo wēi děng yī xià.

Please wait just a little.

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十分满意 very satisfied; 更加清楚 even clearer; 稍等 wait a moment; 稍微休息一下 rest a little; 尤其喜欢 especially like; 多么美丽 how beautiful. Do not treat 尤其 as an ordinary degree modifier in all positions.

Pitfall: 尤其 is selective emphasis, not a universal replacement for very.

共、全、光、仅、仅仅、至少

Scope restrictions and totals

共 totals, 全 covers a set, 光/仅/仅仅 restrict and 至少 gives a lower bound.

这里至少有三个人。

Zhè lǐ zhì shǎo yǒu sān gè rén.

There are at least three people here.

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共十人 ten in total; 全都来了 all came; 光说不做 only talk without acting; 仅/仅仅三人 only three people; 至少三人 at least three. A lower bound with 至少 permits more people; 仅 restricts to the stated amount.

Pitfall: A source comparison: 仅有三个人 restricts; 至少三个人 establishes a minimum.

本来

Timing and original expectations

按时 means on time, 从来 a continuing historical pattern, 忽然 suddenness, 将/将要 future orientation, 本来 the original situation or expectation.

我本来想去,后来没去。

Wǒ běn lái xiǎng qù, hòu lái méi qù.

I originally wanted to go, but later didn't.

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按时到 arrive on time; 从来没见过 have never seen; 赶紧/赶快走 hurry and leave; 已完成 already completed; 忽然下雨 suddenly rain; 将/将要出发 will/about to depart; 从明天开始 start tomorrow; 本来想去 originally intended to go. Preserve the source listing even where modern analyses assign a different word class to a particular use.

Pitfall: 赶紧 and 赶快 urge prompt action; they do not mean punctuality like 按时.

重新、往往、偶尔、再次、老

Repeated and typical events

重新 restarts, 再次 repeats, 往往 states a typical tendency, 偶尔 infrequency and 老 can complain about repetition.

他周末往往在家看书。

Tā zhōu mò wǎng wǎng zài jiā kàn shū.

He often spends weekends reading at home.

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重新写 rewrite/start writing anew; 往往迟到 tend to be late; 偶尔去 visit occasionally; 再次感谢 thank again; 老忘记 keep forgetting. 往往 supports general patterns more naturally than an isolated future plan.

Pitfall: 往往 describes a pattern, not one planned future occurrence.

故意、互相、相互

Deliberate and reciprocal action

故意 marks intention; 互相 and 相互 indicate participants act toward one another.

同学们互相帮助。

Tóng xué men hù xiāng bāng zhù.

The students help one another.

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Pitfall: 互相 normally requires multiple participants, even if they are understood.

却

Unexpected contrast with 却

却 follows the subject and precedes the predicate, contrasting with an expectation or another clause.

他很累,却不想休息。

Tā hěn lèi, què bù xiǎng xiū xī.

He is tired but does not want to rest.

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Pitfall: 却 usually is not placed before a new subject in the same way as 但是.

也许、恐怕

Uncertain judgments

也许 states possibility; 恐怕 often introduces a concern or unfavorable assessment.

恐怕今天来不及了。

Kǒng pà jīn tiān lái bù jí le.

I'm afraid there won't be enough time today.

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Pitfall: 恐怕 need not mean literal fear of an object.

竟然

Expectation, insistence and surprise

竟然 marks surprise, 究竟/到底 press a question, 难道 challenges, 千万 stresses advice, 确实 confirms, 只好 resigns and 差点儿 marks a near event. 才、就、还、并 need context.

他竟然忘了自己的生日。

Tā jìng rán wàng le zì jǐ de shēng rì.

He actually forgot his own birthday.

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才不是 emphatically rejects; 就是 insists; 并不 contradicts an expected negative assessment; 还不错 gives a moderated positive assessment; 竟然 marks surprise; 究竟/到底 press for an answer; 正好 fits exactly; 难道 challenges; 千万别 strongly advises against; 确实 confirms; 只好 accepts a constrained choice; 差点儿 nearly. Negated 差点儿 patterns require special care: inspect whether the event occurred rather than applying a fixed polarity rule.

Pitfall: 正好 signals a convenient match; do not reduce all these adverbs to emphasis alone.

Source details (official syllabus)
  • Degree and emphasis

    Syllabus item
    十分、更加、稍、稍微、尤其、多么
    Category
    程度副词
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L4-006
    PDF page
    395 (printed 392)
  • Scope restrictions and totals

    Syllabus item
    共、全、光、仅、仅仅、至少
    Category
    范围副词
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L4-007
    PDF page
    395 (printed 392)
  • Timing and original expectations

    Syllabus item
    按时、从来、赶紧、赶快、已、忽然、将、将要、从、本来
    Category
    时间副词
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L4-008
    PDF page
    395 (printed 392)
  • Repeated and typical events

    Syllabus item
    重新、往往、偶尔、再次、老
    Category
    频率副词
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L4-009
    PDF page
    395 (printed 392)
  • Deliberate and reciprocal action

    Syllabus item
    故意、互相、相互
    Category
    方式副词
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L4-010
    PDF page
    395 (printed 392)
  • Unexpected contrast with 却

    Syllabus item
    却
    Category
    关联副词
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L4-011
    PDF page
    395 (printed 392)
  • Uncertain judgments

    Syllabus item
    也许、恐怕
    Category
    情态副词
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L4-012
    PDF page
    395 (printed 392)
  • Expectation, insistence and surprise

    Syllabus item
    才4、就5、并1、还4、竟然、究竟、正好、到底、难道、千万、确实、只好、差(一)点儿
    Category
    语气副词
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L4-013
    PDF page
    395 (printed 392)