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。
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。
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。
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。
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。
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。
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。
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。
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)
- 1FILL BLANK
请等一下。
Choose the expression that completes the sentence.
“Please wait just a little.”
- 2FILL BLANK
他忘了自己的生日。
Choose the expression that completes the sentence.
“He actually forgot his own birthday.”
- 3MATCH
Tap a sentence, then tap its meaning.
Tap a sentence, then tap its meaning.
- 4CHOOSE
Which primarily expresses surprise?
- 5CHOOSE
我并不是反对,只是还想了解细节。
What does 并 contribute here?
- 6ORDER
Tap the chunks to build the sentence.
“Please wait just a little.”
Tap the chunks in order. - 7ORDER
Tap the chunks to build the sentence.
“There are at least three people here.”
Tap the chunks in order.
0 of 7 tasks answered.
Next lesson: Formal connections and responsibility →稍微Degree and emphasis
- 现在我们的友谊比以前更加牢固,因为那次经历让我们学会了互相理解,也更加珍惜彼此。 I Misunderstood My Friend · HSK 5
共、全、光、仅、仅仅、至少Scope restrictions and totals
- 我放下行李,先把院子里的灯全打开。 Lights in the Courtyard · HSK 5
- 他妈妈笑着说:“快吃吧,别光说话。” How Should Dumplings Be Eaten · HSK 4
- 可群里很快又有人说,草全剪了,昆虫和鸟住哪儿? Should We Cut the Riverside Grass · HSK 5
本来Timing and original expectations
- 坐在对面的女同事忽然问:“给家里的老人申请,这里填谁的手机号码?” Whose Number to Fill In · HSK 5
- 我们本来带了面包,可闻到饺子的味道,都说要。 Rain on the Mountain · HSK 4
- 我本来准备坐十分钟就回房间,后来觉得外面凉快,又多坐了一会儿。 Lights in the Courtyard · HSK 5
重新、往往、偶尔、再次、老Repeated and typical events
- 但现在我明白了,搬家的真正意义在于,你不得不重新认识自己。 Moving to a New City · HSK 5
- 大家这才停下来,重新读了一遍说明。 Whose Number to Fill In · HSK 5
故意、互相、相互Deliberate and reciprocal action
- 现在我们的友谊比以前更加牢固,因为那次经历让我们学会了互相理解,也更加珍惜彼此。 I Misunderstood My Friend · HSK 5
却Unexpected contrast with 却
- 公司六点下班,我在这儿工作半年了,却总不好意思第一个走。 Five Past Six · HSK 4
- 他爸爸却说不放汤才好吃,说着把汤碗往儿子那边推。 How Should Dumplings Be Eaten · HSK 4
- 第一天去新公司上班,我带了午饭,却不知道该在哪儿吃。 Eat Lunch Together · HSK 4
也许、恐怕Uncertain judgments
- 母亲节快到了,我想学习做一道菜送给她,可是以我的能力,这恐怕不是一件容易的事。 I Learned to Make Baozi · HSK 5
竟然Expectation, insistence and surprise
- 朋友问我读完了没有,我告诉她,才看到第三十页。 The Borrowed Book · HSK 3
- 年轻人给自己申请,确实很顺利;替别人申请,就有好几处说不清楚。 Whose Number to Fill In · HSK 5
- 面试官看起来很严肃,但问的问题并不难,原来他们最关心的是我能不能与同事愉快地合作。 My Job Interview · HSK 4