Ch 24 · Lesson 17Mandarin · Chapter 24 · Lesson 17 · Grammar primer
Idioms in a sentence: frozen blocks
Nothing goes inside the four characters, and the order never changes. , and attach outside the block, just as with any adjective.
The short version
Nothing goes inside a four-character idiom
净。Tā bǎ fángjiān shōushi de gāngānjìngjìng.
Why?Hide
The four characters are frozen: (hěn), (le) and (bù) never go between them, and the order never changes. Add what you need outside the block: (de) before a verb, (de) before a noun, (de) after a verb.
Frozen: nothing goes inside
The four characters never change. Whatever you want to add goes before or after the whole block:
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
。 | 。 | (hěn) goes outside the block |
| | the order never changes |
样 | 样 | the order never changes |
Some blocks that work like adjectives, (bùhǎoyìsi) among them, can take (hěn) in front; a doubled AABB form never does. Other fixed blocks fit neither shape and are simply learnt whole:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| luànqībāzāo | a complete mess |
| bùhǎoyìsi | sorry; embarrassed |
| wúlùnrúhé | whatever happens, in any case |
The (qī) and (bā) of count nothing: they turn up together in other "all over the place" phrases too, such as (qīshàngbāxià), on edge.
Where the block goes in a sentence
A block goes where an adjective or an adverb would, with the same particles:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
。 | Tā de fángjiān luànqībāzāo. | His room is a mess (nothing needed) |
。 | Tā yìxīnyíyì de xuéxí. | He studies wholeheartedly ( before a verb) |
样。 | Diàn li yǒu gèzhǒnggèyàng de dōngxi. | The shop has all sorts ( before a noun) |
干净。 | Tā bǎ fángjiān dǎsǎo de gāngānjìngjìng. | He cleaned it spotless ( after a verb) |
，。 | Wúlùnrúhé, wǒ dōu yào qù. | Whatever happens, I'm going |
All three particles are pronounced de. Before a verb, (de) often drops after a doubled form: 兴。 (Tā gāogāoxìngxìng zǒu le.) is fine too. (wúlùnrúhé) opens the sentence and takes (dōu) or (yě) before the verb.
Which ones you can say
- 不好意思 bùhǎoyìsi: sorry
- 马马虎虎 mǎmǎhūhū: so-so
- 无论如何 wúlùnrúhé: in any case
- 画蛇添足 huàshétiānzú: overdoing it
Written Chinese uses idioms constantly. Speech uses a smaller set, and a learner who scatters literary 语 (chéngyǔ) into a chat about lunch sounds as if they are reciting. Say the ones you have heard people say; read the rest.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
干净。 | 干净。 | a doubled form takes no (hěn) |
。 | 。 | the order is frozen |
虎。 | 。 | a doubled form takes no (bù): negate (mǎhu) |
Going further: The whole system on one screen and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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