Ch 25 · Lesson 8Mandarin · Chapter 25 · Lesson 8 · Grammar primer
Formal connectives: 然而 for but
Written Mandarin has its own joins: for , for , for . is the essay's however, and can open a new sentence.
The short version
。，。Zhège jìhuà kàn qǐlái hěn jiǎndān. Rán'ér, zuò qǐlái hěn nán.
Why?Hide
Written Mandarin swaps the spoken joins for formal ones: (rán'ér) for (dànshì), (yīncǐ) for (suǒyǐ), (jǐnguǎn) for (suīrán). (rán'ér) can open a new sentence, with a comma after it, as 'however' does in an essay. Said to a friend, it sounds like reading out a report.
The whole system on one screen
Each everyday join has a written partner:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| dànshì | but | everywhere | |
| rán'ér | however | writing | |
| suǒyǐ | so | everywhere | |
| yīncǐ | therefore | writing | |
| yúshì | and so, then | stories, writing | |
| suīrán | although | everywhere | |
| jǐnguǎn | although | writing | |
| yīnwèi | because | everywhere | |
| yóuyú | owing to | writing | |
| háishi | still | everywhere | |
| réngrán | still | writing |
- 不过 búguò: though
- 但是 dànshì: but
- 然而 rán’ér: however
Nothing in the written set is harder. It is the same join in a suit: say (rán'ér) to a friend and you sound as if you are reading out a report.
然而 (rán'ér): the written "however"
(rán'ér) means "but" or "however", and it makes a real turn: what follows goes against what the first half led you to expect.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Tā hěn nǔlì, dànshì jiéguǒ bú tài hǎo. | He worked hard, but it didn't go well |
，。 | Tā hěn nǔlì, rán'ér jiéguǒ bú tài hǎo. | He worked hard; the result, however, was poor |
。，。 | Zhège jìhuà kàn qǐlái hěn jiǎndān. Rán'ér, zuò qǐlái hěn nán. | The plan looks simple. In practice, however, it is hard |
The last row is the pattern to copy for an essay: a full stop, then (rán'ér), then a comma, opening a new sentence.
One thought, three registers
The same objection, from a chat at a desk to a written report:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Zhège bànfǎ búcuò, búguò yǒudiǎn màn. | Not bad, though a bit slow (chat) |
，。 | Zhège bànfǎ búcuò, dànshì yǒudiǎn màn. | It's good, but slow (neutral) |
。，。 | Zhège bànfǎ yǒu yídìng de zuòyòng. Rán'ér, sùdù tài màn. | It has some effect. It is, however, too slow (report) |
Same content, three different voices. In the report, (yídìng) means "a certain": a certain effect.
Going further: 因此 (yīncǐ) or 于是 (yúshì)? and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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