EXPRESSING CONTRAST

37

Expressing contrast

37.1Expressing contrast with paired connecting words

Mandarin uses the following paired connecting words to express contrast.

K K K	or K K K		or K K K
K K K	K K K		K K K
surrán . . . klshì	surrán . . .	dànshì	surrán . . .	búguò
although . . . but	although .	. . but	although .	. . however

klshì and dànshì are identical in meaning and are interchangeable. /

búguò conveys a slightly stronger sense of contrariness to expectation.

The Chinese connecting words occur at the beginning of their clauses or right before the predicate. Both members of the pair can occur in the same sentence. Although English permits only a single contrast connector in a sentence, in order to best illustrate the usage of the Mandarin words, the English translations in this section translate each connector in the Mandarin sentences.

!"#$%&! '()*+,-.!"#$%&! '()*+,-.

Surrán tp shì Zhsngguó rén, klshì tp hái xmhuan chr Rìbln cài.

Although he is Chinese, but he still likes to eat Japanese food.

!"#$%&! '()*+,!"#$%&! '()*+,

Surrán tp shì Zhsngguó rén, dànshì tp méi qùguo Blijrng.

Although he is Chinese, but he has never been to Beijing.

!"#$%&'()*+,- .!"#$%&'()*+,- .

Surrán tp hln ynu qián, klshì wn hái bù yuànyi jiàgli tp.

Although he has a lot of money, but I’m still not willing to marry him.

37.1.1The placement of connecting words

If the subjects of the two clauses are identical in reference and the second one is not omitted, / surrán typically occurs before the subject.

!!"#$%&'()*+,-./0!!"#$%&'()*+,-./0

Surrán wn gqge ymjing spnshí suì le, dànshì tp hái méi jiéhtn.

Although my older brother is already 30 years old, but he still hasn’t married.

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Expressing contrast with paired connecting words

37.1

When subjects of the two clauses in contrast sentences are identical in reference, the second one is sometimes omitted. When this is the case, the connecting word /surrán typically occurs after the subject of the first clause.

!"#$%&'()*+,-.!"#$%&'()*+,-.

Wn gqge surrán ymjing spnshí suì le klshì hái méi jiéhtn.

Although my older brother is already 30 years old but (he) still hasn’t married.

37.1.2Relative order of the clauses in contrast sentences

The position of the clauses is fixed. The / surrán clause comes first. The klshì, dànshì, or / búguò clause comes second.

Say this	Not this
!"#$%&	G( ) !"#$%&
!"#$%&'(	!"#$%&
!"#$%&	( ) !"#$%&
!"#$%&'(	!"#$%&
Surrán tp rènshi hln dus rén,	(Klshì) tp méi ynu hln hko de
klshì tp méiynu hln hko	péngyou, surrán tp rènshi
de péngyou.	hln dus rén.
Although he knows a lot of people
he doesn’t have any very good friends.
!"#$ 6 !	G 6 !"# $%
!"#$ %&!'(	!"#$ !%&
Surrán tp hln xiko búguò tp	Tp dknzi hln dà surrán
dknzi hln dà.	tp hln xiko.
Although he is little he is very brave
(his courage is big).

37.1.3 Omission of the connecting words

/ surrán can be freely omitted:

!"#$%&'()*+ ,!"#$%&'()*+ ,

Tp hln ynu qián, klshì wn hái bù yuànyi jiàgli tp.

He has a lot of money, but I’m still not willing to marry him.

klshì, dànshì, or búguò can be omitted when the second clause contains the adverb / hái or an adverb that indicates contrast. Adverbs that indicate contrast are presented in 37.2.

!"#$%&'()*+ ,!"#$%&'()*+ ,

Surrán tp hln ynu qián, wn hái bù yuànyi jiàgli tp.

Although he has a lot of money, I’m still not willing to marry him.

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EXPRESSING CONTRAST

37.2

37.2Adverbs that indicate contrast

37.2.1Adverbs that must occur before the [prepositional phrase +] verb or verb phrase

què ‘in contrast’

què may occur with other contrast connectors.

!"#$%&'()*+,- .!"#$%&'()*+,- .

Surrán tp hln ynu qián, klshì wn què bù yuànyi jiàgli tp.

Although he is rich, I am not willing to marry him.

!"#$%&'() *!"#$%&'() *

Tp hln ynuqián, wn què bù yuànyi jiàgli tp.

He is rich but I am still not willing to marry him.

dKoshì ‘contrary to one’s expectations’

!"#$%&'()*+!"#$%&'()*+

Fángzi bù dà, bùzhì de dkoshì hln jikngjiu.

The house isn’t big, but it is fixed up really nicely.

37.2.2Contrast adverbs that can occur at the beginning of a sentence or before a verb or very phrase

/ búguò ‘however, nevertheless’

!"#$%&'()*+,-!"#$%&'()*+,-

Zhsngguó zì hln nán xil, búguò wénfk bmjiào jikndpn.

Chinese characters are very difficult to write, but the grammar is relatively easy.

!"#$%&%'()*!"#$%&%'()*

Chr Sìchupn cài kéym, búguò bù néng tài là.

It is okay (with me) to eat Sichuan food, but it can’t be too hot.

rán’ér ‘however, nevertheless’

!"#$%& ' ()*+,!"#$%& ' ()*+,

Tp surrán méi kkoshàng dàxué, rán’ér tp bìng bù hurxrn.

Although he didn’t pass the college entrance exam, he did not lose heart.

!"#$%&'()*+,-./012!"#$%&'()*+,-./012

Tp xiko de shíhòu tmruò dus bìng, rán’ér zháng dà hòu què fqicháng qiáng zhuàng.

When he was young he was weak and sickly, but after he grew up he was extremely strong.

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Qualifying a statement with an adjectival verb or stative verb

37.3

fKn’ér ‘on the contrary, in contrast’

!"#$%&'( )*+%,!"#$%&'( )*+%,

Nán de zì tp dsu jìzhù le, róngyì de fkn’ér wàng le.

He remembers all of the difficult characters; the easy characters he forgets.

!"#$%&'(")!"#$%&'(")

Nm búdàn bù bpng wn máng, fkn’ér prpíng wn.

Not only don’t you help me, but on the contrary you criticize me.

/ fKnguòlái ‘conversely’

!"#$#% #&'#(%)*+,(-./!"#$#% #&'#(%)*+,(-./

Ynu de rén rènwéi xué shùxué kuài de rén xué yoyánxué yl kuài, fknguolái yl yryàng.

Some people think that people who learn math quickly also learn linguistics quickly. The converse is also true. (The converse is the same.)

!"#$%&'()*+,-.'/0123$456.'/+6 78!"

!"#$%&'()*+,-.'/0123$456.'/+6 78!"

Nmmen shì hko péngynu, kàndào tp zuòcuò le jiù yìnggpi gqn tp shus. Fknguolái, rúgun bù gqn tp shus jiù bù shì zhqnzhèng de péngynu le.

You are good friends. When you see him do something wrong you should speak with him. Conversely, if you don’t speak with him, you are not a real friend.

37.3Qualifying a statement with an adjectival verb or stative verb

To qualify a statement involving an adjectival verb or stative verb, use this pattern:

AV/SV shì AV/SV, klshì . . .

dànshì/ búguò

jiù shì

AV/SV ‘all right, but . . .’

!"#"$%#&'((AV)!"#"$%#&'(

Nàge diànymng hKo shì hKo, jiù shì tài cháng.

That movie is good all right but it is too long.

!"#$%#$&'%()*(AV)!"#$%#$&'%()*

Nàge nu háizi hKo kàn shì hKo kàn, jiù shì tài shòu.

That girl is pretty all right, but she is too thin.

! "#$!"%&'()*+(SV)! "#$!"%&'()*+

Wn xMhuan shì xMhuan tP, jiùshì tp ynu yrdikn tài wúliáo.

I like him all right, he’s just a little boring.

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