C Chinese Grammar Intermediate

Pinyin C

1. 差点 (almost / nearly) chàdiǎn The adverb 差点 (chàdiǎn) means 'almost' or 'nearly.' For undesirable events, it indicates something came close to happening but did not. F...
2. 从来 + 都 (always/all along) cónglái The adverb 从来 means 'always' or 'all along' and emphasizes that something has consistently been the case from the past up to the present....
3. 才 (lateness) cái The particle 才 is used before a verb to indicate that something happened later than expected. It conveys a sense of delay or that the act...
4. 才 vs 就 (sooner vs later than expected) cái / jiù 才 and 就 are both adverbs used with time expressions, but they convey opposite subjective judgments. 就 indicates something happened sooner...
5. 差不多 (approximately) chàbuduō 差不多 means 'almost,' 'about the same,' or 'more or less.' It is used to express approximation, similarity, or that something is close enou...
6. 才 + Number (small quantity) cái The adverb 才 placed before a number emphasizes that the quantity is surprisingly small or insufficient. It conveys the speaker's feeling ...
7. 除了...以外 (except / in addition) chúle...yǐwài The pattern 除了...以外 means either 'except for' or 'in addition to,' depending on whether 都 or 也/还 follows. With 都, it excludes; with 也 or ...
8. 才 (only after) cái The adverb 才 placed before a verb indicates that something happened later than expected, or only after a certain condition was met. It co...
9. 从来 + 不/没 (never) cónglái The adverb 从来 (cónglái) is used with 不 or 没(有) to express 'never' — something that has not happened at any point up to now. 从来不 emphasize...
10. 除非 (unless) chúfēi The conjunction 除非 (chúfēi) means 'unless' or 'only if.' It introduces the one condition under which a stated result or situation would c...