算 (making judgments)
含义
The verb 算 (suàn) can be used to make evaluative judgments, meaning 'to count as,' 'to be considered,' or 'to qualify as.' It assesses whether something meets a certain standard or fits into a particular category.
Beyond its basic meaning of 'to calculate,' 算 serves as a soft judgment marker that hedges the speaker's assessment. Saying 他算一个好人 is gentler than 他是一个好人 — it implies 'he can be considered good' rather than stating it outright. The negative form 不算 is extremely common for expressing that something falls short of a standard: 这不算贵 (this doesn't count as expensive). 算 can also combine with 是 (算是) for a slightly more emphatic but still hedged judgment. Compared to 是 which makes definitive statements, 算 introduces an element of subjective evaluation. The pattern 算不算 forms a question asking whether something qualifies. In casual speech, 算了 (forget it, let it go) is a related but distinct usage that expresses giving up or dismissal.
例句
- 这道菜做得还不错，算是今天的招牌菜了。
- 他在公司干了二十年，算是老员工了。
- 这个价格不算便宜，但质量确实好。
用法指南
语境: spoken, written, everyday
语气: evaluative
正确说法
- 她的中文水平在外国人里算很不错的了。
- 这件事不算什么大问题，你别太担心。
- 今天的天气算是入冬以来最冷的一天了。
- 在我们班上，他算是比较用功的学生。
错误说法
- 这算了一个好主意。(算 as a judgment marker does not take 了 directly after it — 算了 changes the meaning to 'forget it') → 这算是一个好主意。
- 我算他是好人。(算 for judgment applies to the subject being evaluated, not to a separate object — restructure to 我觉得他算好人) → 我觉得他算是个好人。
- 算很漂亮她。(算 must follow the subject being evaluated and precede the complement — Chinese word order cannot be rearranged this way) → 她算是很漂亮的。
起源与历史
The character 算 originally referred to counting rods used in ancient Chinese mathematics. Its meaning expanded from numerical calculation to abstract evaluation and judgment, reflecting how the Chinese concept of 'reckoning' encompasses both mathematical and qualitative assessment.
文化背景
世代: All ages
社会背景: Universal
相关短语
闪卡、测验、音频发音和间隔重复