Adverbs Study Guide
Discover the role of adverbs in Chinese language. Learn their categories, formation, position in sentences, and comparison.
一些 (yī xiē)
some
The Chinese word for 'some' is '一些'. It is used in the same way as in English, to indicate an unspecified amount or number. For example, 'I need some apples' translates to '我需要一些苹果'.
一共 (yī gòng)
altogether
In Chinese, the term '一共' is used when they want to express the total amount/count/quantity of something. Like in English, the term 'altogether' is being used to show the comprehensive quantity of any subject. It is mostly used in both formal and informal contexts.
Example sentences with 一共 →一半 (yībàn)
half
一半 (yībàn) translates literally to 'one half' in English, and its usage is pretty identical to English. It can be used to refer to half of an object, an amount or a quantity, time, etc. It can be used in both a literal and a figurative context. It can also be combined with other words to create different meanings. For example, 一半天空 (yībàn tiānkōng) refers to 'half the sky', a phrase often used to emphasize the importance of women in society.
一旁 (yī páng)
aside
The Chinese word '一旁' translates to 'aside' in English. This word is generally used the same way as in English - to indicate that something is to the side or NOT the main focus. For example, you could put your bag '一旁' or to the side. The word can be used in both formal and informal contexts and it doesn't have any particular connotations that learners need to be aware of.
Example sentences with 一旁 →一次 (yī cì)
once
The Chinese word '一次' is an adverb mostly used to mean 'once' or 'one time.' It can be used to refer to an occurrence that happened one time in the past, is happening now, or will happen in the future. It is often used in conversations or sentences to denote the frequency of an event.
一起 (yì qǐ)
together
The Chinese word for 'together' is '一起'. It is used to indicate doing something with someone or something, much like how 'together' is used in English. It is used in both casual and formal contexts.
上 (shàng)
up
In Chinese, the word '上' corresponds to the English term 'up'. It is frequently used in the same context as in English, to denote something that is at a higher place or position. It is used as an adjective, verb or preposition based on the context. The setup and structure of the sentence often helps determine its exact meaning. However, it may also have idiosyncratic uses such as indicating the fact of being in use or operation (as in 'the computer is up').
Example sentences with 上 →下一个 (xià yī gè)
next
The Chinese word '下一个' means 'next' in English. It is commonly used to refer to the subsequent person or thing in an ordered sequence. For example, '下一个人' means 'next person', and '下一个月' means 'next month'.
不幸地 (bù xìng de)
unfortunately
In Mandarin, '不幸地' is used to indicate adversity or a unfortunate circumstance, similar to how the word 'unfortunately' is used in English. It's typically used at the start of a sentence to set the tone as negative.
Example sentences with 不幸地 →不断地 (bù duàn de)
constantly
The Chinese word '不断地' is often used to illustrate an action or state that keeps going on without interruption. Similar to 'constantly' in English, it can be used in multiple contexts.
Example sentences with 不断地 →不是 (bú shì)
not
In Chinese, '不是' (bú shì) has a similar function to 'not' in English. However, it is specifically used to negate the verb 'to be'. It is not used to negate adjectives or verbs other than 'to be'. For example, in the sentence 'I am not a student', '不是' is used to express the 'not' as in 'I am not'.
不知怎么的 (bù zhī zěn me de)
somehow
The Chinese translation for 'somehow' is '不知怎么的', which is primarily used to express the sense of uncertainty or not knowing exactly why or how something occurred. Just like in English, it can be used in various contexts and sentences.
Example sentences with 不知怎么的 →两次 (liǎng cì)
twice
The word '两次' in Chinese is used somewhat similarly to its English equivalent 'twice', and can be used to denote the number of times an action has been repeated. It's typically used before verbs to signify that the action has been performed twice. For instance, '我两次去过那个城市' translates to 'I have been to that city twice.'
两者 (liǎng zhě)
both
The Chinese word '两者' is directly translated to English as 'both'. It is often used similarly to its English equivalent, referring to two things, people, etc., that have been mentioned previously. The Chinese word can often be found in both formal and informal contexts.
为什么 (wèi shén me)
why
The Chinese word '为什么' is a question word used to ask for the reason or purpose of something. It is commonly used in queries similar to how 'why' is used in English.
主要地 (zhǔ yào dì)
primarily
In Mandarin Chinese, '主要地' means 'primarily'. It's a common adverb used to indicate that something is predominantly or mostly a certain way. For example, it would be used in a sentence like '她主要地回答了他的问题', which translates to 'She primarily answered his questions.'
Example sentences with 主要地 →主题 (zhǔ tí)
subject
In Chinese, '主题' is used to describe the central topic or focal point of something like a discussion, study, or piece of art. It is similar to how the English word 'subject' is used.
之前 (zhī qián)
before
The Chinese word '之前' is frequently used in both oral and written language. It is applied to denote something that happened or existed before a particular point in time. It's often placed after the noun or time word it modifies, and can be used both in negative and positive sentences.
之后 (zhī hòu)
after
The Chinese word '之后' directly translates to 'after' in English. It is used to imply something happening later in time or place in Chinese sentences. For example, '我吃饭之后去上班' translates to 'I go to work after having a meal'.
之间 (zhī jiān)
between
The Chinese word '之间'(zhī jiān) corresponds to 'between' in English. It is often used to represent a relationship, indicating that something is in the middle of two objects or points in time. It is widely used in both formal and informal settings.
也 (yě)
also
The Chinese word '也' is used in the same way as the English word 'also'. It is usually used in the middle or end of a sentence to show that something else is or may be the case. It can also be used to add more information or to emphasize something.
也许 (yě xǔ)
maybe
The Chinese word '也许' is used to express uncertainty or possibility, very similar to the English word 'maybe'. In Chinese sentence, it can be placed at the beginning or middle of a sentence to indicate the speaker's unsure attitude.
亮 (liàng)
bright
The Chinese character '亮' is used to refer to anything that is bright or shines, such as a light, color, or the sun. It can be used literally in the context of visible brightness, or metaphorically to describe a bright or clear concept or idea.
亲爱的 (qīn'àide)
dear
The Chinese word '亲爱的' is used to refer to someone whom you feel affection for, similar to the English word 'dear'. It can be used at the beginning of a letter to address the reader, or as a term of endearment for partners, family members, and close friends. Please note, however, that in Chinese, '亲爱的' does not serve the secondary meaning of 'expensive' as 'dear' does in English.
亲自 (qīn zì)
personally
In Chinese, '亲自' is used to express the English term 'personally.' This word is often used to detail something that someone has done by themselves, or decisions they have made without any influence or help from others. Chinese people use this phrase to signify individual responsibility and direct involvement in something.
Example sentences with 亲自 →什么 (shénme)
what
The Chinese word '什么' is translated as 'what' in English. It is a common question word and can be used to ask about both people and things. It can be used in various situations, such as asking 'What is this?', 'What do you want?', etc. Moreover, '什么' can be used to express 'any' or 'nothing' depending on the context.
仅仅 (jǐn jǐn)
merely
'仅仅' is used in Chinese similar to how 'merely' is used in English. It refers to something being nothing more than what is stated. The usage can often imply that what is being described is not enough or should not be judged by the given descriptor alone.
Example sentences with 仅仅 →今天 (jīn tiān)
today
The Chinese word '今天' stands for 'today'. It is commonly used in daily conversation. For instance, a Chinese speaker might say '我今天很忙' which translates to 'I am very busy today'. In most Chinese sentences, '今天' is usually placed at the beginning of a sentence to represent the time is now or today.
今晚 (jīnwǎn)
tonight
In Chinese, 'tonight' translates to '今晚'(jīnwǎn). It is used in a similar context to English, generally referring to the current evening or the evening of the present day. It is often used to specify the time of an event or action.
从不 (cóng bù)
never
The Chinese term '从不' literally translates to 'never'. It is used in similar contexts to the English word, representing something that has not occurred at any time in the past or will not take place at any point in the future. Like English, this word is often used in negative sentences to strengthen the negative connotation. For instance, '我从不吸烟' translates to 'I never smoke'.