![\"adult](\"http:\/\/akikolingoland.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/adult-child-02.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nIf you’ve learnt a little Mandarin, you probably know that \u4e0d means not ~. So if we have \u4e0d+\u5927+\u4e0d+\u5c0f – it literally means not big not small \u2013 and therefore, just nice! This is the charm of Mandarin – what you see is what you get!<\/em> Ok, I admit that this is an overly simplistic claim, but honestly, Mandarin is<\/em> pretty straightforward.<\/p>\n where A and B are adjectives of opposite meaning<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n This is a very useful structure – something is in the middle, neither A nor B. The conclusion could be either positive or negative. If positive, take it to mean it\u2019s neither too<\/em> A nor too<\/em> B, and therefore, it\u2019s just nice. If negative – then it means it isn’t fully<\/em> A nor fully<\/em> B, it\u2019s neither here nor there.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s look at a few other examples so that you get the hang of this.<\/p>\n \u4e0d\u591a\u4e0d\u5c11 b\u00f9 du\u014d b\u00f9 sh\u01ceo – not a lot, not a little They are often used positively, and therefore the phrase \u2018\u521a\u521a\u597d\u2019 (g\u0101ngg\u0101ng h\u01ceo) or \u2018\u6b63\u597d\u2019 (zh\u00e8ng h\u01ceo) – just nice, fits in perfectly at the end.<\/p>\n Now let\u2019s move on to the other expression \u6ca1\u5927\u6ca1\u5c0f m\u00e9i d\u00e0 m\u00e9i xi\u01ceo . You might also have learnt this other frequently used negative – \u6ca1. And you probably also know that these two are used differently. So naturally, \u6ca1\u5927\u6ca1\u5c0f must mean something different from \u4e0d\u5927\u4e0d\u5c0f.<\/p>\n First, the structure:<\/p>\n where A and B are adjectives of opposite meaning<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n This is used to express someone\u2019s disability to discriminate between what is proper and improper.<\/p>\n Here, \u5927 and \u5c0f don\u2019t mean size. They mean age. For example, we have these phrases: In Chinese society, hierarchy is important. The young are expected to show respect to people older or of higher status than them. So if you act in an inappropriate manner, you might be acting \u6ca1\u5927\u6ca1\u5c0f \u2013 no big no small.<\/p>\n How do we use it? For example,<\/p>\n Ji\u00e0nd\u00e0o sh\u016bshu z\u011bnme b\u00fa ji\u00e0o? M\u00e9i d\u00e0 m\u00e9i xi\u01ceo! Bi\u00e9 m\u00e9i d\u00e0 m\u00e9i xi\u01ceo, d\u00e0ren shu\u014d hu\u00e0 xi\u01ceoh\u00e1izi bi\u00e9 ch\u0101 zu\u01d0. Xi\u00e0nz\u00e0i de h\u00e1izi z\u011bnme d\u014du zh\u00e8me m\u00e9i d\u00e0 m\u00e9i xi\u01ceo? Another similar example is \u6ca1\u8f7b\u6ca1\u91cd m\u00e9i q\u012bng m\u00e9i zh\u00f2ng (literally, no light no heavy) and it is used to mean being tactless and having bad manners. For example,<\/p>\n Zh\u00e8 r\u00e9n shu\u014d hu\u00e0 m\u00e9i q\u012bng m\u00e9i zh\u00f2ng, ch\u00e1ngch\u00e1ng d\u00e9zu\u00ec r\u00e9n. Before we end off, I have to let you know that \u4e0dA\u4e0dB and \u6ca1A\u6ca1B have other meanings too. Let\u2019s first look at \u4e0dA\u4e0dB.<\/p>\n where A and B are verbs or adjectives of similar meaning<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n This structure is used to emphasise the negative aspect of whatever A and B mean.<\/p>\n \u4e0d\u95fb\u4e0d\u95ee b\u00f9 w\u00e9n b\u00fa w\u00e8n \u2013 to be indifferent (not listen, not ask) where A and B are verbs of related meaning<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n This is probably one of those times when Mandarin gets a little hard to decipher for foreigners \u2013 it\u2019s simply too condensed. This structure actually means \u2018if A doesn\u2019t happen, B doesn\u2019t happen\u2019. We could lengthen it to \u2018\u5982\u679c\u4e0dA,\u5c31\u4e0dB\u2019 r\u00fagu\u01d2 b\u00f9 A ji\u00f9 b\u00f9 B, literally, \u2018if not A, then not B\u2019, but well, why make it so long?<\/p>\n Anyway, let\u2019s look at some examples: where A and B are nouns, adjectives or verbs of related or similar meaning<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n This is used for emphasis.<\/p>\n \u6ca1\u65e5\u6ca1\u591c m\u00e9i r\u00ec m\u00e9i y\u00e8 \u2013 tirelessly, round the clock (no day no night) Ok, that\u2019s about it for now, I shan\u2019t \u6ca1\u5b8c\u6ca1\u4e86\u5730\u8bf4 m\u00e9i w\u00e1n m\u00e9i li\u01ceo de shu\u014d \u2013 talk endlessly.<\/p>\n See you in the next post, or in my video! \u4e0d\u89c1\u4e0d\u6563 b\u00fa ji\u00e0n b\u00fa s\u00e0n\uff01<\/p>\n Here’s a little prelude to the upcoming Mandarin Weekly video. Have you heard of these two expressions? 1) \u4e0d\u5927\u4e0d\u5c0f b\u00fa d\u00e0 b\u00f9 xi\u01ceo 2) \u6ca1\u5927\u6ca1\u5c0f m\u00e9i d\u00e0 m\u00e9i xi\u01ceo If you’ve learnt a little Mandarin, you probably...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6683,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[293,95,82,177],"tags":[271,274],"class_list":["post-6668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-grammar","category-mandarin","category-useful-phrases","tag-bu","tag-mei"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\u4e0dA\u4e0dB<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n\u4e0d\u957f\u4e0d\u77ed b\u00f9 ch\u00e1ng b\u00f9 du\u01cen \u2013 not long, not short
\n\u4e0d\u65e9\u4e0d\u665a b\u00f9 z\u01ceo b\u00f9 w\u01cen\u2013 not early, not late
\n\u4e0d\u80d6\u4e0d\u7626 b\u00fa p\u00e0ng b\u00fa sh\u00f2u \u2013 not fat, not thin<\/p>\n\u6ca1A\u6ca1B<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n\u5e74\u7eaa\u5927 ni\u00e1nj\u00ec d\u00e0 \u2013 old (literally, age big)
\n\u5e74\u7eaa\u5c0f ni\u00e1nj\u00ec xi\u01ceo \u2013 young (literally, age small)<\/p>\n
\n\u89c1\u5230\u53d4\u53d4\u600e\u4e48\u4e0d\u53eb\uff1f\u6ca1\u5927\u6ca1\u5c0f\uff01
\nWhy aren\u2019t you greeting uncle? Show some respect!
\n(Note:\u53d4\u53d4 sh\u016bshu doesn\u2019t have to really be your uncle, this is just a polite form of address we use for any male belonging to your father\u2019s generation, but slightly younger than your father.)<\/p>\n
\n\u522b\u6ca1\u5927\u6ca1\u5c0f\uff0c\u5927\u4eba\u8bf4\u8bdd\u5c0f\u5b69\u5b50\u522b\u63d2\u5634\u3002
\nKnow your place, don\u2019t butt in when adults are talking.<\/p>\n
\n\u73b0\u5728\u7684\u5b69\u5b50\u600e\u4e48\u90fd\u8fd9\u4e48\u6ca1\u5927\u6ca1\u5c0f\uff1f
\nWhy are kids nowadays so disrespectful towards their elders?<\/p>\n
\n\u8fd9\u4eba\u8bf4\u8bdd\u6ca1\u8f7b\u6ca1\u91cd\uff0c\u5e38\u5e38\u5f97\u7f6a\u4eba\u3002
\nThis guy is quite tactless in speech; he keeps pissing people off.<\/p>\n\u4e0dA\u4e0dB<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n\u4e0d\u8a00\u4e0d\u8bed b\u00f9 y\u00e1n b\u00f9 y\u01d4 \u2013 to remain quiet (not talk; both \u8a00 and \u8bed mean \u2018to talk\u2019)
\n\u4e0d\u79bb\u4e0d\u5f03 b\u00f9 l\u00ed b\u00fa q\u00ec \u2013 to never leave someone, to stay with someone through thick and thin (not leave, not abandon)
\n\u4e0d\u7720\u4e0d\u4f11 b\u00f9 mi\u00e1n b\u00f9 xi\u016b \u2013 without rest, tirelessly (not sleep, not rest)
\n\u4e0d\u77e5\u4e0d\u89c9 b\u00f9 zh\u012b b\u00f9 ju\u00e9 \u2013 without knowing, before you know it (not know, not aware)<\/p>\n\u4e0dA\u4e0dB<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n\u4e0d\u9189\u4e0d\u5f52 b\u00fa zu\u00ec b\u00f9 gu\u012b \u2013 drink to our hearts’ content (if we don’t get drunk, we don’t go home)
\n\u4e0d\u5410\u4e0d\u5feb b\u00f9 t\u01d4 b\u00fa ku\u00e0i\u2013 used when there\u2019s something you simply have to get off your chest (if I don\u2019t say it, I don\u2019t feel satisfied)
\n\u4e0d\u89c1\u4e0d\u6563 b\u00fa ji\u00e0n b\u00fa s\u00e0n \u2013 used in replacement for goodbye, when you\u2019re going to meet the person at a scheduled time (if we don\u2019t see each other, we don\u2019t leave the meeting place)<\/p>\n\u6ca1A\u6ca1B<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n\u6ca1\u5b8c\u6ca1\u4e86 m\u00e9i w\u00e1n m\u00e9i li\u01ceo \u2013 endless (both \u5b8c and \u4e86 mean ‘end’; note that here, \u4e86 is ‘li\u01ceo’, not ‘le’)
\n\u6ca1\u5934\u6ca1\u8111 m\u00e9i t\u00f3u m\u00e9i n\u01ceo \u2013 absent-minded (no head no brain)<\/p>\n