CHAPTER TWELVE
Word-Choice Issues with Adverbs
(1) “From”: cóng 从 . . . dào 到 vs. lí 离
To say from one place to another or from one time to another, use cóng 从 . . . dào 到 :
from America to China
cóng Měiguó dào Zhōngguó
从美国到中国
from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Cóng shàngwǔ jiǔdiǎn zhōng dào xiàwǔ wǔdiǎn zhōng.
从上午九点钟到下午五点钟
BUT, when talking about the distance between two places, “from” is lí 离：
The movie theater isn’t far from the college.
Diànyǐngyuàn lí dàxué bùyuǎn.
电影院离大学不远。
Beijing is 8,000 miles from Chicago.
Běijīng lí Zhījiāgē yǒu bāqiān yīnglǐ.
北京离芝加哥有八千英里。
Therefore:
My home is close to McDonald’s.
Wǒ jiā lí Màidāngláo hěn jìn.
我家离麦当劳很近。
My home is far from McDonald’s.
Wǒ jiā lí Màidāngláo hěn yuǎn.
我家离麦当劳很远。
BUT:
I drive from home to McDonald’s.
Wǒ kāichē cóng wǒ jiā dào Màidāngláo qù.
我开车从我家到麦当劳去。
(2) The difference between the two ways to say “first”: xiān 先 and shǒuxiān 首先
To say that somebody does one thing FIRST, then does another, xiān 先 is used for “first.” Xiān 先 is used only before VERBS, and never before NOUNS:
I’ll study first, then watch TV.
Wǒ huì xiān niànshū, zài kàn diànshì.
我会先念书，再看电视。
My father says to learn Chinese well first, and only then go to China to travel.
Wǒ fùqin shuō xiān xuéhǎo Hànyǔ, zài dào Zhōngguó qù lǚyóu.
我父亲说先学好汉语，再到中国去旅游。
Shǒuxiān 首先 can be used to set up a sequence of events, too, but it can stand alone, followed by a comma and then the entire sequence, as in:
After I return home, first I do my homework, and then watch TV.
Huíjiā hòu, shǒuxiān, wǒ zuò zuòyè, zài kàn diànshì.
回家后，首先，我做作业，再看电视。
OR:
✔ CC: Huíjiā hòu, wǒ shǒuxiān zuò zuòyè, zài kàn diànshì.
回家后， 我首先做作业，再看电视。
✖ BC: Huíjiā hòu, xiān wǒ zuò zuòyè, zài kàn diànshì.
回家后，先我做作业，再看电视。
Shǒuxiān 首先 is also used to say “first of all” when giving reasons for something or when giving an explanation of something:
First (of all), studying is more important than watching TV.
Shǒuxiān, niànshū bǐ kàn diànshì zhòngyào.
首先,念书比看电视重要。
First (of all), China is not as rich as the U.S.
Shǒuxiān, Zhōngguó méiyǒu Měiguó nàme fùyù.
首先,中国没有美国那么富裕。
(3) How to translate “actually” depends on usage
Qíshí 其实, “actually,” and quèshí 确实, “indeed,” are used in positive statements:
That person is actually Japanese.
Nàge rén qíshí shì Rìběn rén.
那个人其实是日本人。
That person is indeed Japanese!
Nàge rén quèshí shì Rìběn rén.
那个人确实是日本人。
Bìng bù 并不 . . . , meaning “actually NOT” (contrary to expectations or a previous argument), is therefore always used in the negative:
That person is actually NOT Japanese, he’s Chinese.
Nàge rén bìng búshì Rìběn rén, tā shì Zhōngguó rén.
那个人并不是日本人，他是中国人。
For the past tense, bìng bù . . . becomes bìng méi(yǒu) . . . for “actually didn’t”:
He stayed in Beijing for seven days, but he actually didn’t even eat one meal of Chinese food!
Tā zài Běijīng zhùle qītiān, dànshi tā bìng méi(yǒu) chī yídùn Zhōngguó fàn!
他在北京住了七天，但是他并没 (有) 吃一顿中国饭。
(4) “Although”: suírán . . . , kěshi . . . 虽然 . . . , 可是 . . . means “although . . . , but . . .”
In any sentence that begins with suírán 虽然, the second clause must start with kěshì 可是 or dànshì 但是:
Although I’m tired, (but) I don’t want to go to bed.
Suírán wǒ lèile, kěshi (dànshi) wǒ búyào shàngchuáng.
虽然我累了，可是 (但是) 我不要上床。
NOte: Adjective + shì 是 + adjective, kěshi/dànshi 可是/但是 . . . (less formal than suírán . . . kěshi . . . 虽然 . . . , 可是 . . . and generally limited to adjectives)
Although that restaurant is expensive, (but) the food is delicious.
Nèige cānguǎn guì shì guì, kěshi (dànshi) cài hěn hǎochī.
那个餐馆贵是贵，可是 (但是) 菜很好吃。
(5) “Almost” = chàbùduō 差不多 vs. chàyìdiǎn 差一点
The word “almost” in English is almost always translated as chàbùduō 差不多. Chàyìdiǎn 差一点 is only used when something unfortunate or undesirable ALMOST happened.
Chàbùduō 差不多, which means “almost” or “nearly” is often used with dōu 都:
I almost have one thousand dollars.
Wǒ chàbùduō yǒu yìqiān kuài qián.
我差不多有一千块钱。
OR:
Wǒ yǒu chàbùduō yìqiān kuài qián.
我有差不多一千块钱。
Almost all my money is in the bank.
Wǒde qián chàbùduō dōu zài yínhánglǐ.
我的钱差不多都在银行里。
Chàyìdiǎn 差一点, which means “almost” and “nearly,” only in the sense of “just about . . . [verb that describes something undesirable]”:
I almost lost one thousand dollars (but didn’t in the end lose that money).
Wǒ chàyìdiǎn diū le yìqiān kuài qián.
我差一点丢了一千块钱。
I lost almost one thousand dollars (actually lost nearly one thousand dollars).
Wǒ chàbùduō diū le yìqiān kuài qián.
我差不多丢了一千块钱。
I almost couldn’t find the bank!
✔ CC: Wǒ chàyìdiǎn zhǎobudào nèige yínháng!
我差一点找不到那个银行！
✖ BC: Wǒ chàbùduō zhǎobudào nèige yínháng!
我差不多找不到那个银行！
I was almost late.
✔ CC: Wǒ chàyìdiǎn wǎn le.
我差一点晚了。
✖ BC: Wǒ chàbùduō wǎn le.
我差不多晚了。
(6) Cái 才：three ways to say “unless . . . ”; “only if . . . ”
. . . cái . . . ( . . 才 . . . ):
I’ll go only if you go.
Nǐ qù, wǒ cái qù.
你去，我才去。
Literally: You go, and only then will I go.
Chúfēi . . . , cái . . . = 除非 . . . ，才 . . .
I won’t go unless you go.
Chúfēi nǐ qù, wǒ cái qù.
除非你去，我才去。
Literally: Unless you go, only then will I go.
Zhǐ yǒu . . . cái néng . . . = 只有 . . . 才能 . . .
I can only go if my parents give me the money.
Zhǐ yǒu wǒ fùmǔ gěi wǒ qián, wǒ cái néng qù.
只有我父母给我钱，我才能去。
(7) “Every time”: měicì . . . de shíhou 每 次 . . . 的时候 vs. měidāng/měiféng . . . de shíhou
每当/每逢 . . . 时候
There are two ways to say “every time,” depending on usage. The first is:
měicì . . . de shíhou
每次 . . . 的时候
Every time we go to Beijing we eat roast duck.
✔ CC: Wǒmen měicì dào Běijīng qù de shíhou, jiù chī kǎoyā.
我们每次到北京去的时候，就吃烤鸭。
✖ BC: Wǒmen chī kǎoyā, měicì wǒmen qù Běijīng.
我们吃烤鸭, 每次我们去北京。
(A literal translation.)
The second is:
měidāng/měiféng. . . de shíhou, . . . jiù. . .
每当/每逢 . . . 的时候， . . . 就 . . .
OR:
měidāng/měiféng . . . shí, . . . jiù . . . (formal, written way)
每当/每逢 . . . 时， . . . 就 . . .
A time word always directly follows měidāng 每当 or měiféng 每逢, and the second clause must include jiù 就:
Every time it’s the weekend, we (then) go to the park.
✔ CC: Měidāng/měiféng zhōumò (de shíhou), wǒmen jiù dào gōngyuán qù.
每当/每逢周末 (的时候) ，我们就到公园去。
✖ BC: Wǒmen qù gōngyuán měidāng/měiféng zhōumò.
我们去公园每当/每逢周末。
Literally: We go to the park every time it’s the weekend.