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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 2 · Chapter 38

虽然累但是高兴 Tired but happy

Suīrán lèi dànshì gāoxìng

Huang An and Wei Dong walk outside, reflecting. Vocab: 虽然 / 但是 / 不过 / 而且 / 重要 / 容易 / 困难 / 努力 / 进步 / 成功. Introduces 转折复句 (二65 — although).

今天怎么样 — How was today?

  1. 卫东 huángān, jīntiānzěnmeyàng? Huang An, how was today?
  2. 黄安 suīránlèi, dànshìgāoxìng. jīntiāndehuìjiéguǒcuò. Tired but happy. Today's meeting result was good.
  3. 卫东 tàihǎole. gōngzuòsuīránkùnnán, dànshìyǒujìnjiùhǎo. Great. Even hard work feels good if there's progress.
  4. 黄安 shìde. xiàngqiánhěn, xiànzàikànjiǎndānle. Yes. The project used to be complex; now I see it as simpler.
  5. 卫东 zhèjiùshìjìn. deréndìnghuìchénggōng. That's progress. Hard workers always succeed.
  6. 黄安 xiǎngchénggōng. dànshìháicháng. I want to succeed too. But the road's still long.

虽然简单, 但是重要 — Simple but important

  1. 卫东 kàn, fānghóngzuòcuò. I think Fang Hong is doing well.
  2. 黄安 suīrándegōngzuòjiǎndān, dànshìhěnzhòngyào. jiǎndāndegōngzuòdōucóngzhèkāishǐ. Although her work is simple, it's important. Even hard work starts here.
  3. 卫东 duì. érqiě. suīráncáiláiyuè, jīngyǒujìnle. Right. And she's hard-working. Only here a month, but already progressing.
  4. 黄安 gēnshuō: yàokùnnán. kùnnánjiùshìhuì. I told her: don't fear difficulty. Difficulty is opportunity.
  5. 卫东 zhèshìhǎodekàn. zhèwèijīngzuòzhēnhǎo. That's a good view. You're a good manager.
  6. 黄安 tàihǎole. shìxīnjīng. You're too kind. I'm new at managing too.

回家的路上 — On the way home

  1. 卫东 huángān, kuàiyàohuíjiāle. ne? Huang An, I'm heading home. You?
  2. 黄安 shì. suīránlèi, dànshìxiǎnggēntóngshìchīfàn. Me too. Tired, but want to grab dinner with colleagues.
  3. 卫东 hǎo. mànmànlái. OK. Take your time.
  4. 黄安 lǎoshī, xièxiènín. gēnnínshuōhuà, hěngāoxìng. Teacher, thank you. Talking with you makes me happy.
  5. 卫东 bié. xiàjiàn. Don't mention it. See you next time.
  6. 黄安 zàijiàn, lǎoshī. Bye, teacher.
汉字PinyinTừ loạiNghĩa
虽然 suīrán conj. although
但是 dànshì conj. but (Bk1 revisit)
不过 búguò conj. (Bk1 revisit) but / however
而且 érqiě conj. moreover
yòu adv. (Bk1 revisit) again; also
重要 zhòngyào adj. important (Bk2 revisit)
容易 róngyì adj. easy
困难 kùnnán adj./n. difficult; difficulty
努力 nǔlì v./adj. try hard; hard-working
进步 jìnbù v./n. progress; advance
成功 chénggōng v./n. succeed; success
汉字PinyinTừ loạiNghĩa
step (in 进步) 进步 jìnbù — progress; advance跑步 pǎobù — go for a run
try hard (in 努力) 努力 nǔlì — try hard; hard-working
strength (Level 1 revisit; in 努力) 努力 nǔlì — try hard; hard-working能力 nénglì — ability; capability
chéng become; succeed (in 成功 / 成为) 成功 chénggōng — succeed; success成绩 chéngjì — grade; result成长 chéngzhǎng — grow; develop
gōng achievement (in 成功) 成功 chénggōng — succeed; success
ér and; but (in 而且) 而且 érqiě — moreover而是 érshì — but rather (in 不是...而是)
qiě and; moreover (in 而且) 而且 érqiě — moreover
wèi measure word for people (later)
róng contain; allow (in 容易) 容易 róngyì — easy
easy; change 容易 róngyì — easy

suī although (in 虽然) Viết

9 strokes left-right

Modern: appears chiefly in 虽然 (although) — anchors the concessive compound. Pairs with 然 to form the conjunction.

dàn but (in 但是) Viết

7 strokes left-right radical 亻

Compound: 亻 (person) + 旦 (dàn, phonetic). Modern: "but / however." Anchors 但是 (this chapter) and 不但 (ch12, "not only").

ér and; but (in 而且) Viết

6 strokes standalone

Modern: classical conjunction surviving in fixed compounds: 而且 (moreover, this chapter), 而后 (and then), 不但…而且… (not only…but also, ch12).

try hard (in 努力) Viết

7 strokes top-bottom radical 力

Compound: 奴 (slave / servant) + 力 (strength). Original sense: "putting in effort." Anchors 努力 (try hard, this chapter). The 力 (strength) cluster.

kùn sleepy; trapped (Bk2 ch1 revisit; in 困难) Nhận biết

7 strokes enclosure radical 囗

strength (Level 1 revisit; in 努力) Nhận biết

2 strokes standalone

jìn enter; advance (Level 1 revisit; in 进步) Nhận biết

7 strokes enclosure radical 辶

step (in 进步) Nhận biết

7 strokes top-bottom

chéng become; succeed (in 成功 / 成为) Nhận biết

6 strokes standalone

转折复句 — 虽然…但是… Concessive compound — although…but…

"虽然 X 但是 Y"是一种转折复句, 表示"X 是事实, 但是 Y 跟 X 不一样 / 不期待". 句式: 虽然 + 第一句, 但是 + 第二句. 例: 虽然累, 但是高兴 = "tired, but happy". 关键: (1) 虽然只在第一句, 不重复. (2) 但是 也可以用 不过 / 可是 替换. 不过 比较软. (3) "虽然" 一定要跟"但是 / 不过 / 可是"配, 不能单独用. *虽然累, 我去 (错). (4) 跟"因为…所以…"对比: 因为 = "X 引起 Y", 虽然 = "X 但 Y 不同".

虽然 X 但是 Y is the concessive compound: "X is true, but Y differs / contradicts." Pattern: 虽然 + clause 1, 但是 + clause 2. 虽然累, 但是高兴 ("tired, but happy"). KEY: (1) 虽然 only in clause 1, never repeated. (2) 但是 can swap with 不过 / 可是 (不过 is softer, 可是 is medium). (3) 虽然 MUST pair with 但是 / 不过 — never alone. *虽然累, 我去 is wrong. (4) Contrast with 因为…所以… — 因为 = "X causes Y," 虽然 = "X but Y differs."

  • 虽然累, 但是高兴. Suīrán lèi, dànshì gāoxìng. Tired but happy.
  • 虽然这个工作困难, 但是我喜欢. Suīrán zhège gōngzuò kùnnán, dànshì wǒ xǐhuan. Although this job is hard, I like it.
  • 虽然没成功, 不过我们努力了. Suīrán méi chénggōng, búguò wǒmen nǔlì le. Although we didn't succeed, we tried hard.
  • 虽然慢, 但是有进步. Suīrán màn, dànshì yǒu jìnbù. Slow but improving.

复合句的"两段式"节奏 Compound-sentence two-part rhythm

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