Chinese Conjunctions
Chinese and English conjunctions serve similar functions in connecting words, phrases, or clauses, but differ in structure and usage. English conjunctions follow a more rigid word order and are typically required to link ideas, while Chinese often omits conjunctions or relies on context for connection. Both languages use coordinating, subordinating, and correlative conjunctions, but Chinese offers greater flexibility in their placement. Additionally, Chinese sentences often omit punctuation to separate clauses, whereas English relies on punctuation like commas and semicolons. Overall, Chinese conjunctions tend to be more flexible and context-dependent compared to their English counterparts.
Chinese conjunctions are less strictly categorized than in English due to the language's lack of inflectional forms and its reliance on word order and context. However, there are several types of conjunctions, broadly categorized based on their function in connecting words, phrases, or clauses.
| Relevant Concepts 相關概念 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 語法結構 | yǔfǎ jiégòu | Arrangement and organization of words in a sentence to convey meaning, forming the syntax of a language |
| 靈活性 | línghuó xìng | Flexibility in how conjunctions can be used or omitted in a sentence, especially in Chinese compared to English |
| 省略 | shěnglüè | Omission of words or conjunctions in a sentence, which is common in Chinese to make the sentence more concise |
| 語境 | yǔjìng | Surrounding context or circumstances that help clarify the meaning of a sentence and determine the necessity of conjunctions |
| 連接詞 | liánjiēcí | Words used to connect clauses, phrases, or words, such as 'and,' 'but,' and 'because' in English, and their Chinese equivalents |
| 語序 | yǔxù | Order of words in a sentence, which is generally more rigid in English compared to Chinese, where word order can be more flexible |
| 標點符號 | biāodiǎn fúhào | Punctuation marks like commas, periods, and semicolons, which are used more systematically in English to separate clauses |
| 從屬關係 | cóngshǔ guānxì | Subordination, where one clause is dependent on another, typically introduced by conjunctions like 'because' or 'although' |
| 並列關係 | bìngliè guānxì | Coordination, where two clauses or elements are linked with equal importance, usually by conjunctions like 'and' or 'or' |
| 條件結果 | tiáojiàn jiéguǒ | Conditional and result relationship, used in sentences like 'if...then' to express conditions and outcomes |
Coordinating
並列連接詞 - bìngliè liánjiē cí
Coordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases, or clauses that are of equal importance or are similar in structure.
| 和 (hé) | and | 我喜歡蘋果和香蕉。 | wǒ xǐhuān píngguǒ hé xiāngjiāo | I like apples and bananas. |
| 與 (yǔ) | and (formal) | 政治與經濟息息相關。 | zhèngzhì yǔ jīngjì xīxī xiāngguān | Politics and economics are closely related. |
| 跟 (gēn) | and, with | 我跟他一起去。 | wǒ gēn tā yīqǐ qù | I am going with him. |
| 與其 (yǔqí) | rather than | 與其埋怨，不如改變自己。 | yǔqí mányuàn, bùrú gǎibiàn zìjǐ | Rather than complain, it is better to change yourself. |
| 並且 (bìngqiě) | and, furthermore | 他不僅聰明，並且很有創意。 | tā bùjǐn cōngmíng, bìngqiě hěn yǒu chuàngyì | He is not only smart, but also very creative. |
| 而 (ér) | and, but (contrast) | 他想去玩，而我想休息。 | tā xiǎng qù wán, ér wǒ xiǎng xiūxí | He wants to play, but I want to rest. |
| 既然 (jìrán) | since, as | 既然你不喜歡，我就不去了。 | jìrán nǐ bù xǐhuān, wǒ jiù bù qùle | Since you don't like it, I won't go. |
| 或者 (huòzhě) | or (alternative) | 你可以選擇喝水或者喝茶。 | nǐ kěyǐ xuǎnzé hē shuǐ huòzhě hē chá | You can choose to drink water or tea. |
| 並 (bìng) | and (in addition, usually with a negative) | 這件事並不容易。 | zhè jiàn shì bìng bù róngyì | This thing is not easy at all. |
| 不但 (bùdàn) | not only | 他不但學會了鋼琴，還學會了小提琴。 | tā bùdàn xuéhuìle gāngqín, hái xuéhuìle xiǎotíqín | Not only did he learn the piano, but he also learned the violin. |
| 而且 (érqiě) | and, furthermore | 這不僅僅是問題，而且還很複雜。 | zhè bù jǐnjǐn shì wèntí, érqiě hái hěn fùzá | This is not just a problem, but it is also very complex. |
| 要不 (yàobù) | or, otherwise | 要不我們去看電影，要不就去吃飯。 | yàobù wǒmen qù kàn diànyǐng, yàobù jiù qù chīfàn | Either we go to the movies, or we go to eat. |
| 不僅 (bùjǐn) | not only | 不僅他努力學習，而且他也很聰明。 | bùjǐn tā nǔlì xuéxí, érqiě tā yě hěn cōngmíng | Not only does he study hard, but he is also very smart. |
| 然而 (rán ér) | however | 他很努力，然而成績還是不好。 | tā hěn nǔlì, rán ér chéngjī háishì bù hǎo | He works hard, however, his grades are still not good. |
| 還是 (háishì) | or (questioning) | 你今天還是要來嗎？ | nǐ jīntiān háishì yào lái ma? | Are you still coming today? |
| 甚至 (shènzhì) | even, even to the point of | 他甚至連名字都忘了。 | tā shènzhì lián míngzì dōu wàngle | He even forgot his name. |
| 既 (jì) | since, as | 既然你不高興，那我們就不談這個話題了。 | jìrán nǐ bù gāoxìng, nà wǒmen jiù bù tán zhège huàtíle | Since you are upset, let's not talk about this topic. |
Subordinating
從屬連接詞 - cóngshǔ liánjiē cí
Subordinating conjunctions link a dependent clause to a main clause, showing a relationship of dependence.
| 因為 (yīnwèi) | because | 因為下雨，我不能出門。 | yīnwèi xià yǔ, wǒ bùnéng chūmén | Because it's raining, I can't go outside. |
| 所以 (suǒyǐ) | so, therefore | 他很累，所以早早就睡了。 | tā hěn lèi, suǒyǐ zǎo zǎo jiù shuìle | He was very tired, so he went to sleep early. |
| 雖然 (suīrán) | although | 雖然天氣不好，我還是去跑步了。 | suīrán tiānqì bù hǎo, wǒ háishì qù pǎobùle | Although the weather was bad, I still went for a run. |
| 但是 (dànshì) | but | 他很聰明，但是不太努力。 | tā hěn cōngmíng, dànshì bù tài nǔlì | He is very smart, but not very hardworking. |
| 如果 (rúguǒ) | if | 如果明天不下雨，我們就去郊遊。 | rúguǒ míngtiān bù xiàyǔ, wǒmen jiù qù jiāoyóu | If it doesn't rain tomorrow, we'll go on a picnic. |
| 即使 (jíshǐ) | even if | 即使他不同意，我也會這麼做。 | jíshǐ tā bù tóngyì, wǒ yě huì zhème zuò | Even if he disagrees, I will still do it. |
| 當 (dāng) | when, while | 當我到達時，大家都已經離開了。 | dāng wǒ dàodá shí, dàjiā dōu yǐjīng líkāile | When I arrived, everyone had already left. |
| 只要 (zhǐyào) | as long as | 只要你努力學習，你一定能成功。 | zhǐyào nǐ nǔlì xuéxí, nǐ yídìng néng chénggōng | As long as you study hard, you will definitely succeed. |
| 無論 (wúlùn) | no matter | 無論發生什麼，我都會支持你。 | wúlùn fāshēng shénme, wǒ dōu huì zhīchí nǐ | No matter what happens, I will support you. |
| 既然 (jìrán) | since, as | 既然你不想來，我就不再邀請你了。 | jìrán nǐ bù xiǎng lái, wǒ jiù bù zài yāoqǐng nǐle | Since you don't want to come, I won't invite you again. |
| 因而 (yīn ér) | therefore, thus | 他很聰明，因而成績優異。 | tā hěn cōngmíng, yīn ér chéngjī yōuyì | He is very smart, therefore his grades are excellent. |
| 為了 (wèile) | in order to | 我為了完成作業，熬夜了。 | wǒ wèile wánchéng zuòyè, áoyèle | In order to finish the homework, I stayed up all night. |
| 除非 (chúfēi) | unless | 除非你有事，否則我不會讓你離開。 | chúfēi nǐ yǒu shì, fǒuzé wǒ bù huì ràng nǐ líkāi | Unless you have something to do, I won't let you leave. |
| 而且 (érqiě) | moreover, furthermore | 她不僅漂亮，而且很聰明。 | tā bùjǐn piàoliang, érqiě hěn cōngmíng | She is not only beautiful, but also very smart. |
| 只不過 (zhǐbùguò) | only, just | 他只不過是開玩笑而已。 | tā zhǐbùguò shì kāi wánxiào éryǐ | He was just joking. |
| 倘若 (tǎngruò) | if, in case | 倘若有任何問題，請隨時告訴我。 | tǎngruò yǒu rènhé wèntí, qǐng suíshí gàosù wǒ | If there is any problem, please let me know at any time. |
Correlative
對應連接詞 - duìyìng liánjiē cí
Correlative conjunctions are used in pairs to link two related clauses or ideas.
| 既...又 (jì... yòu) | both... and | 他既聰明又努力。 | tā jì cōngmíng yòu nǔlì | He is both smart and hardworking. |
| 不僅...而且 (bùjǐn... érqiě) | not only... but also | 她不僅會彈鋼琴，而且會唱歌。 | tā bùjǐn huì tán gāngqín, érqiě huì chànggē | She not only plays the piano, but also sings. |
| 無論...都 (wúlùn... dōu) | no matter... (all) | 無論天氣如何，我們都要去旅行。 | wúlùn tiānqì rúhé, wǒmen dōu yào qù lǚxíng | No matter the weather, we will go on a trip. |
| 既然...就 (jìrán... jiù) | since... then | 既然你已經準備好了，我們就可以開始了。 | jìrán nǐ yǐjīng zhǔnbèi hǎole, wǒmen jiù kěyǐ kāishǐle | Since you are ready, we can start now. |
| 要麼...要麼 (yàome... yàome) | either... or | 你要麼選擇這個，要麼選擇那個。 | nǐ yàome xuǎnzé zhège, yàome xuǎnzé nàge | You either choose this one, or that one. |
| 不管...都 (bùguǎn... dōu) | no matter... (all) | 不管多累，他都會完成工作。 | bùguǎn duō lèi, tā dōu huì wánchéng gōngzuò | No matter how tired he is, he will finish the work. |
| 無論...還是 (wúlùn... háishì) | whether... or | 無論是冷還是熱，他都不會放棄。 | wúlùn shì lěng háishì rè, tā dōu bù huì fàngqì | Whether it's cold or hot, he will not give up. |
| 不是...就是 (bù shì... jiùshì) | if it's not... then it's | 他不是在看書，就是在寫作業。 | tā bù shì zài kànshū, jiùshì zài xiě zuòyè | If he's not reading, then he's doing homework. |
| 一方面...另一方面 (yī fāngmiàn... lìng yī fāngmiàn) | on the one hand... on the other hand | 一方面，我想休息，另一方面，我有工作要做。 | yī fāngmiàn, wǒ xiǎng xiūxí, lìng yī fāngmiàn, wǒ yǒu gōngzuò yào zuò | On the one hand, I want to rest; on the other hand, I have work to do. |
| 不是...就是 (bù shì... jiùshì) | either... or | 今天不是晴天，就是多雲。 | jīntiān bù shì qíngtiān, jiùshì duōyún | Today is either a sunny day or cloudy. |
| 一...就 (yī... jiù) | as soon as... then | 他一聽到這個消息，就立刻跑了過來。 | tā yī tīngdào zhège xiāoxī, jiù lìkè pǎo le guòlái | As soon as he heard the news, he immediately ran over. |
| 不僅...還 (bùjǐn... hái) | not only... but also | 他不僅愛學習，還愛運動。 | tā bùjǐn ài xuéxí, hái ài yùndòng | He not only loves studying but also loves sports. |
| 寧願...也不... (nìngyuàn... yě bù...) | would rather...than... | 我寧願餓著也不吃這個。 | wǒ nìngyuàn è zhe yě bù chī zhège | I would rather be hungry than eat this. |
| 先...然後... (xiān... ránhòu...) | first...then... | 先工作然後休息。 | xiān gōngzuò ránhòu xiūxi | First work then rest. |
Conjunctive Adverbs
連詞副詞 - liáncí fùcí
Conjunctive adverbs connect clauses or sentences and are often used at the beginning of a sentence to indicate a logical relationship between the clauses.
| 因此 (yīncǐ) | therefore | 他生病了，因此不能參加會議。 | tā shēngbìngle, yīncǐ bùnéng cānjiā huìyì | He is sick; therefore, he cannot attend the meeting. |
| 所以 (suǒyǐ) | so | 天氣很冷，所以我穿了厚衣服。 | tiānqì hěn lěng, suǒyǐ wǒ chuānle hòu yīfú | It's very cold, so I wore thick clothes. |
| 然而 (rán ér) | however | 他很聰明，然而不夠努力。 | tā hěn cōngmíng, rán ér bùgòu nǔlì | He is very smart; however, he is not diligent enough. |
| 因此 (yīncǐ) | for this reason | 她努力工作，因此得到了升遷。 | tā nǔlì gōngzuò, yīncǐ dédàole shēngqiān | She worked hard; for this reason, she received a promotion. |
| 不過 (bùguò) | however | 這部電影很好看，不過有些地方很長。 | zhè bù diànyǐng hěn hǎokàn, bùguò yǒuxiē dìfāng hěn cháng | This movie is great; however, some parts are too long. |
| 總之 (zǒngzhī) | in short | 我今天很忙，總之，等我有空再說。 | wǒ jīntiān hěn máng, zǒngzhī, děng wǒ yǒu kòng zài shuō | I'm very busy today; in short, I will talk to you when I have time. |
| 此外 (cǐwài) | besides, furthermore | 他學會了數學，此外，他還學會了編程。 | tā xuéhuìle shùxué, cǐwài, tā hái xuéhuìle biānchéng | He learned math; besides, he also learned programming. |
| 所以說 (suǒyǐ shuō) | so to speak | 他不愛學習，所以說，他的成績不好。 | tā bù ài xuéxí, suǒyǐ shuō, tā de chéngjī bù hǎo | He doesn't like to study, so to speak, his grades are poor. |
| 換句話說 (huàn jù huà shuō) | in other words | 這道問題很難，換句話說，我不會做。 | zhè dào wèntí hěn nán, huàn jù huà shuō, wǒ bù huì zuò | This problem is difficult; in other words, I can't solve it. |
| 同樣 (tóngyàng) | similarly | 他很聰明，同樣，她也非常聰明。 | tā hěn cōngmíng, tóngyàng, tā yě fēicháng cōngmíng | He is very smart; similarly, she is also very smart. |
| 簡而言之 (jiǎn ér yán zhī) | in short | 簡而言之，他不適合這份工作。 | jiǎn ér yán zhī, tā bù shìhé zhè fèn gōngzuò | In short, he is not suited for this job. |
| 事實上 (shìshí shàng) | in fact | 事實上，他的成績比我更好。 | shìshí shàng, tā de chéngjī bǐ wǒ gèng hǎo | In fact, his grades are better than mine. |
| 總的來說 (zǒng de lái shuō) | overall | 總的來說，這次旅行非常成功。 | zǒng de lái shuō, zhè cì lǚxíng fēicháng chénggōng | Overall, this trip was very successful. |
| 其實 (qíshí) | actually/in fact | 其實我不餓。 | qíshí wǒ bù è | Actually, I'm not hungry. |