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Level Advanced Chinese · HSK 5–6

Spoken Structures at C1: Figurative Complements, 把 Revisited, 彼此 and 动不动就

C1 speech is full of short, idiomatic structures that a textbook rarely spells out: complements that have drifted far from their literal meaning, fixed potential forms that work like single words, and frames that express impatience or indifference. They make your Chinese sound natural rather than translated.

Figurative directional and fixed potential complements

Directional complements often have abstract meanings. 起来 (qǐlai): start, or recall (想起来). 下去 (xiaqu): continue (坚持下去). 出来 (chūlai): identify, emerge (看出来, 听出来). 下来 (xialai): settle into a lasting state (安静下来, 记下来).

Some potential forms are fixed expressions: 舍不得 (shěbude, can't bear to part with), 看不惯 (kàn bu guàn, can't stand the sight of), 合得来 (hé de lái, get on) and 合不来 (hé bu lái, not get on), 处得来 (chǔ de lái, get along).

ComplementLiteralFigurative example
起来up想起来 (remember)
下去down (away)说下去 (go on talking)
出来out看出来 (make out, tell)
下来down (towards)冷静下来 (calm down)

  • 我想起来了，我们在上海见过！

    Wǒ xiǎng qilai le, wǒmen zài Shànghǎi jiànguo!

    Now I remember, we met in Shanghai!

  • 再难也要坚持下去。

    Zài nán yě yào jiānchí xiaqu.

    However hard it is, you have to keep going.

  • 我跟新同事挺合得来的。

    Wǒ gēn xīn tóngshì tǐng hé de lái de.

    I get on pretty well with my new colleagues.

把 revisited and colloquial 给

In a 把 sentence, negatives and modal verbs go before 把, not before the verb: 我没把钥匙带来 (I didn't bring the keys), 你应该把话说清楚 (you should make yourself clear).

In speech, 给 (gěi) is often slipped in right before the verb in 把 and 被 sentences, adding a sense of something done (often regrettably): 我把这事给忘了 (I went and forgot about it), 杯子被他给打碎了. This 给 has no meaning of 'give' and is optional.

  • 你别把这件事告诉他。

    Nǐ bié bǎ zhè jiàn shì gàosu tā.

    Don't tell him about this.

  • 糟糕，我把他的生日给忘了。

    Zāogāo, wǒ bǎ tā de shēngrì gěi wàng le.

    Oh no, I went and forgot his birthday.

彼此, 互相, 相互 and 各自

互相 (hùxiāng) is an adverb: 'each other', before the verb. 相互 (xiānghù) is its written twin and can also modify nouns (相互关系). 彼此 (bǐcǐ) is a pronoun, 'each other, one another', and can be an object or stand alone: 彼此彼此 (likewise, same to you). 各自 (gèzì) means 'each (separately)'.

  • 朋友之间应该互相帮助。

    Péngyou zhījiān yīnggāi hùxiāng bāngzhù.

    Friends should help each other.

  • 我们彼此都很了解。

    Wǒmen bǐcǐ dōu hěn liǎojiě.

    We know each other very well.

动不动就, 爱V不V, A是A and 说V就V

动不动就 (dòngbudòng jiù) means 'at the slightest provocation, all the time' and complains about a habit: 他动不动就发脾气 (he loses his temper at the drop of a hat).

爱 V 不 V (ài V bù V) shrugs: 'do it or not, I don't care': 你爱去不去. A 是 A, 可是… concedes: 好是好，可是太贵 (it's good, sure, but too expensive). 说 V 就 V means 'do it the moment you say it': 说走就走 (just up and go).

要想 A，就得 B (yào xiǎng A, jiù děi B) means 'if you want A, you have to B'.

  • 这孩子动不动就哭。

    Zhè háizi dòngbudòng jiù kū.

    This child cries at the slightest thing.

  • 这件衣服漂亮是漂亮，就是太贵了。

    Zhè jiàn yīfu piàoliang shì piàoliang, jiùshì tài guì le.

    This dress is lovely, sure, but it's too expensive.

  • 要想身体好，就得多运动。

    Yào xiǎng shēntǐ hǎo, jiù děi duō yùndòng.

    If you want to be healthy, you have to exercise more.

Common mistakes

  • ✗我把钥匙没带来。

    ✓我没把钥匙带来。

    Wǒ méi bǎ yàoshi dàilai.

    In a 把 sentence, 没, 不 and modal verbs go before 把.

  • ✗我们互相彼此帮助。

    ✓我们互相帮助。

    Wǒmen hùxiāng bāngzhù.

    互相 and 彼此 both mean 'each other'; use one. 互相 goes before a verb; 彼此 works as a pronoun.

  • ✗我想出来他的名字了。

    ✓我想起来他的名字了。

    Wǒ xiǎng qilai tā de míngzi le.

    想起来 is recalling something you knew; 想出来 is coming up with something new (an idea, a solution).

Questions learners ask

Is 爱V不V rude?

It can be: it shows impatience. Between friends it's teasing; with a stranger or a superior it's rude.

Does colloquial 给 change the meaning?

No. It adds a spoken, often regretful tone. Leave it out in writing.

Practice this in lessons

The Advanced Chinese lessons teach this step by step, with exercises and review built in.

Practice this in lessons →

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