你考得怎么样

Nǐ kǎo de zěnmeyàng

How Did You Do on the Exam?

Pattern 1

简直……

jiǎnzhí...

Adverb meaning 'simply / virtually / utterly'. Used with an exaggerated tone to emphasize how completely true, unbelievable, or extreme a situation is.

Examples

今年北京的夏天热得简直让人受不了。

Jīnnián Běijīng de xiàtiān rè de jiǎnzhí ràng rén shòubuliǎo.

This summer in Beijing is simply unbearable because of the heat.

简直不敢想，结果会是这个样子！

Jiǎnzhí bù gǎn xiǎng, jiéguǒ huì shì zhè ge yàngzi!

I simply couldn't have imagined the outcome would turn out like this!

Pattern 2

到底……？

dàodǐ...?

Adverb used in questions to intensify the tone and pursue an underlying truth ('on earth / after all / really').

Examples

你快说，到底怎么回事？

Nǐ kuài shuō, dàodǐ zěnme huí shì?

Tell me quickly, what on earth is going on?

这份没有名字的考卷到底是谁的？

Zhè fèn méiyǒu míngzi de kǎojuàn dàodǐ shì shéi de?

Whose exam paper is this nameless one, after all?

Pattern 3

不但不 / 没……，反而……

bú dàn bù / méi..., fǎn'ér...

Expresses that what was reasonably expected didn't occur, and contrary to expectations, the opposite situation occurred.

Examples

我但不用补考，反而成了全班第一。

Wǒ búdàn búyòng bǔkǎo, fǎn'ér chéng le quán bān dì-yī.

Not only did I not have to do a retake, but on the contrary I came first in the whole class!

吃了药，病不但没好，反而更厉害了。

Chī le yào, bìng búdàn méi hǎo, fǎn'ér gèng lìhai le.

After taking the medicine, not only did the illness not improve, but on the contrary it got worse.

Pattern 4

哪怕……也……

nǎpà... yě...

Subordinating concession conjunction in spoken Chinese (equivalent to '即使 / 就算'): 'even if / no matter if... still...'.

Examples

谁也不能影响别人的正常生活，哪怕他要考大学。

Shéi yě bù néng yǐngxiǎng biérén de zhèngcháng shēnghuó, nǎpà tā yào kǎo dàxué.

No one has the right to disrupt other people's normal lives, even if they are preparing for college entrance exams.

哪怕不睡觉，我也要把这本书看完。

Nǎpà bù shuìjiào, wǒ yě yào bǎ zhè běn shū kàn wán.

Even if I don't sleep, I am determined to finish reading this book.