HSK 4 • Lesson 15特别的经历
HSK 4 • 提高篇Lesson 15 / 24

特别的经历

Tèbié de jīnglì
A Special Experience
Pattern 1

按理说 (àn lǐ shuō)

Spoken discourse marker meaning 'normally', 'in principle', or 'it stands to reason that...'. Used to indicate how things ought to be, followed by a contrast ('but in reality...').

Examples
星期五按理说应该上课，可是有几个朋友邀我去郊游，我只好旷课了。
Xīngqīwǔ àn lǐ shuō yīnggāi shàngkè, kěshì yǒu jǐ ge péngyou yāo wǒ qù jiāoyóu, wǒ zhǐhǎo kuàngkè le.
Normally we should have classes on Friday, but a few friends invited me on an outing, so I skipped class.
按理说，春节应该和家人一起过，可是我工作太忙脱不开身。
Àn lǐ shuō, Chūnjié yīnggāi hé jiārén yìqǐ guò, kěshì wǒ gōngzuò tài máng tuō bù kāi shēn.
Normally, Spring Festival should be spent with family, but I'm simply too tied up with work.
Pattern 2

……着……着…… (V着V着)

Pattern indicating that while an action or state is continuously ongoing, a new and often unexpected event or transition occurs unawares.

Examples
可是车走着走着，突然抛锚了。
Kěshì chē zǒu zhe zǒu zhe, tūrán pāomáo le.
However, as the car was rolling along, it suddenly broke down.
我们俩聊着聊着，不知不觉就睡着了。
Wǒmen liǎ liáo zhe liáo zhe, bùzhī-bùjué jiù shuìzháo le.
The two of us kept chatting on and on, and unwittingly fell fast asleep.
Pattern 3

偏偏 (piānpiān)

Adverb meaning 'contrary to expectations', 'as luck would have it (negatively)', or 'of all times/things'. Expresses annoyance at an untimely coincidence.

Examples
他的车以前从来没出过毛病，偏偏今天坏了，你说倒霉不倒霉？
Tā de chē yǐqián cónglái méi chū guo máobìng, piānpiān jīntiān huài le, nǐ shuō dǎoméi bù dǎoméi?
His car had never given him any trouble before, but as luck would have it, it broke down today of all days—talk about rotten luck!
本来就快迟到了，偏偏自行车在路上又爆了胎。
Běnlái jiù kuài chídào le, piānpiān zìxíngchē zài lùshang yòu bào le tāi.
I was already running late, and to make matters worse, my bicycle had a flat tire on the way.
Pattern 4

凭 (píng)

Preposition meaning 'based on', 'by means of', or 'on the strength of' (credentials, experience, abilities). In spoken contexts, '你凭什么……' expresses indignation ('By what right...?!').

Examples
真正有眼力的人，绝不会只凭第一印象去判断一个人的才能。
Zhēnzhèng yǒu yǎnlì de rén, jué bú huì zhǐ píng dì-yī yìnxiàng qù pànduàn yí ge rén de cáinéng.
People with genuine insight will never judge someone's competence solely by first impressions.
大家都是平等的，你凭什么对我指手画脚？
Dàjiā dōu shì píngděng de, nǐ píng shénme duì wǒ zhǐshǒu-huàjiǎo?
Everyone is equal here; by what right do you boss me around?
Pattern 5

不知怎么的 (bù zhī zěnme de)

Common spoken idiom meaning 'for some reason', 'somehow', or 'I don't know why, but...'. Used when describing an inexplicable blunder or sudden urge.

Examples
不知怎么的，有一本比较薄的杂志夹在了我的大笔记本里，警报器响了。
Bù zhī zěnme de, yǒu yì běn bǐjiào báo de zázhì jiā zài le wǒ de dà bǐjìběn lǐ, jǐngbàoqì xiǎng le.
Somehow, a rather thin magazine got tucked into my large notebook, triggering the alarm.
平时我都挺精神的，不知怎么的今天特别犯困。
Píngshí wǒ dōu tǐng jīngshen de, bù zhī zěnme de jīntiān tèbié fànkùn.
Normally I'm very energetic, but for some reason I feel exceptionally drowsy today.
Pattern 6

弄得 (nòng de)

Causative spoken structure equivalent to 'make' or 'cause to become', highlighting that an action or blunder produced an awkward, troublesome, or uncomfortable outcome.

Examples
大家以为我要偷书，弄得我面红耳赤，非常尴尬。
Dàjiā yǐwéi wǒ yào tōu shū, nòng de wǒ miànhóng-ěrchì, fēicháng gāngà.
Everyone thought I was trying to steal books, leaving me blushing to my ears in extreme embarrassment.
他突然改变出游计划，弄得大家措手不及，都很扫兴。
Tā tūrán gǎibiàn chūyóu jìhuà, nòng de dàjiā cuòshǒu-bùjí, dōu hěn sǎoxìng.
His abrupt change of travel plans caught everyone unprepared and spoiled everyone's mood.
Pattern 7

差点儿 (chàdiǎnr)

Adverb meaning 'almost', 'nearly', or 'just about'. When referring to undesirable events, it means it almost happened but luckily didn't. In spoken Chinese, '差点儿没+V' for desirable events actually means it was narrowly achieved.

Examples
上飞机前机票怎么也找不到，我今天差点儿来不了了！
Shàng fēijī qián jīpiào zěnme yě zhǎobudào, wǒ jīntiān chàdiǎnr láibuliǎo le!
Before boarding I couldn't find my ticket anywhere; I almost couldn't make it here today!
路上结了冰，车轮一打滑，差点儿撞在路边的大树上。
Lùshang jié le bīng, chēlún yì dǎhuá, chàdiǎnr zhuàng zài lùbiān de dàshù shang.
The road was icy, the tires skidded, and we nearly crashed into a huge tree by the roadside.
Pattern 8

明明 (míngmíng)

Adverb meaning 'obviously', 'plainly', or 'undeniably'. Used when an undeniable fact is ignored, contradicted, or disputed.

Examples
我出门前明明把机票装在外衣口袋里了，怎么会不翼而飞呢？
Wǒ chūmén qián míngmíng bǎ jīpiào zhuāng zài wàiyī kǒudài lǐ le, zěnme huì bùyì'érfēi ne?
I clearly put the plane ticket in my jacket pocket before leaving; how on earth could it vanish into thin air?
这道题明明是你做错了，怎么能硬赖在别人头上呢？
Zhè dào tí míngmíng shì nǐ zuò cuò le, zěnme néng yìng lài zài biérén tóu shang ne?
This problem was clearly answered incorrectly by you; how can you stubbornly pin the blame on others?
Pattern 9

果然 (guǒrán)

Adverb meaning 'as expected', 'sure enough', or 'really'. Indicates that what happened matches prior predictions, assumptions, or rumors.

Examples
我们赶紧低头一看，机票果然掉在汽车座位下面的缝隙里！
Wǒmen gǎnjǐn dītóu yí kàn, jīpiào guǒrán diào zài qìchē zuòwèi xiàmiàn de fèngxì lǐ!
We hurriedly looked down, and sure enough, the ticket had dropped right into the crack beneath the car seat!
天气预报说傍晚有暴风雨，下午四点果然狂风大作。
Tiānqì yùbào shuō bàngwǎn yǒu bàofēngyǔ, xiàwǔ sì diǎn guǒrán kuángfēng-dàzuò.
The weather forecast predicted a thunderstorm this evening, and sure enough, fierce winds started raging at 4 PM.