HSK 4 • Lesson 5你喜欢逛商店吗？
HSK 4 • 提高篇Lesson 5 / 24

你喜欢逛商店吗？

Nǐ xǐhuan guàng shāngdiàn ma?
Do You Like Going Shopping / Window Shopping?
Pattern 1

可 + 动词 + 的

The pattern '可 + Verb + 的' functions like 'worth doing' (值得……的), and is very commonly used in spoken Chinese as '有 / 没什么可 + V + 的' (there is / isn't much worth V-ing).

Examples
听说这家商店刚开业，我来看看有什么可买的没有。
Tīngshuō zhè jiā shāngdiàn gāng kāiyè, wǒ lái kànkan yǒu shénme kě mǎi de méiyǒu.
I heard this shop just opened, so I came to see if there's anything worth buying.
电视广告有什么可看的？净是吹牛。
Diànshì guǎnggào yǒu shénme kě kàn de? Jìng shì chuīniú.
What's there to watch in TV commercials? It's all exaggeration.
今天没什么可干的，大家早点儿回去休息吧。
Jīntiān méi shénme kě gàn de, dàjiā zǎodiǎnr huíqù xiūxi ba.
There's nothing much to do today, let's all go home early and rest.
Pattern 2

A，好 + B

The conjunction '好' connects two clauses: the first describes an action, while the second states its intended purpose or advantageous consequence ('so as to / in order to conveniently...').

Examples
我想买些实惠的礼物，好带回去送人。
Wǒ xiǎng mǎi xiē shíhuì de lǐwù, hǎo dài huíqù sòng rén.
I want to buy some practical gifts so that I can bring them back and give them away.
今天晚上咱们早点儿睡，明天好早点儿起。
Jīntiān wǎnshang zánmen zǎodiǎnr shuì, míngtiān hǎo zǎodiǎnr qǐ.
Let's go to bed earlier tonight so that we can get up early tomorrow.
请你留下电话号码，有新消息我好通知你。
Qǐng nǐ liúxià diànhuà hàomǎ, yǒu xīn xiāoxi wǒ hǎo tōngzhī nǐ.
Please leave your phone number so that I can readily notify you if there is any news.
Pattern 3

动词 + 遍

The complement '遍' follows certain verbs (such as 找, 跑, 问, 玩, 吃) to indicate that an action has encompassed every single related place, person, or target without omission.

Examples
我把所有的大家具店都跑遍了，也没买到日本被炉。
Wǒ bǎ suǒyǒu de dà jiājùdiàn dōu pǎo biàn le, yě méi mǎi dào Rìběn bèilú.
I went through every single major furniture store, but still couldn't find a Japanese kotatsu.
他找遍了整个房间，也没找到自己的护照。
Tā zhǎo biàn le zhěng gè fángjiān, yě méi zhǎodào zìjǐ de hùzhào.
He searched through the entire room but still couldn't locate his passport.
北京那些好玩儿的名胜古迹，他们差不多都玩遍了。
Běijīng nàxiē hǎowánr de míngshèng gǔjì, tāmen chàbuduō dōu wán biàn le.
They have visited almost all the exciting scenic spots and historical sites in Beijing.
Pattern 4

除非……

'除非' emphasizes a unique prerequisite condition. Four main patterns exist: 1. 除非... 才... (Only if X will Y happen) 2. 除非... 否则... (Unless X, otherwise not Y) 3. 除非... 才... 否则... (Unless X, only then Y, otherwise not Y) 4. ... 除非... (Normal situation, unless condition X occurs).

Examples
除非订做，或者请你的家人从日本寄过来，否则在本地是买不到被炉的。
Chúfēi dìngzuò, huòzhě qǐng nǐ de jiārén cóng Rìběn jì guòlai, fǒuzé zài běndì shì mǎi búdào bèilú de.
Unless you have it custom-made or ask your family to ship it from Japan, you won't be able to buy a kotatsu locally.
除非你和我一起去，我才去，否则我一个人绝不去。
Chúfēi nǐ hé wǒ yìqǐ qù, wǒ cái qù, fǒuzé wǒ yí gè rén jué bú qù.
Unless you come with me will I go; otherwise, I will definitely not go alone.
他平时滴酒不沾，除非遇到特别高兴的事。
Tā píngshí dī jiǔ bù zhān, chúfēi yùdào tèbié gāoxìng de shì.
He usually doesn't touch a drop of alcohol, unless he encounters an exceptionally joyful occasion.
Pattern 5

动词 + 中 (zhòng)

When pronounced in the 4th tone (zhòng) as a resultative complement after verbs like 挑, 选, 看, 打, '中' signifies successfully hitting a target or choosing something that matches one's heart's desire (e.g., 看中 'take a fancy to', 选中 'select successfully').

Examples
他在家具商场转悠了整整一上午，好不容易才挑中这套皮沙发。
Tā zài jiājù shāngchǎng zhuànyou le zhěngzhěng yí shàngwǔ, hǎobù róngyì cái tiāo zhòng zhè tào pí shāfā.
He wandered around the furniture mall all morning, and with great difficulty finally picked out this leather sofa.
小王在聚会上看中了那位戴眼镜的姑娘，想找机会跟她认识一下。
Xiǎo Wáng zài jùhuì shang kàn zhòng le nà wèi dài yǎnjìngr de gūniang, xiǎng zhǎo jīhuì gēn tā rènshi yíxià.
Xiao Wang took a liking to that girl wearing glasses at the party and wanted to find an opportunity to get to know her.
Pattern 6

说得过去

A conversational phrase meaning 'passable, tolerable, reasonably acceptable' (not exceptional, but satisfactory). Its negative counterpart '说不过去' means 'unjustifiable, inexcusable, or unreasonable'.

Examples
A：你的汉语发音真标准！—— B：哪里哪里，还差得远呢，只能算说得过去吧。
A: Nǐ de Hànyǔ fāyīn zhēn biāozhǔn! —— B: Nǎli nǎli, hái chà de yuǎn ne, zhǐ néng suàn shuō de guòqù ba.
A: Your Chinese pronunciation is truly standard! —— B: Oh not at all, I still have a long way to go, it's just barely passable.
人家帮了你这么大的忙，你连句谢谢都不说，实在有点儿说不过去。
Rénjia bāng le nǐ zhème dà de máng, nǐ lián jù xièxie dōu bù shuō, shízài yǒudiǎnr shuō bú guòqù.
They helped you so much and you didn't even say thank you; that is really unjustifiable.