HSK 4 • Lesson 9计划赶不上变化
HSK 4 • 提高篇Lesson 9 / 24

计划赶不上变化

Jìhuà gǎn bu shàng biànhuà
Plans Can't Keep Up with Changes
Pattern 1

不光……，还 / 也……

Progressive conjunction in spoken Chinese meaning 'not only..., but also...', expanding the scope of people, items, or locations.

Examples
我这个方案又省时间又省钱，不光可以去青岛，还可以去曲阜孔庙。
Wǒ zhè ge fāng'àn yòu shěng shíjiān yòu shěng qián, bùguāng kěyǐ qù Qīngdǎo, hái kěyǐ qù Qūfù Kǒngmiào.
My plan saves both time and money; not only can we visit Qingdao, but we can also go to the Confucius Temple in Qufu.
这次国际学术研讨会，不光有中国学者参加，还有很多外国专家。
Zhè cì guójì xuéshù yántǎohuì, bùguāng yǒu Zhōngguó xuézhě cānjiā, hái yǒu hěn duō wàiguó zhuānjiā.
This international academic symposium is attended not only by Chinese scholars, but also by many foreign experts.
Pattern 2

动词 + 看

Follows reduplicated verbs or verb-measure structures to express trying something out to see the outcome ('say it and let's hear', 'try it on', 'taste it').

Examples
你有什么好主意？说出来大家听听看。
Nǐ yǒu shénme hǎo zhǔyi? Shuō chūlai dàjiā tīngting kàn.
What good ideas do you have? Say them out loud so we can all listen and consider.
这双鞋款式非常流行，你穿上试试看合适不合适。
Zhè shuāng xié kuǎnshì fēicháng liúxíng, nǐ chuān shang shìshi kàn héshì bù héshì.
This pair of shoes has a very stylish design; try them on to see if they fit.
Pattern 3

当 + 时间名词

'当' (pronounced dàng) precedes time nouns (当晚 'that very night', 当天 'that same day', 当年 'that very year') to indicate an action occurring within the precise timeframe previously mentioned.

Examples
我们在青岛玩一整天，当晚再坐长途特快卧铺去曲阜。
Wǒmen zài Qīngdǎo wán yì zhěng tiān, dàngwǎn zài zuò chángtú tèkuài wòpù qù Qūfù.
We'll spend the entire day in Qingdao, and that very night take the long-distance express sleeper train to Qufu.
北京离天津非常近，早晨坐城际高铁去，当天就能轻松打个来回。
Běijīng lí Tiānjīn fēicháng jìn, zǎochen zuò chéngjì gāotiě qù, dàngtiān jiù néng qīngsōng dǎ ge láihuí.
Tianjin is very close to Beijing; take the intercity high-speed train in the morning, and you can easily make a round trip on the very same day.
Pattern 4

准

Colloquial adverb expressing an absolute certainty or high-confidence prediction ('definitely', 'surely', 'guaranteed to').

Examples
你的方案日程排得太紧了，准得把大家累个半死。
Nǐ de fāng'àn rìchéng pái de tài jǐn le, zhǔn děi bǎ dàjiā lèi ge bànsǐ.
Your schedule is packed way too tightly; it is guaranteed to tire everyone half to death.
你晚上十点以后去敲他的门，他准在家看书。
Nǐ wǎnshang shí diǎn yǐhòu qù qiāo tā de mén, tā zhǔn zài jiā kàn shū.
If you knock on his door after 10 PM, he is sure to be at home reading.
Pattern 5

动词 + 个 + 形容词 / 结果补语

'个' inserted after a verb emphasizes degree, thoroughness, or persistence, linking the action to an extreme result (e.g. 累个半死 'tired half to death', 玩了个痛快 'enjoyed oneself to the fullest').

Examples
昨天爬了一整天长城，把我们大家累个半死。
Zuótiān pá le yì zhěng tiān Chángchéng, bǎ wǒmen dàjiā lèi ge bànsǐ.
Climbing the Great Wall all day yesterday tired all of us half to death.
这件事情我一定要去找他当面问个明白。
Zhè jiàn shìqing wǒ yídìng yào qù zhǎo tā dāngmiàn wèn ge míngbai.
Regarding this matter, I must definitely confront him in person to get to the bottom of it.
Pattern 6

万一……

Hypothetical conjunction denoting a one-in-ten-thousand contingency ('just in case', 'what if'), introducing an unlikely but risky occurrence.

Examples
出门带上一把雨伞吧，万一下雨呢？
Chūmén dài shang yì bǎ yǔsǎn ba, wànyī xiàyǔ ne?
Take an umbrella when leaving the house; what if it rains?
我们多准备一份备用方案，万一第一套方案落空也好应付。
Wǒmen duō zhǔnbèi yí fèn bèiyòng fāng'àn, wànyī dì-yī tào fāng'àn luòkōng yě hǎo yìngfu.
Let's prepare a contingency plan, just in case our primary plan falls through so we can handle it.
Pattern 7

打招呼 / 打声招呼

Beyond saying hello, in spoken context it means 'to give prior notice / drop someone a word / give a heads-up' out of courtesy or protocol.

Examples
如果有急事不能来上课，一定要提前跟老师打声招呼。
Rúguǒ yǒu jíshì bù néng lái shàngkè, yídìng yào tíqián gēn lǎoshī dǎ shēng zhāohu.
If you have an emergency and cannot attend class, you must definitely give the teacher a heads-up in advance.