HSK 5 • Lesson 1不同的文化
HSK 5 • 中级篇Lesson 1 / 14

不同的文化

Bùtóng de wénhuà
Different Cultures
Pattern 1

喜怒哀乐形于色

xǐ nù āi lè xíng yú sè

Wearing one's heart on one's sleeve; showing joy, anger, sorrow, or delight openly on one's face.

Examples
美国人喜欢喜怒哀乐形于色，自己想怎么做就怎么做。
Měiguórén xǐhuan xǐ nù āi lè xíng yú sè, zìjǐ xiǎng zěnme zuò jiù zěnme zuò.
Americans tend to wear their emotions openly on their faces and do whatever they feel like doing.
Pattern 2

一……二……

yī... èr...

Expresses an extreme degree of thoroughness, clarity, or repeated interactions.

Examples
相互之间要分得一清二楚，他们觉得理所当然。
Xiānghù zhījiān yào fēn de yì qīng èr chǔ, tāmen juéde lǐ suǒ dāng rán.
Dividing things up crystal clearly between each other is taken for granted by them.
Pattern 3

又 + 否定副词 / 否定形式

yòu + bù / méi / bú shì...

Used before negatives to add an emphatic, rhetorical, or defensive tone ('it's not as if...', 'after all, not...').

Examples
我又不是小孩子，还不知道该穿几件衣服？
Wǒ yòu bú shì xiǎoháizi, hái bù zhīdào gāi chuān jǐ jiàn yīfu?
I'm not a child after all; don't I know how many clothes I should put on?
Pattern 4

怪不得……，原来……

guàibude..., yuánlái...

'No wonder..., it turns out that...'; used when suddenly realizing the true reason for something.

Examples
怪不得呢！中国人喜欢说哪里哪里，原来都是谦虚的表现啊！
Guàibude ne! Zhōngguórén xǐhuan shuō nǎli nǎli, yuánlái dōu shì qiānxū de biǎoxiàn a!
No wonder! Chinese people like to say 'Not at all, not at all'; it turns out to be an expression of modesty!
Pattern 5

摸不着头脑

mō bu zháo tóunǎo

To be unable to make heads or tails of something; to be completely puzzled/bewildered.

Examples
中国人太含蓄了，有时真让人摸不着头脑。
Zhōngguórén tài hánxù le, yǒushí zhēn ràng rén mō bu zháo tóunǎo.
Chinese people are so subtle and reserved that sometimes one truly cannot make heads or tails of them.
Pattern 6

反而

fǎn'ér

On the contrary; instead (indicating an outcome opposite to normal expectation).

Examples
他们觉得越是不说“谢”字关系越密切，说了反而关系显得远了。
Tāmen juéde yuè shì bù shuō 'xiè' zì guānxi yuè mìqiè, shuō le fǎn'ér guānxi xiǎnde yuǎn le.
They feel that the less you say 'thanks', the closer the relationship is; saying it actually makes you seem distant.
Pattern 7

随着……

suízhe...

Along with, in the wake of, as... (indicates that one change accompanies another).

Examples
随着生活节奏的加快，人际关系越来越疏远。
Suízhe shēnghuó jiézòu de jiākuài, rénjì guānxi yuè lái yuè shūyuǎn.
With the acceleration of the pace of life, interpersonal relationships are becoming increasingly distant.