HSK 5 • Lesson 3让孩子吃苦
HSK 5 • 中级篇Lesson 3 / 14

让孩子吃苦

Ràng háizi chīkǔ
Let Children Endure Hardship
Pattern 1

无……无……

wú... wú...

Four-character idiomatic pattern joining related single-syllable morphemes to emphatically denote total absence.

Examples
16个小时的火车硬座，把孩子们出发时的新奇感摇晃得无影无踪。
Shíliù ge xiǎoshí de huǒchē yìngzuò, bǎ háizi men chūfā shí de xīnqígǎn yáohuang de wú yǐng wú zōng.
Sixteen hours on hard train seats rattled away any trace of the children's initial excitement, leaving not a shadow behind.
刚到北京打工的时候，小沈无依无靠，什么事都得自己决定。
Gāng dào Běijīng dǎgōng de shíhou, Xiǎo Shěn wú yī wú kào, shénme shì dōu děi zìjǐ juédìng.
When Xiao Shen first arrived in Beijing to work, he had no one to lean on and had to decide everything entirely on his own.
Pattern 2

下马威

xiàmǎwēi

To deliver a head-on blow right at the start; an initial show of force or severe trial to temper overconfidence.

Examples
一路上七八个小时的颠簸，着实给这群娇生惯养的“小皇帝”们来了个下马威。
Yílù shang qī bā ge xiǎoshí de diānbǒ, zhuóshí gěi zhè qún jiāoshēng-guànyǎng de 'xiǎohuángdì' men lái le ge xiàmǎwēi.
Seven to eight hours of jolting along the bumpy road gave these pampered 'little emperors' a severe initial wake-up call.
Pattern 3

或……或……

huò... huò...

Formal coordinate structure meaning 'either... or...' or 'partly... partly...', denoting concurrent or alternating states.

Examples
随后是或远或近的拉练，大家互相搀扶着前进。
Suíhòu shì huò yuǎn huò jìn de lāliàn, dàjiā hùxiāng chānfú zhe qiánjìn.
Afterward came field marches of varying distances, with everyone supporting one another to forge ahead.
冬夜坐在温暖的房间里，边看书边喝着或浓或淡的茶，真是一种享受。
Dōng yè zuò zài wēnnuǎn de fángjiān lǐ, biān kàn shū biān hē zhe huò nóng huò dàn de chá, zhēn shì yì zhǒng xiǎngshòu.
Sitting in a warm room on a winter night, reading while sipping tea of varying strengths, is a true delight.
Pattern 4

连……都（也）不 / 问都不问

lián... dōu (yě) bù / wèn dōu bú wèn

Contracted oral emphatic form of 'lián... dōu...', emphasizing complete neglect or refusal even to do the simplest baseline act.

Examples
这些在家里问都不问的事情，现在再累也不得不自己去做。
Zhèxiē zài jiā lǐ wèn dōu bú wèn de shìqing, xiànzài zài lèi yě bùdébù zìjǐ qù zuò.
These household chores, which they wouldn't even inquire about back home, now had to be done by themselves no matter how exhausted they were.
Pattern 5

大……大……

dà... dà...

Idiomatic formula amplifying scale, intensity, or unrestrained behavior across paired verbs or nouns.

Examples
家长与孩子之间的亲情使许多家长舍不得让孩子吃苦，家务事都是家长大包大揽。
Jiāzhǎng yǔ háizi zhījiān de qīnqíng shǐ xǔduō jiāzhǎng shěbude ràng háizi chīkǔ, jiāwùshì dōu shì jiāzhǎng dà bāo dà lǎn.
Parental affection leads many parents to spare their children any hardship, taking on all household chores entirely by themselves.
由于生活条件优越，她花起钱来大手大脚。
Yóuyú shēnghuó tiáojiàn yōuyuè, tā huā qǐ qián lái dà shǒu dà jiǎo.
Owing to affluent living conditions, she spends money lavishly and extravagantly.
Pattern 6

这也……，那也…… / 这也不行，那也不行

zhè yě..., nà yě... / zhè yě bù xíng, nà yě bù xíng

Oral comprehensive expression meaning incompetent across all fronts—'can't do this, can't do that'.

Examples
如果不从小吃点苦，将来这也并不行，那也不行，可就要吃大苦了。
Rúguǒ bù cóng xiǎo chī diǎn kǔ, jiānglái zhè yě bù xíng, nà yě bù xíng, kě jiù yào chī dà kǔ le.
If children do not endure a bit of hardship when young, they won't know how to do this or that in the future, and will end up suffering terribly.
Pattern 7

话是这么说，可（是）……

huà shì zhème shuō, kě (shì)...

Conversational concession formula: 'That is true in theory, but in reality...', acknowledging an argument before highlighting practical hurdles.

Examples
话是这么说，可有时候实际情况又不是这样。
Huà shì zhème shuō, kě yǒushíhou shíjì qíngkuàng yòu bú shì zhèyàng.
That sounds fine in theory, but sometimes the actual reality turns out quite differently.
话是这么说，可哪来的钱呢？
Huà shì zhème shuō, kě nǎ lái de qián ne?
That makes sense, but where on earth is the money supposed to come from?
Pattern 8

有……无…… / 有意无意

yǒu... wú... / yǒuyì-wúyì

Idiomatic four-character pattern denoting: (1) subconscious or ambiguous intention ('consciously or unconsciously'); (2) regardless of conditions ('whether busy or not').

Examples
因为我们都是一个孩子，有意无意地会溺爱一些。
Yīnwèi wǒmen dōu shì yí ge háizi, yǒuyì-wúyì de huì nì'ài yìxiē.
Because we only have one child, we consciously or unconsciously pamper them a bit too much.
有事没事的时候，他总喜欢去老朋友那里坐坐。
Yǒu shì méi shì de shíhou, tā zǒng xǐhuan qù lǎo péngyou nàlǐ zuòzuo.
Whether he has business or not, he always loves dropping by his old friend's place for a visit.