HSK 5 • Lesson 5邻里关系
HSK 5 • 中级篇Lesson 5 / 14

邻里关系

Línlǐ guānxì
Neighborhood Relations
Pattern 1

我说（我）怎么……，（原来）……

wǒ shuō (wǒ) zěnme..., (yuánlái)...

Common spoken formula equivalent to 'No wonder..., it turns out that...'. It indicates that the speaker suddenly realizes the underlying reason and is no longer puzzled.

Examples
我说我怎么喘不过气来，是高山反应啊！
Wǒ shuō wǒ zěnme chuǎnbuguò qì lái, shì gāoshān fǎnyìng a!
No wonder I couldn't catch my breath; it was altitude sickness!
我说这里的天空怎么老灰蒙蒙的，原来是大气污染造成的。
Wǒ shuō zhèlǐ de tiānkōng zěnme lǎo huīméngméng de, yuánlái shì dàqì wūrǎn zàochéng de.
No wonder the sky here is always hazy and gray; it turns out to be caused by air pollution.
我说吐尔逊汉语怎么说得这么好，原来他在北京工作过好几年。
Wǒ shuō Tǔ'ěrxùn Hànyǔ zěnme shuō de zhème hǎo, yuánlái tā zài Běijīng gōngzuòguo hǎo jǐ nián.
No wonder Tursun speaks Chinese so fluently; it turns out he worked in Beijing for several years.
Pattern 2

……少说也有……

...shǎoshuō yě yǒu...

Common spoken phrase meaning 'at least', 'at the very least there are...', used to give a conservative but assertive estimate of quantity, duration, or frequency.

Examples
今天这天儿少说也有三十七八度。
Jīntiān zhè tiānr shǎoshuō yě yǒu sānshíqī-bā dù.
The weather today is at least 37 or 38 degrees Celsius, to say the least.
只见黑压压的一群人，少说也有千八百。
Zhǐ jiàn hēiyāyā de yì qún rén, shǎoshuō yě yǒu qiān-bābǎi.
One saw only a dense crowd of people, numbering at least seven or eight hundred if not a thousand.
我不停地打电话找你，少说也有八九回。
Wǒ bùtíng de dǎ diànhuà zhǎo nǐ, shǎoshuō yě yǒu bā-jiǔ huí.
I kept calling to reach you, at least eight or nine times.
Pattern 3

好你个……

hǎo nǐ gè...

Spoken colloquial formula where '好你个' is followed by a person's name, nickname, or quote. It expresses strong emotive tone, ranging from playful teasing, reproach/grudge, to admiration.

Examples
好你个姓王的，竟敢开我的玩笑。
Hǎo nǐ gè xìng Wáng de, jìng gǎn kāi wǒ de wánxiào.
Well, you Wang fellow, how dare you play a joke on me!
好你个机灵鬼，想出了这么个好点子。
Hǎo nǐ gè jīlingguǐ, xiǎngchū le zhème gè hǎo diǎnzǐ.
You clever little rascal, coming up with such a brilliant idea!
好你个“不知道”，今天我就让你好好想想！
Hǎo nǐ gè 'bù zhīdào', jīntiān wǒ jiù ràng nǐ hǎohǎo xiǎngxiang!
Fine, giving me that 'I don't know' excuse! Today I'll make sure you think it through carefully!
Pattern 4

……还在后头呢！

...hái zài hòutou ne!

Spoken idiom meaning 'the best/worst is yet to come'. It warns that what has just happened is merely an opening, and far more significant/severe events lie ahead.

Examples
她躲过了这次麻烦，但灾难还在后头呢。
Tā duǒguò le zhè cì máfan, dàn zāinàn hái zài hòutou ne.
She dodged this particular trouble, but the real disaster is yet to come.
这只是开场戏，精彩的节目还在后头呢。
Zhè zhǐshì kāichǎngxì, jīngcǎi de jiémù hái zài hòutou ne.
This is only the curtain-raiser; the most exciting performances are still to come!
这还只是个表面现象，更严重的情形还在后头呢。
Zhè hái zhǐshì gè biǎomiàn xiànxiàng, gèng yánzhòng de qíngxing hái zài hòutou ne.
This is merely a superficial symptom; far more severe situations lie ahead.
Pattern 5

A有A的……，B有B的……

A yǒu A de..., B yǒu B de...

Comparative spoken structure meaning 'A has its own..., while B has its own...'. It stresses inherent individual differences, pros/cons, or unique concerns between two things.

Examples
平房有平房的苦恼，楼房有楼房的苦恼。
Píngfáng yǒu píngfáng de kǔnǎo, lóufáng yǒu lóufáng de kǔnǎo.
Single-story courtyard houses have their own woes, just as modern apartment buildings have theirs.
小王有小王的优点，小李有小李的毛病。
Xiǎo Wáng yǒu Xiǎo Wáng de yōudiǎn, Xiǎo Lǐ yǒu Xiǎo Lǐ de máobìng.
Xiao Wang has his virtues, and Xiao Li has his own flaws.
我有我的想法，你有你的主意，不必强求一致。
Wǒ yǒu wǒ de xiǎngfǎ, nǐ yǒu nǐ de zhǔyi, bú bì qiǎngqiú yízhì.
I have my thoughts and you have your ideas; there is no need to force uniformity.