Conjunction (Chinese)
Conjunctions ( Chinese 連詞 / 连词 , Pinyin lián cí ) are used in standard Chinese ( Putonghua ), as in other languages, to connect two sentences or parts of a sentence and to relate them to one another.
There are two possible sentence positions for conjunctions that connect sentences :
Depending on the conjunction, this can only be used in the first, only in the second or in both.
Conjunctions can also be left out in Chinese if the relationship between two statements is clear from the context.
list
- U - colloquial
- S - written language
- 1 - sentence position 1 (see above)
- 2 - sentence position 2 (see above)
- 1st sentence means that in a two-part sentence the conjunction is at the beginning or before the verb of the first part of the sentence.
- 2nd sentence means that the conjunction is at the beginning or before the verb of the second part of the sentence.
| Pinyin | Simplified | Traditionally | use | translation | Type / position | style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yīdàn | 一旦 | 一旦 | conditional, unreal | if + conj. II | Sentence 1, 2? | S. |
| yīdàn | 一 但 | 一 但 | conditional, unreal | if + conj. II | Sentence 1, 2? | S. |
| rúguǒ ... (dehuà), ... jiù ... | 如果 ... (的 话), ... 就 ... | 如果 ... (的 話), ... 就 ... | conditional | if / if ... then ... | Sentence 1, 2? | U, S |
| yào shì | 要是 | 要是 | conditional | if / if ... then ... | Sentence 1, 2? | U |
| zài ... yě ... | 再 ... 也 ... | 再 ... 也 ... | conditional | even if ... then anyway ... | sentence | |
| jiù shì ... yě ... | 就是 ... 也 ... | 就是 ... 也 ... | conditional | even if ... then anyway ... | sentence | |
| yàobu | 要不 | 要不 | conditional | if not / otherwise / otherwise | 2nd sentence 1 | U |
| yǔ | 与 | 與 | copulative | and | Clause | S. |
| cǐwài | 此外 | 此外 | copulative | Furthermore | Sentence 1 | |
| jì ... yòu | 既 ... 又 ... | 既 ... 又 ... | copulative | as well ... as | ? | ? |
| bùdàn ... érqiě ... | 不但 ... 而且 ... | 不但 ... 而且 ... | copulative | not only but Also... | ? | |
| bùjǐn ... érqiě ... | 不仅 ... 而且 ... | 不僅 ... 而且 ... | copulative | not only but Also... | ? | |
| yībiān ... yī biān ... | 一边 ... 一边 ... | 一邊 ... 一邊 ... | copulative | on the one hand on the other hand... | sentence | S, U |
| bìng | 并 | 並 | copulative | and still | subordinate clause | S. |
| ...he... | ... 而 ... | ... 而 ... | copulative / contrasitive | both and / but | Sentence 1 | S. |
| yīyòu | 一 又 | 一 又 | copulative | as well ... as | ||
| chúle ... yǐwài, ... | 除了 ... 以外, ... | 除了 ... 以外, ... | restrictive | apart from, except | Clause | S, U |
| bù ... gēngbù | 不 ... 更 不 | 不 ... 更 不 | restrictive | not ... and certainly not ... | ||
| dàn shì | 但是 | 但是 | restrictive | but anyway | sentence | U |
| què | 却 | 卻 | restrictive | but | Sentence 2 | |
| bùshì ... érshì ... | 不是 ... 而是 ... | 不是 ... 而是 ... | restrictive | not ... but ... | sentence | |
| yīnwei ... suǒyǐ ... | 因为 ... 所以 ... | 因為 ... 所以 ... | causal | because ... therefore ... | sentence | S, U |
| yóuyú ... suǒyǐ ... | 由于 ... 所以 ... | 由於 ... 所以 ... | causal | because ... therefore ... | sentence | S, U |
| suīrán ..., dànshì / què ... | 虽然 ... 但是 / 却 | 雖然 ... 但是 / 卻 | causal | although nonetheless ... | sentence | U / S |
| huò (zhě) | 或 (者) | 或 (者) | disjunctive | or / but possibly also | ? | S, U |
| bùguǎn ... háishì ... | 不管 ... 还是 ... | 不管 ... 還是 ... | disjunctive | no matter if ..., or ... | Sentence 1 | S, U |
| yàome ... yàome ... | 要么 ... 要么 ... | 要麼 ... 要麼 ... | disjunctive | either ... or ... | sentence | |
| while | 为了 | 為了 | final | to / with it | Sentence 1 | |
| bùyěshì | 不 也是 ... | 不 也是 ... | - | (introduces a rhetorical question) | Sentence 2 | |
| jìbù ... yěbù ... | 既不 ... 也不 ... | - | disjunctive | neither ... nor ... | sentence | S, U |
| yī ... jiù ... | 一 ... 就 ... | - | disjunctive | hardly ... than ...; as soon as; if (once) | sentence | U |