Comparing similar adverbs

Original teaching practice. Read one pattern, cover its model and try the questions before checking the separate answer section. Examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA) retain the course-reference provenance.

original本来běn lái vs original原来yuán lái (originally vs it turns out)

Plan versus discovery

• You planned to take the bus, then found out your friend had been driving there all along.
• I / me我wǒoriginal本来běn láiwant / think / miss想xiǎngto sit坐zuòpublic transport vehicle公交车gōng jiāo chē，original原来yuán láiyou你nǐto drive a car开车kāi chēto come来lái(completed / change)了le！ – "I was originally going to take the bus – oh, so you drove here!"

Both can mean "originally"

• original本来běn lái / original原来yuán lái + earlier state: he / him他tāoriginal本来běn láito live住zhùat / in在zàiBeijing, capital of the…北京běi jīng = he / him他tāoriginal原来yuán láito live住zhùat / in在zàiBeijing, capital of the…北京běi jīng – "He originally lived in Beijing."
• Before a noun with (modifier / structural particle)的de, both work: original本来běn lái(modifier / structural particle)的deplan计划jì huà / original原来yuán lái(modifier / structural particle)的deplan计划jì huà.

he他tāoriginally原来yuán láilived住zhùin在zàiBeijing北京Běi jīng。

Only original原来yuán lái: so it turns out

• original原来yuán lái announces a discovery: original原来yuán láito be / is是shìyou你nǐ！ – "Oh, it's you!"
• original本来běn lái cannot do this: original本来běn láito be / is是shìyou你nǐ does not mean "so it's you".

so it turns out原来yuán láihe他tāis是shìa teacher老师lǎo shī。

Only original本来běn lái: of course

• original本来běn láithen / just就jiù = naturally, should have been obvious: 这件zhè jiànmatter事shìoriginal本来běn láiexactly就是jiù shìyou你nǐ(modifier / structural particle)的demistake错cuò – "This was your fault from the start."
• original原来yuán láithen / just就jiù does not carry this "of course" meaning.

Choose by job

• Discovery → original原来yuán lái. Obvious from the start → original本来běn láithen / just就jiù. Original plan or state → either.
• he / him他tāoriginal本来běn láiunexpectedly不想bù xiǎngto come来lái，afterwards后来hòu láifriend朋友péng yǒuto advise劝quàn(completed / change)了lehe / him他tā。 – "He didn't want to come at first, but then his friend persuaded him."

he他tāoriginally本来běn láinot不bùwant to想xiǎngcome来lái。

Recap

• Originally: original本来běn lái or original原来yuán lái. So it turns out: only original原来yuán lái. Of course, naturally: only original本来běn lái(then / just就jiù).
• Pick the word by the job it does in the sentence.

Practise this pattern step by step.

often常常cháng cháng vs usually往往wǎng wǎng (often vs tends to)

Rainy Mondays

• You notice a pattern: the subway is always more crowded when it rains.
• to rain下雨xià yǔ(modifier / structural particle)的detime时候shí hòu，underground railway地铁dì tiěusually往往wǎng wǎng很挤hěn jǐ。 – "When it rains, the subway tends to be crowded."

often常常cháng cháng = often (a frequency)

• often常常cháng cháng says something happens often: I / me我wǒoften常常cháng chángto go去qùlibrary图书馆tú shū guǎn. It can describe the future: after以后yǐ hòu我会wǒ huìoften常常cháng chángto come来lái.
• It needs no special condition.

I我wǒoften常常cháng chánggo to去qùthe library图书馆tú shū guǎn。

usually往往wǎng wǎng = tends to (under a condition)

• usually往往wǎng wǎng describes a regular pattern found under certain conditions: weekend周末zhōu mò(modifier / structural particle)的desupermarket (abbr. for 超级市场)超市chāo shìusually往往wǎng wǎngperson人rén很多hěn duō。 – "Supermarkets tend to be crowded at weekends."
• The condition (time, situation) is usually stated.

at weekends周末zhōu mò的desupermarkets超市chāo shìtend to往往wǎng wǎngpeople人rénbe many很多hěn duō。

Where usually往往wǎng wǎng does not fit

• usually往往wǎng wǎng is not for wishes or the future: after以后yǐ hòu我会wǒ huìoften常常cháng chángto come来lái, not after以后yǐ hòu我会wǒ huìusually往往wǎng wǎngto come来lái.
• Without a condition, usually往往wǎng wǎng sounds unfinished: he / him他tāusually往往wǎng wǎngto arrive late迟到chí dào is weak; he / him他tā下雨天xià yǔ tiānusually往往wǎng wǎngto arrive late迟到chí dào works.

Side by side

• I / me我wǒoften常常cháng cháng喝咖啡hē kā fēi – "I often drink coffee" (frequency).
• I / me我wǒto stay up late or all night熬夜áo yè(modifier / structural particle)的detime时候shí hòuusually往往wǎng wǎng喝咖啡hē kā fēi – "When I stay up late, I tend to drink coffee" (a pattern under a condition).

I我wǒstay up late熬夜áo yè的dewhen时候shí houtend to往往wǎng wǎngdrink喝hēcoffee咖啡kā fēi。

Recap

• often常常cháng cháng = often (any time, including the future). usually往往wǎng wǎng = tends to, under a stated condition.
• usually往往wǎng wǎng is not for wishes or future plans.

Practise this pattern step by step.

just now刚gāng vs just now (variant of 刚才)刚才gāng cái (adverb vs time-word)

Just now, or just?

• You arrive at the café and your friend says he has only just sat down; a moment ago he was outside on the phone.
• 我刚wǒ gāngto / arrive到dào，just now (variant of 刚才)刚才gāng cáiat / in在zàioutside (also pr. for this…外面wài miànto make a telephone call打电话dǎ diàn huà。 – "I've just arrived; a moment ago I was outside on the phone."

just now刚gāng is an adverb

• just now刚gāng + verb = have just (done): 刚到gāng dào, just now刚gāngvariant of 吃吃chīto finish完wán. It stands right before the verb.
• It can stretch to "recently": he / him他tājust now刚gāngto come来láiBeijing, capital of the…北京běi jīng两个liǎng gèmoon月yuè.

he他tājust刚gāngcame to来láiBeijing北京Běi jīngtwo months两个月liǎng gè yuè。

just now (variant of 刚才)刚才gāng cái is a time word

• just now (variant of 刚才)刚才gāng cái = a moment ago, like yesterday昨天zuó tiān: it can start the sentence and works with adjectives and not / haven't没méi.
• just now (variant of 刚才)刚才gāng cáidegree / adjective linker很hěnto warm up热rè，now现在xiàn zàinice and cold凉快liáng kuài(completed / change)了le。 – "It was hot a moment ago; now it's cooler."

a moment ago刚才gāng cáivery很hěnhot热rè，now现在xiàn zàicool凉快liáng kuai了le。

Three tests

• Start of the sentence? Only just now (variant of 刚才)刚才gāng cái. Before an adjective or not / haven't没méi? Only just now (variant of 刚才)刚才gāng cái: just now (variant of 刚才)刚才gāng cáinot / haven't没méito hear听见tīng jiàn.
• With a duration after the verb (two months)? Only just now刚gāng: just now刚gāngto come来lái两个liǎng gèmoon月yuè.

Both possible

• he / him他tājust now刚gāngto walk走zǒu。 / he / him他tājust now (variant of 刚才)刚才gāng cáito walk走zǒu(completed / change)了le。 – both mean he left a moment ago.
• just now刚gāng sentences usually have no (completed / change)了le; just now (variant of 刚才)刚才gāng cái sentences take (completed / change)了le normally.

he他tāa moment ago刚才gāng cáileft走zǒu了le。

Recap

• just now刚gāng + verb = have just (adverb; can stretch to "recently"; usually no (completed / change)了le).
• just now (variant of 刚才)刚才gāng cái = a moment ago (time word; can start the sentence; works with adjectives and not / haven't没méi).

Practise this pattern step by step.

Practice without the models

Choose a pattern, cover its teaching examples, and attempt its questions. Use the labels to find feedback in the separate key.

original本来běn lái vs original原来yuán lái (originally vs it turns out)

2701.1 You open the door and see your cousin: “Oh, it's you!” …………to be / is是shìyou你nǐ！

2701.2 “Students are of course supposed to study.” Which fits? student学生xué shēng____then / just就jiùshould应该yīng gāito learn学习xué xí。

• A. original本来běn lái
• B. original原来yuán lái
• C. afterwards后来hòu lái
• D. always从来cóng lái

2701.3 Match each sentence to its meaning.

• 1. original原来yuán láito be / is是shìthis way / so这样zhè yàng！
• 2. this这zhèoriginal本来běn láiexactly就是jiù shìyou你nǐ(modifier / structural particle)的dematter事shì。
• 3. he / him他tāoriginal原来yuán láito live住zhùat / in在zàiShanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi。

• A. He used to live in Shanghai.

• B. So that's how it is!

• C. This was your business from the start.

2701.4 original本来běn lái(modifier / structural particle)的deplan计划jì huà and original原来yuán lái(modifier / structural particle)的deplan计划jì huà both mean “the original plan”.

True or false? Explain or repair the statement.

2701.5 You planned to take the bus, then found out your friend had been driving there all along. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

often常常cháng cháng vs usually往往wǎng wǎng (often vs tends to)

2702.1 Complete: “At weekends, parks tend to be full of people.” weekend周末zhōu mòpark (for public recreation)公园gōng yuánli, ancient measure of…里lǐ…………person人rén很多hěn duō。

2702.2 “I'll come and visit you often in future.” Which fits? after以后yǐ hòu我会wǒ huì____来看lái kànyou你nǐ。

• A. often常常cháng cháng
• B. always从来cóng lái
• C. usually往往wǎng wǎng
• D. original本来běn lái

2702.3 Build: “When I stay up late, I tend to drink coffee.”

Arrange all chunks: I / me我wǒto stay up late or all night熬夜áo yè(modifier / structural particle)的detime时候shí hòu / coffee (loanword)咖啡kā fēi。 / to shout喝hē / usually往往wǎng wǎng

2702.4 usually往往wǎng wǎng works well for future plans.

True or false? Explain or repair the statement.

2702.5 You notice a pattern: the subway is always more crowded when it rains. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

just now刚gāng vs just now (variant of 刚才)刚才gāng cái (adverb vs time-word)

2703.1 Complete: “I didn't hear you just now.” …………I / me我wǒnot / haven't没méito hear听见tīng jiàn。

2703.2 Which says “She's only been working here for a week”?

• A. she / her她tāat / in在zàihere这儿zhè érto work工作gōng zuòjust now刚gāng一个yí gèweek星期xīng qī(completed / change)了le。
• B. she / her她tājust now刚gāngat / in在zàihere这儿zhè érto work工作gōng zuò一个yí gèweek星期xīng qī。
• C. she / her她tājust now (variant of 刚才)刚才gāng cáiat / in在zàihere这儿zhè érto work工作gōng zuò一个yí gèweek星期xīng qī。
• D. just now刚gāngshe / her她tāat / in在zàihere这儿zhè érto work工作gōng zuò一个yí gèweek星期xīng qī。

2703.3 Build: “It was hot a moment ago.”

Arrange all chunks: degree / adjective linker很hěn / just now (variant of 刚才)刚才gāng cái / to warm up热rè。

2703.4 he / him他tājust now刚gāngto walk走zǒu and he / him他tājust now (variant of 刚才)刚才gāng cáito walk走zǒu(completed / change)了le can both describe someone who left a moment ago.

True or false? Explain or repair the statement.

2703.5 You arrive at the café and your friend says he has only just sat down; a moment ago he was outside on the phone. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

A fresh situation

R1. Interpret and repair. You unexpectedly discover a friend already knows Mandarin. A learner says original本来běn láiyou你nǐcan / will会huìChinese language中文zhōng wén to mean So you speak Chinese. Choose the discovery frame.

R2. Use it yourself. Describe an original plan that changed, then state a general tendency rather than an unbroken action.

Write your responses before opening the key. Compare meaning as well as form; a different valid answer need not copy the model.