Level 2 Lesson 9.1 – Yet, Still; In Addition

GRAMMAR

Grammar 1: Say Still, Yet, In Addition in Chinese with Adverb 还 · HSK 2

Adverb 还hái is a very useful and can be translated as still, yet, in addition in Chinese.

(1) 还 as still or yet

还 is usually translated as still or yet in English. It suggests that an action persists or that a state is maintaining. Basically, that the situation has been like this up till now and will not change.

Subject + 还 (+不/没) + Predicate (+ Object)

For example,

• duìbuqǐ, wǒ hái zài gōngsī
  对不起，我还在公司。
  Sorry, I still am at (the) company.
• nǐ háiyǒu duōshao qián
  你还有多少钱？
  You still have how much money?

And with negative sentences, we have these examples:

• nǐ hái méi qǐchuáng ma
  你还没起床吗？
  You (have) not got up yet?
• yī jiǔ jiǔ jiǔ nián, wǒmen hái bú rènshi
  1999年，我们还不认识。
  (In) year 1999, we not know (each other) yet.

(2) 还 as in addition, furthermore, on top of

还 also suggests, in addition or on top of, and it is usually translated as also, too, as well, or in addition. It is similar to No.1 but sounds stronger, because it suggests that on top of what’s already stated, the action still persists or the state is still maintaining. For example,

• wǒ yǒu yí ge dìdi, hái yǒu yí ge mèimei
  我有一个弟弟，还有一个妹妹。
  I have one "ge" (of) little brother, additionally have one "ge" (of) little sister.
  
• wǒmen gàosu Zhāng Lǎoshī le, hái yào gàosu Lǐ Lǎoshī
  我们告诉张老师了，还要告诉李老师。
  We (have) told Teacher Zhang, additionally (we) need to tell Teacher Li.

Grammar 2: The 还...呢 Structure · HSK 2

We learned in our HSK Level 1 Course, Lesson 11 that the Modal Particle 呢 can suggest an action or a state is continuing, being put at the end of a sentence. It can also be used with 还 as well, meaning that an action or a state is still continuing:

Subject 还 + Predicate (+ Object) + 呢 .

For example,

• tā hái méi qǐchuáng ne
  他还没起床呢！
  He (has) not got up yet.
• wǒ hái zài kàn bǐsài ne
  我还在看比赛呢！
  I still am watching (the) game.

Grammar 3: The 有的...有的...还有的...structure in Chinese · HSK 2

yǒude 有的 means "some; a proportion of", háiyǒude 还有的 means "additionally some; other proportion of". They can be used by themselves and used before a noun (phrase) as well. For example

• yǒude háizi
  有的孩子
  some children; a proportion of (the) children
• yǒude péngyou
  有的朋友
  some friends; a proportion of (the) friends

• háiyǒu de rén
  还有的人
  (on top of what's mentioned before) additionally some people
• háiyǒu de bǐsài
  还有的比赛
  (on top of what's mentioned before) additionally some matches

有的 and 还有的 are very commonly used in the 有的...有的...还有的...structure, to list more than a few things/items/people/situations.

有的..., 有的..., (有的..., ) 还有的...

For example,

(1) a short phrase or sentence, which clarifies the range of person or things that we’re talking about, and then 有的...有的...还有的...structure

xuéxiào li, yǒude tóngxué xǐhuan zúqiú, yǒude tóngxué xǐhuan lánqiú, hái yǒude tóngxué bù xǐhuan yùndòng
学校里，有的同学喜欢足球，有的同学喜欢篮球，还有的同学不喜欢运动。
In (the) school, some classmates like soccer, some classmates like basketball, additionally some classmates (do) not like sports.

wǒ rènshi hěnduō rén, yǒude xīwàng zìjǐ shuài、piàoliang, yǒude xīwàng zìjǐ jiànkāng, háiyǒu de xīwàng zìjǐ kuàilè
我认识很多人，有的希望自己帅、漂亮，有的希望自己健康，还有的希望自己快乐。
I know many people, some hope themselves (are) handsome (or) pretty, some hope themselves (are) healthy, additionally some hope themselves (are) happy.

(2) a noun phrase that clarifies the range of person or things that we’re talking about, and then directly followed by the 有的...有的...还有的...structure

zúqiú bǐsài yǒude jiǔshí fēnzhōng, yǒude yìbǎi fēnzhōng, háiyǒude yī bǎi 'èrshí fēnzhōng
足球比赛有的九十分钟，有的一百分钟，还有的一百二十分钟。
Soccer games some (are) 90 minutes, some (are) 100 minutes, additionally some (are) 120 minutes.

wǒ de péngyou dōu hěn yǒu yìsi, tāmen yǒude shì Zhōngguórén, yǒude shì Měiguórén, háiyǒude shì Fǎguórén
我的朋友都很有意思，他们有的是中国人，有的是美国人，还有的是法国人。
My friends all (are) very interesting, some (of) them are Chinese, some (of) them are American, (on top of what's mentioned before) additionally some are French.

Grammar 4: Verb 要 to say to want something in Chinese · HSK 2

Verb 要, followed by a noun or noun phrase, can be used to suggest, to want to have something, to want to own something, to want to get something, or to want to maintain something, and it usually translated as “to want something”.

Subject + (不) + 要 + something

For example,

• wǒ yào yì jīn niúròu, liǎng jīn jīròu hé sānjīn yángròu
  我要一斤牛肉、两斤鸡肉和三斤羊肉。
  I want one "jin" (of) beef, two "jin" (of) chicken and three "jin" (of) lamb.
• wǒ bú yào ménpiào, wǒ bù xǐhuan kàn bǐsài
  我不要门票，我不喜欢看比赛。
  I (do) not want entry ticket, I (do) not like watching games.

Also when suggesting to want something, the Verb 要 can follow 想 as well, to say that the Subject wants to have something.

Subject +(不)  想要 + something

• zhàngfu xiǎng yào yíge 'érzi yíge nǚ'ér
  丈夫想要一个儿子一个女儿。
  (The) husband wants one son (and) one daughter.
• wǒ bù xiǎngyào zhège fángjiān, yīnwèi tài xiǎo le
  我不想要这个房间，因为太小了。
  I (do) not want this "ge" (of) room, because (it is) too small.