Hello Mandarin Enthusiasts! 🌟
In the past two lesson (CGG #25 and CGG #26), we’ve learnt how to use 不管, 无论 and 任 to say “no matter.”
Today, we’ll put the last two into practice with detailed examples.
Recap of the CGG #25 and CGG #26 lessons
Here are all the different ways to translate “no matter” that we’ve learnt:
Basic Usage: Use 不管 + [Question Word] + [Subject] + 都/也 + [Verb Phrase] to say “no matter” with question words like 什么 (what) or 怎么 (how) etc.
Options: Use 不管 + 是 + [Option A] + 还是 + [Option B] + [Subject] + 都/也 + [Verb Phrase] to specify “no matter which option.”
Verb/Adjective Contrast: Use 不管 + [Verb/Adjective] + 不 + [Verb/Adjective] + [Subject] + 都/也 + [Verb Phrase] for “no matter [Verb/Adjective] or not.”
Adjectives: Use 不管 + 多 + [Adjective] + [Subject] + 都/也 + [Verb Phrase] to express “no matter how [Adjective].”
Formal Usage with 无论: Use 无论 + [Circumstances] + 都/也 + [Inevitable Result] to express “no matter” in a formal context, emphasizing that the outcome remains unchanged.
No Matter What with 无论如何: Use 无论如何 to highlight determination or inevitability, showing that something will happen regardless of any obstacles.
Advanced Usage with 任...也...: Use 任 + [Circumstance] + 也 + [Outcome] for a sophisticated way to express “no matter how/what,” often used in written and formal contexts.
Today’s Exercises
Translate these English sentences into Mandarin, applying what you’ve learned about 无论 and 任…也…:
No matter how much it rains, we will still go hiking.
No matter what, we cannot give up.
No matter what difficulties we face, we will overcome them.
And remember: Practice Makes Perfect.
🌀 Translation #1
No matter how much it rains, we will still go hiking.
To translate this sentence into Mandarin, we use the following structure:
📚 Structure: 无论 + [Circumstances] + 都 / 也 + [Inevitable Result]
This structure is used to express that the outcome or situation in the second part of the sentence remains constant regardless of the circumstances described in the first part.
Why use 无论?
Instead of using 无论, we could also use 不管 (bùguǎn) with a similar meaning. However, 无论 tends to be slightly more formal and emphatic.
无论 + [Circumstances]
To translate the phrase “no matter how much it rains,” we can break it down into:
雨 (yǔ): The noun “rain.”
下 (xià): The verb “to fall,” commonly used for rain.
得 (de): A structural particle used to link the verb with its degree or manner. Learn more about 得 in the CGG #17 lesson.
多大 (duō dà): The phrase “how much,” where 多 means “how” and 大 means “big” or “much.”
So, 无论雨下得多大 translates to “no matter how much it rains.”
How to Use 多大 (duō dà)
In the phrase 多大 (duō dà), 多 means “how” and 大 means “big” or “much.” Together, 多大 asks about the degree or extent of something, such as size or intensity. While 多 can mean “many” in other contexts, here it is used to inquire about the extent or degree of an adjective, similar to “how” in English.
This usage is closely related to 多少 (duōshǎo). 多少 is used to ask about quantity or number, translating to “how much” or “how many.” Both expressions use 多 to inquire about the extent or quantity of something, but they pair with different characters to specify what is being asked about—extent (大) versus quantity (少).
都 + [Inevitable Result]
The second part of the sentence “we will still go hiking” can be broken down into smaller parts:
要 (yào): This verb means “to want” or “to be going to,” indicating intention or necessity.
爬山 (páshān): The verb phrase “to go hiking,” where 爬 means “to climb” and 山 means “mountain.”
Putting these elements together, 我们都要去爬山 means “we will still go hiking.”
Recap
无论雨下得多大,我们都要去爬山。
无论 / 雨 / 下 / 得 / 多大 / , / 我们 / 都 / 要 / 去 / 爬山 / 。
wúlùn yǔ xià de duō dà, wǒmen dōu yào qù páshān
No matter how much it rains, we will still go hiking.
No matter / rain / falls / (particle 得 introducing manner) / how much / we / still / will / to go / to hike.
Let’s practice the sentences with my audio recordings:
Slow speed:
Normal speed:
🌀 Translation #2
No matter what, we cannot give up.
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