PMW Translation #44: Practicing 又

🌀 Pearls of Mandarin Worksheet: Translation #44

Hello Mandarin Enthusiasts! 🌟

This week’s CGG #45 lesson was all about 又. We reviewed the basics of “又 A 又 B” and introduced the more formal “既 A 又 B” pattern. Even if you’ve used these before, practicing them will help them feel natural and easy.

Today’s exercise sentences are longer than usual and have a conversational focus. Along the way, you’ll pick up some useful expressions to make your Mandarin sound more natural and fluent in everyday situations.

Recap of CGG #45 lesson

• Using 又 A 又 B: This structure emphasizes that two qualities, actions, or states are equally notable. It adds expressiveness, highlighting the significance of both aspects.

• Nuance Between 又 A 又 B and 和 (hé):

  • 又 A 又 B: Adds emphasis, showing both parts as striking or equally important.

  • A 和 B: Simply lists two traits without special emphasis, making it more neutral.

• Using 既 A 又 B: A more formal or polished way to express “both A and B,” often used in writing or formal speech.

  • Variation with 也 (yě): In formal constructions with verbs, you can replace 又 with 也 for a slightly different flow, maintaining the same meaning.

Today’s Exercises

Translate these English sentences into Mandarin:

1. His cooking is both delicious and so spicy that it feels like my mouth is on fire.

2. This restaurant is both famous for its dumplings and infamous for its impossibly long waiting times.

3. This song is both super catchy and so annoying that I can’t get it out of my head.

Take your time, and remember: practicing will help you sound more natural and confident in your Mandarin conversations. You’ve got this! 💫

🌀 Translation #1

His cooking is both delicious and so spicy that it feels like my mouth is on fire.

In this sentence, we are describing the food as having two notable qualities: being delicious and extremely spicy. To convey this, we use the 又...又... structure, which is perfect for emphasizing simultaneous qualities.

📚 Structure: 又 + [Adjective/Verb/State] + 又 + [Adjective/Verb/State]

Let’s break the sentence down step by step:

• 他 (tā) means “he.”

• 的 (de) is the possessive particle.

• 菜 (cài) means “dish” or “food.”

• 又 (yòu) is part of the 又...又... structure.

• 好吃 (hǎochī) means “delicious.”

• 又 (yòu) introduces the second quality.

• 辣 (là) means “spicy.”

  • This is the second quality being described, creating the phrase “both delicious and spicy.”

• 得 (de) is a complement marker, introducing the degree or result of the verb or adjective before it.

  • 📖 Review CGG #17 to learn more about 得.

• 像 (xiàng) means “like” or “as if.”

• 我 (wǒ) means “I” or here, “my.”

• 嘴巴 (zuǐbā) means “mouth.”

• 着火 (zháohuǒ) means “to catch fire.”

• 了 (le) is a particle indicating a change of state.

  • It adds emphasis to the action, reinforcing the intensity of the sensation.

• 一样 (yíyàng) means “the same.”

  • This completes the comparison.

Note

The first 又 introduces 好吃 (“delicious”), which is a straightforward adjective. The second 又 leads to a more complex phrase: 辣得像我嘴巴着火了一样. This entire phrase functions as a single descriptive unit to explain how spicy the food is. The 辣 (“spicy”) is modified by 得像我嘴巴着火了一样, which elaborates on the degree of spiciness with a comparison, “so spicy that it feels like my mouth is on fire.”

Recap

• 他的菜又好吃又辣得像我嘴巴着火了一样。

• 他 / 的 / 菜 / 又 / 好吃 / 又 / 辣 / 得 / 像 / 我 / 嘴巴 / 着火 / 了 / 一样 。

• tā de cài yòu hǎochī yòu là de xiàng wǒ zuǐbā zháohuǒ le yíyàng

• His cooking is both delicious and so spicy that it feels like my mouth is on fire.

• His / (possessive particle 的) / cooking / both / delicious / and / spicy / (complement marker 得) / like / my / mouth / catch fire / (change of state particle 了) / the same.

Audio Recordings

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🌀 Translation #2

This restaurant is both famous for its dumplings and infamous for its impossibly long waiting times.