Chinese Conversation · Level 35
90 words
Chinese word
连
Pronunciation
Pinyinlián
Meaning
- adverbeven
Example
连孩子都懂得。lián hái zi dōu dǒng de
Even children understand.
More examples
他忙得连晚饭都没有吃。tā máng de lián wǎn fàn dōu méi yǒu chī
He was so busy that he did not even eat dinner.
Core concept
A chain widens to include a case that would normally sit outside the group, making that addition stand out.
Common phrases
连晚饭都没有lián wǎn fàn dōu méi yǒu
not even have dinner
连也没想到lián yě méi xiǎng dào
didn't even think of it
Similar words
甚至shèn zhì: Highlights an extreme example or degree to strengthen the point.
都dōu: Indicates that everyone or everything in a stated range is included.
Definition in Chinese
表示把某事物也包括在内以示强调，常与“都/也”连用，常用于表达意外或极端的程度。biǎo shì bǎ mǒu shì wù yě bāo kuò zài nèi yǐ shì qiáng diào cháng yǔ dōu yě lián yòng cháng yòng yú biǎo dá yì wài huò jí duān de chéng dù
Word origin
连 (lián, "connect") develops from physical or abstract joining into marking something newly brought within a range, hence the meaning "even".
Usage tips
- In Chinese, 连 (lián, "even") usually stands before the noun phrase being singled out, unlike English even, whose position changes with the intended focus.
Other meanings
- connectverb
Related words
- 联系lián xìcontactverb
- 连忙lián mánghurriedlyadverb