Chinese-ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/MD/Grammar/docs/g16.xhtml

<h1 id="the-lian-ye-construction">The lian ye construction</h1>
<p>This is one of the constructions used to emphasize a noun, a noun clause or a v-o pattern. The emphasized element can be the subject or the object of a sentence and is placed after 连 lián even.</p>
<p>The adverb 都 dōu or 也 yě is placed before the main verb of the sentence. The difference between 都 dōu and 也 yě is that 都 dōu can be used in both the affirmative and negative, while 也 yě is normally used before negatives or before verbs which have a negative sense.</p>
<p>The 连 lián clause refers to the object of the sentence in the following examples.</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S.</th>
<th>连 O.</th>
<th>都/ 也 V.</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>他</td>
<td>连 觉</td>
<td>也 忘 了 睡</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>tā</td>
<td>lián jiào</td>
<td>yě wàng le shuì</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>He has even forgotten to go to sleep. Or</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S.</th>
<th>连 V-O.</th>
<th>都/ 也 V.</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>他</td>
<td>连 睡 觉</td>
<td>也 忘 了</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>tā</td>
<td>lián shuìjiào</td>
<td>yě wàng le</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S.</th>
<th>连 O.</th>
<th>都/ 也 V.</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>我</td>
<td>连 他的 名 字</td>
<td>也 忘 了</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>wǒ</td>
<td>lián tā de míngzi</td>
<td>yě wàng le</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>I’ve even forgotten his name.</p>
<p>The 连 lián clause refers to the subject of the sentence in the following example.</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>连 S.</th>
<th>都/也 V. O.</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>连 好学生</td>
<td>也 不去 上 课.</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>lián hăo xuéshēng</td>
<td>yě búqù shàngkè</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Even the good students don't go to class.</p>
<p>Although the sentences above are in the affirmative form, the adverb 也 yě is used to imply that forgetting to sleep, forgetting someone’s name, and not going to class, are all undesirable actions. Of course, the adverb 都 dōu can also be used in the above sentences.</p>
<p>When placed after the particle 得 de, the 连 lián construction can be used to describe the outcome of an action, in a complement of degree construction, as follows.</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S</th>
<th>SV 得</th>
<th>Outcome of the SV (连… 也…)</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>我 们</td>
<td>忙 得</td>
<td>连 饭 也 忘 了 吃</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>wǒmen</td>
<td>máng de</td>
<td>lián fàn yě wangle chī</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>We are so busy that we’ve even forgotten to eat.</p>
<p>The phrase 连饭也忘了吃 lián fàn yě wangle chī even forget to eat, here placed after the particle 得 de, describes the results of the state described before 得 de.</p>
<p>Assignments</p>