Not at all what you think: 并非 and 并不
HSK 5 Unit 2: Rather than and on the contrary · Lesson 4 of 5 · About 26 minutes
Preview version — Chinese review in progress.
Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can firmly deny a wrong assumption with 并不 and 并非, and talk about stereotypes and first impressions.
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Warm-up: do you remember?
Two quick questions from earlier lessons. Recalling before you learn makes the new material stick.
Meaning
What does 加重 mean?
That is 毅力 (yìlì).
That is 享受 (xiǎngshòu).
Show the answer
Answer: B, to make heavier, to aggravate.
加重 (jiāzhòng) means to make heavier, to aggravate.
Characters
Which word means “to make heavier, to aggravate”?
一旦 (yídàn) means once, in case.
养成 (yǎngchéng) means to form (a habit).
Show the answer
Answer: B, 加重.
“to make heavier, to aggravate” is 加重 (jiāzhòng).
Listening
From an earlier unit. Listen. What does the word mean?
Cannot listen? Read it instead
西医 xīyī
That would be 陌生人 (mòshēngrén).
That would be 天才 (tiāncái).
Show the answer
Answer: A, Western medicine, its doctor.
You heard 西医 (xīyī): Western medicine, its doctor.
New words
并不 and 并非
并 (bìng) before 不 or 没 stresses the denial: it is not at all as you think. 并非 (bìngfēi) is the written form of 并不是.
他并不是不想来，而是太忙了。
Tā bìng bú shì bù xiǎng lái, ér shì tài máng le.
It's not at all that he doesn't want to come; he's just too busy.
有钱并非一定幸福。
Yǒu qián bìngfēi yídìng xìngfú.
Being rich by no means guarantees happiness.
事实并不是这样。
Shìshí bìng bú shì zhèyàng.
The facts are not like that at all.
Not:
他并非来了。But: 他并没有来。 Tā bìng méiyǒu lái.
For past events, use 并没有.
印象 (yìnxiàng) is an impression; 偏见 (piānjiàn) is a prejudice; 以貌取人 is to judge people by appearances.
Characters
Open a character to see how it is written, stroke by stroke, with its meanings and words.
First impressions
Xiaoyu and Zhang Wei talk about a new colleague.
Listen first
Play the whole conversation and answer the questions before you open the transcript.
Helpful words: 笑话 xiàohua joke; 相处 xiāngchǔ to get along; 了解 liǎojiě to get to know
Listening
Listen first. What was Xiaoyu's first impression?
Show the answer
Answer: A, stern, not good.
看起来很严肃…第一印象不太好.
Listening
What did the manager do at the meeting?
Show the answer
Answer: B, told several jokes.
他讲了好几个笑话.
Show the transcript
小雨
新来的经理看起来很严肃，我对他的第一印象不太好。
The new manager looks very stern. My first impression of him wasn't good.
张伟
他并不严肃。昨天开会的时候，他讲了好几个笑话。
He's not stern at all. At yesterday's meeting he told several jokes.
小雨
真的吗？我以为他很难相处。
Really? I thought he'd be hard to get on with.
张伟
事实并非这样。别以貌取人，这是一种偏见。
That's not the case at all. Don't judge by appearances; that's a prejudice.
小雨
你说得对。我应该多了解他。
You're right. I should get to know him.
Speak: listen, record, compare
Listen to each model, record yourself, then play both and compare: the rhythm, the tones, the vowels. No automatic score: your ear is the judge.
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Recording is not available in this browser. Listen, then repeat aloud and compare by ear.
事实并非这样。别以貌取人，这是一种偏见。
Shìshí bìngfēi zhèyàng. Bié yǐmào qǔrén, zhè shì yì zhǒng piānjiàn.
That's not the case at all. Don't judge by appearances; that's a prejudice.
他并不严肃。昨天开会的时候，他讲了好几个笑话。
Tā bìng bù yánsù. Zuótiān kāihuì de shíhou, tā jiǎng le hǎo jǐ gè xiàohua.
He's not stern at all. At yesterday's meeting he told several jokes.
新来的经理看起来很严肃，我对他的第一印象不太好。
Xīn lái de jīnglǐ kànqǐlai hěn yánsù, wǒ duì tā de dì yī yìnxiàng bú tài hǎo.
The new manager looks very stern. My first impression of him wasn't good.
Practice
Meaning
What does 并非 mean?
That is 实现 (shíxiàn).
That is 老人 (lǎorén).
Show the answer
Answer: B, not at all, by no means (written).
并非 (bìngfēi) means not at all, by no means (written).
Characters
Which word means “not at all (stressed)”?
印象 (yìnxiàng) means impression.
并非 (bìngfēi) means not at all, by no means (written).
Show the answer
Answer: A, 并不.
“not at all (stressed)” is 并不 (bìng bù).
Pinyin
How do you read 印象 (impression)?
Show the answer
Answer: A, yìnxiàng.
印象 is read yìnxiàng. Check the tone mark on every syllable.
Listening
Listen. What does the word mean?
Cannot listen? Read it instead
偏见 piānjiàn
That would be 想念 (xiǎngniàn).
That would be 当时 (dāngshí).
Show the answer
Answer: C, prejudice.
You heard 偏见 (piānjiàn): prejudice.
Your turn
Recall: type the Chinese for “serious, stern” (characters or pinyin).
Show the answer
Answer: 严肃
“serious, stern” is 严肃 (yánsù).
Grammar
Which sentence means He didn't come at all?
Show the answer
Answer: B, 他并没有来。.
他并没有来。: 并没有 for the past.
Fill the gap
Complete: Money by no means guarantees happiness.
有钱＿＿一定幸福。
Show the answer
Answer: C, 并非.
并非: by no means.
In context
You judged someone only by their clothes. What did you do?
Show the answer
Answer: A, 以貌取人.
以貌取人: judge by appearances.
Your turn
Type the Chinese for first impression
Show the answer
Answer: 第一印象
第一印象: first impression.
Wrong impressions
Correct three common stereotypes out loud, with 并不 or 并非.
- About a country or city.
- About a job.
- About an age group.
Sentence frames
＿＿并不是＿＿，而是＿＿。
＿＿ bìng bú shì ＿＿, ér shì ＿＿.
... is not at all ..., but ...
Record your attempt (three and a half minutes at most) and listen back:
Review and finish
Can you do this? If a line feels shaky, go back to that part before you move on.
- I deny wrong assumptions firmly with 并不 and 并非.
- I can talk about impressions and prejudice.
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