Common Confusions

Hěn 很 is a soft linker that often precedes adjectives, fēicháng 非常 and tèbié 特别 add stronger emphasis. Use hěn for general description and fēicháng/tèbié when you want to stress degree.

Yào 要 indicates a strong intention or need, xiǎng 想 expresses a mild want or plan, and huì 会 marks ability or future likelihood. Choose based on strength of desire and context.

Le 了 marks completed actions or changes, zhe 着 indicates ongoing states or simultaneous manner, and guò 过 signals experiential actions. Use 了 for finished events, 着 for lasting states, and 过 for experiences.

Hái 还 can mean "still," "also," or "more," depending on context, while yòu 又 typically marks repeated actions or adds a negative twist with "again." 还 is more versatile, 又 often highlights recurrence.

Jiào 叫, ràng 让, and bèi 被 appear in causative and passive structures: 叫 and 让 make someone do something, 被 introduces passive voice. Use 让 for neutral causation, 叫 for more direct ordering, and 被 for passives.

Nǎlǐ 哪里 literally means "where" but is often used rhetorically to deny or downplay, shénme 什么 is "what," and shéi 谁 is "who." Pay attention to tone and context when 哪里 appears.

Hái 还 and háishì 还是 both appear in choices but serve different functions: 还 can add "also" or "still" while 还是 introduces alternatives in questions. Use 还是 for either/or questions and 还 for additional items or continuation.

These common confusions arise because similar words serve different nuances or grammatical roles. Practice paying attention to context, and try replacing one word with another to test meaning. Mandarin relies on small particles and word choices to signal things like emphasis, aspect, and intention, so drilling these pairs will boost your clarity.