Usage of 而

Language Learning Chinese
1

Hello,

I have a little question concerning the usage of 而 in this sentence: 今天下午當我走在台南市，迎面而來一位阿伯. I get the whole expression 迎面而來 in MDBG Chinese dictionary as “directly / head-on (collision) / in one’s face (of wind) ”, but I guess there is a more grammatically meaning behind it. In my other dictionary, only 迎面 is written, translated as “head-on, face-to-face”. So I wonder what the 而 does there. Can anybody explain this to me?

By the way, what is an 阿伯? An old person?

Thanks!

2

而 has many uses, but in this sense it’s like “in this manner”.

隨風而飛 “follow wind in-this-way to-fly” - fly with the wind

3

阿伯 is an elderly man. In Mandarin it is pronounced A-Bo2, but in Taiwan writing it often represents the Taiwanese word A-Peh (p in IPA Voiceless bilabial stop).

而 here modifies 迎面 into a adverb to describe the verb 來. Similar to what -ly does in English.

I have to say this grammar is not that common in daily Mandarin except for modifying 來 and 去. And doing so will make you sound like you are trying to be Shakespearean or something.

4

Ah, ok, great, thanks. I had this slight feeling that it would be something to turn it into an adverb, but I was not really sure. Is there some difference to 得? Could I also write 迎面得來 without a change in meaning?

5

You cannot use 迎面得來.

Reason being 得 modifies a verb (跑得快) or a comparable adjective when it is showing a degree (快樂得跳了起來), whereas 迎面 here is a non-comparable adjective.

Other examples would be 滿載而歸 (return with a full load) or 豐收而回 (returns bountifully), where 滿載 and 豐收 are both adjectives here.

For these two example, you can also say more casually with:
滿載的歸來 or 豐收的回來. but 迎面的來 sounds odd still… maybe it isn’t wrong… just odd. people say 正面的交手 or something similar though.

There are many other usage of 而 (and still pretty classical):

似是而非 (Seems correct but actually false).

6

Ok, thanks, that was quite enlightening.

If I have this thread open, its maybe a good opportunity to ask for a comprehensive grammar book? My Chinese has many small gaps and some stuff I use incorrectly, so it would be good to be able to look it up. I have many textbooks here, but I don’t really need the text-stuff in between. I would just like to have a nicely sorted grammar book, especially one which also covers the little more advanced stuff (like the 而 mentioned above).

I don’t care so much if it is in simplified or traditional (although I am more versed in traditional), the quality of the explanations is more important.

I’ve found this one, is this maybe good?
amazon.com/dp/0415700108

7

[quote=“Hellstorm”]I would just like to have a nicely sorted grammar book, especially one which also covers the little more advanced stuff (like the 而 mentioned above).

I don’t care so much if it is in simplified or traditional (although I am more versed in traditional), the quality of the explanations is more important.[/quote]

This is okay, and it’s free: chinesenotes.com/grammar_phrases.php

I can give you some PDF-formatted grammar books for Chinese if you PM me.

8

今天下午當我走在台南市，迎面而來一位阿伯.

That will be odd in 迎面而來
Taiwan people would say : 今天下午我走在台南市的時候,對面走過來一位阿伯

的時候:when
often used in saying Chinese

對面 could mean few meters far from one
or a street between two persons

and in this sentence will mean two persons walking in the same street
and towards in opposite direction

If this sentence is too complicated to you, you can say:
今天下午我在台南市遇到一位阿伯

(I am a Taiwanese and my English doesn’t very well,i hope this will work to you)