Some Mandarin sentences are made up of matching phrases, which are used to show cause and effect, contrast, or the order of events. Unlike English, Mandarin split phrases always follow a set pattern which usually follows the sequence of events.
English allows for variation in the sentence structure. For example, in English we can say:
Even though her singing was bad, the audience liked her.
or
The audience liked her, even though her singing was bad.
But in Mandarin, there is only one way to construct this sentence:
雖然她唱得不好但是觀眾很喜歡｡
虽然她唱得不好但是观众很喜欢｡
Suīrán tā chàng dé bùhǎo, dànshì guānzhòng hěn xǐhuan.
Even though her singing was bad, the audience liked her.
In other words, the phrase beginning with 雖然/虽然 (suīrán) must precede the phrase which begins with 但是 (dànshì).
Connecting Words
There are several pairs of these connecting words, including:
- 雖然 ... 可是 / 虽然 ... 可是 (suīrán ... kěshì - although ... but)
- 因為 ... 所以 / 因为 ... 所以 (yīnwei ... suǒyǐ - because ... therefore)
- 要是 ... 就 (yàoshì ... jiù - if ...then)
Although the order of the connected phrases is fixed, the connecting words themselves can be omitted. Either or both connecting words can be left out, depending on the context and the speaker's preference.
Here, for example, are variations on the same sentence:
她雖然很嬌小但是力氣很大｡
她虽然很娇小但是力气很大｡
Tā suīrán hěn jiāo xiǎo, dànshì lìqi hěn dà.
Although she is very small, she is strong.
她很嬌小但是力氣很大｡
她很娇小但是力气很大｡
Tā hěn jiāo xiǎo, dànshì lìqi hěn dà.
她很嬌小力氣很大｡
她很娇小力气很大｡
Tā hěn jiāo xiǎo, lìqi hěn dà.
Note that in the examples above, 可是 (kěshì) could be used in place of 但是 (dànshì), since they both mean but.
Split Sentences Examples
Here are some more examples of split sentences:
因為她生病所以沒有來上學｡
因为她生病所以没有来上学｡
Yīnwei tā shēngbìng suǒyǐ méiyǒu lái shàngxué.
Because she is sick, she didn’t come to school.
要是你不去台北我也不去。
Yàoshì nǐ bù qù Táiběi wǒ yěbù qù.
If you dont go to Taipei, I wont either.
