Sentence pattern · Band 2
请 and 别: please do, please do not
请 + 动词 / 别 + 动词
请 hands a request a suit and tie: 请坐 means please sit. 别 is the friendly stop sign: no more talking, no more phone. English pushes please to the front; Mandarin leaves 请 standing right before the action it dresses. And where English says please do not, Mandarin simply swaps in 别 and keeps the same short shape.
Hear it in a sentence
Mistakes people make
不 states a fact about yourself, I do not play; aimed at someone else, the friendly stop is 别.
Words in this pattern
Quick answers
What does 请、别 mean?
请 hands a request a suit and tie: 请坐 means please sit. 别 is the friendly stop sign: no more talking, no more phone. English pushes please to the front; Mandarin leaves 请 standing right before the action it dresses. And where English says please do not, Mandarin simply swaps in 别 and keeps the same short shape.
How do you build it?
请 + 动词 / 别 + 动词
What is the most common mistake?
不玩手机！ → 别玩手机！
不 states a fact about yourself, I do not play; aimed at someone else, the friendly stop is 别.
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