🌟 Mastering the 偏正复句 (Subordinate Complex Sentences) 🌟

Hello future language masters! Welcome to a crucial chapter in advanced Chinese grammar: the 复句 (Complex Sentence). You’ve already learned about basic sentences (单句), but to write fluently and score highly in your exams, you need to master complex structures.

This section focuses on the 偏正复句 (Piān Zhèng Fù Jù), or the Subordinate Complex Sentence. These sentences are essential because they allow you to express sophisticated logic—cause and effect, conditions, hypotheses, and contrasts—making your writing much deeper and more persuasive.

What is a 偏正复句? The 'Uneven' Relationship

Before diving into 偏正复句, let’s quickly remember that a 复句 is a sentence containing two or more clauses (or sub-sentences).

In the previous section, you learned about 并列复句 (Coordinating Complex Sentences), where the clauses are equal (e.g., A and B happened).

The 偏正复句 is fundamentally different: the clauses are unequal. One clause depends on or explains the other.

Analogy: The Train Engine and the Carriages

Imagine a train:

  • The 正句 (Zhèng Jù) is the Main Clause or the train engine. It carries the primary meaning and can often stand alone as a complete sentence.
  • The 偏句 (Piān Jù) is the Subordinate Clause or the attached carriage. It modifies, restricts, explains the condition for, or provides the reason for the main clause. It cannot stand alone.

Key Takeaway: In a 偏正复句, the 偏句 tells us when, why, how, or under what condition the action in the 正句 occurs.


Structure of the 偏正复句

These sentences rely heavily on correlative conjunctions (关联词), which usually appear in pairs: one in the 偏句 and one in the 正句.

Structure: (Conjunction 1 + 偏句) + (Conjunction 2 + 正句)

Example: [因为] (他生病了 – (Pian Ju)), [所以] (他没来上课 – (Zheng Ju))。


Types of 偏正复句 and Their Key Conjunctions

There are four major relationship types that fall under 偏正复句. Mastering these relationships is crucial for high-level writing.

1. 因果关系 (Yīn Guǒ Guān Xi) – Causal Relationship

This is the most common type. The 偏句 states the cause or reason (因), and the 正句 states the result or effect (果).

Common Conjunction Pairs (关联词)
  • 因为 (Yīn Wèi, Because) … 所以 (Suǒ Yǐ, Therefore/So) …
  • 由于 (Yóu Yú, Owing to) … 因此/所以 (Yīn Cǐ / Suǒ Yǐ, Thus/Therefore) …
Examples:

因为交通堵塞，所以我上班迟到了。
(Because of the traffic jam, therefore I was late for work.)

由于她提前准备充分，因此她在考试中表现出色。

(Owing to her sufficient early preparation, therefore she performed excellently in the exam.)

⚠️ Common Mistake to Avoid:

In English, we often say "Because A, B." In Chinese, it is common to use both 因为 and 所以 in the same sentence structure to clearly mark the beginning of the cause and the result. Using only one (e.g., only 因为) is grammatically acceptable but less formal and less effective in academic writing.

2. 条件关系 (Tiáo Jiàn Guān Xi) – Conditional Relationship

The 偏句 sets a necessary condition or prerequisite (条件), and the 正句 describes the result that follows once that condition is met.

Common Conjunction Pairs (关联词)
  • 只要 (Zhǐ Yào, As long as) … 就 (Jiù, Then) … (Sufficient Condition)
  • 只有 (Zhǐ Yǒu, Only if) … 才 (Cái, Then and only then) … (Necessary Condition)
  • 无论/不论/不管 (Wú Lùn, No matter how/what) … 都/总 (Dōu / Zǒng, Always/All) … (Unconditional)
Understanding 只要 vs. 只有 (Crucial Distinction)

This is often where students get confused!

  • 只要…就…: Means the condition is sufficient. A simple requirement is met, and the result follows. (If you just do A, B will happen.)
    Example: 只要天气好，就可以去户外活动。 (As long as the weather is good, we can go out.)
  • 只有…才…: Means the condition is necessary. This is the only way to achieve the result. (You must do A to achieve B.)
    Example: 只有努力练习，才能掌握这项技能。 (Only by practicing hard can one master this skill.)

Memory Aid: Think of 才 (Cái) as implying difficulty or exclusivity—it only happens after a specific effort or condition is met.

3. 假设关系 (Jiǎ Shè Guān Xi) – Hypothetical Relationship

The 偏句 states a hypothesis (an imagined or unreal situation), and the 正句 states the expected outcome if that hypothesis were true.

Common Conjunction Pairs (关联词)
  • 如果/假如 (Rú Guǒ / Jiǎ Rú, If/Supposing) … 就/那么 (Jiù / Nà Me, Then) …
  • 即使/就是 (Jí Shǐ / Jiù Shì, Even if) … 也/还 (Yě / Hái, Still/Also) …
Examples:

假如我中了彩票，那么我会环游世界。
(If I won the lottery, then I would travel the world.)

即使她遇到困难，她也不会放弃。
(Even if she encounters difficulties, she still won’t give up.)

Did you know? In speech, 如果 (if) is often dropped, leaving just the second conjunction 就 or 那么 to signal the structure. E.g., 你来，我就告诉你。 (If you come, I'll tell you.)

4. 转折关系 (Zhuǎn Zhé Guān Xi) – Concessive/Adversative Relationship

The 偏句 introduces a situation or fact (often setting up an expectation), but the 正句 presents an outcome that is unexpected, contrasting, or contrary to the expectation.

Common Conjunction Pairs (关联词)
  • 虽然/尽管 (Suī Rán / Jǐn Guǎn, Although/Even though) … 但是/可是/却 (Dàn Shì / Kě Shì / Què, But/Yet) …
Examples:

虽然这部电影评分很高，但是我个人觉得有点无聊。
(Although this movie scored highly, personally I feel it is a bit boring.)

尽管他年纪很小，却能说一口流利的中文。
(Even though he is very young, he can speak fluent Chinese.)

Quick Tip: In modern formal writing, 尽管…却… often sounds stronger and more sophisticated than 虽然…但是….


🧠 Quick Review Box: Essential Conjunctions 🧠

Memorizing these pairs is the fastest way to recognize and correctly use 偏正复句:

关系类型 (Relationship Type) | 偏句 Conjunction (Subordinate) | 正句 Conjunction (Main)
  • 因果 (Causal) | 因为 / 由于 | 所以 / 因此
  • 条件 (Conditional - Sufficient) | 只要 | 就
  • 条件 (Conditional - Necessary) | 只有 | 才
  • 假设 (Hypothetical) | 如果 / 假如 | 就 / 那么
  • 转折 (Concessive) | 虽然 / 尽管 | 但是 / 却

Accessibility Feature: Identifying the 正句 and 偏句

Don't worry if identifying which clause is the 偏句 and which is the 正句 seems tricky at first. Here is a simple step-by-step process:

Step 1: Locate the Conjunctions

Find the two parts of the correlative conjunction pair (e.g., 虽然...但是).

Step 2: Identify the Relationship

Determine what kind of relationship is being expressed (e.g., contrast, cause, condition).

Step 3: Test for Independence

Mentally remove the first clause (the one starting with the reason/condition/hypothesis word). Can the second clause stand on its own?

Example Sentence: 由于雨下得很大，所以街道上积水了。
1. First clause: 由于雨下得很大 (The reason) 2. Second clause: 街道上积水了 (The result) 3. Test: 街道上积水了 (The street has standing water) is a complete thought.
Conclusion: The clause that expresses the main idea (积水了) is the 正句. The clause that provides the background (雨下得很大) is the 偏句.

Key Takeaway for Exam Success

When you are asked to analyze complex grammar or structure, clearly identify the 关系类型 (e.g., Causal relationship) and the 关联词 used. Using 偏正复句 correctly in your written work demonstrates advanced competency, fulfilling the requirements for higher marks in language use.