就…而言
HSK 6- Other
Structure (结构 jiégòu)
Meaning (意思 yìsi)
就…而言 is used to limit the scope of discussion, meaning 'in terms of…' or 'as far as… is concerned'.
Explanation (解释 jiěshì)
This is a fairly formal expression used to narrow the scope of a statement, equivalent to 'in terms of…' or 'as far as… is concerned'.
You use this structure when you want to offer an opinion or comment on a specific aspect of a broader topic. The element placed between 就 and 而言 is the aspect you wish to address, while the following clause contains your comment on that aspect.
Examples (例句 lìjù)(5)
- 就我个人而言，我不同意这个计划。繁: 就我個人而言，我不同意這個計劃。Jiù wǒ gèrén ér yán, wǒ bù tóngyì zhège jìhuà.
As far as I'm concerned, I disagree with this plan.
- 就价格而言，这家餐厅很不错。繁: 就價格而言，這家餐廳很不錯。Jiù jiàgé ér yán, zhè jiā cāntīng hěn búcuò.
As for the price, this restaurant is quite good.
- 就学习汉语而言，听力最难。繁: 就學習漢語而言，聽力最難。Jiù xuéxí Hànyǔ ér yán, tīnglì zuì nán.
As far as learning Chinese is concerned, listening is the most difficult.
- 就这次考试而言，他的成绩最好。繁: 就這次考試而言，他的成績最好。Jiù zhè cì kǎoshì ér yán, tā de chéngjì zuì hǎo.
As far as this exam is concerned, his performance was the best.
- 就专业知识而言，他比我懂得多。繁: 就專業知識而言，他比我懂得多。Jiù zhuānyè zhīshi ér yán, tā bǐ wǒ dǒng de duō.
As far as professional knowledge is concerned, he understands much more than I do.
Common mistakes
- Wrong:就他的汉语水平而言，进步很快。Correct:就汉语水平而言，他进步很快。
In 就...而言, the object is the scope of discussion (HSK level), while the subject (he) belongs to the main clause.