HSK 6 grammar · new HSK syllabus
不禁, 特意, 赶忙, 偷偷: manner adverbs
不禁 = can’t help (doing); 特意 = specially; 赶忙 = hurriedly; 偷偷 = secretly.
Structure
- Subject + 不禁 / 特意 / 赶忙 / 偷偷 + verb
How it works
不禁 shows a reaction you couldn’t hold back: 看到这张照片，我不禁笑了.
特意 (or 特地) means you did something on purpose for a particular reason: 我特意为你准备了礼物.
赶忙 means doing something at once, in a hurry. 偷偷 means secretly.
Examples
-
听到这个消息，她不禁流下了眼泪。
Hearing the news, she couldn’t hold back her tears.
-
他特意从北京赶来参加我的婚礼。
He came all the way from Beijing especially for my wedding.
-
看见老师进来，学生们赶忙坐好。
When the teacher came in, the students hurried to their seats.
-
孩子偷偷地把糖藏了起来。
The child secretly hid the sweets.
-
想起小时候的事，他不禁笑了起来。
Thinking back to his childhood, he couldn’t help laughing.
Words in these examples (39)
| 听 | tīng | to listen; to hear | HSK 1 |
| 到 | dào | to arrive; to go to | HSK 1 |
| 这个 | zhège | this one | HSK 1 |
| 消息 | xiāoxi | news; message | HSK 4 |
| 她 | tā | she; her | HSK 1 |
| 不禁 | bùjīn | can't help (doing sth); can't refrain from | HSK 6 |
| 流 | liú | to flow | HSK 4 |
| 下 | xià | down; below; to go down; to get off; next | HSK 1 |
| 了 | le | (particle marking a completed action or a change) | HSK 1 |
| 眼泪 | yǎnlèi | tear; teardrop | HSK 5 |
| 他 | tā | he; him | HSK 1 |
| 特意 | tèyì | specially; intentionally | HSK 6 |
| 从 | cóng | from | HSK 2 |
| 赶 | gǎn | to hurry; to rush | HSK 4 |
| 来 | lái | to come | HSK 1 |
| 参加 | cānjiā | to take part in; to join | HSK 3 |
| 我 | wǒ | I; me | HSK 1 |
| 的 | de | (particle linking a describer to a noun, like "'s") | HSK 1 |
| 婚礼 | hūnlǐ | wedding ceremony; wedding | HSK 5 |
| 看见 | kànjiàn | to see; to catch sight of | HSK 1 |
| 老师 | lǎoshī | teacher | HSK 1 |
| 进来 | jìnlái | to come in | HSK 2 |
| 学生 | xuéshēng | student | HSK 1 |
| 们 | men | (plural ending for people, as in 我们) | HSK 1 |
| 赶忙 | gǎnmáng | to hurry; to hasten; to make haste | HSK 6 |
| 坐 | zuò | to sit; to take (bus, plane) | HSK 1 |
| 好 | hǎo | good; well | HSK 1 |
| 孩子 | háizi | child | HSK 1 |
| 偷偷 | tōutōu | stealthily; secretly; covertly | HSK 6 |
| 地 | de | (particle before a verb, like English "-ly") | HSK 2 |
| 把 | bǎ | (marks the object before the verb: 把书放好); (measure word for chairs, umbrellas) | HSK 3 |
| 糖 | táng | sugar; sweets | HSK 3 |
| 藏 | cáng | to conceal; to hide away; to harbor | HSK 5 |
| 起来 | qǐlái | to get up; to stand up | HSK 2 |
| 想 | xiǎng | to want to; to think; to miss | HSK 1 |
| 起 | qǐ | to rise; to start | HSK 3 |
| 小时候 | xiǎoshíhou | when (someone) was little | HSK 2 |
| 事 | shì | matter; thing (to do) | HSK 1 |
| 笑 | xiào | to laugh; to smile | HSK 2 |
Common mistakes
-
✗我不禁不笑。
✓我不禁笑了。
不禁 already means “couldn’t help”; no second 不.
-
✗他特意迟到了。
✓他故意迟到了。
特意 is for doing something kind on purpose; for something bad, use 故意.
Check yourself
Choose the word that fills the gap.
1. 看到这么美的风景，大家 叫了起来。
2. 为了你的生日，我 做了一个蛋糕。
3. 电话响了，他 跑过去接。