千万(qiānwàn)
By all means / Absolutely must
Structure Pattern
Explanation
千万 (qiānwàn) literally means "ten million," but grammatically it is used as an adverb to mean "by all means" or "make sure to." It is used to strongly urge someone to do or not do something. It is almost always followed by 要 (must), 别 (don't), or 不能 (cannot).
1. Affirmative: 千万要 (qiānwàn yào)
Used to strongly remind someone: "Make sure you do this."
2. Negative: 千万别 / 千万不能 (qiānwàn bié / bùnéng)
Used to strongly warn someone: "Absolutely do not do this."
Note: You cannot use 千万 directly before a regular verb. It must be paired with an auxiliary verb of necessity or prohibition.
Example Sentences
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Míngtiān kǎoshì, nǐ qiānwàn yào zǎo diǎnr lái.
Tomorrow is the exam, make sure you come a bit early.
Zhè jiàn shì qiānwàn bié gàosu biéren.
Absolutely do not tell anyone else about this matter.
Guò mǎlù de shíhou, qiānwàn yào zhùyì ānquán.
When crossing the street, make absolutely sure to pay attention to safety.
Nǐ qiānwàn bùnéng qù nà ge dìfang.
You absolutely must not go to that place.
Common Mistakes
Common Mistake
你千万去。
Correct Usage
你千万要去。
千万 cannot directly precede an action verb. It must be followed by an auxiliary word like 要 or 别.
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