你竟敢
Nǐ jìng gǎn
你竟敢 (Nǐ jìng gǎn) is the Chinese way to say "how dare you".
This phrase is used to express indignation, shock or outrage at someone's behavior or words.
Meaning: used to express indignation and shock at another person's action (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 你 (you), 竟 (unexpectedly/actually) and 敢 (to dare).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase functions as an adverbial modifier for a following verb to express shock at the audacity of the action, essentially meaning "you dare to…".
How do you pronounce it?
Nǐ jìng gǎn
Did you know?
- The character 敢 is often found in the word 胆敢 (dǎngǎn), which combines 'gall' or 'liver' with 'dare'. In Chinese culture, the liver is often associated with courage and guts.
- In some regional dialects, the tone of indignation might be expressed with a single character like 呸 (pēi), which is an onomatopoeia for spitting. It serves as a verbal way to say 'How dare you' or 'Shame on you'.
- If you are shouting 'How dare you!' at someone in a heated argument, a native speaker might simply yell 放肆 (fàngsì). This translates to 'presumptuous' or 'insolent' and is much more common in dramatic or historical contexts than the literal 'you dare'.
Examples in context
- 你竟敢這樣和我說話？How dare you speak like that to me?Tatoeba #373386 by nickyeow, translation #29969 by qdii
- 你竟敢這樣對長輩說話？！How dare you speak like that to your elders and betters!Tatoeba #469165 by nickyeow, translation #468719 by blay_paul
- 你竟敢对我撒谎？How dare you lie to me?
- 你怎敢对老师说这样的话？How dare you speak to the teacher like that?
- 你敢跟我抢吃的吗？How dare you try to take my food?
- 你點敢咁對長輩講話呀？How dare you speak to your elders like that?
- 你竟敢偷看我的日記！Nǐ jìnggǎn tōukàn wǒ de rìjì!How dare you look at my diary!
Example conversation
Two roommates are arguing in their apartment after a broken rule.
- 雨婷 Yuting你竟敢擅自用我的電腦！Nǐ jìnggǎn shànzì yòng wǒ de diànnǎo!How dare you use my computer without permission!
- 浩然 Haoran我只是想查一下資料。Wǒ zhǐshì xiǎng chá yīxià zīliào.I just wanted to look up some information.
- 雨婷 Yuting但你沒有跟我說！Dàn nǐ méiyǒu gēn wǒ shuō!But you didn't tell me!
- 浩然 Haoran對不起，我以後會說的。Duìbuqǐ, wǒ yǐhòu huì shuō de.I'm sorry, I will tell you in the future.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
