Help! Confused by 易...易 usage
dusg123
June 19, 2011, 12:59 PM posted in Grammar QuestionsHi all,
I've noticed the 易...易 structure a few times over the past week, for example in the warning signs on the insides of elevators: "严禁携带易燃易爆物品乘电梯.”
I understand that it means “strictly forbidden to carry flammables and explosives on the elevator.” But does the structure of易...易 just mean “either… or,” or is it used to make lists, or is there some other usage I’m missing?
Thank you in advance!
dusg123
I have seen it in other contexts, but I can't think of any off the top of my head. Let's wait and see if we can get a native speaker (or advanced student) to anwers.
jennyzhu
orangina is correct. 易...易 is not a grammar structure. Rather the word "易" mean "easily". 易燃, 易爆 are 2 separate words which often appear together. They are also one of the most common words using 易. Other words include 易懂，易接受，易学，易操作, etc。
pradam
June 19, 2011, 05:22 PMI think that orangina's comment is correct, especially because 易 serves the same function in 容易. Namely, reinforcing the "---able" meaning of "容“ which by itself is a general verb "look, hold, contain". My dictionary also defines 易 as "change" (as it means in 易经) or easy/simple. The conflated ideas of 易爆 seem to make sense in that context.
dusg123
June 21, 2011, 02:47 PMThank you very much for the thoughtful answers! Good to know... I was completely on the wrong track.
orangina
June 19, 2011, 03:15 PMI wouldn't interpret that as a grammar pattern... unless you have some other examples. If you look at 易燃 and 易爆 separatly it seems to me the 易 means "---able" and "---ive". That is, it changes to burn into easily burnable (flammable) and explode into easily explodable (explosive.)
I may be wrong, that is just my take.