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HSK 6 Special structures (把 · 被 · 是…的 · 让)

不无 …

Not without (some) (不无)

Structure 不无 + disyllabic abstract noun (不无道理 / 不无遗憾 / 不无关系)

不无 (bù wú) is a literary, lexicalised litotes: the double negative "not without" makes a guarded, understated assertion. 他的话不无道理 = "what he says is not without reason", i.e. "there's something to it", said cautiously. It is followed by a disyllabic abstract noun (道理 reason, 遗憾 regret, 益处 benefit, 关系 connection) and appears mainly in essays and commentary, when the writer wants to concede a point without fully committing. It is distinctly written; in everyday speech one would say 有点道理 or 有一定道理.

Examples

  • 他tā的de批pī评píng不bù无wú道dào理lǐ,值zhí得dé我wǒ们men反fǎn思sī。

    His criticism is not without merit and warrants our reflection.

  • 没méi能néng见jiàn他tā最zuì后hòu一yī面miàn,我wǒ至zhì今jīn不bù无wú遗yí憾hàn。

    Not having been able to see him one last time still leaves me with some regret.

  • 这zhè项xiàng政zhèng策cè的de出chū台tái,与yǔ当dāng时shí的de经jīng济jì形xíng势shì不bù无wú关guān系xì。

    The introduction of this policy was not unrelated to the economic climate of the time.

  • 适shì度dù的de压yā力lì对duì成chéng长zhǎng不bù无wú益yì处chù。

    Moderate pressure is not without its benefits for growth.

Levels are indicative: they follow the standard Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning) progression, not an official HSK 3.0 mapping. We never assign levels by eye.

This point and the other 370, with audio on every example, inside Wanyu.

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