Manner Adverbs: 互相, 尽量, 亲自
Manner adverbs go before a verb to say how the action is done. At HSK 3 the four to know are 互相 (each other), 相互 (mutual, more formal), 尽量 (as far as possible) and 亲自 (in person).
尽量 (jǐnliàng) "as much as possible" — before the verb, common in requests and plans. 请尽量早点儿来。(Please come as early as possible.) Fixed pattern: 尽量 + 不要/少 + V = "try as hard as you can not to / to do less of..."
亲自 (qīnzì) "in person, personally" — stresses the subject does something themselves instead of delegating it. 他亲自去机场接朋友。(He went to the airport himself.)
Note: before a noun (as an attribute with 的), use 相互 instead of 互相 — 相互关系, not 互相的关系.
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 我们互相帮助。 | Wǒmen hùxiāng bāngzhù. | We help each other. | Base pattern: plural subject + 互相 + verb, object dropped. |
| 请大家尽量准时到教室。 | Qǐng dàjiā jǐnliàng zhǔnshí dào jiàoshì. | Please everyone try to arrive at the classroom on time. | 尽量 added before a verb phrase inside a polite request. |
| 经理亲自给每位客人倒了茶。 | Jīnglǐ qīnzì gěi měi wèi kèrén dàole chá. | The manager personally poured tea for every guest. | 亲自 + 给...倒了 shows the subject performing the action directly, not through someone else. |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
互相 (hù xiāng)
Means each other, for an action both sides do to one another.
Structure: Subject (two sides) + 互相 + verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我们互相学习，一起进步。 | Wǒ men hù xiāng xué xí, yì qǐ jìn bù. | We learn from each other and improve together. |
| 他们俩互相看了一眼，笑了。 | Tā men liǎ hù xiāng kàn le yì yǎn, xiào le. | The two of them looked at each other and smiled. |
| 同事们应该互相尊重。 | Tóng shì men yīng gāi hù xiāng zūn zhòng. | Colleagues should respect each other. |
Not: 我们互相帮助对方。 互相 already means each other, so no object like 对方 follows.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 4, adverbs (方式副词).
尽量 (jǐn liàng)
Means as far as possible, doing something to the greatest extent you can.
Structure: Subject + 尽量 + verb phrase
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 明天请大家尽量早一点来。 | Míng tiān qǐng dà jiā jǐn liàng zǎo yì diǎn lái. | Please try to come a little earlier tomorrow, everyone. |
| 我会尽量多吃蔬菜。 | Wǒ huì jǐn liàng duō chī shū cài. | I will try to eat more vegetables. |
| 他说话时尽量用简单的词。 | Tā shuō huà shí jǐn liàng yòng jiǎn dān de cí. | He tries to use simple words when he speaks. |
Not: 我尽量不能迟到。 尽量 does not combine with 不能; say 我尽量不迟到.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 5, adverbs (方式副词).
亲自 (qīn zì)
Means in person, doing something yourself instead of sending someone.
Structure: Subject + 亲自 + verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 王经理亲自去机场接客人了。 | Wáng jīng lǐ qīn zì qù jī chǎng jiē kè rén le. | Manager Wang went to the airport to meet the guests in person. |
| 这件事我要亲自跟他谈。 | Zhè jiàn shì wǒ yào qīn zì gēn tā tán. | I will talk to him about this myself. |
| 这个蛋糕是妈妈亲自做的。 | Zhè gè dàn gāo shì mā mā qīn zì zuò de. | Mum made this cake herself. |
Not: 孩子亲自吃饭了。 亲自 stresses doing it in person where one could send others; for a child eating by himself say 自己吃饭.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 5, adverbs (方式副词).
相互 (xiāng hù)
Means mutual, a bit more formal than 互相 and able to modify nouns.
Structure: 相互 + verb, or 相互 + 的 + noun
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 同学之间要相互关心。 | Tóng xué zhī jiān yào xiāng hù guān xīn. | Classmates should care about each other. |
| 这两件事相互影响。 | Zhè liǎng jiàn shì xiāng hù yǐng xiǎng. | These two things affect each other. |
| 他们相互交换了电话号码。 | Tā men xiāng hù jiāo huàn le diàn huà hào mǎ. | They exchanged phone numbers with each other. |
Not: 我相互帮助他。 相互 needs two sides acting on each other; for one-way help say 我帮助他.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 4, adverbs (方式副词).
Compared side by side: 互相 vs 相互.
Questions about Manner Adverbs
What does 方式副词 (Manner Adverbs) mean in Chinese?
Manner adverbs go before a verb to say how the action is done. At HSK 3 the four to know are 互相 (each other), 相互 (mutual, more formal), 尽量 (as far as possible) and 亲自 (in person). It is an HSK 3 grammar point.
How do you use 方式副词 (Manner Adverbs) in a sentence?
我们互相帮助。 — Wǒmen hùxiāng bāngzhù. — We help each other. Base pattern: plural subject + 互相 + verb, object dropped.
Where does 方式副词 (Manner Adverbs) come in the HSK sequence?
HSK 3, and none of its prerequisites are grammar points — nothing else on this reference has to come first, so you can start here.
What is the difference between 互相 and 相互?
They mean nearly the same. 互相 is the common spoken form and only goes before a verb. 相互 is more written and can also modify a noun, as in 相互关系.
Can I use 亲自 for any person?
Yes, but it carries the idea that you could have asked someone else. 老板亲自开车去接我 shows that the boss did it himself.
Manner Adverbs is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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