Time adverbs: 渐渐/逐渐/及时/立刻
| 副词 | 读音 | 意思 | 语体 | 要点 | |------|------|------|------|------| | 渐渐 | jiàn jiàn | gradually | 口/书 | 自然变化，偏口语 | | 逐渐 | zhú jiàn | gradually | 书面 | 系统进展，偏书面 | | 及时 | jí shí | in time / timely | 两者 | 在问题变大前完成 | | 立刻 | l…
渐渐 vs 逐渐: 意思基本相同；渐渐更口语化，逐渐更正式。
及时 vs 立刻: 及时 = done before it was too late; 立刻 = without any delay at all.
✅ 天气渐渐暖了。(Natural change)
✅ 逐渐适应了新环境。(Systematic adaptation)
✅ 你及时通知了我，谢谢。(Before too late)
✅ 他立刻跑了过来。(No delay at all)
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 搬到南方以后，她渐渐习惯了那里潮湿的气候。 | Bān dào nán fāng yǐ hòu, tā jiàn jiàn xí guàn le nà lǐ cháo shī de qì hòu. | After moving to the south, she gradually got used to the humid climate there. | 渐渐 (gradually) — describes a natural, organic process of adaptation; colloquial register |
| 随着练习增加，她的发音逐渐变得标准起来。 | Suí zhe liàn xí zēng jiā, tā de fā yīn zhú jiàn biàn de biāo zhǔn qǐ lái. | As practice increased, her pronunciation gradually became standard. | 逐渐 (gradually) — formal register; common in written Chinese and paired with 随着 |
| 他及时发现了电脑的问题，没有造成更大的损失。 | Tā jí shí fā xiàn le diàn nǎo de wèn tí, méi yǒu zào chéng gèng dà de sǔn shī. | He discovered the computer problem in time, preventing greater losses. | 及时 (timely) — action completed before consequences got worse; different from 立刻 (no delay) |
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
The same pattern at other levels
- Time Adverbs — HSK 2
- Time Adverbs — HSK 3
- Time Adverbs — HSK 5
Time 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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