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Fun Stuff (Beginner)
Does It Have Anything to Do with Nature?
The Easiest Way to Learn Chinese – How to Use “自然 (Zìrán)” in Daily Conversation
Mike always fails in his Chinese exams. But he got 89 in the latest mid-term exam. His teacher, suspicious that Mike had cheated in the exam, asked him directly whether he had cheated on the exam. He denied it. But his teacher noticed Mike’s awkward look and said “一个人撒了谎，表情自然就会不自然。(Yí ge rén sā le huǎng, biǎoqíng zìrán jiù huì bú zìran.)” Mike got very confused and thought, “Does whether I cheated on the exam or not have anything to do with nature?”
To understand what had confused Mike we need to learn about the meaning of “自然 (zìrán).” Basically, “自然 (zìrán) ” can be used as a noun, an adverb or an adjective.
When “自然 (zìrán) ” is used as a noun, it refers to “nature.”
Example:
Pá shān shì qīnjìn dà zìrán de yì zhǒng hǎo fāngshì.
爬 山 是 亲近 大 自然 的 一 种 好 方式。
Mountain climbing is a good way to get close to nature.
When自然 (zìrán) is used as an adverb. It means “naturally; of course; as a matter of course.”
Example:
Tā shàng ge yuè gāng diū le gōngzuò, xīnqíng zìrán dīluò le.
他 上 个 月 刚 丢 了 工作， 心情 自然 低落 了。
He lost his job last month, naturally he has been depressed recently.
Tā shì Píngguǒ de tiěgǎn fěnsī, yīncǐ Qiáobùsī de sǐ zìrán ràng tā fēicháng shāngxīn.
她 是 苹果 的 铁杆 粉丝，因此 乔布斯 的 死 自然 让 她 非常 伤心。
She is a die-hard fan of Apple. That’s why she was so sad when Steve Jobs passed away.
"自然 (Zìrán)" can also be used as an adjective which means “at ease; natural; without (the slightest) strain.”
Example:
Shàng cì yǎnchū de shíhou, tā de shēngyīn bú gòu fàngsōng, xiǎn de hěn bú zìran.
上 次 演出 的 时候，他 的 声音 不 够 放松， 显 得 很 不 自然。
His voice was rigid, not relaxed in his last performance.
Chéngwéi dàjiā zhùyì de jiāodiǎn ràng tā gǎnjué hěn bú zìran.
成为 大家 注意 的 焦点 让 他 感觉 很 不 自然。
He felt acutely embarrassed at being the centre of attention.
So when the teacher said, “一个人撒了谎，表情自然就会不自然。(Yí ge rén sā le huǎng, biǎoqíng zìrán jiù huì bú zìran.)” He wanted to express “When someone tells a lie, he will naturally have an awkward look.”
Mike always fails in his Chinese exams. But he got 89 in the latest mid-term exam. His teacher, suspicious that Mike had cheated in the exam, asked him directly whether he had cheated on the exam. He denied it. But his teacher noticed Mike’s awkward look and said “一个人撒了谎，表情自然就会不自然。(Yí ge rén sā le huǎng, biǎoqíng zìrán jiù huì bú zìran.)” Mike got very confused and thought, “Does whether I cheated on the exam or not have anything to do with nature?”
To understand what had confused Mike we need to learn about the meaning of “自然 (zìrán).” Basically, “自然 (zìrán) ” can be used as a noun, an adverb or an adjective.
When “自然 (zìrán) ” is used as a noun, it refers to “nature.”
Example:
Pá shān shì qīnjìn dà zìrán de yì zhǒng hǎo fāngshì.
爬 山 是 亲近 大 自然 的 一 种 好 方式。
Mountain climbing is a good way to get close to nature.
When自然 (zìrán) is used as an adverb. It means “naturally; of course; as a matter of course.”
Example:
Tā shàng ge yuè gāng diū le gōngzuò, xīnqíng zìrán dīluò le.
他 上 个 月 刚 丢 了 工作， 心情 自然 低落 了。
He lost his job last month, naturally he has been depressed recently.
Tā shì Píngguǒ de tiěgǎn fěnsī, yīncǐ Qiáobùsī de sǐ zìrán ràng tā fēicháng shāngxīn.
她 是 苹果 的 铁杆 粉丝，因此 乔布斯 的 死 自然 让 她 非常 伤心。
She is a die-hard fan of Apple. That’s why she was so sad when Steve Jobs passed away.
"自然 (Zìrán)" can also be used as an adjective which means “at ease; natural; without (the slightest) strain.”
Example:
Shàng cì yǎnchū de shíhou, tā de shēngyīn bú gòu fàngsōng, xiǎn de hěn bú zìran.
上 次 演出 的 时候，他 的 声音 不 够 放松， 显 得 很 不 自然。
His voice was rigid, not relaxed in his last performance.
Chéngwéi dàjiā zhùyì de jiāodiǎn ràng tā gǎnjué hěn bú zìran.
成为 大家 注意 的 焦点 让 他 感觉 很 不 自然。
He felt acutely embarrassed at being the centre of attention.
So when the teacher said, “一个人撒了谎，表情自然就会不自然。(Yí ge rén sā le huǎng, biǎoqíng zìrán jiù huì bú zìran.)” He wanted to express “When someone tells a lie, he will naturally have an awkward look.”
