无非 (nothing but / merely) · Wúfēi (nada más que / simplemente)
A simple motive replaces a dramatic guess
- Someone suspects a complicated plan. A friend offers a simpler explanation.
- 他无非是想帮你。 — The friend reduces the motive to wanting to help.
A simple motive replaces a dramatic guess
- Someone suspects a complicated plan. A friend offers a simpler explanation.
- he / him他only无非to be / is是want / think / miss想to help帮you你。 — The friend reduces the motive to wanting to help.
Locate the pattern in real examples
- 无非 (nothing but / merely): 他这么做,无非是想帮你。; 大家聊的无非是工作和孩子。
- Read the whole clause before choosing a translation. The examples show the pattern in use; the context below determines what the speaker claims.
Locate the pattern in real examples
- only无非 (nothing but / merely): he / him他so much这么to make做,only无非to be / is是want / think / miss想to help帮you你。; everyone大家to chat聊(of / 's)的only无非to be / is是to work工作and / with和child孩子。
- Read the whole clause before choosing a translation. The examples show the pattern in use; the context below determines what the speaker claims.
Someone suspects a complicated plan. A friend offers a simpler explanation. What does 他无非是想帮你。 communicate?
The friend reduces the motive to wanting to help. This is the speaker's interpretation, not proof of the person's real intention. 无非 can describe more than one item: 无非是工作和学习.
Follow the speaker
he他merely无非is是want想help帮you你。
- In the opening situation: 他无非是想帮你。
- The friend reduces the motive to wanting to help.
Follow the speaker
he他merely无非is是want想help帮you你。
- In the opening situation: he / him他only无非to be / is是want / think / miss想to help帮you你。
- The friend reduces the motive to wanting to help.
Using the pattern named in this lesson: He merely wants to help you: 他 ____ 是想帮你。
无非 + 是 + … = nothing but / merely: 无非是想帮你.
无非 reduces things to “no more than X”.
Yes — “nothing but / merely”.
Check the limit of the explanation
- This is the speaker's interpretation, not proof of the person's real intention.
- 无非 can describe more than one item: 无非是工作和学习.
Check the limit of the explanation
- This is the speaker's interpretation, not proof of the person's real intention.
- only无非 can describe more than one item: only无非to be / is是to work工作and / with和to learn学习.
无非 proves the true motive without further evidence.
This is the speaker's interpretation, not proof of the person's real intention. 无非 can describe more than one item: 无非是工作和学习. The friend reduces the motive to wanting to help.
Repair the form before interpreting it
- The form 无了非是想帮你 needs repair here. Write 无非是想帮你 instead; keep the word or frame in its demonstrated order.
- Form and meaning are separate checks. After the repair, explain the sentence in its situation rather than treating a familiar translation as a universal rule.
Repair the form before interpreting it
- The form not to have无(completed / change)了to not be非to be / is是want / think / miss想to help帮you你 needs repair here. Write only无非to be / is是want / think / miss想to help帮you你 instead; keep the word or frame in its demonstrated order.
- Form and meaning are separate checks. After the repair, explain the sentence in its situation rather than treating a familiar translation as a universal rule.
Rewrite the demonstrated repair exactly: 无了非是想帮你
The demonstrated form is 无非是想帮你. The friend reduces the motive to wanting to help.
Keep the distinction
- The friend reduces the motive to wanting to help. Check the relevant speaker, time or group in the surrounding context.
- This is the speaker's interpretation, not proof of the person's real intention. 无非 can describe more than one item: 无非是工作和学习.
Read the full reference: HSK 6 grammar — Adverbs.
Keep the distinction
- The friend reduces the motive to wanting to help. Check the relevant speaker, time or group in the surrounding context.
- This is the speaker's interpretation, not proof of the person's real intention. only无非 can describe more than one item: only无非to be / is是to work工作and / with和to learn学习.
Read the full reference: HSK 6 grammar — Adverbs.
无非 plays the matter…
无非是些小事 = it's nothing but trifles.