A＋比＋名词＋还＋名词
A out-Xs X itself; more X than X
Structure
A ＋ 比 ＋ 名词 ＋ 还 ＋ 同一个名词
What it means
A out-Xs X itself: the noun after 还 repeats the noun after 比 and stands for the quality everyone links with it (小说 = twists and turns).
How it is built
A + 比 + noun + 还 + same noun: 他说话比北京人还北京人 (He talks more like a Beijinger than a Beijinger does).
When to use it
Lively and a little humorous: speech, reviews and headlines. It builds on 比…还… (lesson 2-8) and only works with a noun that has an obvious typical quality.
Watch out
Don’t change the second noun: ✗比小说还故事 ✓比小说还小说. As in lesson 2-8, 还 here is not “still”: it means “even more”.
Examples
这块头骨的身世比小说还小说。
The skull’s life story reads more like a novel than a novel does.
他在北京才住了五年，说话却比北京人还北京人。
He has only lived in Beijing for five years, but he talks more like a Beijinger than a Beijinger.
我那位邻居管孩子比老师还老师，作业一个字一个字地检查。
My neighbour is more of a teacher than a teacher with her children: she checks their homework word by word.
Learn this in Lesson 125 · HSK 7–9: 哈尔滨头骨之谜 (Interview: the Harbin skull)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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