表扬 · 批评 · 选 · 叫作
praise or blame someone for something; choose someone as …; call A “B”
Structure
主语 + 表扬／批评 + 人 + 做了什么 · 主语 + 选 + 人 + 做／当／为 + 身份 · 把 A 叫作 B
What it means
表扬 praises and 批评 criticises someone for something they did. 选 chooses someone for a role, and 把 A 叫作 B gives A the name B.
How it is built
Subject + 表扬／批评 + person + what they did: 老师表扬他汉字写得很好 (the teacher praised him for writing characters well). Subject + 选 + person + 当／做／为 + role. 把 A 叫作 B.
When to use it
The person in the middle is both the one praised or blamed and the one who did it, so no 因为 is needed: 经理表扬他工作认真. 批评 also covers a mild telling-off: 妈妈批评我回家太晚. 选……为 sounds more formal than 选……当.
Watch out
After 选, the new role follows 当, 做 or 为, never 是: ✗ 同学们选李月是班长。 ✓ 同学们选李月当班长。 After 表扬／批评 just add what the person did; no 因为 is needed.
Examples
老师表扬他汉字写得很好。
The teacher praised him for writing characters well.
妈妈批评我回家太晚。
Mum told me off for coming home too late.
同学们选李月当班长。
The class chose Li Yue as class monitor.
人们把这种工作时间叫作“996”。
People call these working hours “996”.
Learn this in HSK 4 · Lesson 6: 面试 (The job interview)
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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