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令人 + 心理动词 + 的是,…

what is (most) moving / sad / regrettable is that …

Structure
(最/更)令人 感动/心酸/遗憾/欣慰 的是 ,事实

What it means

Puts the writer's feeling first and the fact after the comma: 'What is (most) moving / sad / regrettable is that …'. 令人 means 'makes one feel'.

How it is built

(最/更) + 令人 + feeling word (感动, 心酸, 遗憾, 欣慰, 担忧…) + 的是,+ fact: 令人欣慰的是,受伤的游客都脱离了危险 (Thankfully, the injured tourists are all out of danger).

When to use it

Written: news, reviews, essays. 令 is the formal 让 or 使; in speech say 让人…的是. Put 最 or 更 in front to rank the feeling (最令人感动的是, 更令人担忧的是). Use sparingly: it steers the reader's feelings.

Watch out

Keep 的是 before the comma, and put no subject in front. ✗ 令人遗憾,他没来。 ✓ 令人遗憾的是,他没来。 ✗ 我令人感动的是… ✓ 最令人感动的是…

Examples

最令人心酸的是,她很少直接诉说自己的悲伤。
Most heartbreaking of all, she seldom speaks of her grief directly.
令人遗憾的是,这位老作家没能看到自己的新书出版。
Sadly, the old writer did not live to see her new book come out.
令人欣慰的是,受伤的游客都已经脱离了危险。
Thankfully, the injured tourists are all out of danger.
Learn this in Lesson 253 · HSK 9+: 杨绛《我们仨》 (Yang Jiang’s We Three)
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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