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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'to make' or 'to cause' with 令 (lìng)

    Causation

    Structure

    令 + Person + Verb/Adjective

    Explanation

    令 (lìng) means "to make" or "to cause," functioning as a formal causative verb. It is used to express that something causes a certain feeling or result, and is more literary than 让 or 使. It commonly appears in patterns like 令人 (to make people feel).

    Examples

    • 这部电影的结局令人十分感动。

      zhè bù diànyǐng de jiéjú lìngrén shífēn gǎndòng.

      The ending of this movie was very moving.

    • 他的进步速度令所有老师都感到惊讶。

      tā de jìnbù sùdù lìng suǒyǒu lǎoshī dōu gǎndào jīngyà.

      His rate of progress surprised all the teachers.

    • 这个消息令她既高兴又紧张。

      zhège xiāoxi lìng tā jì gāoxìng yòu jǐnzhāng.

      This news made her both happy and nervous.

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    Expressing 'to make' or 'to cause' with 令 (lìng) | Chinese Grammar