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Lesson

千万 (be sure to / by all means)

1. Explain it simply

千万 adds strong urgency to a request, warning or reminder.

It almost always pairs with 要 (be sure to) or 别 / 不要 (be sure not to).

Word order: Subject + 千万 + 要 / 别 / 不要 + verb phrase.

千万 is for advice and warnings, not for stating facts - you cannot say 他千万来了.

2. Show examples

路上车多,你千万要小心。

Lùshang chē duō, nǐ qiānwàn yào xiǎoxīn.

There's a lot of traffic on the road, so you must be careful.

千万 + 要 for 'be sure to'

这件事你千万别忘了。

Zhè jiàn shì nǐ qiānwàn bié wàng le.

You must not forget this matter.

千万 + 别 for 'be sure not to'

明天开会,你千万不要迟到。

Míngtiān kāihuì, nǐ qiānwàn bùyào chídào.

Sandhi:Míngtiān kāihuì, nǐ qiānwàn búyào chídào.

There's a meeting tomorrow, so you must not be late.

千万 + 不要 for a strong warning

3. Share a tip

Always keep 要, 别 or 不要 after 千万 - 千万 needs one of them to complete the warning.

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