<p>I only know [不...不...]  and [半...不] , never heard of [ 倒...不...]</p>

<p>Example:</p>

<p>不男不女 (not a man nor a woman)</p>

<p>半男不女 (not fully a man, not quite a woman)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-10T04:36:25.773Z
I figured both were dialectical in use
Mou某
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-10T10:31:18.773Z
Here in Chengdu, people are used to saying 倒…不…, and it means the same as 半…不… in Mandarin.
Huang
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2017-05-10T04:33:35.797Z
2017-05-10T04:33:35.797Z
Tang Ho
<p>I've seen this mostly as dialect usage, but I'm wondering if there's a Modern Standard Mandarin (MSM) equivalent.</p>
<p><strong>倒...不...</strong> - (seemingly) neither A nor B</p>
<blockquote>
<p>倒男不女</p>
<p>倒文不武</p>
<p>倒明不白</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>半...不...</strong> - (seemingly) half A not B</p>
<blockquote>
<p>半死不活</p>
<p>半大不小</p>
<p>半生不熟</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Do similar constructs exist in MSM?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-10T04:14:51.503Z
`倒...不...` is not common in MSM, while `半...不...` is in both oral and written MSM.
halfelf
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-10T04:15:29.087Z
@halfelf is there an equivalent of `倒...不...`?
Mou某
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-10T04:26:01.300Z
`半..不..` is just the equivalent you need. They have more meaning than `neither nor` or  `half a not b` which is a literal sense. If I say someone looks `半男不女`, I mean he/she looks neither male nor female, and imply that this is disgusting for me.  If I say `半文不武`, means someone is not good in both liberal arts and military arts, and imply that looking down upon this one.  These phrases usually express a negative attitude, contempt or despising.
halfelf
<grammar><mandarin><topolect><synonyms>
Modern Standard Mandarin equivalent of the 倒...不... and 半...不... constructs?
# Modern Standard Mandarin equivalent of the 倒...不... and 半...不... constructs?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-05-10)

I've seen this mostly as dialect usage, but I'm wondering if there's a Modern Standard Mandarin (MSM) equivalent.

**倒...不...** - (seemingly) neither A nor B

> 倒男不女
>
> 倒文不武
>
> 倒明不白

**半...不...** - (seemingly) half A not B

> 半死不活
>
> 半大不小
>
> 半生不熟

Do similar constructs exist in MSM?

**Tags:** grammar, mandarin, topolect, synonyms

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: `倒...不...` is not common in MSM, while `半...不...` is in both oral and written MSM.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 is there an equivalent of `倒...不...`?  
> **username_1**: `半..不..` is just the equivalent you need. They have more meaning than `neither nor` or  `half a not b` which is a literal sense. If I say someone looks `半男不女`, I mean he/she looks neither male nor female, and imply that this is disgusting for me.  If I say `半文不武`, means someone is not good in both liberal arts and military arts, and imply that looking down upon this one.  These phrases usually express a negative attitude, contempt or despising.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-05-10. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

I only know [不...不...] and [半...不] , never heard of [ 倒...不...]

Example:

不男不女 (not a man nor a woman)

半男不女 (not fully a man, not quite a woman)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I figured both were dialectical in use  
> **username_3**: Here in Chengdu, people are used to saying 倒…不…, and it means the same as 半…不… in Mandarin.  

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