<blockquote>
<p><em>in sentence one shouldn't the bolded 嘲笑 have a 着 following it as he is going to say something after it?</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>[verb 1] + 着 + [verb 2] means [verb 1] and [verb 2] happen at the same time continuously (verb 2 while verb 1).</p>
<p>[verb 1] + [verb 2] means both actions happen one immediately after the other or simultaneously, but not in a continuous state</p>
<p>Examples:</p>
<p>跳着大喊 (yell while jumping)</p>
<p>跳起来大喊 (jump up and yell)</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>why it doesn't say maybe &quot;智叟听到后，感觉很惭愧&quot; or something like that.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><p>感觉很惭愧 = feel very ashamed (惭愧 here is an adjective for 'ashamed')</p>
</li>
<li><p>惭愧不已 = be ashamed greatly (惭愧 here is a verb for 'be ashamed')</p>
</li>
<li><p>不已 (can't stop) is an adverb function the same as 'very' or 'greatly'.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>You can use 十分 or  不已 as the adverb for a verb, but not at the same time, saying 十分惭愧不已  is like saying &quot;be very ashamed greatly&quot; in English</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-20T22:19:58.970Z
已means to stop. 不已 means not to stop. 慚愧不已 means not (being able) to stop feeling ashamed. I have heard of 十分慚愧 and 慚愧不已 but never 十分慚愧不已. Too wordy. I think.
joehua
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-20T22:49:58.837Z
So what is the issue here?  "be very ashamed greatly" in English is unacceptable neither
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-20T11:47:07.953Z
2020-12-20T22:50:42.140Z
2020-12-20T22:50:42.140Z
Tang Ho
<p>I was reading the story behind the idiom &quot;愚公移山&quot; and I came across these 2 lines specifically which sort of confused me with their grammar. They are:</p>
<p>1.&quot;看到愚公一家人正在挖土，云石，就<strong>嘲笑</strong>愚公说&quot;</p>
<p>and</p>
<ol start="2">
<li>&quot;智叟听后，<strong>惭愧不已</strong>&quot;</li>
</ol>
<p>In sentence one shouldn't the bolded 嘲笑 have a 着 following it as he is going to say something after it?</p>
<p>My final question is in the second sentence, because I'm not really sure of the bolded 4 characters and why it doesn't say maybe &quot;智叟听到后，感觉很惭愧&quot; or something like that.</p>
<p>I appreciate any help.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-20T02:39:11.240Z
1. “就嘲笑愚公说”, “(he/she) laughed at 愚公, saying...” 2. "不已" is an ancient chinese usage
Shaw
<grammar>
Need help understanding grammar in short text
# Need help understanding grammar in short text

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-12-20)

I was reading the story behind the idiom "愚公移山" and I came across these 2 lines specifically which sort of confused me with their grammar. They are:

1."看到愚公一家人正在挖土，云石，就**嘲笑**愚公说"

and

2. "智叟听后，**惭愧不已**"

In sentence one shouldn't the bolded 嘲笑 have a 着 following it as he is going to say something after it?

My final question is in the second sentence, because I'm not really sure of the bolded 4 characters and why it doesn't say maybe "智叟听到后，感觉很惭愧" or something like that.

I appreciate any help.

**Tags:** grammar

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 1. “就嘲笑愚公说”, “(he/she) laughed at 愚公, saying...” 2. "不已" is an ancient chinese usage  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-12-20. Score: 1

> *in sentence one shouldn't the bolded 嘲笑 have a 着 following it as he is going to say something after it?*

[verb 1] + 着 + [verb 2] means [verb 1] and [verb 2] happen at the same time continuously (verb 2 while verb 1).

[verb 1] + [verb 2] means both actions happen one immediately after the other or simultaneously, but not in a continuous state

Examples:

跳着大喊 (yell while jumping)

跳起来大喊 (jump up and yell)

> *why it doesn't say maybe "智叟听到后，感觉很惭愧" or something like that.*

* 感觉很惭愧 = feel very ashamed (惭愧 here is an adjective for 'ashamed')
* 惭愧不已 = be ashamed greatly (惭愧 here is a verb for 'be ashamed')
* 不已 (can't stop) is an adverb function the same as 'very' or 'greatly'.

You can use 十分 or 不已 as the adverb for a verb, but not at the same time, saying 十分惭愧不已 is like saying "be very ashamed greatly" in English

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: 已means to stop. 不已 means not to stop. 慚愧不已 means not (being able) to stop feeling ashamed. I have heard of 十分慚愧 and 慚愧不已 but never 十分慚愧不已. Too wordy. I think.  
> **username_2**: So what is the issue here?  "be very ashamed greatly" in English is unacceptable neither  

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