Breakdown of tā shēngbìng le, dàjiā bié ràng tā chūqù, ràng tā duō xiūxi.
他tā
he
了le
change-of-state particle
Used at the end of a sentence. Marks a change of state or new situation.
他tā
him
让ràng
to let
别bié
don't
休息xiūxi
to rest
生病shēngbìng
to get sick
大家dàjiā
everyone
出去chūqù
to go out
多duō
more
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Questions & Answers about tā shēngbìng le, dàjiā bié ràng tā chūqù, ràng tā duō xiūxi.
What does 了 do in 他生病了? Is it completion or change-of-state?
It’s the sentence-final 了 signaling a new situation/change of state: he has become sick and is now sick. It’s not the verb-completion 了. To negate this state, use 没/还没: 他没生病, 他还没生病. To ask, use 他生病了吗？
Can I say 他病了 instead of 他生病了? Any nuance?
Both are fine. 他病了 is a bit shorter and slightly more colloquial; 他生病了 is very common and neutral. Avoid 他有病 in casual speech unless you truly mean “he has an illness”; colloquially it can sound like “he’s got issues.”
How do I negate or question the first clause naturally?
- Negate: 他没生病 / 他还没生病. Don’t use 不 with 生病 for a present state.
- Ask: 他生病了吗？ or 他病了吗？
- Progressive forms like 他在生病 are not used; you’d say 他生病了 or, for being unwell, 他不太舒服.
Why is 别 used instead of 不 or 不要?
别 marks a direct negative command: “don’t …”. 不要 can also make a negative command and is often a bit softer or more formal: 大家不要让他出去. 不 is general negation and doesn’t make an imperative; 大家不让他出去 merely states a fact (“people don’t let him go out”).
What exactly does 让 mean here?
让 is a causative verb meaning “let/allow; have/make (someone) do something.” Pattern: 让 + person + VP.
- 别让他出去: don’t allow/make him go out.
- 让他多休息: have/allow him to rest more.
Why is 让 used twice? Could I drop the second 让?
You need it twice because there are two separate commands with the same causative structure. If you drop the second 让, 大家别让他出去，多休息 would mean “Everyone, don’t let him go out; [you all] rest more,” shifting the subject of “rest” to the group, not to him.
Can I use 叫 instead of 让?
Yes, 叫 often works like 让 in this causative sense, especially in spoken Mandarin: 别叫他出去，叫他多休息. 使 is much more formal and not natural here.
Why 出去 and not just 去 or 出?
出去 is a directional compound: 出 (out) + 去 (away from the speaker), meaning “go out.” 去 alone would need a destination (去外面), and 出 alone isn’t used as “go out.” Another natural option here is 别让他出门 (“don’t let him leave the house”).
What’s the difference between 出去 and 出来?
- 出去: moving outwards/away from the speaker or current location.
- 出来: moving out towards the speaker or the reference point. Here we’re preventing him from leaving (away from us), so 出去 fits.
What does 多 do in 让他多休息? Is 休息 a verb or a noun?
多 is an adverb meaning “more” modifying the verb. 休息 is primarily a verb (“to rest”) here. As a noun it appears in phrases like 休息时间 (“break time”).
Are there other natural ways to say “rest more”?
Yes:
- 让他多休息一点儿/一些 (rest a bit more)
- 让他好好休息 (have him rest well)
- 让他休息一会儿/一下 (let him rest for a while/a bit)
Why repeat 他 three times? Can I drop any of them?
Repeating 他 is normal and keeps the reference clear. You can’t drop 他 after 让 because 让 needs an explicit object: 让他…. If the context is crystal clear, you could omit the very first 他 and start with 生病了 in colloquial speech, but not in careful writing.
What role does 大家 play? Does it include the speaker? Can I omit it?
大家 addresses the group as the agent of the commands (“everyone, …”). It can include the speaker in a collective instruction, but practically it’s directed at the listeners. You may omit it and say 别让他出去，让他多休息, which still reads as an instruction to whoever is present.
How can I make the commands softer or more polite?
Add particles or hedges:
- 大家别让他出去，让他多休息吧。 (soft suggestion)
- 请大家别让他出去。 (please)
- 最好别让他出去，还是让他多休息吧。 (it’s best not to…, let’s…)
Does 别让他出去 mean “don’t let him go out” or “don’t make him go out”?
It can mean either “don’t allow him to go out” or “don’t cause him to go out.” Context usually clarifies. Here it’s about not allowing him outside because he’s sick.
Can I use 给 to mean “let/allow,” like 别给他出去?
No. 给 doesn’t work that way. Use 让/叫 for “let/have someone do something.” You can say 不给他出去 only in very specific dialectal or clipped contexts; standard Mandarin uses 不让他出去.
Any pronunciation pitfalls in this sentence?
- 大家: dàjiā
- 生病: shēngbìng
- 别: bié
- 让: ràng
- 出去: chūqù (many say chūqu with a neutral second syllable; standard dictionaries allow qù as 4th)
- 休息: xiūxi (second syllable is usually neutral, not xí)
Can I use 在 with 生病 or 休息?
- With 生病: not normally; you say 他生病了 or 他病了, not 他在生病.
- With 休息: yes for an ongoing action: 他在休息 / 他正在休息.