Sentence PatternsHSK 5
Expressing "equal to" with 等于
等于 (děngyú) means "to equal" or "to be equivalent to", linking two things that are the same in value or effect. It is placed between the two items, forming an A 等于 B structure. Note that the negative form 不等于 (bù děngyú) is common to say one thing is not equivalent to another.
Structure
A 等于 B
A 不等于 B
used to express that two things are not equivalent
Examples
- 浪费时间等于浪费生命。Làngfèi shíjiān děngyú làngfèi shēngmìng.Wasting your time is wasting your life.
- 吃一半西瓜等于吃三碗米饭。Chī yībàn xīguā děngyú chī sān wǎn mǐfàn.Eating half of a watermelon is equivalent to eating three bowls of rice.
- 你去了，就等于我去了。Nǐ qù le, jiù děngyú wǒ qù le.If you go, it's the same as if I went.
- 金钱不等于幸福，你自己要好好想想。Jīnqián bù děngyú xìngfú, nǐ zìjǐ yào hǎohāo xiǎngxiang.Money is not equal to happiness, you should think about it carefully.
- 这样做等于把钱送给他。Zhèyàng zuò děngyú bǎ qián sòng gěi tā.To do this amounts to giving him the money.