你外祖父在世的时候
“Your grandfather once said”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
我们不要再理她了
“Let's just ignore her.”
你 外祖父 在世 的时候
“Your grandfather once said”
曾说他舍不得女儿
“he couldn't bear to part with his daughter.”
“Remember how much your grandfather loved your mother before you talk about cutting ties.”
Invoking the will or words of deceased elders is a common traditional strategy to mediate family conflicts and encourage reconciliation.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
maternal grandfather
A slightly formal or traditional term for grandfather on the mother's side, often synonymous with '姥爷' or '外公'.
when someone was alive
A respectful phrasing used to reference past times of a deceased person.
Functions as a nominalizer marking the time clause 'when he was alive'.