她要是考上了 妈就是只狗
“If she got in, I would be a dog, okay?”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
你咋哭了呀 别听你姐胡咧咧 她考不上
“Why are you crying? Don't listen to your sister. She won't get in.”
她 要是考上了 妈 就是 只狗
“If she got in, I would be a dog, okay?”
不哭 不哭 我儿不哭 我儿不哭
“Don't cry, my boy.”
“There is zero chance she will get in, so stop crying.”
In northern Chinese vernacular, declaring oneself to be an animal like a dog if something happens is a colloquial way to swear absolute impossibility.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
if... then [I am]...
Commonly used in spoken Chinese to make dramatic, hyperbolic vows or bets to prove total confidence.
to pass an entrance exam
Standard resultative verb compound for successfully gaining admission to a school or university.
Marks the completion of the hypothetical condition (passing the exam).
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“If you fail again, Mom will be really heartbroken.”
“Why does your mom still ask you to take the civil service exam? Didn't you make it clear to her?”
“If she had got a better result, she would have to study law.”
“Whether she passes the audition or not,”
“I just wanted her to apologize, then I would send her to the exam. She wouldn't be late.”
“but she's still your mother.”