<p>Judging from searching the web, it looks like we're using the grammar structure:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>再 + [adjective] + 不过<br />
couldn't be more [adjective]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It adds emphasis to the adjective (turning it into a longer adjective), such as in the given example:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[without the 再……不过]: 这都是<strong>正常</strong>的事情<br />
these are all <strong>ordinary</strong> matters</p>
<p>[with the 再……不过]: 这都是<strong>再正常不过</strong>的事情<br />
these are all <strong>couldn't-be-more-ordinary</strong> matters</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It can be used with a range of adjectives; some examples in the wild are:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>再</strong>红红<strong>不过</strong>黎明，<strong>再</strong>美美<strong>不过</strong>李嘉欣！<sup>[<a href="https://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDc1MzEyNzE0MA==" rel="nofollow noreferrer">src</a>]</sup><br />
Couldn't-be-redder dawn, couldn't-be-more-beautiful Li Jiaxin</p>
<p>我其实和你一样,是个再自私不过的人了<sup>[<a href="https://www.woyaogexing.com/shuoshuo/shanggan/2015/15266.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">src</a>]</sup><br />
I, in fact, like you, am a couldn't-be-more-selfish person</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is often used in conjunction with a 了, such as in:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我们对结果<strong>再</strong>高兴<strong>不过了</strong><sup>[<a href="https://www.iqiyi.com/v_19rt29a6pk.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">src</a>]</sup><br />
We, regarding the outcome, couldn't be happier.</p>
<p>鸡腿面包，<strong>再</strong>好吃<strong>不过了</strong>！<sup>[<a href="https://v.qq.com/x/page/y0735g4kq2d.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">src</a>]</sup><br />
Chicken leg bread: couldn't be tastier!</p>
<p>穿阔腿裤不要穿这3种鞋子，<strong>再</strong>丑<strong>不过了</strong>！<sup>[<a href="https://new.qq.com/omn/20181006/20181006A1LMXJ.html?pc" rel="nofollow noreferrer">src</a>]</sup><br />
[When] wearing wide-leg pants, don't wear these three kinds of shoes: [it] couldn't be uglier.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This function is similar to <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22excessively%22_with_%22tai%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">太……了</a> and <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Adjectives_with_%22-ji_le%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">及了</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-25T06:38:55.703Z
2020-09-25T06:38:55.703Z
Becky 李蓓
<p>事关国家安全，<br />
Concerning national security,<br />
面对任何可能的威胁都必须零容忍。<br />
any possible threat must be confronted with zero tolerance.<br />
中国人民关心中国的国家安全利益，<br />
Chinese people care about China's national security interests,<br />
关注中国企业正当的海外利益能否得到有效保障，<br />
and whether or not Chinese companies overseas have effective safeguards,<br />
这都是再正常不过的事情，<br />
this is completely normal,<br />
也有足够的理由质问美方的动机。<br />
and also sufficient grounds for questioning American motives.</p>
<p>这都是再正常不过的事情，literally: this all is furthermore (a) normal-not-go-beyond thing</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-26T03:07:03.523Z
2020-09-26T03:07:03.523Z
Pedroski
<p>I'm reading an article about Chinese privacy concerns should TikTok data be handed over to US companies, wherein we have:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>事关国家安全，面对任何可能的威胁都必须零容忍。中国人民关心中国的国家安全利益，关注中国企业正当的海外利益能否得到有效保障，<strong>这都是再正常不过的事情</strong>，也有足够的理由质问美方的动机。<br />
<sub><a href="http://opinion.people.com.cn/n1/2020/0924/c223228-31874006.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>人民网三评“TikTok交易”之二：浑水摸鱼，想都别想！</em></a>，人民网，2020年09月24日</sub></p>
</blockquote>
<p>I'm struggling to understand the grammar logic in the part highlighted in bold.  <a href="https://translate.google.cn/#view=home&amp;op=translate&amp;sl=zh-CN&amp;tl=en&amp;text=%E8%BF%99%E9%83%BD%E6%98%AF%E5%86%8D%E6%AD%A3%E5%B8%B8%E4%B8%8D%E8%BF%87%E7%9A%84%E4%BA%8B%E6%83%85" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Google Translate</a> translates this to:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>这都是<strong>再</strong>正常<strong>不过</strong>的事情<br />
These are all normal things</p>
</blockquote>
<p>However, 这都是正常的事情 also has this meaning.  So it looks like 再……不过 is some kind of grammar structure used to change the tone here, although I didn't find it at the <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%8D%E8%BF%87" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Chinese Grammar Wiki</a>.  It seems related to <a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E5%86%8D%E5%A5%BD%E4%B8%8D%E8%BF%87" rel="nofollow noreferrer">再好不过</a> = &quot;couldn't be better / ideal / wonderful&quot;.</p>
<p><strong>Question</strong>: How does 再……不过 work?</p>
<p>(I believe I found the answer searching the web, so I thought I'd self-answer.  I welcome further answers.)</p>

<grammar>
How does 再……不过 work?
# How does 再……不过 work?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-09-25)

I'm reading an article about Chinese privacy concerns should TikTok data be handed over to US companies, wherein we have:

> 事关国家安全，面对任何可能的威胁都必须零容忍。中国人民关心中国的国家安全利益，关注中国企业正当的海外利益能否得到有效保障，**这都是再正常不过的事情**，也有足够的理由质问美方的动机。  
> [*人民网三评“TikTok交易”之二：浑水摸鱼，想都别想！*](http://opinion.people.com.cn/n1/2020/0924/c223228-31874006.html)，人民网，2020年09月24日

I'm struggling to understand the grammar logic in the part highlighted in bold. [Google Translate](https://translate.google.cn/#view=home&op=translate&sl=zh-CN&tl=en&text=%E8%BF%99%E9%83%BD%E6%98%AF%E5%86%8D%E6%AD%A3%E5%B8%B8%E4%B8%8D%E8%BF%87%E7%9A%84%E4%BA%8B%E6%83%85) translates this to:

> 这都是**再**正常**不过**的事情  
> These are all normal things

However, 这都是正常的事情 also has this meaning. So it looks like 再……不过 is some kind of grammar structure used to change the tone here, although I didn't find it at the [Chinese Grammar Wiki](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%8D%E8%BF%87). It seems related to [再好不过](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E5%86%8D%E5%A5%BD%E4%B8%8D%E8%BF%87) = "couldn't be better / ideal / wonderful".

**Question**: How does 再……不过 work?

(I believe I found the answer searching the web, so I thought I'd self-answer. I welcome further answers.)

**Tags:** grammar

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2020-09-25. Score: 3

Judging from searching the web, it looks like we're using the grammar structure:

> 再 + [adjective] + 不过  
> couldn't be more [adjective]

It adds emphasis to the adjective (turning it into a longer adjective), such as in the given example:

> [without the 再……不过]: 这都是**正常**的事情  
> these are all **ordinary** matters
>
> [with the 再……不过]: 这都是**再正常不过**的事情  
> these are all **couldn't-be-more-ordinary** matters

It can be used with a range of adjectives; some examples in the wild are:

> **再**红红**不过**黎明，**再**美美**不过**李嘉欣！[[src](https://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDc1MzEyNzE0MA==)]  
> Couldn't-be-redder dawn, couldn't-be-more-beautiful Li Jiaxin
>
> 我其实和你一样,是个再自私不过的人了[[src](https://www.woyaogexing.com/shuoshuo/shanggan/2015/15266.html)]  
> I, in fact, like you, am a couldn't-be-more-selfish person

It is often used in conjunction with a 了, such as in:

> 我们对结果**再**高兴**不过了**[[src](https://www.iqiyi.com/v_19rt29a6pk.html)]  
> We, regarding the outcome, couldn't be happier.
>
> 鸡腿面包，**再**好吃**不过了**！[[src](https://v.qq.com/x/page/y0735g4kq2d.html)]  
> Chicken leg bread: couldn't be tastier!
>
> 穿阔腿裤不要穿这3种鞋子，**再**丑**不过了**！[[src](https://new.qq.com/omn/20181006/20181006A1LMXJ.html?pc)]  
> [When] wearing wide-leg pants, don't wear these three kinds of shoes: [it] couldn't be uglier.

This function is similar to [太……了](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22excessively%22_with_%22tai%22) and [及了](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Adjectives_with_%22-ji_le%22).


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-09-26. Score: 0

事关国家安全，  
Concerning national security,  
面对任何可能的威胁都必须零容忍。  
any possible threat must be confronted with zero tolerance.  
中国人民关心中国的国家安全利益，  
Chinese people care about China's national security interests,  
关注中国企业正当的海外利益能否得到有效保障，  
and whether or not Chinese companies overseas have effective safeguards,  
这都是再正常不过的事情，  
this is completely normal,  
也有足够的理由质问美方的动机。  
and also sufficient grounds for questioning American motives.

这都是再正常不过的事情，literally: this all is furthermore (a) normal-not-go-beyond thing


---

