<blockquote>
  <p><em>Not sure what V 还 V 不来呢 means</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>盼 = wish for</p>

<p>还 = still</p>

<p>盼(不来) = wish for (and not successfully get)</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>盼还盼不来 = wished for, but still not successfully get </p>
</blockquote>

<ul>
<li><p>To understand the role of 来, please read <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/result_complement" rel="nofollow noreferrer">result complement</a></p></li>
<li><p>得 and 不 are the only two potential particles that indicate 'able' or unable'</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Example: </p>

<p>做 = to do</p>

<p>做到 (verb with result complement) = to do <em>successfully</em></p>

<p>做得到 (verb with result complement + positive potential particle) = able to do <em>successfully</em></p>

<p>做不到 (verb with result complement + negative potential particle) = unable to do <em>successfully</em></p>

<p>Similarly:</p>

<p>盼 = wish for</p>

<p>盼来 = wish for (and get)</p>

<p>盼得来 = wish for (and able to <em>successfully</em> get)</p>

<p>盼不来 = wish for (and unable to <em>successfully</em> get)</p>

<ul>
<li>还 means "still"</li>
</ul>

<p>有人 = someone</p>

<p>请你 = invite (and treat) you to</p>

<p>玩儿 = play (to engage in activities that require spending of money)  </p>

<p>你 = you</p>

<p>还 = still</p>

<p>不去? = don't go?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-23T02:41:07.603Z
Ahhh, so it is a rewu
Hashamyim
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-23T02:42:23.060Z
Oh, got submitted too soon! So it is a result complement - good to know! Now that you explain it, the meaning is crystal clear - thanks for your time, Tang!
Hashamyim
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-22T18:28:07.907Z
2020-04-22T18:40:46.957Z
2020-04-22T18:40:46.957Z
Tang Ho
<p>V 还 V 不来呢 can mean out of someone's mind or out of someone's ability.</p>

<p>"有人" = someone </p>

<p>"請" can translate to invite , which means someone think you are capable to do or you are a great candidate.</p>

<p>Under the respondent assessment(feeling), he does not think this way, or respondent think chance just wont happen on himself. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-22T17:17:32.723Z
2020-04-22T18:02:42.790Z
2020-04-22T18:02:42.790Z
jack chiou
<p>V+还+V 不来 means that <strong>you are unable to get/do what you really want</strong>.  </p>

<p>还 can be replaced by 都 in this sense.  我盼还盼不来呢=我盼都盼不来呢.  </p>

<p>E. g.  我(想)要还要不来呢. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-23T01:17:47.127Z
2020-04-23T01:17:47.127Z
dan
<p>In 盼还盼不来, the important grammatical part is <code>V 不来</code> wherein 不来 indicates <strong>a <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Direction_complement#Converting_to_Potential_Complement" rel="nofollow noreferrer">negative potential complement</a></strong>, and specifically <strong>the verb V is unfulfilled</strong>.  This is one example of many possibilities e.g. 吃不完 or 想不出来 or 站不起来 or 写不下.  E.g.:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>为什么我<strong>盼不来</strong>宝宝?<sup><a href="http://tag.120ask.com/jingyan/8lzqu5sko0wv3l9yr8.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[src]</a></sup><br />
Why, when I yearn, does no baby come? [approximate translation]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Similarly, in the given example, 盼不来 means what is being hoped for (as determined by the context) is unfulfilled.  E.g.:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我盼还盼不来。<br />
I yearn [for something determined by context], still my yearning is unfulfilled.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Note that <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E8%BF%98" rel="nofollow noreferrer">还</a> (&quot;still&quot;) could be replaced by <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E4%B9%9F" rel="nofollow noreferrer">也</a> (as in e.g. 盼也盼不来) or <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E9%83%BD" rel="nofollow noreferrer">都</a> (as in e.g. 盼都盼不来; as <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/38837/8099">dan mentions</a>) without changing the meaning (and similar things happen in <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22in_addition%22_with_%22lingwai%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">other</a> <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Many_types_of_%22not_only..._but_also...%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">grammar</a> <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22except%22_and_%22in_addition%22_with_%22chule%E2%80%A6_yiwai%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">structures</a>).  The 呢 in the original sentence basically <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Advanced_uses_of_%22hai%22#Expressing_a_Strong_Tone_of_Surprise" rel="nofollow noreferrer">expresses surprise</a>, and it's not so important (arguably more related to a person's speaking style, and dependent on context).</p>
<p>I don't think <code>V 还 V 不来</code> can be considered a specific grammar structure.  Negative potential complements can arise in a lot of ways:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>跳舞还跳不赢</strong>这位大爷.<sup><a href="https://v.qq.com/x/page/x0549zns9o7.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[src]</a></sup><br />
[I] dance, [but] still don't beat this show-off.</p>
<p>为什么有些人天天<strong>吃饺子还吃不够</strong>?<sup><a href="https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1647176027391787159&amp;wfr=spider&amp;for=pc" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[src]</a></sup><br />
Why do some people eat dumplings everyday, [but] still have not eaten enough?</p>
<p>为什么<strong>戴眼镜还看不清</strong>?<sup><a href="https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/1950700206199922908.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[src]</a></sup><br />
Why, [despite] wearing glasses, [I] still cannot see clearly?</p>
<p>以前我也很烦妈妈的碎碎念，现在<strong>想听也听不到</strong>了.<sup><a href="https://www.weibo.com/1256590012/FAflg5ov4?type=comment" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[src]</a></sup><br />
Before I was annoyed at [my] mother's nagging, [but] now I want to hear, [but] still cannot hear.</p>
<p>怎么<strong>喝都喝不醉</strong>呢?<br />
How to drink and still not get drunk?</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-23T01:30:14.353Z
2020-04-23T01:30:14.353Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Becky 李蓓
<p>I have come across this 还-based sentence structure and don't know what it implies. Here is an example:</p>

<p>中文：有人请你玩儿你还不去？ 这样的好事我盼还盼不来呢</p>

<p>英语：Somebody invited you over and you're not going?! Such a good offer, I... wouldn't imagine hoping for?</p>

<p>Not sure what V 还 V 不来呢 means. Also, I'm not sure if 来 belongs to the sentence structure, or if it is a separation of 盼来。 All 还 sentence structures I can find involve 还 V or 还 Adj, not a verb on both sides. Any help would be greatly appreciated!</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<sentence-structure>
Sentence structure: V 还 V 不来 呢
# Sentence structure: V 还 V 不来 呢

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-04-22)

I have come across this 还-based sentence structure and don't know what it implies. Here is an example:

中文：有人请你玩儿你还不去？ 这样的好事我盼还盼不来呢

英语：Somebody invited you over and you're not going?! Such a good offer, I... wouldn't imagine hoping for?

Not sure what V 还 V 不来呢 means. Also, I'm not sure if 来 belongs to the sentence structure, or if it is a separation of 盼来。 All 还 sentence structures I can find involve 还 V or 还 Adj, not a verb on both sides. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

**Tags:** sentence-structure

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-04-22. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

> *Not sure what V 还 V 不来呢 means*

盼 = wish for

还 = still

盼(不来) = wish for (and not successfully get)

> 盼还盼不来 = wished for, but still not successfully get

* To understand the role of 来, please read [result complement](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/result_complement)
* 得 and 不 are the only two potential particles that indicate 'able' or unable'

Example:

做 = to do

做到 (verb with result complement) = to do *successfully*

做得到 (verb with result complement + positive potential particle) = able to do *successfully*

做不到 (verb with result complement + negative potential particle) = unable to do *successfully*

Similarly:

盼 = wish for

盼来 = wish for (and get)

盼得来 = wish for (and able to *successfully* get)

盼不来 = wish for (and unable to *successfully* get)

* 还 means "still"

有人 = someone

请你 = invite (and treat) you to

玩儿 = play (to engage in activities that require spending of money)

你 = you

还 = still

不去? = don't go?

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Ahhh, so it is a rewu  
> **username_0**: Oh, got submitted too soon! So it is a result complement - good to know! Now that you explain it, the meaning is crystal clear - thanks for your time, Tang!  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-04-22. Score: 2

V 还 V 不来呢 can mean out of someone's mind or out of someone's ability.

"有人" = someone

"請" can translate to invite , which means someone think you are capable to do or you are a great candidate.

Under the respondent assessment(feeling), he does not think this way, or respondent think chance just wont happen on himself.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-04-23. Score: 1

V+还+V 不来 means that **you are unable to get/do what you really want**.

还 can be replaced by 都 in this sense. 我盼还盼不来呢=我盼都盼不来呢.

E. g. 我(想)要还要不来呢.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-04-23. Score: 1

In 盼还盼不来, the important grammatical part is `V 不来` wherein 不来 indicates **a [negative potential complement](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Direction_complement#Converting_to_Potential_Complement)**, and specifically **the verb V is unfulfilled**. This is one example of many possibilities e.g. 吃不完 or 想不出来 or 站不起来 or 写不下. E.g.:

> 为什么我**盼不来**宝宝?[[src]](http://tag.120ask.com/jingyan/8lzqu5sko0wv3l9yr8.html)  
> Why, when I yearn, does no baby come? [approximate translation]

Similarly, in the given example, 盼不来 means what is being hoped for (as determined by the context) is unfulfilled. E.g.:

> 我盼还盼不来。  
> I yearn [for something determined by context], still my yearning is unfulfilled.

Note that [还](http://youdao.com/w/%E8%BF%98) ("still") could be replaced by [也](http://youdao.com/w/%E4%B9%9F) (as in e.g. 盼也盼不来) or [都](http://youdao.com/w/%E9%83%BD) (as in e.g. 盼都盼不来; as [dan mentions](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/38837/8099)) without changing the meaning (and similar things happen in [other](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22in_addition%22_with_%22lingwai%22) [grammar](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Many_types_of_%22not_only..._but_also...%22) [structures](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22except%22_and_%22in_addition%22_with_%22chule%E2%80%A6_yiwai%22)). The 呢 in the original sentence basically [expresses surprise](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Advanced_uses_of_%22hai%22#Expressing_a_Strong_Tone_of_Surprise), and it's not so important (arguably more related to a person's speaking style, and dependent on context).

I don't think `V 还 V 不来` can be considered a specific grammar structure. Negative potential complements can arise in a lot of ways:

> **跳舞还跳不赢**这位大爷.[[src]](https://v.qq.com/x/page/x0549zns9o7.html)  
> [I] dance, [but] still don't beat this show-off.
>
> 为什么有些人天天**吃饺子还吃不够**?[[src]](https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1647176027391787159&wfr=spider&for=pc)  
> Why do some people eat dumplings everyday, [but] still have not eaten enough?
>
> 为什么**戴眼镜还看不清**?[[src]](https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/1950700206199922908.html)  
> Why, [despite] wearing glasses, [I] still cannot see clearly?
>
> 以前我也很烦妈妈的碎碎念，现在**想听也听不到**了.[[src]](https://www.weibo.com/1256590012/FAflg5ov4?type=comment)  
> Before I was annoyed at [my] mother's nagging, [but] now I want to hear, [but] still cannot hear.
>
> 怎么**喝都喝不醉**呢?  
> How to drink and still not get drunk?


---

