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HSK 2.0 Level 4+ HSK 3.0 Level 4+ 6 min read

Manner Adverbs 故意, 互相 and 相互

Say someone did something on purpose with 故意, and that people do something to each other with 互相 or the more formal 相互.

Pattern

subject + 故意 + verb; plural subject + 互相 / 相互 + verb

互相 goes before the verb, never after it: 我们互相帮助, not 我们帮助互相.

同学之间应该互相帮助。

When to use Manner Adverbs 故意, 互相 and 相互

All three go before the verb. 故意 means “on purpose, deliberately”, often about something unkind or a trick: 他故意不回答. 互相 and 相互 mean “each other, mutually”: the subject must be two or more people, and the word sits before the verb, not after it like English “each other”: 我们互相帮助. 相互 means the same as 互相 but sounds more formal.

对不起，我不是故意的。

Sorry, I didn’t mean to.

他故意不接我的电话。

He deliberately didn’t answer my calls.

两个学校的学生相互学习。

Students from the two schools learn from each other.

你是故意的吧？

You did that on purpose, didn’t you?

Common traps

  • Put 互相 before the verb: 我们互相帮助, not 我们帮助互相.
  • Use 互相 only with two or more people as the subject: 我和他互相帮助, not 我互相帮助他.
  • Don’t use 故意 for a kind effort: 他特意来看我, not 他故意来看我, which sounds like he came to annoy you.

Targeted drill

Practice this exact pattern before moving on.

这不是意外，他是 把杯子打破的

This was no accident; he broke the cup deliberately
Fill in the missing piece, then press Enter

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