# Making judgments with "算"

<SentenceQuiz>

- 她 _算_ 天才 。
  <!-- - Tā _suàn_ tiāncái. -->
  - She is considered a genius.
- 这 _算_ 秘密 吗 ？
  <!-- - Zhè _suàn_ mìmì ma? -->
  - Is this considered a secret?
- 她 _算_ 不 _算_ 你 女朋友 ？
  <!-- - Tā _suàn_ bu _suàn_ nǐ nǚpéngyou? -->
  - Can she be considered your girlfriend or not?
- 美国 的 中国 菜 _算_ 中国 菜 吗 ？
  <!-- - Měiguó de Zhōngguó cài _suàn_ Zhōngguó cài ma? -->
  - Can American Chinese food be considered Chinese food?
- 我们 认识 ，但是 不 _算_ 朋友 。
  <!-- - Wǒmen rènshi, dànshì bù _suàn_ péngyou. -->
  - We know each other, but can't be considered friends.
- 这 家 店 的 东西 _算_ 便宜 **的** 。
  <!-- - Zhè jiā diàn de dōngxi _suàn_ piányi **de**. -->
  - The things in this shop are pretty cheap.
- 我 女儿 _算_ 听话 **的** 。
  <!-- - Wǒ nǚér _suàn_ tīnghuà **de**. -->
  - My daughter pretty much does what she's told.
- 在 我们 公司 ，我 _算_ 年轻 **的** 。
  <!-- - Zài wǒmen gōngsī, wǒ _suàn_ niánqīng **de**. -->
  - I'm considered young in our company.
- 你 老板 _算_ 大方 **的** ，我 老板 更 小气 。
  <!-- - Nǐ lǎobǎn _suàn_ dàfang **de**, wǒ lǎobǎn gèng xiǎoqì. -->
  - Your boss could be said to be generous. My boss is even stingier.
- 他 _算_ 天才 。
  <!-- - Tā _suàn_ tiāncái. -->
  - He is considered a genius.
- 他 _算_ **是** 天才 。
  <!-- - Tā _suàn_ **shì** tiāncái. -->
  - You could say he's a genius (I guess).
- _算_ 你 狠！
  <!-- - _Suàn_ nǐ hěn! -->
  - Well aren't you tough!
- 你 _算_ 老几 ？
  <!-- - Nǐ _suàn_ lǎojǐ? -->
  - So you think you're some kind of big shot?
- 这 _不 算_ 什么 。
  <!-- - Zhè _bù suàn_ shénme. -->
  - It's no big deal.

</SentenceQuiz>

<TOC>

- Level: [B1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B1_grammar_points) / [HSK5](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/HSK5_grammar_points)
- Similar to
- Used for: [Adding more explanation](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Adding_more_explanation), [Expressing quality](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_quality)
- Keywords: [算](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E7%AE%97)

</TOC>

The word 算 (suàn) has a number of uses which can be translated in a number of ways. The common theme is that 算 indicates some kind of judgment and may be thought of as "counts as" or "is considered to be."

## Used with a Noun

This essentially expresses that one "considers" something to be something else, as in, "I consider her a genius."

### Structure

Subj. (+ 不) + 算 + Noun

### Examples

- 她 _算_ 天才 。
  <!-- - Tā _suàn_ tiāncái. -->
  - She is considered a genius.
- 这 _算_ 秘密 吗 ？
  <!-- - Zhè _suàn_ mìmì ma? -->
  - Is this considered a secret?
- 她 _算_ 不 _算_ 你 女朋友 ？
  <!-- - Tā _suàn_ bu _suàn_ nǐ nǚpéngyou? -->
  - Can she be considered your girlfriend or not?
- 美国 的 中国 菜 _算_ 中国 菜 吗 ？
  <!-- - Měiguó de Zhōngguó cài _suàn_ Zhōngguó cài ma? -->
  - Can American Chinese food be considered Chinese food?
- 我们 认识 ，但是 不 _算_ 朋友 。
  <!-- - Wǒmen rènshi, dànshì bù _suàn_ péngyou. -->
  - We know each other, but can't be considered friends.

## Used with an Adjective

### Affirmative Form

算 can also be used with an adjective. It adds a sense of "comparatively speaking," as in, "in the grand scheme of things, this counts as...."

#### Structure

Subj. + 算 + Adj. + 的

#### Examples

- 这 家 店 的 东西 _算_ 便宜 **的** 。
  <!-- - Zhè jiā diàn de dōngxi _suàn_ piányi **de**. -->
  - The things in this shop are pretty cheap.
- 我 女儿 _算_ 听话 **的** 。
  <!-- - Wǒ nǚér _suàn_ tīnghuà **de**. -->
  - My daughter pretty much does what she's told.
- 在 我们 公司 ，我 _算_ 年轻 **的** 。
  <!-- - Zài wǒmen gōngsī, wǒ _suàn_ niánqīng **de**. -->
  - I'm considered young in our company.
- 你 老板 _算_ 大方 **的** ，我 老板 更 小气 。
  <!-- - Nǐ lǎobǎn _suàn_ dàfang **de**, wǒ lǎobǎn gèng xiǎoqì. -->
  - Your boss could be said to be generous. My boss is even stingier.

### Negative Form

This is essentially a straight negation of the affirmative form, but because it's so commonly used, it's worth giving providing extra examples.

#### Structure

Subj. + 不 + 算 + Adj.

Note that you don't need add a 的 here.

#### Examples

- 这 次 考试 _不 算_ 难 。
  <!-- - Zhè cì kǎoshì _bù suàn_ nán. -->
  - This exam isn't that difficult.
- 三十 岁 结婚 _不 算_ 晚 。
  <!-- - Sānshí suì jiéhūn _bù suàn_ wǎn. -->
  - Getting married when you're 30 can't be considered late.
- 他 才 一 米 七 五 ，_不 算_ 高 。
  <!-- - Tā cái yī mǐ qī wǔ, _bù suàn_ gāo. -->
  - He's only 1.75 meters tall. He can't be considered very tall.
- 剪 个 头发 五十 块 ，_不 算_ 贵 。
  <!-- - Jiǎn gè tóufa wǔshí kuài, _bù suàn_ guì. -->
  - Fifty kuai for a haircut. It can't be considered expensive.

## Adding a Tone of Reluctance with 算是

For both the noun and adjective patterns above, the "judgment" indicated by 算 can be made more reluctant by following 算 immediately with a 是.

- 他 _算_ 天才 。
  <!-- - Tā _suàn_ tiāncái. -->
  - He is considered a genius.
- 他 _算_ **是** 天才 。
  <!-- - Tā _suàn_ **shì** tiāncái. -->
  - You could say he's a genius (I guess).

## Colloquial Sayings

A few common examples:

- _算_ 你 狠！
  <!-- - _Suàn_ nǐ hěn! -->
  - Well aren't you tough!
- 你 _算_ 老几 ？
  <!-- - Nǐ _suàn_ lǎojǐ? -->
  - So you think you're some kind of big shot?
- 这 _不 算_ 什么 。
  <!-- - Zhè _bù suàn_ shénme. -->
  - It's no big deal.