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? at the end of a statement. Hence 你好 ! (Hi!) becomes 你好嗎 ? (How
are you?)
?
- A: 你好嗎
- How are you?
- B: 我很好
- I am fine, and you?
- A: 你忙嗎
- Are you busy?
- B: 我不忙
- I am not busy, what about you?
, 也 , 都 , 也好 , 都好 .
Sometimes 很 is not really employed to mean "very" if it is
modifying a monosyllabic adjective such as 好 . It is simply because
to say 我好 is a bit abrupt and hence awkward with only a monosyllabic
adjective as the predicate of the sentence. Therefore people usually
add 很 before 好 to make the sentence sound natural: 我很好 in this
case does not necessarily mean "I am very well", it may
simply convey the meaning of "I am fine".
The order of these words: If all three adverbs occur in
the same sentence, their order is 也 -- 都 -- 很 :
我很好N.B. 都
我也很好
我們也都很好
(both/all) is only used to refer to the items to the
left of it. Hence it is wrong to say 都他們很好 ("all of
them are fine"). One should say 他們都很好 .
vs. 不都 indicates a complete negation whereas 不都 shows a partial
negation:
- 他們都不忙
- None of them is busy.
- 他們不都忙
- Not all of them are busy.
- 我們都不是大夫
- None of us is a doctor.
- 我們不都是大夫
- Not all of us are doctors.
is used to indicate possession. It comes
between the subject and the noun it modifies: 我的書 , 我媽媽的車 etc.
In the case of kinship or as a reference to people, however, the
possessive marker 的 can be omitted. Otherwise it cannot.
e.g. 你弟弟
-- Adjectival sentence without verb "to be"., the adjectival phrase 很好 serves as the
predicate for the sentence. No verb "to be" is needed as in English
(I am very well). This is generally true of a sentence that
has an adjective as its predicate, even in negative sentences.
Notice that in other types of sentences, however, verb 是
- e.g. 他們很忙
- They are very busy, we are not.
should still
be retained:
- 他是我朋友
- He is my friend.
- 我不是她的哥哥
- I am not her elder brother.
To respond positively to a yes/no question, we often repeat the verb -- in the above case 是
- A: 你媽媽是大夫嗎
- Is your mother a doctor?
- B: 是
- Yes, she is a doctor.
- A: 你媽媽忙嗎
- Is your mother busy?
- B: 忙
- Yes, she is very busy.
and 忙 respectively -- as an equivalent to the
English "yes" before making the statement itself. Note therefore that
the response is not always 是 .
, 哪 , 什麼 Unlike English which has to move such interrogative words as
"what", "when", "who" etc to the beginning of the sentence to form a
question, Chinese leaves the word order unchanged when forming
questions using such interrogative words as 誰 , 哪 , 什麼 , etc:
. (He is my younger brother.)? (Who is he?)
. (He is our teacher.)? (Who is your teacher?)
. (He is Chinese.)? (What is his nationality?)
. (This is a map of China.)? (What map is this?)
. (That is a book.)? (What is that?)
. (This is her car.)? (Whose car is this?)
There are several ways of asking a person's name, depending on who that person is.
This is a very polite way of asking someone's name, literally "What is your honourable surname?". It is usually
used to address one's elders or superiors, or someone of one's own age but to whom one
wants to be polite. Notice, however, that the expression 貴姓 cannot
be used when asking about a third person's name, or when referring
to oneself.
- A: 您
- What is your name?
- B: 我姓丁。
- My name is Ding.
This is a plain form of asking a person's name. It is usually used
to address people of one's own age or younger, or one's inferiors.
If one wants to be a bit polite, 請問 can be added to the question:
Unlike 貴姓
- 請問﹐你叫什麼﹖
- May I ask, what's your name?
, which is only used in the second person, 叫什麼 can be employed
for all persons:
她叫什麼﹖我們叫什麼﹖我哥哥叫什麼﹖
When asked 你姓什麼﹖ you are supposed to give your last name
first, and then as an option you can add your full name afterwards. But when
asked 你叫什麼﹖ you can give either your given name or your full name.
學 Both words mean "to study" or "to learn". Whereas 學習 can be used both
transitively and intransitively, 學 is normally reserved for transitive
use.
In the second sentence, the word 習
- e.g. 我學
- I study Chinese, she studies French.
- 我學習﹐我弟弟不學習。
- I study, my younger brother doesn't study.
cannot be omitted.
(to be at/in...) functions as a verb.
To express the location or existence of something or somebody, use the following pattern:
S + 在If the location or place is known or obvious, it can be omitted:
e.g. A: 你的地圖在哪兒﹖
B: 我的地圖在那兒。
A: 你爸爸媽媽在哪兒﹖
B: 他們在中國。
- A: 古波在嗎﹖
- Is Gubo in [or: here]?
- B: 他不在﹐他在學生宿舍。
- He is not here. He is at the students' dormitory.
/那兒 as place words.
e.g. A: 地圖在哪兒﹖The choice of 這兒
B: 在我這兒。
A: 你的車在哪兒﹖
B: 我的車在學生宿舍那兒。
and 那兒 depends on the distance
between the object and the speaker. If it is close to the speaker, use
這兒 ; if not, use 那兒 .
Unlike English, Chinese place words start with the larger ones and
proceed to the smaller ones. Hence the sentence "She lives in room 423,
4th floor at the student dorm at the college" will be 她住學院學生宿舍四層四二三號。
Notice the exactly reverse order here, which is applicable to the
address used when writing letters as well.
Most often one uses 住 to indicate that one lives or stays at a
certain place. There are several patterns for the use of 住 . For example,
to say "I live here", one can have the following:
S + 住All three sentences have the same meaning.
S + 住在
S + 在
Unlike English, these sorts of Chinese numbers are read out digit by digit:
English: # 1452 (number fourteen fifty-two)
Chinese: # 1452 (一四五二號
(to return something to someone)When using 還 to indicate "return", use the following pattern:
S + 還This pattern is only used for simple objects, i.e. the object to be returned is not a complex one such as 她媽媽的日本車
e.g. 我還他畫報
你還丁云的車。
, etc. Notice in the second example above, sb. is omitted because it would be awkward to say 你還丁云丁云的車 ,
although grammatically it is correct. We will later learn the ways to express something
more complicated.
In this phrase, 用 is a verb which can be used both transitively and intransitively
(i.e. it can be used either with or without an object). 一下兒 is an adverbial of time indicating "a short while, a little while". If an object is to be used for 用 in the above phrase, it should be
placed after 一下兒 :
- 我用一下兒你的書﹐好嗎﹖
- Is it all right for me to use your book for a short while?
- 他們用一下兒你爸爸的車。
- They want to use your dad's car for a little while.
Time words in Chinese are normally placed in one of two positions in a sentence: before or after the subject.
- 現在她去學院還書。
- Now she is going to the college to return books.
- or 她現在去學院還書。
and 常常 常 in the sense of "often" can often be reduplicated as 常常 without a change of meaning. Thus, 他常喝茶 = 他常常喝茶 , 我們常去看書 = 我們常常去看書 .
In making negative sentences, however, 常 is normally not reduplicated.
Hence 他不常喝茶 , 我們不常去看書 .
An alternative way of forming a question is to juxtapose the affirmative and negative forms of the predicative verb or adjective:
- 她是中國人嗎﹖
- 你忙嗎﹖
- 你認識他嗎﹖
- 忙不忙
- 你喝不喝茶﹖
- 你去不去中國﹖
+ V ?" as well, although this is not as common:
- 你喝茶不喝茶﹖
- 她去中國不去﹖
, 什麼 , etc), affirmative-negative questions do not take 嗎 at the end.
, 都 , 也 or 很 comes before the predicative
verb or adjective, do not use the affirmative-negative form but use 嗎 instead:
Notice, however, that this rule applies only when those adverbs come before the predicative verbs or adjectives. Compare:
- 你們都去中國嗎﹖
- but not 你們都去不去中國﹖
- 他常喝咖啡嗎﹖
- but not 他常喝不喝咖啡﹖
but not 她很忙不忙﹖
她是不是很好的大夫﹖ comes after the
predicative verb 是 .
你去商店買紙嗎﹖
他們歡迎我來嗎﹖
and 都 In Chinese, 和 as a conjunction is normally used to connect two words or
phrases, never two clauses or sentences:
中國和美國
我的爸爸和媽媽
她學習漢語和英語。
你認識我爸爸和弟弟嗎﹖
but not 我弟弟是學生﹐和我哥哥也是學生。
nor 你學習法語﹐和我也學習法語。
The adverb 都 is placed between the subject and the predicative verb or
adjective. It governs only the elements before it:
我們都去中國。
but not 都我們去中國。
This is also wrong:
我都學漢語和法語。because 都
modifies 我 and not 漢語和法語 . If "both Chinese and French" is intended in the above sentence, the objects 漢語和法語 should be placed before 都 :
我漢語和法語都學。
or 漢語和法語都我學。
expressing possession and existenceThe verb 有 in Chinese can mean both possession and existence, like the English "to have" and "there is" or "there are":
- 她有漢語詞典。
- She has a Chinese dictionary.
- 我們學院有多外國學生。
- There are a lot of foreign students in our college.
N.B.:
, one uses 沒 instead of 不 :
- 我有哥哥﹐我沒有姐姐。
- I have an elder brother, but no elder sister.
can sometimes be omitted:
- 我朋友沒
- My friend does not have books, nor pens.
- 現在我們的宿舍沒
- There is no one in our dorm now.
... ?"
她有沒有妹妹﹖
呢﹐你們的宿舍有沒有人﹖
Sometimes, if the object of 有 is not long, one can use the form "... 有 + object + 沒有 ?" as well, although this form is not as common as the previous one.
她有妹妹沒有﹖
這宿舍有人沒有﹖
(in, at) and 給 (for, to)The object of 在 is often a place-word and the object of 給 is often the beneficiary of the action expressed by the predicative verb. In Chinese, a prepositional construction comes before the verb it modifies:
- 他在銀行工作。
- She works in a bank.
- but not 她工作在銀行。
- 我給你們介紹一下兒。
- Let me introduce you to one another.
- but not 我介紹一下兒給你們。
To form a negative sentence, 不 is placed before the prepositional construction:
- 他不在銀行工作。
- 我不給你們介紹。
- I am not going to introduce you.
Adverbs such as 常 , 都 , 也 are also placed before the prepositional construction:
- 我們都在
- We all study Chinese at the City Lit.
- 你常給你媽媽信嗎﹖
- Do you often write to your mother?
- 我爸爸也常給我寫信。
- My dad also often writes to me.
The word 想 in Chinese carries various meanings:
+ noun/noun-phrase = to miss somebody/something:
- 丁雲很想家。
- Ding Yun misses her family very much.
- 我很想我的爸爸媽媽。
- I miss my parents very much.
- 你不想你的男朋友嗎﹖
- Don't you miss your boyfriend?
- 你想不想她﹖
- Do you miss her?
+ verb/verb-phrase = to want to do something:
- A: 你想去商店嗎﹖
- Do you want to go to the shop?
- B: 我不想去。
- I don't want to go.
- A: 你想不想學法語﹖
- Do you want to study French?
- B: 我也想學法語。
- I also want to study French.
+ clause = to think/suppose something:
N.B. to negate a sentence with 想
- 我想她是中國人。
- I think she is Chinese.
- 我想她爸爸媽媽都是大夫。
- I think her parents are both doctors.
in this capacity, put the negative adverb in the subordinate clause, not in the main clause as in English:
- 我想她
- I don't think she is Chinese.
- but not 我不想她是中國人。
N.B. 想 as a verb can use the affirmative-negative question form only in senses 1 and 2 above, not in 3.
告訴 means "to tell". In English, the verb "tell" can mean to tell somebody something, or to tell somebody to do something. The Chinese verb 告訴 can only be applied to the first of these patterns.
- e.g. 她告訴我她的工作。
- She told me her work.
- 我告訴媽媽你是我的好朋友。
- I'll tell mother you are a good friend of mine.
- but not 我告訴他給我寫信。
- I told him to write to me.
Notice the element following the indirect object (i.e. 我 , 媽媽 ) of 告訴
in the first and second sentences is either a noun, a noun-phrase or a
clause, but never a verb-phrase. The last sentence is wrong because it
uses the pattern "to tell somebody to do something" and hence uses a
verb-phrase for its direct object. In this case, we should use 叫 or 請 in place of 告訴 to make a correct sentence:
- 我請他給我寫信。
- I asked him to write to me.
For Arabic numerals 0 to 10, the Chinese equivalents are:
○Further on, they are:
十一
二十
三十一百
一百零一
三百二十七一千
一千零一一萬
四萬零八百零一一億
N.B.:
, not 一十五 ., and 3020 is 三千零二十 . Notice the last zero in 3020 is not pronounced because it is not between two other digits.
If there are two or more zeroes in succession between two non-zero digits, as in 1001, only one is pronounced: 一千零一 . However, if the two or more zeroes are separate and also
sandwiched, as in 40,801, each is read as normal: 四萬零八百零一 .
In Chinese, when a noun is modified by numerals, demonstrative pronouns such as 這 or 那 , or interrogative pronouns such as 哪 or 幾 , a specific measure word should be placed
between the noun and its modifier(s):
三本書
and 多少
Both of these can be used to mean "how many" or "how much". Whereas 幾 should be used with a measure word, 多少 can be used either with or without a measure word for the noun it modifies.
- 你有幾本詞典﹖
- 你有多少
The measure word 本 is a must for the first sentence, but only optional in the second.
Also, when 幾 is used, the expected answer is usually under 10, whereas 多少 can be used whether one expects a large or small answer.
你們大學有多少學生﹖
你家有幾個人﹖
As in English, some verbs in Chinese can take two objects: direct object (usually a thing) and indirect object (usually a person).
王老師教我們語法。In this sentence, 教
is a verb that takes 我們 as the indirect object and 法語
as the direct object. Generally the indirect goes before the direct
object. Some other verbs that work the same way include 還 , 告訴 and 問 .
Not all Chinese verbs can take two objects: it would be wrong to say 他買我一本書 (He bought me a book), or 她寫我一封信 (She wrote me a letter). The correct way of saying these would be to use 給 , as in 他給我買一本書 and 她給我寫一封信 .
When an adjective modifies a noun, it is placed directly before the noun as in English:
However, when the adjective modifier is made up of two or more syllables, the particle 的
- 新書
- new book
- 好朋友
- good friend
is usually inserted between the modifier and the noun it modifies:
- 很新的書
- very new book
- 很好的朋友
- very good friend
and 還 is used to mean "the same" as the previous statement. Hence the relationship between the statement introduced by 也 and the previous one is a parallel relationship. 還 , on the other hand, introduces an additional element to the previous statement.
Under certain circumstances, 也
- e.g. 你有一個問題﹐我也有一個問題。
- You have a question; I also have a question. The two are parallel here.
- 我還有一個問題。
- I have already had some questions, but I still have one more. This is in addition to the previous ones.
and 還 are interchangeable, but with different emphasis:
Although both sentences can be roughly translated as "Professor Wang teaches us Chinese characters and grammar; he also teaches us conversation", their emphasis is different: the first sentence stresses the fact that Wang teaches conversation in addition to the other subjects he teaches, whereas the second simply enumerates the three subjects he teaches without prioritization.
- 王老師教我們漢字和語法﹐他還教我們口語。
- 王老師教我們漢字和語法﹐他也教我們口語。
construction
A modifier (normally either a noun, a pronoun, a verb or an adjective) with the word 的 can function as a noun or noun-phrase in a sentence, and can stand by itself if the context is clear:
These constructions normally involve the verb 是
- 這條裙子是我姐姐的。
- This skirt is my sister's. Noun + 的
- 哪本詞典是你的﹖
- Which dictionary is yours? Pronoun + 的
- 你爸爸的車是白的嗎﹖
- Is your father's car a white one? Adjective + 的
- 你喝的是什麼茶﹖
- What sort of tea do you drink? Verb + 的
(or 不是 ).
從 + place word + 去 = to go from; 從 + place word + 來 = to come from.
- e.g. 你從哪兒來﹖
- Where did you come from?
- 我從圖書館來。
- I came from the library.
- 我們晚上從我家去劇場。
- We are going from my home to the theatre tonight.
/ 那兒 = over here/there at ...'s place
When a noun or pronoun is added to 這兒 or 那兒 , they function as a place word or expression. Since one cannot say 我去她 (I went to her), one can say instead 我去她那兒 (I went to her place), because 她那兒 is now regarded as a place expression. Similarly one cannot say 你的裙子在我 (Your skirt is with me), but one can say 你的裙子在我這兒 (Your skirt is with me). More examples:
As is obvious, if the place or the person is away from the speaker, use 那兒
- 你的書在他那兒。
- Your book is at his place.
- 我們都去姐姐那兒。
- We all went to my sister's place.
- 老師來我這兒找她。
- The teacher is coming to my place to look for her.
; if the place is near the speaker or refers to the speaker himself or herself, use 這兒 .
+ adjective + 了
This pattern is often used for emphatic purposes. An adjective is used between 太 and 了 :
- 太忙了﹗
- Too busy!
- 太大了﹗
- Too big!
The expression 太好了﹗ , however, has a positive meaning, expressing satisfaction or admiration.
vs. 兩 These both mean "two", and are used as follows.
:
兩個人
should be used in a number greater than 10, even if it is followed by a measure word:
二十二There are some more restrictions, though:
can be used before the character 十 ; before the character 百 , 二 is usually employed but 兩 may also be used:
二十
, 萬 or 億 , 兩 is used more often than 二 :
兩千元
, 千 , 萬 , i.e. if there are more digits before 百 , 千 or 萬 , then put 二 instead of 兩 in front:
四億二千萬
The following are ways of telling the time in Chinese:
A: 現在幾點﹖Some notes:
B: 現在
兩點 2:00 十點半 10:30 三點一刻 3:15 十二點三刻 12:45 兩點差五分 1:55 五點二十分 5:20 六點零五分 6:05 七點三十五分 7:35
, as in 三點零八分 (3:08)
or 十二點零三分 (12:03).
is optional:
七點十五
, not for example 這個上午 ; "every afternoon" is 每天下午 , not
每下午 .A time-word or -expression is normally placed either after the subject or at the beginning of a sentence:
我們十點半上中文課Some notes:
十點半我們上中文課
- 我三點下課
- but not 我在三點下課
- 她晚上來
- She came in the evening.
- or 晚上她來
- but not 她來晚上
- 今天晚上八點
- at 8 o'clock this evening
- 我晚上八點在圖書館等你
- 你哥哥現在在哪兒工作﹖
- 明天你幾點在哪兒上課﹖
- When and where are you going to have your class tomorrow?
+ noun (time-words modifying nouns)
- A: 你想看幾點的電影﹖
- What show do you want to see? literally What time's film do you want to see?
- B: 我想看中午十二點半的
- I want to see the film at 12:30 at noon.
- A: 這是今天的報嗎﹖
- Is this today's paper?
- B: 不是今天的報﹐是昨天的。
- It isn't today's paper, it's yesterday's.
and 以後 means "previously" or "before" and 以後 means "later",
"afterwards" or "in the future":
- 我以前是學生﹐現在是老師。
- I was a student before; now I am a teacher.
- 你以前在哪兒工作﹖
- Where did you work before?
- 以前我不住宿舍﹐現在住宿舍。
- I did not live in a dormitory before, but now I do.
When used together with a time-word or verb phrase, 以前 means "before..." and 以後
means "after...":
- 十點以前我不回家。
- I won't go home before 10.
- 回家以前我在閱覽室看書。
- I read books in the reading-room before I go home.
- 來美國以後他在這兒工作。
- He has been working here after he came to America.
- 十點半以後你在宿舍作什麼﹖
- What do you do in your dorm after 10:30?
N.B. When 以前 or 以後 is used together with a time-word or verb phrase to mean
"before" or "after", the word order is exactly the opposite of the English equivalent:
- 四點以前
- before 4 o'clock
- 下課以前
- before the class is over
- 明天晚上以後
- after tomorrow evening (or night)
- 回宿舍以後
- after returning to the dormitory
B (一起 ) + verb/verb-phrase跟 as a preposition means "with", and 一起 means "together". This pattern is used to
indicate that A and B do something together. Here 跟 can be replaced with 和 without
changing the meaning; and the phrase 一起 is optional.
- e.g. 我跟
- I go to see a film with her.
- 我跟她一起去看電影。
- She and I go to see a film together.)
- 晚上你們跟誰一起去劇場﹖
- With whom are you going to the theatre tonight?
- A: 晚上你有事兒嗎﹖跟我一起去看京劇﹐好嗎﹖
- Do you have anything to do tonight? Come with me to the Beijing opera!
- B: 我不想跟你去﹐我想跟我男朋友一起去。
- I don't want to go with you, I want to go with my boyfriend.
N.B. This pattern of A 跟 B (一起 ) is always placed before the main verb in the sentence. Hence the following sentence, with English word order, is wrong:
- 我想去跟我男朋友一起。
- I want to go together with my boyfriend.
In Chinese, an alternative question is formed by using 還是 to connect two choices,
which can be nouns, noun phrases, verbs, verb phrases, or clauses:
你喜歡紅茶還是綠茶﹖Note:
這本書是你的還是她的﹖
下午你來還是不來﹖
你要聽古典音樂還是聽現代音樂﹖
今天晚上你來我這兒還是我去你那兒﹖
are normally parallel in structure; and
at the end.
, 讓 , 叫 In Chinese a sentence can contain several verbs. A pivotal sentence is one in which the object of the first verb is at the same time the subject of the following verb. This object therefore functions as a pivot, connecting the two verb clauses in the sentence.
The first verb in a pivotal sentence is often a causative verb (to cause something to happen) such as 請 , 讓 or 叫 . All three carry the meaning of asking somebody to do something. Of the three, 請 is the most polite; 讓 is less so, and 叫 is the least polite. So watch out for the occasions when these verbs can be used appropriately. Observe:
- 學生請王老師介紹中國音樂。
- The students asked Professor Wang to introduce Chinese music.
- 老師讓學生每天寫漢字。
- The teacher asked students to write Chinese characters every day.
- 爸爸叫孩子學中文。
- Dad asked his child to study Chinese.
Notice that although the English equivalents all employ "to ask", the Chinese sentences use different words to indicate various degrees of politeness.
Note:
above (meaning "to ask someone to do something"), 請 can also be used to mean "to invite":
- 我們請他來吃晚飯。
- We invited him to dinner.
- 你想請他今天晚上去看電影嗎﹖
- Do you want to invite him to a movie tonight?
before the first verb:
- 我的大夫不讓我喝酒。
- My doctor doesn't let me drink alcohol.
- 他們不叫我去看電影。
- They did not invite me to go to the pictures.
and 不要 and 不要 both mean "do not". They can be used in negative imperative sentences with or without a subject. They are placed between the subject (if present) and the verb or adjective:
(你
別喝酒﹗
不要吸煙﹗
Neither of these can be used to indicate negation in declarative sentences. It is wrong to say 爸爸別請他走 . One can say instead 爸爸不請他走 .
, year
= last year; 今年 = this year; 明年 = next year
, 一九九八年 , ...
= one year; 兩年 = two years (not 二年 ); 三年 = three years = every year; 五年半 = five-and-a-half years
, month
= last month; 這個月 = this month; 下個月 = next month
= January; 二月 = February (not 兩月 ); ... 二十月 = December
, week
(個 ) 星期 = last week; 這 (個 ) 星期 = this week; 下 (個 ) 星期 = next week
= Monday; 星期二 = Tuesday; ... 星期六 = Saturday; 星期日 or 星期天 = Sunday
(個 ) 星期 = one week; 兩 (個 ) 星期 = two weeks (not 二 (個 ) 星期 ); 三 (個 ) 星期 = three weeks; 四個半星期 = four-and-a-half weeks; ... 每 (個 ) 星期 = every week
/ 號 / 天 date
Use 日 or 號 for a specific date. Usually 日 is used in written and formal language and 號 is used in conversation. The word 天 should be used in counting the number of days:
= yesterday; 今天 = today; 明天 = tomorrow
; 二號 (not 兩號 ); ... 三十一號 ; 十月二十五日 ; ...
= one day; 兩天 = two days (not 二天 ); ... 半天 = half a day; 每天 = every daySome notes:
一九九六年十一月二十五號星期一
一七八九年七月十四日
- 今年五月
- the May of this year (whether it has passed or not)
- 去年八月
- the August of last year
- 明年二月
- the February of next year
- 這
- the Friday of this week (whether it has passed or not)
- 上
- the Monday of last week
- 下
- the Thursday of next week
Note the English phrase "last Monday" may therefore be rendered as 這個星期一 ,
if Monday has already passed and the phrase is therefore referring to
Monday of this week. The same applies for future days, and for months.
Two points need to be observed when using a verb or verb-phrase as a modified to form a relative clause:
他喝的水不很乾淨
這是我朋友送我的禮物
has to be inserted between the modifier and the element it modifies:
- 我下午看的電影很有意思。
- The film I saw this afternoon was very interesting.
- 給你開門的那個人是我妹妹。
- The person who opened the door for you was my younger sister.
- 跟他跳舞的姑娘是我的同學。
- The girl who danced with him was my classmate.
The verb 是 is not normally used in the predicate for a sentence where the main element of the predicate is an adjective:
我們今天很高興。
她的絲線衫太小。
那個服務員非常年輕。
In an affirmative sentence of this type, if the adjective is not preceded by adverbs such as 真 , 太 , 非常 or 更 , it is usually qualified by the adverb 很 . In such cases, 很 does not really mean "very"; 他很忙 and 他忙 mean virtually the same.
Also, adverbs such as 很 , 常 , 也 , 非常 , 太 or 更 cannot be used in affirmative-negative sentences of this type:
你高興不高興﹖
她年輕不年輕﹖
你去不去﹖
vs 祝賀你
In general, 祝你 is used to extend well-wishes in advance whereas 祝賀你 is used to congratulate someone on something already accomplished:
祝你生日好﹗
祝賀你﹗
To indicate that an action is only of a short duration or to soften the tone of a sentence in order to make it less formal, a verb can be repeated:
我給你們介紹介紹。In the case of a monosyllabic verb, the character 一
你們想去看看她嗎﹖
讓我想想。
can be inserted:
讓我想一想。Repeating a verb has the same effect as using the adverb 一下兒
我們都想看一看她。
after the verb:
用一下兒
看一下兒
介紹一下兒
Words such as 上邊 , 左邊 , 前邊 , 中間 , 對面 are position words.
Some of the basic syllables are:
| 上 - up | ||
| 左 - left | 中 - middle | 右 - right |
| 下 - down | ||
| 前 - front | 裡 - in | |
| 後 - back | 外 - out | |
Usually, add 邊 to make "on the left", "above", "outside" etc.
Position words can be used in two ways. Compare:
) + position word:
- 車
- outside the car
- 房子
- behind the house
- 桌子
- opposite the table
+ noun (here the 的 is mandatory).
- 外邊的車
- the car outside (i.e. the car which is outside)
- 後邊的房子
- the house behind (the house which is behind)
- 對面的桌子
- the opposite table (the table which is opposite / across the way)
Notes:
, 下邊 , 裡邊 and 外邊 are modified by other nouns, the character 邊 can be omitted:
- 房子
- inside the house
- 桌子
- on the table
- 教室
- outside the classroom
in the following two cases:
, 北京 etc:
- 她在北京學習漢語。
- She studies Chinese in Beijing.
- but not 她在北京裡邊學習漢語。
- 美國有很多大學。
- There are many universities in America.
- but not 美國裡邊有很多大學。
+ place, building or organisation":
- 我在銀行工作。
- I work in a bank.
- but not 我在銀行裡邊工作。
- 他們在閱覽室看書。
- They are reading books in the reading-room.
- but not 他們在閱覽室裡邊看書。
There are three ways to indicate the location of something, using 在 , 有 and 是 respectively and with different meanings:
Position word + 有 + indefinite noun:
- 後邊有什麼﹖
- What is behind?
- 後邊有一個車房。
- There is a garage behind.
- 我們家對面有一個公園。
- Across from our home, there is a park.
Definite noun + 在 + position word:
- 花園在哪兒﹖
- Where is the garden?
- 花園在我們家後邊。
- The garden is behind our house.
- 花園在車房
- The garden is to the right of the garage.
Position word + 是 + definite/indefinite noun:
- 你們家後邊是什麼﹖
- What's behind your house?
- 我們家後邊是一個花園。
- Behind our house is a garden.
- 他們家前邊是學院的圖書館。
- In front of their house is the college library.
To show an action which is, was or will be going on, use one of the following patterns:
- 她在休息。
- She is resting.
- 她正休息。
- 她正在休息。
- 她休息呢。
- 她在休息呢。
- 她正休息呢。
- 她正在休息呢。
Notes:
- 她現在正在休息。
- She is resting now. present progressive
- 我去的時候﹐她正在休息。
- When I went there, she was resting. past progressive
- 我明天去看她的時候﹐她一定正在休息。
- When I go to see her tomorrow, she will surely be resting. future progressive
, 正 or 正在 can be placed before a verb to indicate the progressive aspect of an action.
can be placed at the end of the sentence to perform the same function. Sometimes 呢 can be used together with 在 , 正 or 正在 .
, not 不 , before the verb; and it can be shortened to 沒 alone if it is not at the end of a sentence or a short answer. Otherwise the full form of 沒有 must be used:
- 她沒
- 她在休息嗎﹖沒有﹐她在看報。
of the progressive aspect and the 在 of location exist in a sentence, only one should be used:
- 她正在房間里休息。
- but not 她正在在房間里休息。
An entire subject-predicate construction (a sentence or clause) such as 我給她打電話 , 他今天買 , 我們去北京參觀 can be used as a modifier for a noun. When used this way, there must be a 的 inserted between the construction and the noun it modifies:
- 我給她打電話的時候﹐她正在吃飯。
- When I called her, she was eating.
- 他今天買的花兒很漂亮。
- The flowers he bought today are very pretty.
- 請你們看我們去北京參觀的照片。
- Please take a look at the pictures we took while visiting Beijing.
- 這是誰給你寫的信﹖
- Who wrote this letter to you?
The subject-predicate construction always goes immediately before the 的 , which goes immediately before the noun to be modified.
vs. 訪問 Both terms can be translated as "to visit" in English. However, while 參觀 implies 觀 (to see), 訪問 stresses 問 (to ask). Hence 參觀 really implies observation while visiting and 訪問 means to visit people with specific purpose such as interviews. 參觀 can be followed by places but not people; whereas 訪問 can take either, but most commonly people.
- 參觀
- 訪問他
些 is a measure word showing indefinite quantity. It is usually used after demonstrative pronouns such as 這 , 那 , 哪 and after the numeral 一 :
- 一些
- some
- 這些
- these
- 那些
- those
- 哪些
- which (plural)
Don't attempt to mix 些 with definite measures. It is wrong to say 這些三本詞典 (these three dictionaries); one can only say 這三本詞典 .
. . . 的 construction
Earlier we saw the construction with simple nouns, pronouns or adjectives:
But the 是
- 這本書是中文的。
- 那條裙子是妹妹的。
- 姐姐的大衣是黑的。
. . . 的 construction can also be used with prepositional phrases and even whole verbal constructions:
- 那些點心是給丁雲的。
- Those pastries are for Ding Yun.
- 這束花兒是我給她買的。
- This bunch of flowers is the one I bought for her.
- 這本書是我在大學的圖書館借的。
- This book is the one I borrowed from the university library.
A complement is a word or phrase attached after a verb to explain or complete the meaning of the action. Complements are used to show duration, extent, quantity, degree, result, direction or possibility of an action. Complements always appear after the verbs they modify.
We know that in Chinese modifiers are generally placed before the words they modify; so why do complements appear after? It's because Chinese word order often observes the time sequence in which an action occurs. Notice, for example:
Since one has to leave the bookshop before going to the cinema, the Chinese sentence follows this time sequence. Similarly, since a verbal action has to take place first, before one can see its extent or result, the complement placed after the verb observes this time sequence.
- 昨天晚上我們從書店去電影院。
- Yesterday evening we went to the cinema from the bookshop.
This is used to show the extent or degree of an action. Normally
adjectives are used for the complement, and the structural particle 得
is used to connect the verb and its complement:
The basic patterns for the complement of degree are as follows:
- 他學習得怎麼樣﹖
- How is he studying?
- 他學習得很好。
- He's studying very well.
+ adjective
- 你工作得不錯。
+ adjective
- 我妹妹唱民歌唱得很好。
+ adjective
- 他們中文學得很好。
before the adjective to make the negative:
+ 不 + adjective
- 她歌唱得不好﹐
adjective 不 adjective?
- 你開車開得快不快﹖
- 你中文學得怎麼樣﹖
adjective 嗎﹖
- 你游泳游得好嗎﹖
, 在 or 是 , since those verbs normally do not denote actions.
and 吧 as sentence-ending particlesEither term can be used to soften the tone when placed at the end of a question. However, they differ in usage.
呢 is primarily used to indicate a mood of enquiry. It may appear
in questions with interrogative words such as 什麼 or 哪兒 ;
affirmative-negative questions such as 有沒有呢﹖好吃不好吃呢﹖ ; or
alternative questions with 還是 , such as 吃面包還是火腿呢﹖
吧 , on the other hand, is employed at the end of a question to
indicate a mood of uncertainty or speculation on the part of the
speaker: 在這兒停車吧﹖ 你不知道吧﹖
呢 in this case is used to indicate the progressive aspect of an
action (e.g. 她學中文呢 ), or to affirm some fact, sometimes with
exaggeration (e.g. 晚上電影九點才開始呢。 從這兒去要走三天呢。 )
吧 is often added at the end of an imperative sentence to soften
the tone, as in 我們走吧。 你再想想吧。
+ verb = to want to
- 我要喝橘子水。
+ verb = would like to
- 你想看電影嗎﹖
+ verb = to have to (especially in questions)
- 我明天要來嗎﹖
- Do I have to come tomorrow?
- 我們要去了。
- We have to go.
+ verb = don't have to
- 你明天不用來。
- You don't have to come tomorrow.
+ verb = can, be able to
- 你現在能看中文報紙嗎﹖
+ verb = can, be able to
- 你們一個星期可以學幾課﹖
+ verb = can, be able to
- 他們都會游泳嗎﹖
+ verb = can, be able to
- 你明天能來嗎﹖
+ verb = can, be able to
- 你今天晚上可以
for negative sentences.
+ verb = may, be permitted to
- 我能在這兒停車嗎﹖
- 你不能
+ verb = may, be permitted to
- 我可以在這兒吸煙嗎﹖
- 你不可以
+ verb = be likely to, will probably
- 你明天會再來嗎﹖
- 今天晚上不會下雨。
+ verb = should, ought to
- 你們學得不錯﹐應該去中國。
- 他們不應該翻譯那本書。
or 沒有 before the optative verb:
- 他們不想給圖書館打電話。
- 你會不會唱中國民歌﹖
- but not 你會唱不唱中國民歌﹖
- 你是北京人﹐應該會唱京劇。
and 才 and 才
are often used before the main verb to indicate the speaker's attitude
as to whether the action expressed by the main verb is earlier (就 ) or later (才 ) than expected:
Compare the following sentences:
- 他們三點就來了﹐可是你們現在才來。
- They came as early as 3 o'clock, but you came as late as now.
- 我們是老朋友﹐我們十年前就認識了。
- We are old friends, and we came to know each other as early as ten years ago.
- 她不是我的同學﹐我上個星期才認識她。
- She is not a classmate of mine. I just got to know her a week ago.
As shown in the above sentences, when there is a time-word in a sentence, 就
- 今年我們就想去中國學習。
- (The speaker indicates their eagerness in going to China as soon as this year.)
- 今年我們才想去中國學習。
- (The speaker indicates that, although going to China this year, they should have gone earlier.)
and 才
should be placed after it; when there is an optative verb, on the other hand, 就 and 才
should be placed before it. Here is the pattern:
- Time-word + 就
- 她今年就可以去中國﹐我明年才可以去中國。
- 他們今天下午三點就能出發﹐我們要晚上八點才能走。
, 還是 is used in non-interrogative sentences to indicate a choice:
還是
- 我妹妹想研究音樂或者文學。
, on the other hand, is more often than not reserved for alternative questions:
It can also be used in subordinate clauses with verbs such as 知道
- 你上午去﹐還是下午去﹖
, 告訴 etc:
and 還是 can appear in questions, there are some subtle differences in their anticipations and tones:
In dialogue 1, A asks an alternative question which anticipates a choice from the answer. The two terms with 還是
- A: 你想去中國還是日本﹖
B: 我想去中國。
- A: 你想去中國或者日本嗎﹖
B: 我想去﹐我兩個地方都想去。
are mutually exclusive. In dialogue 2, the question is a general one using 嗎 at the end. It does not anticipate a strict choice from the answer, so B can give a
general answer: 我想去 -- yes, I do -- and then add his more specific thought: 我兩個地方都想去 . The two items with 或者 in the question are therefore not mutually exclusive.
Sometimes, however, 還是 can also be used in a non-interrogative sentence. For instance:
Notice in the sentence the tone is still somehow interrogative, compelling 他
- 去看朋友﹐還是去看電影﹐他一時
to make a choice. In contrast, 或者 in this case can only convey a sort of explanatory note:
- 你去﹐還是她來﹐你明天一定要作決定。
- 或者你去﹐或者她來﹐沒有其他選擇。
, 知道 , 認識 and 懂 The meanings of the four terms here overlap.
Both 了解 and 知道 can mean "to know". However, 了解 implies some level of understanding and comprehension of what one knows. Therefore 了解 can be understood as a deeper or better knowing than 知道 . Compare:
- 你了解
- 我不知道他是誰的孩子。
認識
is used to indicate that one can recognise this as this and not others.
It can also involve the process of acquiring such an ability.
- A: 哦﹐我認識她﹗
- Oh, I know her!
- B: 你是在哪兒認識她的﹖
- Where did you get to know her?
懂 , on the other hand, is a direct equivalent of "to understand". Its definition is not as broad as that of 了解 (to know and understand) and is different from that of 知道 (to know).
Of these, sentence 3 wants to know more detailed information about him than sentence 2, and sentence 2 wants more detailed information than sentence 1.
- 1. 你懂他說的漢語嗎﹖
- 2. 你知道他叫甚麼名字嗎﹖
- 3. 你了解他嗎﹖
The aspect particle 了
is added to the end of a verb to indicate the completion of
an action. In general, Chinese perfect aspect is equivalent to perfect
tenses (present perfect, past perfect or future perfect) in English.
So, the completion of an action can take place in the past or in the
future. For instance:
On the other hand, a past action is not always followed by the aspect particle 了
- A: 你下了課去哪兒﹖
- B: 我下了課去圖書館。
, if it is a simple statement or a habitual action and there is no need to emphasise its completion:
- 去年他常常去書店。
- 以前我住在學生宿舍。
- Subject + verb + 了
- e.g. 電影開始了。
is dropped here)
- Subject + 沒
- or subject + 還沒
- e.g. 我沒有買書。
- Subject + verb + 了
- or Subject + verb + 了嗎﹖
- or Subject + verb + 沒
- e.g. 你今天買了詞典沒有﹖
- 我買了三本書。
- 我在書店里買了書。
- but not simply 我買了書。
is usually placed after
the last verb.
In sentence a, "write" is related to "use" because the letter is written by using Chinese; in sentence b, similarly, "buy" is related to "enter the city" because the purpose of entering the city is to buy the dictionaries. Compare the above sentences with the following, with a different structure:
- a. 我用中文給媽媽寫了一封信。
- b. 他們昨天進城買了一些中文詞典。
Here "class is over" (下課
- 我下了課去圖書館。
)
and "go to the library" are unrelated. They are contained in the
sentence simply to indicate their sequence. Hence it is wrong to say
- 我下課去了圖書館。
is placed before the reduplicated verb:
- 我試了試那條裙子﹐真漂亮﹗
, 再 and 還 All three of these adverbs indicate the repetition of an action, like the English "again". They differ in usage, however:
Whereas 又 indicates a repetition of an action that has already taken place, 再 implies a
repetition of an action in the future. Also, 再 is only used in declarative sentences, plus questions ending in 好嗎 :
Also, 又
- 昨天他來晚了﹐今天他又來晚了。
- (repetition in the past)
- 你今天來晚了﹔明天再來晚﹐我們就不讓你進來了。
- (repetition in the future)
- 你再喝一點兒橘子水﹐好嗎﹖
can be used for the repetition of a periodic action or occurrence,
even though it has not yet taken place:
還
- 明天又是星期一﹐我們又要上課。
- 新年又要來了。
, on the other hand, usually expresses a future repetition:
It can also be used in an interrogative or declarative sentence with an optative verb. In this situation, it is placed before the optative verb and an optional 再
- 你明天還來嗎﹖
can be placed after:
- A: 你明年還能
- B: 我明年還可以
The modal particle 了 is placed at the end of a sentence to
indicate that the event referred to took place in the past. The
difference between 了 as modal particle and 了 to indicate perfect
aspect is that the latter only shows the completion of the verb,
whereas the former shows the completion of the whole sentence or
event, implying some change of situation.
The first 了
- 他買了書了。
in the sentence above indicates only the completion of
the action of 買書 , whereas the second 了 marks some change of
situation on the part of 他 as a result of the completion of the
book-buying process: originally he did not have the book, but now he
has.
(Please compare against the patterns for the perfect aspect in the previous section.)
- Subject + verb (+ object) + 了
- e.g. 他們看足球賽了。
is dropped here)
- Subject + 沒
- e.g. 他們沒看足球賽。
- Subject + verb + object + 了沒有﹖
- or Subject + verb + object + 了嗎﹖
- or Subject + verb + 沒
- e.g. 他們看足球賽了沒有﹖
- 他們看足球賽了嗎﹖
- 他們看沒看足球賽﹖
from the modal particle 了 . In such a case, 了 can
be regarded as fulfilling both functions:
- 她來了。
at the end of the sentence:
- 我昨天下午看足球賽﹐晚上沒出去。
The above pattern can be used for future actions as well. To indicate that both actions took place in the past, the particle 了
- Subject + verb + 了
- e.g. 我們辦了簽証
- 明天吃了早飯
has
to be inserted at the end of the sentence:
- 我們辦了簽証以後就回家了。
- 他們早上沒吃早飯就走了。
| Word list | |||
 | | ||
| 嗎 | ma3 / ma5 | morphine / (question tag) | |
| 你好 | ni3hao3 | hello, how are you | |
| 你 | ni3 | you | |
| 呢 | ne5 / ni2 | (question particle) / woolen material | |
| 我 | wo3 | I, me, myself | |
| 很好 | hen3hao3 | well | |
| 忙 | mang2 | busy | |
| 不忙 | bu4mang2 | theres no hurry, take ones time | |
| 很 | hen3 | very, extremely | |
| 也 | ye3 | also, too | |
| 都 | dou1 / du1 | all, both (if two things are involved), entirely (due to)each, even, already / (surname), metropolis, capital city | |
| 好 | hao3 / hao4 | good, well / be fond of | |
| 我們 | wo3men5 | we, us, ourselves | |
| 他們 | ta1men5 | they | |
| 他們都 | ta1men5dou1 | all of them | |
| 不 | bu4 | (negative prefix), not, no | |
| 不是 | bu2shi4 | (n) blame or fault | |
| 大夫 | dai4fu5 | doctor | |
| 是 | shi4 | is, are, am, yes, to be | |
| 的 | de5 / di2 / di4 | (possessive particle), of / really and truly / aim, clear | |
| 我的 | wo3de5 | my, mine | |
| 書 | shu1 | book, letter | |
| 媽媽 | ma1ma5 | mama, mommy | |
| 車 | che1 / ju1 | car, a vehicle, machine, to shape with a lathe / vehicle on land | |
| 弟弟 | di4di5 | younger brother | |
| 爸爸 | ba4ba5 | (informal) father | |
| 他 | ta1 | he, him | |
| 朋友 | peng2you5 | friend | |
| 她 | ta1 | she | |
| 哥哥 | ge1ge5 | older brother | |
| 誰 | shei2 / shui2 | who / who | |
| 哪 | na3 / na5 / nei3 / nei3 | how, which / (final part. preceded by N) / which (followed by M or Num) / which (followed by M or Num) | |
| 什 | shi2 | tenth | |
| 麼 | me5 / mo2 | (interrog. suff.) / dimi. | |
| 老師 | lao3shi1 | teacher | |
| 你們 | ni3men5 | you (plural) | |
| 中國人 | zhong1guo2ren2 | Chinese person, Chinese people | |
| 國 | guo2 | country, state, nation | |
| 人 | ren2 | man, person, people | |
| 這 | zhe4 / zhei4 | this, these / this, these | |
| 中國 | zhong1guo2 | China, Chinese | |
| 地圖 | di4tu2 | map | |
| 那 | na3 / na4 / nei4 | how, which / that, those / that, those | |
| 您 | nin2 | you (formal) | |
| 貴姓 | gui4xing4 | what is your name? | |
| 姓 | xing4 | surname, family name, name | |
| 丁 | ding1 | (surname), 4th heavenly stem, a Chinese surname | |
| 叫 | jiao4 | to (be) call(ed) | |
| 請問 | qing3wen4 | may I ask... | |
| 學習 | xue2xi2 | to learn, to study | |
| 學 | xue2 | learn, study, science, -ology | |
| 習 | xi2 | to practice, to study, habit | |
| 漢語 | han4yu3 | Chinese language | |
| 法語 | fa3yu3 | French (language) | |
| 不學 | bu4xue2wu2shu4 | have neither learning nor skill, be ignorant and incompetent | |
| 在 | zai4 | (located) at, in, exist | |
| 哪兒 | na3er5 | where | |
| 那兒 | nar3 / nar4 | where / there | |
| 古波 | gu3bo1 | Gubo (a personal name) | |
| 不在 | bu4zai4 | not be in, be out | |
| 學生 | xue2sheng5 | student | |
| 宿舍 | su4she4 | dormitory, living quarters | |
| 這兒 | zher4 | here | |
| 住 | zhu4 | to live, to dwell, to reside, to stop | |
| 學� / | xue2yuan4 | college, educational institute, school, faculty | |
| � / | si4 | four | |
| 層 | ceng2 | a measure word for layers, laminated, repeated, floor, story (of a building), layer | |
| 二 | er4 | two | |
| 三 | san1 | three | |
| 號 | hao2 / hao4 | roar, cry / day of a month, (suffix used after) name of a ship, (ordinal) number | |
| 在這 | zai4zhe4qi1jian1 | during time, in this time | |
| 兒 | er2 / er5 | son / non-syllabic dimi. suff. | |
| 一 | yi1 | one, single, a(n) | |
| 五 | wu3 | five, 5 | |
| 二號 | er4hao4 | 2nd day of the month | |
| 還 | hai2 / huan2 | also, in addition, more, still, else, still, yet, (not) yet / (surname), pay back, return | |
| 畫報 | hua4bao4 | pictorial (magazine) | |
| 云 | yun2 | say | |
| 日本 | ri4ben3 | Japan, Japanese | |
| 用 | yong4 | to use | |
| 一下兒 | yi2xiar4 | a little bit, a little while | |
| 現在 | xian4zai4 | modern, current, present, at present, now, nowadays | |
| 去 | qu4 | to go, to leave, to remove | |
| 常 | chang2 | always, ever, often, frequently, common, general, constant | |
| 常常 | chang2chang2 | frequently, usually, often | |
| 喝 | he1 / he4 | my goodness, to drink / shout applause | |
| 茶 | cha2 | tea, tea plant | |
| 看 | kan1 / kan4 | to look after, to take care of, to watch, to guard / it depends, think, to see, to look at | |
| 是不是 | shi4bu4shi4 | is or isnt, yes or no, whether or not | |
| 認識 | ren4shi5 | be acquainted with (a person), to know, to be familiar with, to recognize | |
| 介紹 | jie4shao4 | to present, introduction, to introduce | |
| 咖啡 | ka1fei1 | coffee | |
| 商店 | shang1dian4 | store, shop | |
| 買 | mai3 | buy | |
| 紙 | zhi3 | paper | |
| 歡迎 | huan1ying2 | to welcome, welcome | |
| 來 | lai2 | to come | |
| 不歡 | bu4huan1er2san4 | part on bad terms, (of a meeting, etc, ) break up in discord | |
| 迎 | ying2 | to welcome | |
| 和 | he2 / he4 / huo2 / huo4 | and, together with, with, peace, harmony, union / cap (a poem), respond in singing / soft, warm / mix together, to blend | |
| 美國 | mei3guo2 | America, American, United States, USA | |
| 英語 | ying1yu3 | English (language) | |
| 有 | you3 | to have, there is, there are, to exist, to be | |
| 詞典 | ci2dian3 | dictionary | |
| 多 | duo1 | many, much, a lot of, numerous, multi- | |
| 外國 | wai4guo2 | foreign (country) | |
| 沒 | mei2 / mo4 | (negative prefix for verbs), have not, not / drowned, to end, to die, to inundate | |
| 沒有 | mei2you3 | havent, hasnt, doesnt exist, to not have, to not be | |
| 姐姐 | jie3jie5 | older sister | |
| 筆 | bi3 | pen, pencil, writing brush, to write or compose, the strokes of Chinese characters | |
| 妹妹 | mei4mei4 / mei4mei5 | (informal) younger sister / younger sister | |
| 沒有人 | mei2you3ren2 | nobody | |
| 有人 | you3ren2qing2 | humane | |
| 給 | gei3 / ji3 | to, for, for the benefit of, to give, to allow, to do sth (for sb), (passive particle) / to supply, provide | |
| 銀行 | yin2hang2 | bank | |
| 工作 | gong1zuo4 | job, work, construction, work, task | |
| 信 | xin4 | letter, true, to believe, sign, evidence | |
| 寫信 | xie3xin4 | to write a letter | |
| 想 | xiang3 | to think, to believe, to suppose, to wish, to want, to miss | |
| 丁雲 | ding1yun2 | Ding Yun (a personal name) | |
| 想家 | xiang3jia1 | homesick | |
| 男朋友 | nan2peng2you5 | male friend, boyfriend | |
| 告訴 | gao4su5 | to tell, to inform, to let know | |
| 好朋友 | hao3peng2you5 | good friend | |
| 請 | qing3 | to ask, to invite, please (do sth), to treat (to a meal, etc), to request | |
| 零 | ling2 | remnant, zero | |
| 六 | liu4 | six | |
| 七 | qi1 | seven, 7 | |
| 八 | ba1 | eight, 8 | |
| 九 | jiu3 | nine, 9 | |
| 十 | shi2 | ten | |
| 十一 | shi2yi1 | eleven | |
| 十二 | shi2er4 | 12, twelve | |
| 十九 | shi2jiu3 | nineteen | |
| 二十 | er4shi2 | twenty, 20 | |
| 二十一 | er4shi2yi1 | twenty-one | |
| 二十八 | er4shi2ba1hao4 | 28th day of the month | |
| 三十 | san1shi2 | thirty, 30 | |
| � / 十 | si4shi2 | forty, 40 | |
| 九十 | jiu3shi2 | ninety | |
| 一百 | yi1bai3 | a hundred | |
| 三百 | san1bai3 | three hundred | |
| 二十七 | er4shi2qi1 | twenty-seven | |
| 百 | bai3 | hundred | |
| 一千 | yi1qian1 | one thousand | |
| 一千零 | yi1qian1ling2wu3shi2yi4 | 105 billion | |
| 五千 | wu3qian1dun1 | 5000 tons | |
| 八千 | ba1qian1 | eight thousand, 8000 | |
| 七百 | qi1bai3wan4 | seven million | |
| 二十五 | er4shi2wu3 | twenty five | |
| 一萬 | yi1wan4 | ten thousand | |
| 萬 | wan4 | (surname), ten thousand, a great number | |
| 一億 | yi1yi4 | 1 00 million | |
| 十五 | shi2wu3 | fifteen | |
| 三千 | san1qian1wu3bai3 | 3 500 | |
| 幾 | ji1 / ji3 | almost / how much, how many, several, a few | |
| 本 | ben3 | roots or stems of plants, origin, source, this, the current, root, foundation, basis, (a measure word) | |
| 個 | ge4 | (a measure word), individual | |
| 那個 | nei4ge4 | that one | |
| 哪個 | na3ge5 | which, who | |
| 圖書館 | tu2shu1guan3 | library | |
| 多少 | duo1shao3 | how much, how many, which (number) | |
| 大學 | da4xue2 | university | |
| 家 | jia1 | -ist, -er, -ian, home, family, a person engaged in a certain art or profession | |
| 幾個 | ji3ge5 | several | |
| 王 | wang2 | king, Wang (proper name) | |
| 教 | jiao1 / jiao4 | teach / religion, teaching | |
| 語法 | yu3fa3 | grammar | |
| 問 | wen4 | to ask | |
| 寫 | xie3 | to write | |
| 封 | feng1 | to confer, to grant, to seal, (a measure word) | |
| 新書 | xin1shu1 | new book | |
| 新 | xin1 | meso- (chem.), new, newly | |
| 有一 | you3yi1xie1 | somewhat, rather | |
| 問題 | wen4ti2 | problem, issue, topic | |
| 漢字 | han4zi4 | Chinese character | |
| 口語 | kou3yu3 | spoken language | |
| 條 | tiao2 | measure word for long, thin things (i.e. ribbon, river, etc.), a strip, item, article | |
| 裙子 | qun2zi5 | skirt | |
| 白 | bai2 | white, snowy, empty, blank, bright, clear, plain, pure, gratuitous | |
| 從 | cong1 / cong2 / zong4 | lax, yielding, unhurried / from, obey, observe, follow / second cousin | |
| 晚上 | wan3shang5 | in the evening | |
| 劇場 | ju4chang3 | theater | |
| 找 | zhao3 | to try to find, to look for, to call on (sb), to find, to seek, to return, to look for | |
| 太 | tai4 | highest, greatest, too (much), very, extremely | |
| 了 | le5 / liao3 | (modal particle intensifying preceding clause), (past tense marker) / to know, to understand, to know | |
| 太忙 | tai4mang2 | too busy | |
| 大 | da4 / dai4 | big, huge, large, major, great, wide, deep, oldest, eldest / doctor | |
| 太好了 | tai4hao3le5 | very good | |
| 兩 | liang3 | both, two, ounce, some, a few, tael | |
| 兩個 | liang3ge4zhong1guo2 | two-China (policy) | |
| 增加 | zeng1jia1 | to raise, to increase | |
| 倍 | bei4 | (two, three, etc) -fold, times (multiplier), double, to increase or multiply | |
| 兩次 | liang3ci4 | twice | |
| 二十二 | er4shi2er4hao4 | 22nd day of a month | |
| 二次 | er4ci4da4zhan4 | World War Two | |
| 個人 | ge4ren2 | individual, personal, oneself | |
| 六十 | liu4shi2 | sixty, 60 | |
| 元 | yuan2 | (dynasty), dollar, primary, first | |
| 二百 | er4bai3 | two hundred, 200 | |
| 五十 | wu3shi2 | fifty | |
| 兩百 | liang3bai3 | two hundred | |
| 千 | qian1 | thousand | |
| 億 | yi4 | a hundred million, calculate | |
| 兩千 | liang3qian1 | two thousand | |
| 人口 | ren2kou3 | population | |
| 千萬 | qian1wan4 | ten million, millions and millions, very many | |
| 三萬 | san1wan4 | 30 thousand | |
| 點 | dian3 | (downwards-right convex character stroke), oclock, (a measure word), point, dot, (decimal) point) | |
| 兩點 | liang3dian3shi2jiu3fen1 | 2 :1 9 (time of day) | |
| 半 | ban4 | half, semi-, incomplete, (after a number) and a half, half | |
| 分 | fen1 / fen4 | to divide, minute, (a measure word), (a unit of length = 0.33 centimeter) / part | |
| 刻 | ke4 | quarter (hour), (a measure word), to carve, to engrave, to cut, oppressive | |
| 五分 | wu3fen1mei3jin1 | nickel | |
| 差 | cha1 / cha4 / chai1 / ci1 | difference, error, discrepancy, to differ, to err, to make a mistake, to lack / different, short of, poor, to lack / send, a messenger, a mission, to commission / uneven | |
| 六點 | liu4dian3liu4 | 6.6 | |
| 七點 | qi1dian3er4 | 7.2 | |
| 三十五 | san1shi2wu3yi4 | 3.5 billion | |
| 八分 | ba1fen1yin1fu2 | quaver, eighth note | |
| 三分 | san1fen1zhi1yi1 | one third | |
| 今天 | jin1tian1 | today, at the present, now | |
| 上午 | shang4wu3 | morning | |
| 這個 | zhe4ge4 | this | |
| 每天 | mei3tian1 | every day, everyday | |
| 下午 | xia4wu3 | afternoon | |
| 每 | mei3 | each, every | |
| 上 | shang4 | on, on top, upon, first (of two parts), previous or last (week, etc.), upper, higher, above, previous, to climb, to go into, above, to go up | |
| 中文 | zhong1wen2 | Chinese language | |
| 課 | ke4 / ke4 | subject, class, lesson / class, lesson | |
| 下課 | xia4ke4 | class is over | |
| 等 | deng3 | class, rank, grade, equal to, same as, wait for, await, et cetera, and so on | |
| 明天 | ming2tian1 | tomorrow | |
| 上課 | shang4ke4 | to attend class | |
| 電影 | dian4ying3 | movie, film | |
| 中午 | zhong1wu3 | noon, midday | |
| 報 | bao4 | to announce, to inform, report, newspaper, recompense, revenge | |
| 昨天 | zuo2tian1 | yesterday | |
| 以前 | yi3qian2 | before, formerly, previous | |
| 以後 | yi3hou4 | after, later, afterwards, following, later on, in the future | |
| 不住 | bu2zhu4 | repeatedly, continuously, constantly | |
| 住宿 | zhu4su4 | lodging | |
| 舍 | she3 / she4 | to abandon, to give up / residence | |
| 回家 | hui2jia1 | homeward | |
| 閱覽室 | yue4lan3shi4 | reading room | |
| 美國以 | mei3guo2yi3wai4 | outside of the U.S. | |
| 後 | hou4 | back, behind, rear, afterwards, after, later | |
| 半以 | ban4yi3shang4 | more than half | |
| 作 | zuo4 | to regard as, to take (somebody) for, to do, to make | |
| 回 | hui2 | (a measure word for matters or actions) a time, to circle, to go back, to turn around, to answer, to return, to revolve | |
| 跟 | gen1 | to follow, to go with, heel, with, and | |
| 一起 | yi4qi3 | together | |
| 事兒 | shir4 | business, thing | |
| 京劇 | jing1ju4 | Beijing opera | |
| 還是 | hai2shi4 | or, still, nevertheless | |
| 喜歡 | xi3huan5 | to like, to be fond of | |
| 紅茶 | hong2cha2 | black tea | |
| 綠茶 | lu:4cha2 | green tea | |
| 要 | yao1 / yao4 | demand, ask, request, coerce / important, vital, to want, to be going to, must | |
| 聽 | ting1 / ting4 | listen, hear, obey / let, allow | |
| 古典音樂 | gu3dian3yin1yue4 | classical music | |
| 現代音樂 | xian4dai4yin1yue4 | modern music, contemporary music | |
| 讓 | rang4 | to ask, to let, permit, have (someone do something), to yield, to allow | |
| 音樂 | yin1yue4 | music | |
| 孩子 | hai2zi5 | child | |
| 吃 | chi1 / ji2 | eat, eradicate, destroy, receive / stammer | |
| 晚飯 | wan3fan4 | supper | |
| 酒 | jiu3 | wine, liquor, spirits | |
| 別 | bie2 / bie4 | leave, depart, separate, distinguish, classify, other, another, do not, must not, to pin / contrary, difficult, awkward | |
| 不要 | bu4yao4 | dont!, must not | |
| 吸煙 | xi1yan1 | to smoke | |
| 走 | zou3 | to walk, to go, to move | |
| 年 | nian2 | year | |
| 去年 | qu4nian2 | last year | |
| 今年 | jin1nian2 | this year | |
| 明年 | ming2nian2 | next year | |
| 一九九七 | yi1jiu3jiu3qi1nian2 | the year 1997 | |
| 一九九 | yi1jiu3jiu3qi1nian2 | the year 1997 | |
| 八年 | ba1nian2 | eight years | |
| 一年 | yi1nian2ban4 | a year and a half | |
| 三年 | san1nian2 | three years | |
| 每年 | mei3nian2 | every year, each year, yearly | |
| 五年 | wu3nian2ji4hua4 | Five-Year Plan | |
| 月 | yue4 | moon, month | |
| 上個月 | shang4ge4yue4 | last month | |
| 這個月 | zhei4ge4yue4 | this (current) month | |
| 下個月 | xia4ge4yue4 | next month | |
| 一月 | yi1yue4 | first month, January | |
| 二月 | er4yue4 | February, second month | |
| 星期 | xing1qi1 | week | |
| 下 | xia4 | under, second (of two parts), next (week, etc.), lower, below, underneath, down(wards), to decline, to go down, latter | |
| 星期一 | xing1qi1yi1 | Monday | |
| 星期二 | xing1qi1er4 | Tuesday | |
| 星期六 | xing1qi1liu4 | Saturday | |
| 星期日 | xing1qi1ri4 | Sunday | |
| 星期天 | xing1qi1tian1 | Sunday | |
| � / 個 | si4ge4xiao3shi2 | four hours | |
| 日 | ri4 | Japan, day, sun, date, day of the month | |
| 天 | tian1 | day, sky, heaven | |
| 一號 | yi1hao4 | first day of the month | |
| � / 月 | si4yue4 | April, fourth month | |
| 六號 | liu4hao4 | 6th day of the month | |
| 十月 | shi2yue4 | October | |
| 一天 | yi1tian1 | one day | |
| 半天 | ban4tian1 | half of the day, a long time, quite a while | |
| 十一月 | shi2yi1yue4 | eleventh month, November | |
| 八九 | ba1jiu3bu4li2shi2 | pretty close, very near, about right | |
| 七月 | qi1yue4 | July, seventh month | |
| 十� / | shi2si4 | fourteen, 14 | |
| 五月 | wu3yue4 | May, fifth month | |
| 八月 | ba1yue4 | eighth month, August | |
| 星期五 | xing1qi1wu3 | Friday | |
| 星期� / | xing1qi1si4 | Thursday | |
| 水 | shui3 | water, river | |
| 不很 | bu4hen3 | not very | |
| 乾淨 | gan1jing4 | clean, neat | |
| 送 | song4 | to deliver, to carry, to give (as a present), to present (with), to see off, to send | |
| 禮物 | li3wu4 | gift, present | |
| 有意思 | you3yi4si5 | interesting | |
| 開門 | kai1men2 | open (the) door | |
| 跳舞 | tiao4wu3 | to dance | |
| 姑娘 | gu1niang5 | girl | |
| 同學 | tong2xue2 | (fellow) classmate | |
| 高興 | gao1xing4 | happy, glad, willing (to do sth), in a cheerful mood | |
| 絲 | si1 | silk, thread, trace | |
| 線 | xian4 | thread, string, wire, line | |
| 衫 | shan1 | Chinese gown (unlined) | |
| 小 | xiao3 | small, tiny, few, young | |
| 服務員 | fu2wu4yuan2 | waiter, waitress, server | |
| 非常 | fei1chang2 | unusual, extraordinary, extreme, very, exceptional | |
| 年輕 | nian2qing1 | young | |
| 真 | zhen1 | real, true, genuine | |
| 更 | geng1 / geng4 | to change / more, even more, further, still, still more | |
| 祝 | zhu4 | invoke, pray to, wish, to express good wishes | |
| 祝賀 | zhu4he4 | to congratulate, congratulations | |
| 生日 | sheng1ri4 | birthday | |
| 上邊 | shang4bian5 | upside | |
| 左邊 | zuo3bian1 | left | |
| 前邊 | qian2bian1 | (n) the area in front of sth | |
| 中間 | zhong1jian4 | betwixt, intermediate, mid, middle | |
| 對面 | dui4mian4 | opposite | |
| 左 | zuo3 | left | |
| 中 | zhong1 / zhong4 | within, among, in, middle, center, while (doing sth), during, China, Chinese / hit (the mark) | |
| 右 | you4 | right (-hand) | |
| 前 | qian2 | before, in front, ago, former, previous, earlier, front | |
| 裡 | li3 | li, a Chinese unit of length = 1, 2 kilometer, village, within, inside | |
| 外 | wai4 | outside, in addition, foreign, external | |
| 邊 | bian1 | side, edge, margin, border, boundary | |
| 外邊 | wai4bian5 | (n) outside, (n) exterior surface, (n) place other than ones home town | |
| 房子 | fang2zi5 | house | |
| 後邊 | hou4bian1 | behind | |
| 桌子 | zhuo1zi5 | table, desk | |
| 下邊 | xia4bian1 | (n) under | |
| 教室 | jiao4shi4 | classroom | |
| 北京 | bei3jing1 | Beijing (capital of mainland China) | |
| 很多 | hen3duo1 | very many, very much, great (quantity) | |
| 房 | fang2 | house | |
| 公園 | gong1yuan2 | a public park | |
| 花園 | hua1yuan2 | garden | |
| 在車 | zai4che1 | aboard | |
| 右邊 | you4bian1 | right (as opposed to left) | |
| 一個 | yi1ge4 | a, an | |
| 休息 | xiu1xi5 | rest, to rest | |
| 正 | zheng1 / zheng4 | Chinese 1st month of year / just (right), main, upright, straight, correct, principle | |
| 正在 | zheng4zai4 | in the process of (doing something or happening), while (doing) | |
| 的時候 | de5shi2hou4 | when, during, at the time of | |
| 一定 | yi1ding4 | surely, certainly, necessarily, fixed, a certain (extent, etc.), given, particular | |
| 房間 | fang2jian1 | room | |
| 里 | li3 | Chinese mile, neighborhood | |
| 打電話 | da3dian4hua4 | to make a telephone call | |
| 參觀 | can1guan1 | to look around, to inspect, visit and observe | |
| 吃飯 | chi1fan4 | to eat a meal | |
| 花兒 | huar1 | flower | |
| 漂亮 | piao4liang5 | pretty, beautiful | |
| 照片 | zhao4pian4 | photograph, picture | |
| 訪問 | fang3wen4 | pay a visit (to), to access, to interview | |
| 觀 | guan1 / guan4 | to look at, to watch, to observe, to behold / Taoist monastery | |
| 學校 | xue2xiao4 | school | |
| 國家 | guo2jia1 | country, nation | |
| 總統 | zong3tong3 | president (of a country) | |
| 些 | xie1 | some, few, several, (a measure word) | |
| 一些 | yi1xie1 | some, a few, a little | |
| 這些 | zhe4xie5 | these | |
| 那些 | na4xie1 | those | |
| 哪些 | na3xie1 | which, who, what | |
| 大衣 | da4yi1 | overcoat, topcoat, cloak | |
| 黑 | hei1 | black, dark | |
| 點心 | dian3xin1 | light refreshments, pastry | |
| 束 | shu4 | bunch, (a measure word), to bind, to control | |
| 在大 | zai4da4duo1shu4qing2kuang4xia4 | in most instances | |
| 借 | jie4 | to lend, to borrow, excuse, pretext, by means of | |
| 書店 | shu1dian4 | bookstore | |
| 電影� / | dian4ying3yuan4 | cinema, movie theater | |
| 得 | de2 / de5 / dei3 | obtain, get, gain, proper, suitable, proud, contented, allow, permit, ready, finished / a sentence particle used after a verb to show effect, degree or possibility / to have to, must, ought to, to need to | |
| 怎麼樣 | zen3me5yang4 | how about, (used in the negative)(not) so good | |
| 得很 | de5hen3 | very (much, good etc.) | |
| 得不 | de2bu4dao4 | cannot get, cannot obtain | |
| 錯 | cuo4 | mistake, error, blunder, fault, cross, uneven, wrong | |
| 唱 | chang4 | sing, to call loudly, to chant | |
| 民歌 | min2ge1 | folk song | |
| 歌唱 | ge1chang4 | sing | |
| 舞 | wu3 | to dance, to wield, to brandish | |
| 跳 | tiao4 | jump, hop, skip (a grade), to leap, to bounce, to beat | |
| 開車 | kai1che1 | to drive a car | |
| 開 | kai1 | open, operate (vehicle), start | |
| 快 | kuai4 | fast, quick, swift | |
| 不快 | bu4kuai4 | be unhappy, be displeased, be in low spirits, be indisposed, feel under the weather, be out of sorts | |
| 游泳 | you2yong3 | swim | |
| 游 | you2 | to walk, to tour, to roam, to swim, to travel | |
| 吧 | ba1 / ba5 | (onomat.), dumb / (modal particle indicating polite suggestion), ...right?, ...OK? | |
| 好吃 | hao3chi1 | tasty, delicious | |
| 不好 | bu4hao3 | no good | |
| 面 | mian4 | fade, side, surface, aspect, top, face, flour, noodles | |
| 包 | bao1 | to cover, to wrap, to hold, to include, to take charge of, package, wrapper, container, bag, to hold or embrace, bundle, packet, to contract (to or for) | |
| 火腿 | huo3tui3 | ham | |
| 停車 | ting2che1 | to stop, to park | |
| 不知 | bu4zhi1 | unknowing(ly) | |
| 道 | dao4 | direction, way, method, road, path, principle, truth, reason, skill, method, Tao (of Taoism), a measure word, to say, to speak, to talk | |
| 才 | cai2 | ability, talent, endowment, gift, an expert, only (then), only if, just | |
| 開始 | kai1shi3 | begin, beginning, start, initial | |
| 三天 | san1tian1 | three days | |
| 再 | zai4 | again, once more, re-, second, another | |
| 橘子 | ju2zi5 | orange | |
| 不用 | bu4yong4 | need not | |
| 能 | neng2 | can, may, capable, energy, able | |
| 報紙 | bao4zhi3 | newspaper, newsprint | |
| 可以 | ke3yi3 | can, may, possible, able to | |
| � / | hui4 / kuai4 | can, be possible, be able to, to assemble, to meet, to gather, to see, union, group, association / to balance an account, accounting | |
| 不能 | bu4neng2 | cannot, must not, should not | |
| 不可 | bu4ke3 | cannot, should not, must not | |
| 以 | yi3 | to use, according to, so as to, in order to, by, with, because | |
| 不� / | bu4hui4 | improbable, unlikely, will not (act, happen, etc, ), have not learned to, be unable to | |
| 下雨 | xia4yu3 | rainy | |
| 應該 | ying1gai1 | ought to, should, must | |
| 翻譯 | fan1yi4 | translate | |
| � / 不� / | hui4bu4hui4 | (posing a question: whether someone, something) can or not, is able to or not | |
| 中國民 | zhong1guo2min2hang2 | General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) | |
| 歌 | ge1 | song | |
| 北京人 | bei3jing1ren2 | person from Beijing, Peking Man (Sinanthropus pekinesis) | |
| 就 | jiu4 | at once, then, right away, only, (emphasis), to approach, to move towards, to undertake | |
| 可是 | ke3shi4 | but, however | |
| 老 | lao3 | (a prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family to indicate affection or familiarity), old (of people) | |
| 十年 | shi2nian2 | ten years | |
| 上個星期 | shang4ge4xing1qi1 | last week | |
| 出發 | chu1fa1 | to start out, to set off | |
| 才能 | cai2neng2 | talent, ability, capacity | |
| 或者 | huo4zhe3 | or, possibly, maybe, perhaps | |
| 研究 | yan2jiu1 | research | |
| 文學 | wen2xue2 | literature | |
| 知道 | zhi1dao5 | know, be aware of | |
| 地方 | di4fang5 | area, place, local | |
| 一時 | yi4shi2 | temporary, momentary | |
| 不定 | bu4ding4 | indefinite, adventitious, indeterminate | |
| 主意 | zhu3yi5 | plan, idea, decision | |
| 一定要 | yi1ding4yao4 | must | |
| 決定 | jue2ding4 | to decide (to do something), to determine, to resolve | |
| 其他 | qi2ta1 | other, else | |
| 選擇 | xuan3ze2 | to select, to pick, to choose, to make a choice | |
| 了解 | liao3jie3 | understand, come to understand, find out | |
| 懂 | dong3 | to understand, to know | |
| 哦 | e2 / o2 | to chant / oh is that so | |
| 說 | shui4 / shuo1 | persuade (politically) / to speak, to say | |
| 甚麼 | shen2me5 | what | |
| 名字 | ming2zi5 | (a persons) name | |
| 談 | tan2 | to speak, to talk, to converse, to chat, to discuss, (surname) | |
| 進 | jin4 | advance, enter, to come in | |
| 城 | cheng2 | city walls, city, town | |
| 試 | shi4 | to test, to try, experiment, examination, test | |
| 又 | you4 | (once) again, also, both... and..., again | |
| 晚 | wan3 | evening, night, late | |
| 進來 | jin4lai2 | (v) come in | |
| 一點兒 | yi1dianr3 | a bit, a little | |
| 新年 | xin1nian2 | New Year | |
| 足球 | zu2qiu2 | football (British English), soccer (American English) | |
| 賽 | sai4 | to compete, competition, match | |
| 出去 | chu1qu4 | (v) go out | |
| 辦 | ban4 | to do, to manage, to handle, to go about, to run, to set up, to deal with | |
| 簽 | qian1 | sign ones name | |
| 証 | zheng4 | (translation unavailable) | |
| 早飯 | zao3fan4 | breakfast | |
| 早上 | zao3shang5 | early morning | |
| 沒吃 | mei2chi1mei2chuan1 | (idiom) to be without food and clothing; be very poor | |
| 隊 | dui4 | squadron, team, group | |
| 贏 | ying2 | to beat, to win, to profit | |