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- A: 你好嗎 ?
- How are you?
- B: 我很好 , 你呢 ?
- I am fine, and you?
- A: 你忙嗎 ?
- Are you busy?
- B: 我不忙 , 你呢 ?
- I am not busy, what about you?
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 (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 .
我也很好 .
我們也都很好 .
- 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.
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 = 你的弟弟 , 我爸爸 = 我的爸爸
Notice that in other types of sentences, however, verb 是 should still be retained:
- e.g. 他們很忙 , 我們不忙
- They are very busy, we are not.
- 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 and 忙 respectively -- as an equivalent to the English "yes" before making the statement itself. Note therefore that the response is not always 是 .
- A: 你媽媽是大夫嗎 ?
- Is your mother a doctor?
- B: 是 , 她是大夫 .
- Yes, she is a doctor.
- A: 你媽媽忙嗎 ?
- Is your mother busy?
- B: 忙 , 她很忙 .
- Yes, she is very busy.
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:
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.
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 , 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﹖ etc.
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.
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 cannot be omitted.
- e.g. 我學 (習 )漢語﹐她學 (習 )法語。
- I study Chinese, she studies French.
- 我學習﹐我弟弟不學習。
- I study, my younger brother doesn't study.
To express the location or existence of something or somebody, use the following pattern:
S + 在 + place/location word or phraseIf 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。
e.g. A: 地圖在哪兒﹖The choice of 這兒 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 .
B: 在我這兒。 (or 在我那兒 )
A: 你的車在哪兒﹖
B: 我的車在學生宿舍那兒。
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 + place word (我住這兒 )All three sentences have the same meaning.
S + 住在 + place word (我住在這兒 )
S + 在 + place word + 住 (我在這兒住 )
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 )
When using 還 to indicate "return", use the following pattern:
S + 還 + (sb.) + sth.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 , 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.
e.g. 我還他畫報
你還丁云的車。 (Notice here sb. is omitted.)
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。
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﹖ becomes 她是不是中國人﹖
- 你忙嗎﹖ becomes 你忙不忙﹖
- 你認識他嗎﹖ becomes 你認識不認識他﹖
Notice, however, that this rule applies only when those adverbs come before the predicative verbs or adjectives. Compare:
The second instance is acceptable because 很 comes after the predicative verb 是 .
你去商店買紙嗎﹖ becomes 你去不去商店買紙﹖
他們歡迎我來嗎﹖ becomes 他們歡迎不歡迎我來﹖
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。 (All of us go to China: 都 modifies 我們 .)
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。
The 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.:
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﹖
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 City Lit 學院學習漢語。
- 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:
N.B. to negate a sentence with 想 in this capacity, put the negative adverb in the subordinate clause, not in the main clause as in English:
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:
○ (or 零 ), 一 , 二 , 三 , 四 , 五 , 六 , 七 , 八 , 九 , 十Further on, they are:
十一 = 11, 十二 = 12, 十九 = 19
二十 = 20, 二十一 = 21, 二十八 = 28
三十 = 30, 四十 = 40, 九十 = 90, 九十九 = 99一百 = 100
一百零一 = 101, 一百十 = 110, 一百十一 = 111
三百二十七 = 327, 九百零九 = 909
N.B.:
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 , 十五個學生 , 那個老師 , 哪個圖書館 , 幾本詞典
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.
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 is usually inserted between the modifier and the noun it modifies:
Under certain circumstances, 也 and 還 are interchangeable, but with different emphasis:
- 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.
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。
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 (or 不是 ).
從 + place word + 去 = to go from; 從 + place word + 來 = to come from.
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 ; if the place is near the speaker or refers to the speaker himself or herself, use 這兒 .
This pattern is often used for emphatic purposes. An adjective is used between 太 and 了 :
The expression 太好了﹗ , however, has a positive meaning, expressing satisfaction or admiration.
These both mean "two", and are used as follows.
兩個人 , 兩本書 , 增加了兩倍 , 去了兩次
二十二 , 一百零二次 , 十二個人 , 五千八百六十二元There are some more restrictions, though:
二十 , 二百二十五 , 二百五十元 or 兩百五十元
兩千元 (also 二千元 ), 兩萬三千八 , 兩億人口
四億二千萬 , 三萬二千人 , 五千二百元
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 (or 十點三十分 ) 10:30 三點一刻 (or 三點十五分 ) 3:15 十二點三刻 (or 十二點四十五分 ) 12:45 兩點差五分 (or 差五分兩點 ) 1:55 五點二十分 5:20 六點零五分 6:05 七點三十五分 7:35
七點十五 or 七點十五分
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
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 (or 和 ) 她去看電影。
- 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﹖ (nouns)Note:
這本書是你的還是她的﹖ (noun phrases)
下午你來還是不來﹖ (verbs)
你要聽古典音樂還是聽現代音樂﹖ (verb phrases)
今天晚上你來我這兒還是我去你那兒﹖ (clauses)
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:
(你 ) 別 (or 不要 ) 告訴他﹗
別喝酒﹗ 別去那兒﹗
不要吸煙﹗ 下午不要去﹗
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 .
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:
Some 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
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
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﹖ but not 你很高興不很高興﹖
她年輕不年輕﹖ but not 她非常高興不非常高興﹖
你去不去﹖ but not 你也去不去﹖
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﹗ (One can say this on the day, or in advance.)
祝賀你﹗ (Say this only when something has already been accomplished.)
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。 (Notice the pattern is ABAB, not AABB.)In the case of a monosyllabic verb, the character 一 can be inserted:
你們想去看看她嗎﹖
讓我想想。
讓我想一想。Repeating a verb has the same effect as using the adverb 一下兒 after the verb:
我們都想看一看她。
用一下兒 = 用用 = 用一用
看一下兒 = 看看 = 看一看
介紹一下兒 = 介紹介紹
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:
Notes:
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:
Definite noun + 在 + position word:
Position word + 是 + definite/indefinite noun:
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.
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 /訪問學校
- 訪問他 /這個國家的總統
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 :
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 .
Earlier we saw the construction with simple nouns, pronouns or adjectives:
But the 是 . . . 的 construction can also be used with prepositional phrases and even whole verbal constructions:
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.
Either 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。
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 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:
- 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.)
- Time-word + 就 /才 + optative verb + main verb
- 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 , on the other hand, is more often than not reserved for alternative questions:
- 我妹妹想研究音樂或者文學。
It can also be used in subordinate clauses with verbs such as 知道 , 告訴 etc:
- 你上午去﹐還是下午去﹖
In dialogue 1, A asks an alternative question which anticipates a choice from the answer. The two terms with 還是 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 to make a choice. In contrast, 或者 in this case can only convey a sort of explanatory note:
- 去看朋友﹐還是去看電影﹐他一時 (??)不定主意。
- 你去﹐還是她來﹐你明天一定要作決定。 (interrogative)
- 或者你去﹐或者她來﹐沒有其他選擇。 (explanatory)
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 (or 知道 ) 這個學校嗎﹖
- 我不知道他是誰的孩子。 (Here one can not use 了解 .)
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 , if it is a simple statement or a habitual action and there is no need to emphasise its completion:
- A: 你下了課去哪兒﹖
- B: 我下了課去圖書館。
- 去年他常常去書店。
- 以前我住在學生宿舍。
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:
Here "class is over" (下課 ) and "go to the library" are unrelated. They are contained in the sentence simply to indicate their sequence. Hence it is wrong to say
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 can be used for the repetition of a periodic action or occurrence, even though it has not yet taken place:
- 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﹖
還 , on the other hand, usually expresses a future repetition:
- 明天又是星期一﹐我們又要上課。
- 新年又要來了。
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 can be placed after:
- 你明天還來嗎﹖
- A: 你明年還能 (再 )教我們嗎﹖
- B: 我明年還可以 (再 )教你們。
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 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.
- 他買了書了。
(Please compare against the patterns for the perfect aspect in the previous section.)
The above pattern can be used for future actions as well. To indicate that both actions took place in the past, the particle 了 has to be inserted at the end of the sentence:
- Subject + verb + 了 (以後 ) 就 + verb ...
- e.g. 我們辦了簽証 (以後 )就回家。
- 明天吃了早飯 (以後 )我們就出發。
- 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 |