Online Chinese grammar notes

The graphic parsing method for Chinese language

Asking questions

Interrogative吗

Interrogative呢

Short answers for "yes" and "no

Use of interrogative words

Interrogatives (choice-types)

Review of interrogatives following好吗

Expressions of greeting

Use of请

Greeting words

Repeated greeting words

Use of姓,叫

Asking ages

Telling the time

Verb related sentence patterns

Stative verbs

是as copula

Verbs that take 2 objects

Serial verbs (after verbs of motion来and去)

Use of binomial/compound verbs

Use of有

Use of一下儿

Modal verbs

Complement of degree

Resultative verb complements

Directional verb complements

Potential verb complements

Co-verbs

The use of离and从

The把construction

Passive with被,让,叫and给

The notional passive construction

Aspects

Progressive aspect

Continuous aspect

Aspect for the completion of actions

Experiences of actions in the past

Adverbs

Intensifier很

The use of the adverbial particle地

The use of the adverbs就and才

Noun related sentence patterns

Use of的as possessive

Use of nouns as qualifiers

Uses of的

Formation of plural pronouns

Special features in Chinese sentences

Slight-pause mark

Use of这and那

Use of这儿,那儿

Use of太...了

Modal了

Position of time words

Position words

Measure words

Introduce cardinal numbers from 1 to 1,000,000

Comparatives

Comparatives比with stative verbs and complements of degree

Comparatives with一样

Other sentence constructions

Conjunctions

The是...的construction

The连...都/也construction

都/也with interrogatives

The graphic parsing method for Chinese language

The graphic parsing method for Chinese language

The graphic parsing method for Chinese language

As an analytical approach plays a major role in the learning of Chinese language, you are required to have some knowledge of Chinese grammar and grammatical terminology. One of the simplest ways of doing this is to use two axes to make a cross, with the two sides dividing the components of a sentence up for parsing. This will help you to understand the relationship between the components.

The following two examples demonstrate how to parse.

"These old methods are completely absurd."
Subject | Predicate
methods (noun) | ← are (verb) absurd (adjective)
↑ ↑ | ↑
these (specifier) | old (adjective) | completely (adverb)

"We teach our students at Oxford using an old fashioned method."
Subject | Predicate
We (pronoun) | ← teach (verb) students (noun)
at (prep)Oxford (prop n.) our (adj)
using (verb) method >(noun)
an (article) old-fashioned (adj)

It is a good idea to take out a few sentences for analysis from each lesson by using this method; it will be of great benefit to your reading skills when you are at a more advanced stage of learning.

Asking questions

Interrogative吗

Interrogative呢

Short answers for "yes" and "no

Use of interrogative words

Interrogatives (choice-types)

Review of interrogatives following好吗

Question and answers

Question words

吗 ma

It is very easy to form Chinese questions. One of the question formulas is to place the interrogative (question particle) 吗 ma at the end of a statement. For instance, if 吗 ma is placed at the end of 你 好 nĭ hăo hello (lit. you are well) it turns the statement into a question:

你好 吗 ?
Nĭ hăo ma ?
How are you? (lit. Are you well?).

If 吗 ma is placed at end of 你是老师 you are (a) teacher , the statement becomes a question:

你是 老师 吗 ?
Nĭ shì lăoshī ma ?
Are you ( a) teacher?

Interrogatives

Using the particle ma at the end of statement (see lesson 2, p.27)

你去看朋友吗？ Are you going to see a friend?

The answer generally repeats whole sentence (for politeness) or just the main verb.

我去看朋友。 I am going to see a friend.

去 Yes.

NB If you have ma at the end of a sentence, it would be wrong to use any other interrogative word in the same sentence as well.

Using the particle ne as an interrogative (it has other functions too) at the end of a noun phrase (lesson 2 p.10) means ‘how about ...?’ or ‘with reference to’.

你哥哥呢？ What about your brother?

在图书馆看书的人呢？ What about the readers in the library?

Interrogative words such as shei, na, and shenme (lessons 6 and 7)

谁來？ Who is coming?

他是哪国人？ What nationality is he?

这是什么？ What is this?

她在哪儿？ Where is she?

duoshao, and ji (see p.170 note 3)

你有多少书？ How many books do you have?

你有几个哥哥？ How many older brothers do you have?

Affirmative-negative form of questions (lesson 13, p.133)

你是不是学生？ Are you a student?

你喝不喝茶？ Do you drink tea?

Tag questions: haoma? which turns the statement it follows into a suggestion expecting the answer ‘yes’, ‘what about?’ (lesson 17, p.222)

你晚上来我这儿，好吗？ What about coming here tonight?

shima? which turns the statement it follows into a request for confirmation, ‘Isn’t it the case that...‘ (see p.251-2 note 2)

你晚上来我这儿，是吗？ You‘re coming to my place tonight, arn’t you?

Questions offering alternatives, ‘either...or...’ (lesson 19, p.257-8) the words giving the alternative are placed after haishi

a. with verbs

你来还是去？ Are you coming or going?

b. with nouns as objects

你看中文书还是法文书？ Are you reading a Chinese or French book?

c. with complements

这是你的还是我的？ Is this yours or mine? It’s mine.

他是学生还是老师？ Is he a student or a teacher? A student.

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If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

Assignments

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (2, ma)

Are you busy?

Is your older brother well?

Are you all very well?

Are you my friend?

The interrogative 呢 ne

The interrogative (question particle) 呢 ne is placed at the end of a sentence or phrase. It is used in the following situations.

To bounce a question back to the person you are having a conversation with, as in:

A: 你好>吗 ? nĭ hăo ma? how are you?

B: 我很好. 你呢? wǒ hěn hăo. nĭ ne I am very well, and you?

To ask the question where? as in

我的书呢 ?

wǒ de shū ne  

Where is my book?

呢 ne used for emphasis (35)

呢 ne can also be used to reinforce questions that are formed with question-words such as who, what, which, when, why and where (See below) and to show that the speaker really would like to know the answers. For instance,

他在 哪儿 呢

tā zài năr ne

Where IS he?

你看 的是 什 么 书 呢 ?

nĭ kàn de shì shénme shū ne

What book ARE you reading?

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

Assignments

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (2,ne)

I am very well, and you?

My mother is very busy and yours?

Where is my friend?

Where is my mother?

The short answers for "yes" and "no" (2)

There are no "fixed" words for "yes" or "no" in Chinese answers. One uses the verb or verb with verb particle used in the question.

你 好 吗 ?

nĭ hăo ma ?

H ow are you?

The short affirmative answer is the stative verb of 好 hăo yes (l it . well ) and its negative form is 不好 bù hăo no ( lit. not well). If the question is

你是 老师 吗 ?

nĭ shì lăoshī ma ?

A re you a teacher?

The affirmative answer is the verb 是 shì yes , and the negative form is 不是 búshì no .

The short answer to 你吃了饭吗？ nĭ chī le fàn ma? have you eaten? is the verb 吃 chī and the verb particle 了 le: 吃了 chī le .

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

Assignments.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (2, short answers)

Are you busy?

Yes.

Is this your friend?

No.

Are you well?

Yes.

什么 , 哪儿 and 谁 (6, 7)

The question word 什么 shénme what does not have a fixed position in a question. It changes according to the position of the subject or the object of a sentence. In the following question 什么 shénme what refers to an object:

你吃 什 么 ？

nĭ chī shénme

W hat are you eating? (lit. you eat what).

什么 shénme what can also refer to the subject of a question, as in

什 么 人 吃 中 国 饭？

shénme rén chī zhōngguo fàn

What kind of people eat Chinese food ?

哪儿 năr where and 谁 shuí who are like 什么 shénme what can refer to the subject or the object of a question. The following question words are used as the objects of the questions:

你去 哪儿？

nĭ qù năr

Where are you going? (lit. you are going where?)

你找 谁 ？

nĭ zhăo shuí

Who are you looking for? (lit. you are looking for whom).

The question words refer to the subjects of the following questions.

哪儿 是 图书馆 ?

năr shì túshūguăn ?

Where is the library?

谁 吃 中 国 饭

shuí chī zhōngguuó fàn

W ho eats Chinese food?

If you listen to a question very carefully and remember its word order, it is easy to form an answer in Chinese, because the word order of an answer is the same as that of the question. If you use an appropriate noun or pronoun and replace the question word with an appropriate word, you will be your answer in Chinese. Take a question like

你去 哪儿？

nĭ qù năr

Where are you going? (lit. you go where).

If your answer is the library, you just have to replace the pronoun 你 nĭ you with 我 wǒ I and replace the question word 哪儿 năr where with the word 图书馆 túishūguăn library . The answer is then

我 去 图书 馆

wǒ qù túshūguăn

I am going to the library.

When forming a Chinese question, you should try to form the sentence pattern for the answer and replace the required information with a question word. For instance, 去图书馆 …qù túshūguăn ( someone) is going to the library . Replace "someone" with the question word 谁 shuí who and the question will be

谁 去 图书 馆 ?

shuí qù túshūguăn

W ho is going to the library?

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

Assignments .

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (13, question words).

What is this? What is that?

What nationality is he?

He is Chinese.

Who is she?

I don't know her. Do you?

Where is my book?

Your books is in my place.

Who is using my dictionary?

Could I use your dictionary for a little while?

Please give me some tea.

What kind of tea do you want, Chinese or English?

Choice-type questions of verb 不 verb (13)

Choice-type questions ask people to decide between taking and not taking an action. No specific question words are needed. The format of the question is verb 不 verb , but it has the following two variations.

Subject verb 不 verb object?

你 是 不 是 学生

nĭ shì bu shì xuésheng

Are you a student? (lit. you are not are student)

Subject verb object 不 verb ?

你 是 学生 不 是

nĭ shì xuésheng bu shì

Are you a student? (lit. you are student not are )

If a bi-syllabic verb (A and B) is used, there are three ways to form the questions.

Subject AB 不 AB object?

你 认识 不 认识 他

Nĭ rènshi bu rènshi ta

Do you know him? (lit. you recognise not recognise him)

Subject AB object 不 AB ?

你 认识 他 不 认识

nĭ rènshi ta bu rènshi

Do you know him? (lit. you recognise him not recognise)

Subject A 不 AB object?

你 认 不 认识 他

nĭ rèn bu rènshi ta

Do you know him?

Review of interrogatives following 好吗

The interrogative expression 好吗 hăoma is it OK? / how about ? is used in making suggestions. 好吗 hăoma is placed at the end of a statement to form a question. For instance:

我 们 去 看 电 影 好 吗？

wŏmen qù kàn diànyĭng hăoma

Shall we go and see a film ? / How about seeing a film?

我们去看电影 wŏmen qù kàn diànyĭng we are going to see a film is a statement. hăoma is it OK? / how about ? is added at end to form a question with the force of a suggestion. The use of hăoma is similar to the use of the sentence particle ba . However, the sentence particle ba has a more assertive tone (equivalent to the first person plural imperative ‘let’s’ in English), while hăoma leaves more of the choice to the listener.

If we replace 好吗 hăoma with the sentence particle ba in the above statement , the imperative connotation is stronger.

我 们 去 看 电 影 吧。

wŏmen qù kàn diànyĭng ba

( Come on.) Let’s go and see a film.

The answers for both types of question are either 好 hăo OK or bù xíng no ( not OK) . The negative answer bu xíng no ( not OK) is often followed by a reason. For instance, to give a negative answer to the above suggestion, we could say:

不 行，我 跟 我 男 朋 友 一起 去 看 京剧。

bù xing, wŏ gēn wŏ nán péngyou yìqĭ qù kàn jīngjù

Sorry, I can’t; my boyfriend and I are going to a Peking Opera.

NB Apologies such as sorry are not as common in Chinese as in English.

Assignments.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (Review of interrogatives following 好吗)

Shall we have some tea in the café after the class?

Could I please use your car for a little while?

Shall we all go (straight) to the cinema from the library?

Let’s all go there (straight) from my place.

Expressions of greeting

Use of请

Greeting words

Repeated greeting words

Use of姓,叫

Asking ages

Telling the time

Verb related sentence patterns

Stative verbs

是as copula

Verbs that take 2 objects

Serial verbs (after verbs of motion来and去)

Use of binomial/compound verbs

Use of有

Use of一下儿

Modal verbs

Complement of degree

Resultative verb complements

Directional verb complements

Potential verb complements

Co-verbs

The use of离and从

The把construction

Passive with被,让,叫and给

The notional passive construction

Aspects

Progressive aspect

Continuous aspect

Aspect for the completion of actions

Experiences of actions in the past

Adverbs

Intensifier很

The use of the adverbial particle地

The use of the adverbs就and才

Noun related sentence patterns

Use of的as possessive

Use of nouns as qualifiers

Uses of的

Formation of plural pronouns

Special features in Chinese sentences

Slight-pause mark

Use of这and那

Use of这儿,那儿

Use of太...了

Modal了

Position of time words

Position words

Measure words

Introduce cardinal numbers from 1 to 1,000,000

Comparatives

Comparatives比with stative verbs and complements of degree

Comparatives with一样

Stative verbs(1 & 2)

A stative verb expresses quality or conditions, as 好 hăo to be good and 忙 máng to be busy . In Chinese a stative verb is used where in English one would use the verb ‘to be’ with an adjective. For instance, 他很 忙 tā hěn máng he is very busy .

Subject | Predicate
他 (pronoun) | ← 忙 (stative verb)
| ↑
| 很 (adverbial intensifier)

↓

The word 忙 máng to be busy is a stative verb in the above sentence. A monosyllabic stative verb is often preceded by the adverbial intensifier 很 hĕn very. As you may have noticed, the adverbial intensifier 很 hĕn veryis placed before the stative verb 好 hăo to be good .

As with any Chinese verb, the negation 不 bù notshould be placed before the verb, as in 不 忙 bù máng not to be busy. 不 bù notis the only negation used for stative verbs. The negation 没 méi not for is not used for stative verbs.

Click following links to view Flash files.

The book is good. The magazine is not good. The fish is good. The vegetable is no good.

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

How do you say the following sentence? Place the mouse on the following phrases to view the answers.

H e is very good ? (He is 他 tā , very is 很 hĕn and you should know how to say good.)

Assignments .

Translate the sentences into Chinese. (4, stative verb)

I am very busy.

You are very busy too.

His brothers are all very busy.

His younger brother is not busy.

They are not all busy.

I am very well. Are you well?

I'm very well too.

We are all very well.

Slight-pause mark(3)

The slight-pause mark " 、 " is called 顿号 dùnhào in Chinese (lit. mark for a pause). It is similar to a comma in English. It is used for separating a list of nouns, such as

你哥哥 、你弟弟好 吗 ?

nĭ gēge 、 nĭ dìdi hăoma ?

How are (both) your older and younger brothers?

The slight-pause mark in this question is used to separate 哥哥 gēge older brother and 弟弟 dìdi younger brother .

How do you write the following sentences? Place the mouse on the following phrases to view the answers.

Both my older and younger brothers are very well.

My older and younger sisters are very well too.

The verb 是 shì to be (4)

The copula 是 shì to be does not have the same usage as the verb to be in English. (See the notes on stative verbs .) 是 shì to be is used for linking two noun phrases. It indicates that the nouns linked by 是 shì to be are of the same nature or quality. For instance

小 王 是 中 国 人

Xiăo Wáng shì Zhōngguó rén

Xiao Wang is Chinese.

← 是 (copula) 中国人 (qualified noun: formed by qualifier 中国 and 人 noun)

Subject | Predicate

小王 (proper noun)

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

How do you say the following sentences? Place the mouse on the following phrases to view the answers.

My older brother is a doctor. I am a student . My younger sister is a teacher.

Assignments.

Translate the following sentences into English and put into graphic analysis form (diagrammatic). (8, shi)

你妈妈是大夫吗？

王老师，你吸烟吗？

丁云是外语学院的学生。

学生不都学汉语。

Translate the following sentences into Chinese

This is my mother.

Wang Da is my friend.

My mother is a doctor. Is your mother a doctor too?

My mother isn't a doctor, she is a teacher

Does your mother smoke?

She doesn't smoke.

Use of 这and 那 (5)

The specifiers 这 zhè this or 那 nà that can be used as the subject of a sentence, if the subject is visible to listeners. ‘This’ is commonly used when introducing people to each other. For instance, 这 是我爸爸 ... zhè shi wǒ bàba … This is my father…

← 是 (copula/verb) 爸爸 (noun)

↑

我 (short for 我的 )

Subject | Predicate

这 (specifier)

The possessive indicator 的 de (5)

This construction indicates that the noun after the particle 的 de belongs to the noun that comes before 的 de , as in 小王 的书 Xiǎo Wáng de shū Xiao Wang ’s book . As you may have noticed, this use of 的 de is similar to the use of the possessive apostrophe in English.

However, the possessive 的 de can be omitted in the following situations.

When a pronoun is followed by a relationship noun such as 爸爸 bàba father, 妈妈 māma mother, 哥哥 gēge older brother, 姐姐 jiĕjie older sister, 弟弟 dìdi younger brother, 妹妹 mèimei younger sister or 朋友 péngyou friend, 老师 lăoshī teacher...., 的 de is not needed. For instance, 他妹妹 tā mèimei his younger sister .

When a pronoun is followed by a place noun to which the pronoun is closely related, such as 家 jiā home , 国家 guójiā country , 学校 xuéxiào school or 班 bān class... 的 de is not needed. For example 我家 wŏ jiā my home , 他学校 tā xuéxiào his school .

If you use more than one noun to classify the main noun, 的 de is often placed before the main noun (unlike the possessive apostrophe in English) instead of being placed after each noun, as in

我 姐姐 朋 友 的 老师 是 我 哥哥 同 学 的 爱人

Wǒ jiějie péngyou de lăoshī shì wǒ gēge tóngxué de àiren

My sister 's friend 's teacher is my brother 's class-mate 's wife .

Please click here for hand-out

(1) To use after pronouns and nouns (tantamount to possession)

我的名字大夫的车谁的书

My name the doctor‘s car whose book

我的他的谁的

mine hiswhose

老师的书图书馆的词典

the teacher‘s bookthe library’s dictionary

(2a) Attributive + DE makes a noun phrase, with the noun been understood, (Practical Chinese Ip.200) as:-

小的小的（宿舍）小的（车）

‘small ones’ meaning ‘small hostels’ or ‘small cars’

好的好的（宿舍）好的（学生）

‘good ones’ meaning ‘good hostels’ or ‘good students’

现在的中国的

‘present day ones’ ‘Chinese ones’

(2b) Attributives + DE can particularize a noun in order to put more emphasis on the attribute (Pr. Ch. Ip.200) (tantamount to ‘something that is--’)

(a)这本书大 ‘This book is large’

whilst (b)这本书是大的 ‘This book is a large one’.

(c)大宿舍 ‘a large hostel’

whilst (d)大的宿舍 ‘a hostel that is large’

(e)大的宿舍好，小的宿舍不好‘Hostels that are large are good, hostels that are small are not’

or (f)大的宿舍好，小的不好‘Large hostels are good, small ones are not’.

(g)我有一本英文的词典 ‘I have a dictionary that is in English, and I am going 我去买一本法文的 to buy one that is in French’

(3) Verbal phrases or clauses + DE modifies the noun that follows it (tantamount to relative clauses) (Practical Chinese Ip.363)

今天来的学生 Students who came today

吸烟的孩子 Children who smoke

他看的书 books that he read

我认识的字 characters that I know

她介绍的朋友 A friend that she introduced

她请的客人 Guests that she invited

(3b) Such relative clauses can be embedded in a sentence

我学我不认识的汉字 I am learning characters that I do not know

我买老师介绍的书 I buy the book that the teacher recommended

这是他给我的词典 This is the dictionary that he gave me

我看的书都很好 The books that I read were all very good

我们请的客人都喝茶 The guests that we invited all drink tea

(3c) ‘(verb) de ren’......的人 ‘The people who......’ equivalent to English -er/-ers

Readers看书的人

tea drinker喝茶的人

smokers吸烟的人

(3d) DE can attach co-verb clauses/phrases to nouns to particularize them (co-verbs being給gei在zaiand others)

给老师的苹果 Apple for the teacher

给妈妈的电话 Phone call for mother

在我学院的图书馆 the library in my college

在我宿舍的学生 students in my hostel

(3e) DE is used to attach all kinds of modifier phrases to a noun to particularize it

The 8 o‘clock bus八点的车

The pictures in the newspaper报上的书

The students studying abroad at present现在的留学生

(4) DE is used to tie together binomial modifier to the nouns modified

A polite student客气的学生

A pretty picture好看的画

A very good book很好的书

N.B. but not withhen duo‘many’ which does not use ade

Many friends很多朋友 many students 很多学生

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N.B. When DE isomitted:

(1)deis sometimes omitted when personal pronouns modify words denoting people in close relationship

My mother我妈妈 His brother他哥哥

(2) when a noun is used to modify another noun

Student hostel学生宿舍 Bank manager银行经理

(3) Especially when the first noun is the name of a country, a language or a place of origin

A Chinese中国人

Chinese language teacher汉语老师

Foreign languages Institute外语学院

An English book英国书

A Chinese map中国地图

(4) DE is also omitted when the modifier and modified fuse together into one concept

大国 is a ‘large country/superpower’ whilst大的国is simply ‘a country that is large.

新人 is a ‘newcomer’ or even ‘bride’ whilst新的人is ‘people that are new’

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

How do you say the following? Place the mouse on the following phrases to view the answers.

1. His teacher 2. Teacher’s books 3. My friend’s younger sister 4. The teachers of my school 5. My father’s school 6. Xiao Wang’s mother 7. My country

Assignments

Translate the sentences into Chinese.(4, stative verb)

I am very busy.

You are very busy too.

His brothers are all very busy.

His younger brother is not busy.

They are not all busy.

I am very well. Are you well?

I'm very well too.

We are all very well.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (2, ma)

Are you busy?

Is your older brother well?

Are you all very well?

Are you my friend?

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (2,ne)

I am very well, and you?

My mother is very busy and yours?

Where is my friend?

Where is my mother?

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (2, short answers)

Are you busy?

Yes.

Is this your friend?

No.

Are you well?

Yes.

Translate the following sentences into English and put into graphic analysis form (diagrammatic). (8, shi)

你妈妈是大夫吗？

王老师，你吸烟吗？

丁云是外语学院的学生。

学生不都学汉语。

Translate the following sentences into Chinese

This is my mother.

Wang Da is my friend.

My mother is a doctor. Is your mother a doctor too?

My mother isn't a doctor, she is a teacher

Does your mother smoke?

She doesn't smoke.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (8, verb-object)

Do you smoke?

I don't smoke.

Many Chinese people smoke.

Please have some tea?

What kind of tea tea do you have, Chinese or English?

Chinese. Is it OK?

I go to sleep at 12 everyday.

I don't sleep. I don't eat.

Everyone eats and sleeps.

What would say in the following situations? Please write the sentences down on a piece of paper (8, greeting)

When you see your teachers in the morning.

When people give you presents.

When friends visit your home.

When you meet a friend in the evening.

When you see a friend in the afternoon.

When you see a friend at lunchtime.

When you see your colleagues and teachers before leaving the institute.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (9, svo)

I drink Chinese tea.

British people drink coffee and English tea.

I study Chinese.

I know Mr Ding.

His surname is Wang.

Mr Ding smokes Chinese cigarettes.

We all drink French wine. French wine is nice to drink.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (9, surnames)

What is your name?

My name is Gubo, and you?

My surname is Ding, I am called Ding Yun. What is your girlfriend's name.

She is called Palanka.

What is your Chinese teacher's surname?

His surname is Wang, he is called Wang Boyun.

Translate the sentences into Chinese(9-12 de)

1.

A. Are you busy?

B. Not very. I am looking at a map.

A. What map?

B. A map of Chinese.

A. Is it yours?

B. No, it's my older brother's

A. Where is my teacher's map?

B. Is this your teacher's map?

2.

A. Whose car is this?

B. It is Mr Wang's.

A. Who is Mr Wang?

B. Mr Wang is my Chinese teacher.

A. Is Mr Wang Chinese?

B. No, he is not Chinese. He is a foreigner.

3

A. Are you a student?

B. Yes, I am a student of the Foreign Language Institute.

A. What do you study?

B. I study Chinese.

A. Is that so? We welcome English friends.

4

This is my book.

That is his.

That map is Wang Ming's.

Is this book in English?

Big cars are good, small ones are also good.

He lives in a large dormitory, she lives in a small one.

This dictionary is not Ding Yun's, it is the Frenchman's.

This is the staff dormitory.

This is the English students' dormitory.

Have you got a piece of paper? Yes, I have a small one.

I don't have any Chinese books.

The descriptive indicator 的 de (5,6)

The genitive particle 的 de is used to describe nouns. The description of the noun is placed before 的 de . In this construction the description can take the following forms.

The description can be a disyllabic phrase, formed by an adverb and an adjective, as in

很 好 的 书

hĕn hăo de shū

a very good book .

However, a monosyllabic adjective such as 好 hăo good or 忙 máng busy is often placed before a noun without 的 de to form an adjective-noun phrase, as in 好书 hăoshū ( a) good book, 好老师 hăo lăoshī ( a) good teacher, 忙人 máng rén ( a) busy person.

The description can also be a phrase or a sentence. It is like an inverted relative clause sentence in English. For instance,

小 王 买 的 书 很 好

Xiăo Wáng măi de shū hěn hăo

The book that Xiao Wang has bought is very good .

Subject | Predicate
书 (noun) ↑ | ← 好 (stative verb) ↑
买 (verb) 的 (genitive particle) | 很 (adverbial intensifier)
↑ |

小王 (proper noun)

The main sentence is 书很好 shū hěn hăo, which means the book is very good, and the description for the book is: that Xiao Wang bought 小王买 Xiăo Wáng măi, which is placed before the particle 的 de .

However, 的 de is not used in the following situations.

↓

When a noun qualifier is used to describe another noun forming a combined noun, 的 de is not used. A noun that is described should be placed after its description. For instance 中国地图 zhōngguó dìtú ( a) map of China . 中国 zhōngguó China qualifies the 地图 dìtú map, so China should be placed before map. In 汉语书 hànyǚ shū ( a) book in Chinese, 汉语 hànyŭ in Chinese ( language) qualifies the book, so 汉语 hànyŭ in Chinese ( language) should be placed before 书 shū the book .

As mentioned above, 的 de is not used when a monosyllabic adjective is followed by a monosyllabic noun to form another noun such as 忙人 mángrén a busy person and 好书 hăoshū a good book.

Sometimes the nouns after 的 de are left out to avoid repetition, but the omitted noun(s) should be obvious to the listener. For instance,

他的 书 很 多 , 中 文 的 , 英 文 的 , 都 有

tā de shū hěn duō Zhōngwén de , Yīngwén de , dōu yŏu

He has many books; Chinese ones, English ones, he has them all .

It is clear to a listener that the omitted noun in the sentence is 书 shū books.

Tips :

When you read a Chinese sentence you should always look for any nouns after 的 de particles before translating into English.

The particle 的 de is used to describe nouns and 的 de should be followed by a noun.

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

Assignments

Translate the sentences into Chinese. (15, de)

Very good paper

A polite doctor

Very large cars

Very small maps

A book for my brother

Pictures for the children

A map for the students

Tea drinkers

Letter writers

Readers

Those learning Chinese

The recommender

Book buyers

The characters that students know

The book that my teacher wrote

The letter that she is reading

A magazine that my mother bought

This is a book that I bought for my brother.

I know the Chinese characters that are in this book.

I am using the dictionary that has Chinese characters.

I have the book that my teacher recommended.

They are all looking at the dictionary that I bought.

This is a person whom we all know.

Please have a look at this character that I have written.

We are all non-smokers in this student hostel.

Frequently asked questions

Click on the following links to view the answers

1. When can I use the 的 construction?

2. How do I form the 的 construction?

3. Do I always have to put measure words at the beginning of the 的 construction, as in the above sentence?

4. Do I always have to use 的 when I use an adjective to describe a noun?

5. When can a possessive 的 be omitted?

6. It seems that the nouns after 的 are the most important nouns in sentences, but that in some sentences there are no nouns after 的 . Why is that?

7. Hints and conclusion.

8. Four "don’ts" for describing nouns.

Click here for more exercises

The 的 Construction

Exercises

Other terminology: mark of subordination; attributive

1. When can I use the 的construction?

(1) When a noun is preceded by its description, 的 is used.

tāmen

他们

THEY

shì

是

ARE

hĕn hăo de péngyou

很 好 的 朋 友

VERY GOOD DE FRIENDS

They are very good friends.

(2) 的 is also used to indicate that a noun after 的 belongs to another noun or pronoun before 的. It is known as the possessive 的. This use of 的 is similar to the use of the possessive apostrophe in English as in:

lĭ xiānshengde shū

李 先 生 的 书

MR. LI DE BOOK

shì

是

IS

yì bĕn hànyŭ shū

一本 汉 语 书

A BEN CHINESE BOOK

Mr. Li's book is a Chinese language book.

2. How do I form the 的 construction?

The noun which is described should always be placed after 的. The description of nouns in the 的construction can take in various forms.

zhè

这

THIS

shì

是

IS

yí jù hĕn hăo de jùzi

一句很好 的 句子

A JU VERYGOOD DE SENTENCE

(1) The description can be an adverb + adjective:

This is a very good sentence.

(2) The description can also be a phrase or even a sentence. This construction is like an inverted relative clause sentence in English.

s.

v.

description of noun

的 noun

wŏ

我

I

yào măi

要 买

WANT BUY

yì bĕn nĭ zuótiān gĕi wŏ jièshao

一 本 你 昨 天 给 我 介 绍

A BEN YOU YESTERDAY TO ME INTRODUCE

de shū

的书

DE BOOK

I want to buy a copy of the book which you told me about yesterday.

3. Do I always have to put measure words at the beginning of the 的construction, as in the above sentence?

No, not always. If number measure words are used, they should be placed at the beginning of the description, as in the above sentence. If 这, 那, 哪 and 每 are used, then the combinations of these words and measure words can also be placed after 的:

wŏ

我

I

yào măi

要 买

WANT BUY

nĭ zuótiān gĕi wŏ jièshào de nà bĕn shū

你 昨 天 给 我 介 绍 的那 本 书

YOU YESTERDAY TO ME INTRODUCE DE THAT BEN BOOK

I want to buy that book which you told me about yesterday.

4. Is 的 always necessary when I use an adjective to describe a noun?

No, not always. A monosyllabic adjective such as 好,难,热 or 忙 can be placed before a noun without 的 to form an adjective-noun phrase, as in

hăopéngyou
好朋友
GOOD FRIEND
A good friend

nántí
难题
DIFFICULT QUESTION
A difficult question

rètāng
热汤
HOT SOUP
Hot soup

mángrén
忙人
BUSY PERSON
A busy person

Normally, if a bi-syllabic adjective or an adverb + mono-syllabic adjective to describe a noun, 的 is needed, as in

rènzhēnde xuésheng
认真 的 学生
CONSCIENTIOUS DE STUDENT
A conscientious student.

hĕnnánde shū
很难的 书
VERY DIFFICULT DE BOOK
A very difficult book.

5. When can a possessive 的 be omitted?

In the following situation "possessive 的" is not needed.

A. If a pronoun is followed by a noun of relations and close relationship such as 爸爸, 妈妈, 哥哥, 姐姐, 弟弟, 妹妹 or 朋友, 老师...., 的 is not needed.

tā(de)bàba
他(的)爸爸
HE (DE) FATHER
His father.

wŏ(de)péngyou
我(的)朋友
I (DE) FRIEND
My friend.

B. If a pronoun is followed by a noun of place, to which the pronoun is closely related, such as 家, 国家, 学校 or 班...的 is not needed.

nĭ (de)jiā
你 (的)家
YOU (DE) FAMILY
Your family.

nĭ (de)xuéxiào
你(的)学校
YOU (DE) SCHOOL
Your school.

tāmen(de)guójiā
她们(的)国家
THEY (DE) COUNTRY
Their country.

C. If a noun (A) is preceded by another noun (B) which classifies the noun (A), to form a combined noun (C).

|-------------C------------| |---------------C-------------|

B A

hàn yŭ shū

汉 语 书

CHINESE LANGUAGE BOOK

B A

yīng yŭcídiăn

英 语 词典

ENGLISH LANGUAGE DICTIONARY

A book in the Chinese language. An English dictionary.

|--------C--------| |--------------C--------------|

B A

máo bĭ zì

毛 笔 字

HAIR PEN CHARACTER

B A

cháng tú diàn huà

长 途 电 话

LONG DISTANCE ELECTRICITY SPEECH

Chinese calligraphy. Long distance calls.

6. It seems that the nouns after 的 are the most important nouns in sentences, but that in some sentences there are no nouns after 的. Why is that?

Sometimes the nouns after 的 can be left out to avoid repetition, but the omitted nouns should be obvious to the listeners. For instance,

huāyuánlĭ de huā

花园 里 的 花

GARDEN IN DE FLOWERS

duō jí le

多 极 了,

MANY EXTREME LE,

hóng de huáng de lán de bái de dōu yŏu

红 的 黄 的 蓝 的 白 的 都 有

RED DE YELLOW DE BLUE DE WHITE DE ALL HAVE

There are many flowers in the garden, red ones, yellow ones, blue ones and white ones.

The omitted noun in the above sentence is "flowers" (花).

zuò fàn de

作 饭 的

COOK FOOD DE

zŏng shi

总 是

ALWAYS IS

wŏ yí ge rén

我 一 个 人

I ONE GE PERSON

I am the one who, alone always does the cooking.

The omitted noun in the above sentence is "person" (人).

The above examples indicate that this use of 的 is similar to the use of "the one who..." in English.

Colloquially, people sometimes describe their occupations by saying what they do, and usually the phrases are in a V-O的 pattern.

jiāoshūde
教书的
TEACH BOOK DE
A teacher

yàofànde
要饭的
WANT FOOD DE
A beggar

huàhuàde
画画的
PAINT PICTURE DE
An artist

7. Hints and conclusion

If you have to use many nouns to classify the main noun, a 的 is usually placed before the main noun, instead of placing 的 after each noun, as in 我姐姐朋友的老师是我哥哥同学的爱人 My sister's friend's teacher is my brother's class-mate's wife.

8. Four "don’ts" for describing nouns

Monosyllabic adjectives don't need 的, 热面包, 白人, 淡饭, 厚书, 薄纸.

Nouns which classify other nouns don't need 的, 鱼汤, 雨伞, 中国地图.

Pronouns followed by nouns of close relationships or places to which the pronouns belong don't need 的, 她妹妹, 我学校, 你家.

A verb in a 的 clause doesn't need 了, but 过 can be used, 这是我们以前作(过)的事.

When you read more advanced Chinese material, especially newspapers and documents, you will often see some long sentences. It is sensible to find 的 before you start translating. Why? Because all the subjects and objects often appear after 的, but their descriptions, which are placed before 的can be very long.

For 的 used with other expressions, please also see the notes on 是...的.

Exercises

You can submit your work online here

Click here for the answers

Fill in 的 where it is necessary.

1. 英国___人不喜欢喝冷___咖啡。

2. 他____妈妈____朋友是一位很有名____大夫。

3. 我___同学都爱写中国___字。

4. 我们____老师说____话都对。

5. 这些中文____书﹐难____是我____；容易____是你____。

6. 我___朋友___爸爸___老师是一个大___忙___人。

7. 你看见大___门___对面___那张中国___画吗？

8. 昨天___晚上停在你们___学校___旁边___那辆___车是我___哥哥借给王老师____。

9. 小王___家___那个___电视___机是我___爸爸___朋友 。

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. My wife's friend likes eating foreign food.

2. Could I have a look at the TV set which you bought yesterday with my money?

3. The sentences which my teacher asked me to translate this morning were very difficult.

4. Last night we went to a Chinese restaurant which was to the north-west of the library.We had a wonderful meal there. (The measure word for meal is 顿 dùn.)

5. Mr. Wang told me that the very interesting novel which you have got belongs to him.

6. What would you like to drink? We've got cold drinks and hot ones.

7. The good ones and bad ones all belong to him.

8. Gubo's older brother has two daughters. The older one is three, and the younger one is only two.

9. Who do these dictionaries belong to? The big one belongs to Gubo, and the small one belongs to Palanka.

10. How many apples have you bought all together? Good ones and bad ones are all togethereleven.

Answers for the 的 Exercises

Fill in 的 where it is necessary.

英国人不喜欢喝冷咖啡.

他妈妈的朋友是一位很有名的大夫.

我同学都爱写中国字.

我们老师说的话都对.

这些中文书, 难的是我的; 容易的是你的.

我朋友爸爸的老师是一个大忙人.

你看见大门对面的那张中国画吗?

昨天晚上停在你们学校旁边的那辆车是我哥哥给王老师的.

小王家的那个视机是我爸爸朋友的.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

我爱人的朋友喜欢吃外国饭.

我可以看一下你昨天用我钱买的电视吗?

我老师今天上午让我翻译的句子很难.

昨天晚上我们去了在图书馆西北的中国饭馆儿.在那儿我们吃了一顿好吃的饭.

王先生告诉我你的那本很有意思的书是他的.

您要喝什么?我们这儿冷的, 热的都有.

好的和不好的都是他的.

古波哥哥有两个女儿. 大的三岁,小的只有两岁.

A 这本词典是谁的? B 大的是古波的, 小的是帕兰卡的.

你一共买了多少苹果? 好的和坏的一共十一个.

Formation of plural pronouns

们 men is a placed after a pronoun to form a plural. For instance, if 他 tā he is followed by 们 men , it becomes 他们 tāmen they. If 你 nĭ you is followed by 们 men it becomes 你们 nĭmen you (pl) and if 我 wǒ I is followed by 们 men , it becomes 我们 wǒmen we.

The use of 姓 xìng and 叫 jiào (9)

姓 xìng surname can be used as a noun, but it is most commonly used as a verb in Chinese sentences, as in

他姓 王

tā xìng wáng

H is surname is Wang (lit. he surname Wang)

你姓 什 么？

nĭ xìng shénme ?

What is your surname? (lit. you surname what)

A polite form for the above question is

您 贵 姓？

nín guì xìng ?

What is your surname? (lit. your honourable surname is…)

When asking names, 叫 jiào to be called can refer either to given names or to full names. For instance,

我 姓 王 , 叫 文 书

wǒ xìng Wáng, jiào Wénshū

My surname is Wang and I am called Wenshu

我 姓 王 , 叫 王 文 书

wǒ xìng Wáng, jiào Wáng Wénshū

My surname is Wang and I am called Wang Wenshu.

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

Assignments.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (9, surnames)

What is your name?

My name is Gubo, and you?

My surname is Ding, I am called Ding Yun. What is your girlfriend's name.

She is called Palanka.

What is your Chinese teacher's surname?

His surname is Wang, he is called Wang Boyun.

怎么 and 为什么

Question words used for numbers (10,15)

多少 duōshao how many and 几 jĭ how many are used to ask about quantity. 多少 duōshao how many is used to expect a number in the answer which is over ten, while the question word 几 jĭ how many is used to expect a number which is under ten .

你们系 有 几个 老师 , 多 少 学 生？

nĭmen xì yǒu jĭ ge lăoshī duōshao xuésheng ?

Wow many teachers and students are there in your department?

The speaker expects that there are fewer than ten teachers and more than ten students in the department. You might have noticed that in questions 几 jĭ is followed by a measure word , but 多少 duōshao is not. However, measure words are needed for answers with numbers: 我 们 系有 七个 老师 , 八 十 个 学 生？

wǒ men xì yǒu qī ge lăoshī bā shí ge xuésheng

In our department there are seven teachers and eighty students .

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

Assignments .

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (10, 15 duoshao and ji)

How many friends do you have?

I have thirty friends. and you?

I don't have friends.

How many teachers do you have?

I have ten Chinese teachers.

How many good teachers do you have?

My teachers are all very good.

Choice-type question with the negation 没 ( 有 )

(This section should be learned with the section of the aspect for the completion of actions in Week 7)

没 ( 有 ) negates completed actions . The sentence patterns for choice-type questions with 没 ( 有 ) are similar to those with 不 .

Subject verb 没 verb object

你 吃 没 吃 饭

Nĭ chī méi chī fàn

Have you eaten ? (lit you ate not ate meal)

However, if the pattern of verb 没 verb is broken up, the affirmative aspect particle 了 for completed actions is placed after the verb and the verb is not repeated. Instead 没有 is add to the end of the question.

Subject verb 了 object 没有

你 吃 了 饭 没有

Nĭ chī le fàn méiyou

Have you eaten ? (lit you ate meal not ate )

Choice-type questions with 还是 (19)

还是 háishì or is used to request that a choice is made between two objects or two actions:

你学 中 文 还 是 日文

nĭ xué Zhōngwén háishì rìwén .

Are you learning Chinese or Japanese ? (lit. you learn Chinese or Japanese)

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

Assignments.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (13, choice types)

Aren't you a student of Chinese?

Yes, I'm.

Don't you study Japanese too?

No, I don't study Japanese.

Don't you know my Chinese friend, Ding Yun?

No, I don't know her.

Don't you have Chinese books?

I don't have Chinese books, but I have a map of China.

Aren't you going to the shops?

No, I'm going to the bookshops to buy some Chinese books.

Aren't you very busy?

Yes, I am busy.

Don't you drink Chinese tea?

No, I don't.

Don't you have any Chinese cigarettes?

I don't smoke!

The position of time words in Chinese sentences (17)

Time words describe time "when", such as 现在 xiànzài now , 今天 jīntiān today and 三点 sān diăn three o’clock . A time word should be placed before adverbs, verbs and stative verbs in sentences.

我 今天 很 忙

wŏ jīntiān hĕn máng

I am very busy today.

The time word 今天 jīntiān today is placed before the adverbial intensifier 很 hĕn very and is followed by the stative verb 忙 máng busy .

他 今天 三 点 去我家

tā jīntiān sān diăn qù wǒ jiā

He is going to my house at three o’clock today.

The time words 今天三点 jīntiān sān diăn three o’clock today are placed before the verb 去 qù to go . You might have noticed that the word order for time words is a reversed version of English word order. This is because Chinese word order in descriptions starts from the background and extends to the foreground. When expressing time, one starts with the year, then moves to the month, then the date, then the time, and so on. For instance, today is 24 June 2006. The word order in Chinese is 2004, June 24: 2004 年 nián 6 月 yuè 24 日 rì . Last May in Chinese will be 去年五月 qùnián wŭyuè (lit. last year’s May).

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

Assignments.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (17, time when)

I am going to see a film this evening.

We have Chinese grammar lessons at 10 on Monday mornings

I'm going to the library after the class. Would you like to go?

No, I'm going to have coffee at the canteen this afternoon.

When do you have your supper?

at 6 in the evening.

Should we have a Chinese meal this evening?

Binominal verbs and verb-object patterns (8)

A Chinese character has only one syllable, and every character has its own meaning or function in a sentence, but many words in spoken Chinese are multi-syllabic. There are many binominal verbs, some of which take an adverb-verb form, such as 欢迎 huānyíng welcome (lit. joyfully greet). Some take a verb-verb form, as in 学习 xuéxí study (lit. learn practise), while others take a verb-object form of a verb and a noun, such as 吃饭 ( chī fàn lit. eat meal) to eat; 教书 ( jiāo shū lit. teach books) to teach and 吸烟 ( xī yān lit. i nhale smoke) to smoke . Have you eaten in Chinese is 你 吃饭了吗 ? nĭ chī fàn le ma (lit. you eat meal LE MA), while I teach at Oxford will be

我 在 牛津 教 书

wǒ zài Niújīn jiāo shū

(lit. I am at Oxford teach books ).

Many textbooks don’t indicate the structure of Chinese words in their vocabulary lists. Verb-object words are often categorised as verbs. This may cause confusion when forming sentences at a more advanced stage in your learning, so it would be a good idea to mark verb-object pattern words when you are learning new vocabulary. The following table consists of the most commonly used verb-object words.

V-O words | Meanings | Examples
说话 shuōhuà say speech | speak | 别说话 ! bié shuō huà Don’t speak!
吃饭 chīfàn eat meal/rice | eat | 不吃饭。 bù chī fàn Not eating.
睡觉 shuìjiào sleep a sleep | sleep | 没睡觉。 méi shuì jiào Didn’t sleep.
看书 kànshū read books | read | 他在看书。 tā zài kànshū He is reading.
写字 xiězì write words | write | 我不会写字。 wŏ búhuì xiě zì I can’t write.
画画 huàhuà draw pictures | paint/draw | 你会画画吗？ nĭ huì huà huà ma Can you draw?
唱歌 chànggē sing songs | sing | 他会唱歌吗？ tā huì chàng gē Can he sing?
吸烟 xīyān inhale smoke | smoke | 我不吸烟。 wŏ bú huì xī yān I don’t smoke?
教书 jiāoshū teach books | teach | 他在中国教书。 tā zài zhōngguó jiāo shū He teaches in China.
念书 niànshū read books | study | 你在哪儿念书？ nĭ zài năr niàn shū Where do you study?
洗澡 xĭzăo wash bathe | wash/bathe | 我不洗澡。 wŏ bùxĭ zăo I don’t wash.

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here to ask.

Assignments .

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (8, verb-object)

Do you smoke?

I don't smoke.

Many Chinese people smoke.

Please have some tea?

What kind of tea tea do you have, Chinese or English?

Chinese. Is it OK?

I go to sleep at 12 everyday.

I don't sleep. I don't eat.

Everyone eats and sleeps.

Greeting words (8)

These are the most commonly used greeting words

你好 nĭhăo | Hello
你早 (nĭ)zăo | Good morning
再见 zàijiàn | Goodbye
欢迎 huānyíng | Welcome
谢谢 xièxie | Thanks

Some English greeting words are not used in Chinese. For instance, 晚安 wănān good night is only used by people influenced by Western culture. 再见 zàijiàn goodbye is the expression that Chinese people use when parting in the evening. The most commonly used greeting in Chinese is 你好 nĭhăo hello (lit. you well). The expression 早 zăo morning is also used. Close to meal times the greeting words between friends and colleagues of the same social rank might be

吃了 吗？

chīle ma

Have you eaten?

Chinese people often use a person’s title to show respect to those who are socially superior. For instance, if you met your teacher Mr. Wang in the street you would greet him like this:

王 老师 好

Wáng lăoshī hăo

Hello, Mr. Wang (lit. Wang Teacher well).

In the morning you should say:

王 老师 早

Wáng lăoshī zăo

Morning, Mr. Wang. (lit. Wang Teacher morning).

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here to ask.

Assignments .

What would say in the following situations? Please write the sentences down on a piece of paper (8, greeting)

When you see your teachers in the morning.

When people give you presents.

When friends visit your home.

When you meet a friend in the evening.

When you see a friend in the afternoon.

When you see a friend at lunchtime.

When you see your colleagues and teachers before leaving the institute.

Repetition of greeting words (8)

Chinese people often repeat greeting phrases to show sincerity and enthusiasm. When you meet a Chinese person he or she may say 你好 , 你好 nĭhăo nĭhăo hello, 欢迎 , 欢迎 huānyíng huānyíng welcome, 谢谢 , 谢谢 xièxie xièxie thank you very much and 再见 , 再见 zànjiàn zàijiàn goodbye.

Prefixes 老 and 小 (31)

Both 老 lăo old and 小 xiăo little are used as prefixes for surnames to show a degree of closeness when addressing colleagues or friends.

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

Let’s practise.

The Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) sentence patterns (9)

Most commonly-used Chinese sentences are like English ones, and use a subject-verb-object pattern:

我 是 中 国 留 学 生

wǒ shì Zhōngguóliú xuéshēng

I am an overseas student from China

我 叫 丁 云

wǒ jiào Dīng Yún

I am called Ding Yun .

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

Assignments.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (9, svo)

I drink Chinese tea.

British people drink coffee and English tea.

I study Chinese.

I know Mr Ding.

His surname is Wang.

Mr Ding smokes Chinese cigarettes.

We all drink French wine. French wine is nice to drink.

Numbers in Chinese

Counting numbers (10,11)

If you have learned the numbers one to ten ( 一 yī 二 èr 三 sān 四 sì 五 wŭ 六 liù 七 qī 八 bā 九 jiŭ 十 shí ) and the words for a hundred 百 băi , a thousand 千 qiān and ten-thousand 万 wàn , you will be able to count in Chinese.

It is very easy to work out the Chinese number system. For instance, eleven is 十一 shí yī lit. ten and one, so twelve is 十二 shí èr ten and two, twenty is 二十 èr shí two tens and twenty two is 二十二 èr shí èr two tens and two. A hundred and twenty two is 一百二十二 yī băi èr shí èr one hundred, two tens and two.

The word for zero 零 líng is also used for missing units in counting. For instance, 105 will be 一百零五 yì băi ling wŭ one hundred zero and five. The word 零 líng zero here indicates the missing unit of tens. If there are two or more missing units in a number, only one zero is used. For instance, 10,202 in Chinese is 一万二百零二 yí wàn èr băi líng èr one ten thousand, two hundred, zero and two.

If you are going to be a Chinese banker, you may have to learn more complicated figures. For instance, one million is 一百万 yì băi wàn (lit. one hundred of ten thousands); a hundred million is 亿 Yì.

The following is a table of Chinese number units to help you to work out any figures you want in Chinese.

亿 Yì | 千 qiān 万 wàn | 百 băi 万 wàn | 十 shí 万 wàn | 万 wàn | 千 qiān | 百 băi | 十 shí |

Only the Chinese words on the first line are said aloud here. For instance, if you insert the figure of 453,679,102 into the boxes below you should say:

4 | 5 | 3, | 6 | 7 | 9, | 1 | 0 | 2
亿 Yì | 千 qiān 万 wàn | 百 băi 万 wàn | 十 shí 万 wàn | 万 wàn | 千 qiān | 百 băi | 十 shí |

四亿五千三百六十七万九千一百零二 sì yì wŭ qiān sān băi liù shí qī wàn jiŭ qiān yì băi ling èr.

However, a word in orange from the second line is said when there are no more figures after it. For instance, the figure 150,000,000 is a hundred and fifty million in English and is 一亿五千万 yí yì wŭ qiān wàn in Chinese:

1 | 5 | 0, | 0 | 0 | 0, | 0 | 0 | 0
亿 Yì | 千 qiān 万 wàn | 百 băi 万 wàn | 十 shí 万 wàn | 万 wàn | 千 qiān | 百 băi | 十 shí |

The figure only uses the first two columns on the left, including one word in orange.

Reading out aloud a number

Telephone numbers and year numbers are spoken individually in Chinese. The year 1965 is 一九六五年 yī jiŭ liù wŭ nián (lit. 1965 year).

Two irregular features about numbers are worth mentioning here.

1. The tone for 一 yī one changes according the tone of the succeeding word. It should be pronounced in the fourth tone unless the word after 一 yī is in the fourth tone, in which case 一 yī should be pronounced in the second tone. 一 yī one is only pronounced in the first tone when there is no word after it. The yī pronunciation for one can become indistinct if used with other numbers or (especially) if repeated, so one is also pronounced yāo when used for numbering:

1 1 3 路电 车

yāoyāosān lù diànchē

Route 113 trolleybus.

2. When expressing quantity, 两 liăng two is used instead of 二 èr two. For instance, 两个老师 liăng ge lăoshī two teachers. However, in a larger number that involves two, then 二 èr is used, but not 两 liăng. Some examples are: 十二个老师 shí èr ge lăoshī twelve teachers.

Written from for numbers

Complicated Chinese characters are used for bank notes, cheques and receipts to avoid forgery, as shown on the second line below.

○ | 一 | 二 | 三 | 四 | 五 | 六 | 七 | 八 | 九 | 十 | 百 | 千 | 万 | 亿
零 | 壹 | 貳 | 叁 | 肆 | 伍 | 陸 | 柒 | 捌 | 玖 | 拾 | 佰 | 仟 | 萬 | 億

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

Assignments.

Translate the following numbers into Chinese (10,11 numbers)

46, 58, 87, 93, 11, 22, 65, 74

152, 478, 101, 1243, 1048, 1834695, 50002

Write receipts for:

78 RMB, 58 RMB, 69 RMB, 12 RMB.

Verb 一 下 (11)

When 一 下 yíxià is preceded by a verb, it has the following two functions.
1. It is used as a time measure to imply that an action lasts for a short time :

我 用 一下 , 好 吗 ?

wǒ yòng yíxià hăo ma

Could I use it for a little while?
2. Verb 一 下 … yíxià is used to soften the tone of voice, as leaving a verb at the end of a sentence sounds too definite, or even rather crude.

There are two other formulas that have the same function.

1. Reduplication of verbs, as in: 我给你 介绍介绍 … wǒ gěi nĭ jièshao jièshao… let me introduce you …

2. The verb 一 yi verb pattern, as in 请你 说一说 qĭng nĭ shuō yi shuō ( you) please speak.

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

Assignments.

Translate the sentences into Chinese. (4, stative verb)

I am very busy.

You are very busy too.

His brothers are all very busy.

His younger brother is not busy.

They are not all busy.

I am very well. Are you well?

I'm very well too.

We are all very well.

Co-verbs and co-verb phrases

The term "co-verb" refers to a verb when, used with its own object, its function is to modify the main verb of a sentence. An example is 在 zài , which can be used as a co-verb meaning to be located in, on or at a place. Please note in this context that sequence and background are important in Chinese when it comes to describing actions. The first action in a sequence should come first in an utterance. The way to learn co-verb phrases properly is to understand the description of sequence in Chinese word order. For instance,

小 丁 在 家 看 书

Xiăo Dīng zài jiā kàn shū

Xiao Ding is reading a book at home.

The first action in the sequence could be described as the background to the main action, but it still has to come first in the sentence, with the co-verb 在 zài to be located in followed by the noun 家 jiā home forming a co-verb phrase. In the example given here Xiao Ding would have had to be at home before he started reading the book .

English prepositions are similar to Chinese co-verbs, but they appear after the main verbal clause. This means that it can be difficult for English speakers to master Chinese co-verb phrases.

Here are some more examples to help you to consolidate the concept of co-verb phrases.

1. 我 坐 飞机 去中 国

wǒ zuò fēijī qù Zhōngguó

I’ll go to China by plane .

The action of 坐 zuò taking (lit. sitting on) the plane happens before going to China, so the co-verb phrase 坐飞机 zuò fēijī by ( taking the) plane is placed before the main verbal clause 去中国 qù Zhōngguó go to China .

2. If you want to say I study Chinese at Oxford you must bear in mind that in a Chinese person’s mind the person has to be 在牛津 zài Niújīn at Oxford before he can 学汉语 xué Hànyŭ study Chinese , so the sentence in Chinese is

我 在 牛津 学 汉语

wǒ zài Niújīn xué Hànyŭ

3. How do you say He goes to school by car? You must bear in mind that he has t o take (or sit in) the car before he can reach school, so 坐汽车 zuò qìchē by ( taking the) car should be placed before 去学校 qù xuéxiào go to school. The Chinese sentence should be 他 坐汽车 去学校 ta zuò qìchē qù xuéxiào.

Click the following links to view the Flash files.

Going to School by car. Learning Chinese in classroom. Watching TV at home.

The words in the following list are the most commonly used co-verbs for beginners.

Co-verbs | Verb meaning | Prep. in English sentence | Followed by words of
从 cóng | to start | from /through | place/time (when)
朝 cáo | to face | towards | direction/place
到 dào | to arrive | to | place/time
对 duì | to be face to face | to/towards/about | people/knowledge
给 gĕi | to give | to/for | people/organisation
跟 gēn | to follow | with/to | people/organisation (... 一起 )
离 lí | to distance | from | place/time
替 tì | to replace | for | people/organisation
往 wàng | to go | towards | direction/place
为 wèi | to be on behalf of | for | people/organisation
用 yòng | to use | with/in | noun (used as a tool)
在 zài | to (be) locate(d) | at/in/on | place/time
坐 zuò | to sit | by ... | transport

Please click here for hand-out.

Co-verbs

Co-verbs are a group of verbs that often act as prepositions in a clause with another verb, though they can act as verbs in their own right (prepositional constructions I, p. 155).

Amongst them are: -

Zai 在 ‘to be at, be in, at, in, on’

He is in China 他在中国

He studies at the Foreign Languages Institute 他在外语学院学习

Gei 给 ‘to, for (for indirect objects), to give to’

He gives me books 他给我书

He introduced me to his friend 他给我介绍他的朋友

Yong 用 ‘by means of, to use’

He is using a Chinese dictionary 他用汉语词典

He reads the newspaper with [the help of]a dictionary 他用词典看报

Other co-verbs:

Ti 替 ‘for, as a substitute for’

He is taking my place 他替我

I am writing a letter for my mother 我替我妈妈写信

Some co-verbs are almost always used in prepositional phrases, and only usually act as verbs in their own right with complements attached.

Dui 对 ‘Concerning, vis-a-vis, to be in front of , facing something/one’

He was facing the dormitory 他对着宿舍

He is very good to students 他对学生很好

Gen 跟 ‘in company with, to follow’

I follow my students to the Institute 我跟着我的学生

I am going to the shops with my students 我跟我的学生去商店

NB all co-verb constructions will come before the main verb in the way that prepositional or adverbial phrases come before the verbs they modify.

If you have any questions about the above explanation, please click here to ask.

Assignments

Translate the sentences into Chinese (15, co-verbs and measure words)

Are they all coming to the student dormitory to see me? Three of them are.

The English students often wrote letters to their Chinese friends.

The teacher gave an introduction to five students to the Chinese language.

I learn Chinese at the Institute for Chinese.

She is returning the book to me

Is Ms Wang (teacher) in China? Yes, she is studying there.

What are you buying? I buying books for my mother.

The readers in the library were all students from China.

Frequently asked questions

Click on the following links to view the answers

What are co-verbs?

Why should I treat these words as co-verbs, but not prepositions?

How can I form a sentence with a co-v. clause?

Where should the adverbs, such as 常常 , 总是 , and modal verbs such as 可以 , 应该 be placed in the sentences which co-verbs are used?

What should I do if a sentence has more than one co-v. clause?

Can you tell me the difference between 离 and 从 ?

What is the difference between the co-verb 给 and 为 ?

What is the difference between 我跟他说 , 我对他说 and 我给他说 ?

Click here for more exercises

Co-verbs 在﹐到﹐给﹐对﹐为﹐从﹐离﹐跟﹐用﹐坐 ......

Exercises

Other terminology: pre-transitive verbs, preposition, 介词

1. What are co-verbs?

Many co-verbs are verbs in Chinese, but some of them can only be used as co-verbs in modern Chinese, such as 为 and 被. (把 and 被 are not included in the following chart of co-verbs. Please see the separate notes on the 把 and 被 constructions.)

2. Why should I treat these words as co-verbs, but not prepositions?

In Chinese, when it comes to describing actions, sequence of actions is important. The first action should come first. For example, I went to China by airplane. You have to think that the action of 坐 sitting on the airplane happens before going to China, therefore 坐飞机 by airplane should be placed before 去中国went to China. If you want to say: I go to school by car, you must bear in mind that in a Chinese person’s mind you have to sit in the car before you can reach school, therefore, 坐汽车 by car should be placed before去学校go to school.

As you can see from the above examples, a co-verb is followed by a noun to form a co-verb clause.

Commonly used Co-verbs

Character

Pinyin

Verb meaning

Prep. in English sentence

Followed by words of

从

cóng

to start

from /through

place/time

朝

cáo

to face

toward

direction/place

到

dào

to arrive

to

place/time

对

duì

to be face to face

to/towards/about

people/knowledge

给

gĕi

to give

to/for

people/organization

跟

gēn

to follow

with/to

people/organization (...一起)

离

lí

to distance

from

place/time

替

tì

to replace

for

people/organization

往

wàng

to go

toward

direction/place

为

wèi

to be on behalf of

for

people/organization

用

yòng

to use

with/in

noun (used as a tool)

在

zài

to locate

at/in/on

place/time

坐

zuò

to sit

by ...

transport...

3. How can I form a sentence with a co-v. clause?

A co-verb clause should be placed before a main verb of a sentence. The following are examples of sentence patterns with co-verb clauses.

s

co-v. cl

v

o

wŏ

我

I

cóng xuéxiào

从 学校

FROM SCHOOL

qù

去

GO

diànyĭngyuàn

电 影 院.

CINEMA

I'll go to the cinema from school.

s

co-v. cl

v

o

wŏ

我

I

zài jiā

在 家

AT HOME

chī

吃

EAT

fàn

饭.

MEAL

I eat at home.

4. Where should adverbs such as 常常, 总是, and modal verbs such as 可以, 应该 be placed in sentences in which co-verbs are used?

Adverbs, such as 常常, 总是, and modal verbs such as 可以, 应该 should be placed before a co-verb clause.

s

mv/adv

co-v. cl

v

o

wŏ

我

I

kĕiyĭ chángcháng

可以 常常 CAN OFTEN

zài jiā

在 家

AT HOME

chī

吃

EAT

fàn

饭.

MEAL

I can often eat at home.

5. What should I do if a sentence has more than one co-v. clause?

If a sentence has more than one co-verb, you must think about the sequence of actions and put the first action first. For example,

tā yòngzhōngwénduì wŏ shuō

他 用 中文 对 我 说...

HEIN CHINESE TO ME SAY...

He said to me in Chinese...

qĭng nĭ gĕi wŏ gēn lăoshī shuō yíxiàr

请 你 给 我 跟 老师 说 一下儿.

PLEASE YOU FOR ME TO TEACHER SAY YIXIAR

Could you say that to the teacher for me?

6. Can you tell me the difference between 离 and 从?

离 and 从 can both be used to describe distances and durations, but with different word-orders.

从

A

到

B

sv/v+duration/v+distance

cóng

从

FROM

wŏ jiā

我 家

MY HOME

dào

到

TO

xuéxiào

学 校

SCHOOL

hĕn yuăn

很 远

VERY FAR

It is very far from my home to school.

cóng

从

FROM

zhèr

这儿

MY HOME

dào

到

TO

xuéxiào

学 校

SCHOOL

yào yí ge xiăoshí

要 一 个 小时

NEED ONE GE HOUR

It takes an hour from here to school.

A

离

B

sv/v+duration/v+distance*

wŏ jiā

我 家

MY HOME

lí 离

FROM

xuéxiào

学 校

SCHOOL

hĕn yuăn

很 远

VERY FAR

zhèr

这儿

HERE

lí

离

FROM

xuéxiào

学 校

SCHOOL

yào yí ge xiăoshí

要 一 个 小时

NEED ONE GE HOUR

2. 离 can't be used if you don't state the duration of time or distance between A and B, but 从 can be used, as in

wŏ cóng shítáng lái zhèr

我 从 食 堂 来 这儿.

I FROM CANTEEN COME HERE

I came from the canteen.

7. What is the difference between the co-verb 给 and 为?

The co-verb 给 has ambiguous meanings. It can be "for" or "to", but 为 often means "for" or "on behalf of" which is similar to 替.

wŏ gĕiwŏ péngyou xiĕ xìn

我 给 我 朋 友 写 信.

I TO/FOR MY FRIEND WRITE LETTER

I am writing to my friend./ I am writing for my friend.

wŏ wèi wŏ péngyou xiĕ xìn

我 为 我 朋友 写 信.

I FOR MY FRIEND WRITE LETTER

I am writing a letter for my friend.

8. What is the difference between 我跟他说, 我对他说 and 我给他说?

They are all similar and they can all mean "I'll speak to him.", but the implications can be slightly different:

跟___ To talk with him.

对___ To talk to him face to face.

给___ Ambiguous: can either mean to or for.

Exercises

You can submit your work online here

Click here to view the answers

1. Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. I am going out and you are going to see your friend, but who is going to cook for the children?

2. Don't speak to me in Mandarin.

3. Don't always do everything for him.

4. Do you often eat lunch at home?

5. The people who live in China are very different from the overseas Chinese.

6. Where is the shop which you bought these apples from?

7. We all like the fish from the Yellow River.

8. How far away is the Imperial Palace?

9. My home is outside the city, and is about 30 km from here.

10. Mr. Wang lives far away from school.

11. How can I get to the Language Institute from here? You can get there by plane.

12. He has been working non-stop since yesterday.

13. Do you remember the vocabulary from Lessons One to Forty five?

14. I have learnt from the newspaper that China is about to achieve the Four Modernizations.

Make sentences in Chinese with the following information.

1. My classmate, with, went to, cinema.

2. We, from the library, to canteen, will go.

3. Now, to the end of class, 15 mins.

4. I, Chinese characters, with a pen-brush, to write.

5. You, China trip, tell me about, in Chinese.

6. Can, the meal, you, eat with, chopsticks.

7. My home, by car, to the Institute, 3 hrs., needs.

8. A letter, to Xiao Wang’s mother, for me, in Chinese, write.

These are not used as verbs in modern Chinese.

A and B can be places or time.

Answers for the Co-verb Exercises

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. 我出去, 你去看朋友, (那么)谁给孩子作饭?

2. 别用普通话跟我说.

3. 别总是为我作所有的事. Or 别总是什么事都替(tì)我作.

4. 你常常在家吃午饭吗?

5. 在中国住的人跟华侨很不同.

6. 你在哪个商店买了这些苹果? Or你是在哪个商店买的这些苹果?

7. 我们都喜欢(吃) 从黄河来的鱼.

8. 这儿离故宫有多远?

9. 我家在城外, 离这儿三十公里.

10. 从王先生的家到学校很远.

11. A请问,从这儿到语言学院怎么走? B能坐飞机去那儿.

12. 他从昨天到现在不停地工作.

13. 你记住了从第一课到第四十五课的生词吗? Or 你把从第一课到第四十五

课的生词记住了没有?

14. 我从报上看到中国就要实现四个现代化了.

Make sentences in Chinese with the following information.

1. 我跟我同学去了电影院.

2. 我们从图书馆到食堂去.

3. 从现在到下课还有十五分钟.

4. 我用毛笔写汉字.

5. 你用汉语告诉我你的中国旅行.

6. 你会用筷子吃饭吗?

7. 坐车从我家到学院要三个小时.

8. 请你用汉语替(tì)我给小王妈妈写封信.

Measure words (15)

Words used for quantifying objects are called measure words. In English, some nouns are used in expressions of quantity to measure uncountable nouns, such as cup of in a cup of tea, bottle of in a bottle of wine and piece of in a piece of paper. However, measure words are used to quantify every object in Chinese. In

三 个 人

sān ge rén

Three people.

The word GE is a measure word used to quantify people. Here are some more examples.

1. If a number is attached to a noun, a measure word is inserted between the number and the noun, as in

我 有 三 个 老师

wǒ yǒu sān ge lăoshī

I have three teachers.

2. If a specifier such as 这 zhè this, 那 nà that or 每 měi every is attached to a noun, a measure word is inserted between the specifier and the noun, as in

这 个 老师 是 汉 语 老师

zhè ge lăoshī shì Hànyŭ Lăoshī

This teacher is a Chinese language teacher.

3. If a question word such as 几 jĭ how many or 哪 nă which is used, a measure word is inserted between the question word and the noun, as in 你有 几个老师 nĭ yǒu jĭ ge lăoshī ? How many teachers do you have?

The most commonly used measure word is the very general 个 ge but other Chinese measure words often categorise what follows according to shape and type. For instance, the measure word 条 tiáo is used for quantifying objects that are long, thin, narrow and twisted, such as ropes, snakes, streets and rivers, but is also used for quantifying news, lives, and lower-body worn items such as trousers!

There are two special Chinese nouns that do not need measure words. One is 年 nián year and the other is 天 tiān day (including 日 rì )

There are so many measure words that they are even a nightmare for the Chinese. Worse still, measure words used in the north of China may be different from those used in the south. The following list gives the "essential" Chinese measure words for beginners.

MW | Used for | Examples
本 bĕn | book-like objects | Magazines 四本杂志 ; novels 三本小说
层 céng | floors (similar to 楼 ) | storey 三层楼
次 cì | actions | to pay a visit 去了一次中国 ; to do something 这件事作了两次
顶 dĭng | something to put over one's head | hats 一顶帽子 ; umbrellas 一顶雨伞
顿 dùn | actions which last for a short period | to eat a meal 吃了一顿饭 ; to beat somebody up 把他打了一顿
封 fēng | something sealed in an envelope | letters 两封信 ; telegrams 一封电报
幅 fú | picture-like objects | paintings 三幅画 ; banners 八幅标语
个 ge | units of something (common measure word for abstract and physical objects) | people 五个人 ; ideas 一个主意 ...
间 jiān | any kind of room | bed-room 一间卧室 ; kitchen 两间厨房 ;
件 jiàn | upper-body worn clothes; matters | shirts 两件衬衫 ; matters 三件事
句 jù | Sentences; lines (e.g. of poems) | sentences 两句话 ; idioms 三句成语 ;
辆 liàng | vehicles (on wheels) | cars 一辆汽车 ; bikes 一辆自行车
篇 piān | writing | essays 一篇文章 ;
首 shŏu | verse | songs 一首民歌 ; poems 两首中国诗歌
条 tiáo | narrow, long and twisting; lower-body worn clothes | fish 一条鱼 ; trousers 两条裤子 , boats 一条船
位 wèi | people (used to show respect) | teachers 三位老师 ; customers 一位顾客
张 zhāng | objects made of paper; flat objects | paper 一张纸 ; tickets, table 一张桌子 ; bed 一张床
只 zhī | animals; one of a pair | chickens 三只鸡 ; shoe 一只鞋

Click on the following links to view the Flash files.

Measure words

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

Assignments .

Translate the sentences into Chinese (15, measure words)

Pleased give me two magazines.

He has six books, magazine and two dictionaries, he has no maps.

One of the students lives in the foreign students dormitory.

I have three friends, none of them have Chinese dictionaries.

How many Chinese do you know? I know two.

He is going to the dormitory to see a student.

Frequently asked questions

Click on the following links to view the answers

How many measure words are there?

When do I need a measure word (category 1) in a sentence?

Where should I place a measure word in a sentence?

Are there any other tips on the use of measure words?

Should the word 多 (more, over) appear before or after a measure word?

Click here for more exercises

Measure words

Exercises

Other terminology: 量 词.

1. How many measure words are there?

There are four kinds of measure words.

1. Measure words which are only used in Chinese but not in English. (See Table One)

(mw for nouns)(mw for actions)

yì zhāng piào èn yí xià

一 张 票摁 一 下

ONE SHEET OF TICKET PRESS ONE XIA

A ticket. Press once

2. Nouns which indicate certain kinds of non-standard measurements (but not standard measurements). These measure words are used in a similar way in English. (See Table Two)

sān píng jiŭ

三 瓶 酒

THREE BOTTLES WINE

Three bottles of wine.

3. Some Chinese nouns have "built-in" measure words, in other words they don't need additional measure words. They can be used just as they are in English (number word + noun). Not many nouns can be used in this way.

qī tiān

七 天

SEVEN DAYS

Seven days.

4. The words in this category are used for standard measurements. (See Table Three)

sān cùn

三寸

THREE INCHES

Three inches.

2. When do I need a measure word (category 1) in a sentence?

Measure words (category 1) are needed in the following situations.

When a quantity is involved, for instance, if you use a number in front of a noun.

When you want to specify a noun, in other words if you use 这 this, 那 that, 每 every.

When the question words 哪 which and 几 how many are used.

tā yŏu yìbĕnhányŭ shū năgelăoshī jiāonĭmen kǒuyǔ

他 有 一 本 汉语 书. 哪 个 老师 教 你们 口语?

HE HAS A BEN CHINESE BOOK WHICH GE TEACHER TEACH YOU ORAL

He has a Chinese bookWhich teacher teaches you the spoken language?

3. Where should I place a measure word in a sentence?

The following sentence pattern shows how a measure word is used with the object of the sentence.

s. v. number/这/那/每/哪/几 +mw+ description of 的 noun

wŏ

我

I

yŏu

有

HAVE

sān bĕn

三本

3 BEN

jiāo wàiguórén xué hànyǔyòngde shū

教 外 国人 学 汉语 用 的 书.

TEACH FOREIGNER LEARN CHINESEUSE DE BOOK

I have three books which can be used for teaching foreigners (to learn) Chinese.

4. Are there any other tips on the use of measure words?

The question word 多少 doesn't need a measure word, where as 几 needs one.

zhōngwénxì yŏu duōshao ge xuésheng

中文 系 有 多少 (个) 学生?

CHINESE DEPT. HAS HOW MANY (GE) STUDENTS

How many students are there in the Chinese department?

If the quantity is one, the word “one” is often omitted in spoken Chinese, but the measure word remains,

tā xiěle yí ge zì tā zuò le yìxiē liànxí

他 写 了 (一) 个 字 他 作 了 (一) 些 练习

HE WRITE LE (YI) GE ZIHE DO LE (YI) XIE EXERCISES.

He has written a word. He has done some exercises.

5. Should the word 多 (more, over) appear before or after a measure word?

多 can appear either before or after a measure word, but it is important to know that the word before 多 is a kind of measurement,

sān shí duō ge rén

三 十 多 个 人.

THREE TEN MORE GE PEOPLE

Over thirty people. (Usually it means that there are 30 - 40 people.)

As you can see, the word before 多 is 十. In this case, 多 means less than that measurement 十 (ten). Therefore, 三十多 means that three tens plus 多 which is less than ten (十), so the number appears to be between 30 - 40. Let's see another example.

sān ge duō píngguŏ

三 个 多 苹果.

THREE GE MORE APPLE

Three apples and a bit.

Table One

Measure words used in Chinese but not in English.

1

Character

Pinyin

Used for

Examples

1

把

bă

small objects which can be held in the hand

knives, chairs, umbrellas, teapot

两把刀; 一把椅子; 一把伞, 一把茶壶

1

本

bĕn

book-like objects

magazines, novels

四本杂志; 三本小说

1

遍

biàn

action measure (going through a completed process)

watch (a film), read (a text) 电影看了两遍; 课文念了三遍

1

部

bù

machinery, vehicles production of a play

cars, plays

六部轿车; 一部话剧

1

场

chăng

sth. which lasts for a short period

performances, rainfall

演了三场戏; 下了一场雨

1

层

céng

floor (Similar to 楼)

storey

三层楼

1

次

cì

actions

to pay visits, to do sth

去了一次中国; 这件事作了两次

1

顶

dĭng

sth to put over one's head

hats, tents, umbrellas

一顶帽子; 五顶蚊帐

1

顿

dùn

actions which last for a short period

to eat a meal, to beat sb. up 吃了一顿饭; 把他打了一顿

1

朵

duō

flower-like objects

flowers, clouds, mushrooms

七朵花; 一朵云彩; 几朵木耳

1

份

fèn

portions

newspapers, jobs

一份报; 一份工作

1

封

fēng

sth. sealed in an envelope

letters, telegram

两封信; 一封电报

1

幅

fú

picture-like objects

paintings, banners

三幅画; 一幅对联; 八幅标语

1

个

ge

units of sth. (common measure word, for both abstract and physical objects)

people, schools, ideas...

五个人; 两个学校; 一个主意

1

根

gēn

sth. thin and flexible

hairs, threads, strings

两根头发; 一根线; 三根绳

1

户

hù

household

household

这个村子有五户人家

1

回

huí

actions (similar to次visits but more colloq.)

actions

看了他两回

1

家

jiā

establishments

companies, restaurants, shops

一家公司; 四家饭馆; 八家商店

1

架

jià

machinery, vehicle

aeroplanes, pianos, computers

一架飞机; 十架钢琴

1

间

jiān

any kinds of room

bed-rooms, kitchens, class-rooms

一间卧室; 两间厨房; 三间教室

1

件

jiàn

top part of clothes, matters

shirts; coats; matters

两 件 衬 衫; 一 件 大 衣; 三 件 事

1

句

jù

sentences, lines of poems

sayings; idioms

三句成语; 一句诗; 两句话

1

课

kè

lessons of texts

lessons

两本书有五十课课文

1

棵

kē

trees, plants

pine-tree, roses

三棵松树; 一棵玫瑰

1

口

kŏu

population on a small scale (for a number under 100)

population of a family

一家三口人

1

辆

liàng

vehicles (on wheels)

cars, bikes

一辆汽车; 一辆脚踏车

1

名

míng

people (members of...)

party members, university teachers

一名党员; 两名大学教师

1

篇

piān

writings

essays

一篇文章; 两篇论文

1

片

piàn

sth. thin and in an irregular shape

leaves, fields, lakes, tablets (medicine)

三片叶子; 一片麦田; 四片药片

1

扇

shàn

sth. vertical with a flat surface

doors, windows

三扇门 一扇窗

1

首

shŏu

verses

songs, poems

一首民歌; 两首中国诗歌

1

所

suŏ

small buildings and houses, institutions

universities, detached houses

一所大学 一所房子

1

堂

táng

Classes, lectures

lessons

三堂课

1

趟

tàng

action measure similar to 次

to pay a visit

去了三趟

1

条

tiáo

sth. narrow, long and twisty, lower part wearing

fish, dogs, rivers, trousers, skirts, boats

一条鱼; 三条狗; 两条裤子,裙子; 一条船

1

头

tóu

farm animals except horses and sheep

pigs, oxen

一头猪; 两头牛

1

位

wèi

people (used to show respect)

teachers, customers

三位老师 一位顾客

1

下

xià

measure of movements to hit, press

打两下; 摁一下

1

张

zhāng

objects made of paper, objects with a flat object

paper, tickets, beds, table, mouths

一 张 纸; 一 张 票; 一 张 桌 子; 一 张 床

1

枝

zhī

twig-like objects

Pens

一枝钢笔

1

只

zhī

animals, one of a pair

chickens, shoe

三只鸡 一只鞋

1

座

zuò

mountains, big buildings

hills, a block of flats

一座山, 一座公寓/大楼

Table Two

Nouns used for measurements. These words are used in a similar way in English.

2

Character

Pinyin

Used for

Examples

2

把

bă

hands full of...

rice grain, sand

一把米; 一把沙

2

包

bāo

packets of ...

sweets, cigarettes

一包糖; 一包烟

2

杯

bēi

cups, glasses of ...

tea, wine

一杯茶; 三杯酒

2

笔

bĭ

strokes of characters, sums of money

strokes, money

两笔; 一笔钱

2

部

bù

Productions, sets of written work

film/play, film, opera

一部电影 一部著作 三部歌剧

2

层

céng

layers of...

dust, cake

一层灰; 两层蛋糕

2

打

dá

dozens of...

pencils, eggs

一打铅笔; 两打鸡蛋

2

袋

dài

bags of...

sugar, flour, rice

一袋面粉 两袋大米

2

对

duì

matched pairs of...

couples, vase

一对夫妇; 一对花瓶

2

盒

hé

small boxes of...

cigarettes, cakes

三盒烟; 一盒蛋糕

2

块

kuài

irregular shape pieces

cakes, watches

一 块 蛋 糕; 两块表

2

排

pái

rows of…, lines of…

seats, tables, people

十几排椅子; 四排桌子; 一排人

2

瓶

píng

bottles of…

wine, water, oil

两瓶酒; 一瓶水; 三瓶油

2

束

shù

bunches of…

flowers

一束花

2

双

shuāng

pairs of…

shoes, gloves, chopsticks

六双鞋; 一双手套; 一双筷子

2

套

tào

sets of…

suites, stamps, rooms, furniture

西装; 邮票; 房间; 家具

2

碗

wăn

bowls of…

rice, noodles, soup

两碗饭; 一碗面; 一碗汤

2

种

zhŏng

kinds of…

things, books, people

一种东西; 一种书; 一种人

Table Three

Category 3 and 4: nouns with the “built-in” measure words and standard measurements.

3

Character

Pinyin

Used for

Examples

3

镑

bàng

Sterling

十英镑

3

磅

bàng

pound (weight)

重十磅

3

尺

chĭ

foot

六尺

3

寸

cùn

inch

五寸

3

点

diăn

o’ clock

七点十分

3

度

dù

degree

三十七度

3

分

fēn

minute (time reading)

五点十五分

3

分

fēn

cent (money)

六分钱

3

公斤

gōngjīn

kilogram

两公斤

3

角

jiăo

unit of 10 cents (money)

五角

3

刻

kè

quarter of hour (time reading)

八点三刻

3

块

kuài

unit of 100 cents (money: colloq.)

二十五块

3

两

liăng

measure for weight (1 = 50 gm.)

三两饭

3

秒

miăo

second (time reading)

八点十七分零二秒

3

毛

máo

unit of 10 cents (money: colloq.)

九毛八

3

米

mĭ

meter

长三米

3

年

nián

year

两年

3

岁

suì

year of age

三岁

3

天

tiān

day

七天

3

些 (一些)

xiē

some

一些

3

点 (一点)

diăn

some

一点

3

页

yè

page

五百多页

3

元

yuán

unit of 100 cents (money)

三元钱

3

站

zhàn

stop (for buses and trains)

六站

Exercises

You can submit your work online here

Click here to view the answers

Find suitable measure words for the following words.

1. 3 cars.9. 2 copies of magazines.17. 4 wheels.

2. 1 house.10. 3 windows.18. 1 ruler.

3. 2 vases.11. 6 beds.19. 2 desk lamps.

4. Many lakes. 12. 2 pairs of trousers. 20. 1 student.

5. How many countries? 13. 3 car number plates.

6. A few forms.14. 1 note.

7. 3 kinds of newspapers.15. 2 roofs.

8. 1 story.16. 2 doors.

Action measure

Action measure

Action measure

Can't be used with any other numbers.

Answers fore the Measure Word Exercises

三辆车

一所房子 (座)

一对花瓶

几片湖

几个国?

几张表格

三种报纸

一层楼

两本杂志

三扇窗

六张床

两条裤子

三条（块）号码牌

一张便条

一个屋顶

两扇门

四个轮子

一把尺子

两盏灯

一个学生

太 expresses excessiveness (16)

This construction is used to express an extreme state in a situation or action. The affirmative form of the 太 tài construction is 太 [ stative verb ] 了 , which means extremely [ stative verb ] as in 太 好 了 tài hăo le extremely good. Without the particle 了 in the affirmative form, the tone is rather crude. The negative form 不 太 bú tài [stative verb] without 了 le means that something is not extremely… [ stative verb ], as in 不 太 好 bú tài hăo not very good .

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Assignments .

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (16,太 SV了）

I am extremely busy. He is not too busy.

Mr Wang is extremely serious.

His Chinese is extremely good.

She shirt is extremely white. My shirt is not so white.

Our dormitory is extremely new.

Our teacher is extremely nice.

Our textbook is extremely old.

Click here for more exercises

The use of 了 as a modal particle

Exercises

Alternative terminology: modal particle 了.

1. What else can 了 be used for, apart from for indicating a completed action?

了 may also be used in the following situations.

1. To emphasize an action which has already taken place.

2. To indicate excessiveness.

3. To indicate change.

4. To indicate imminent action.

5. As a resultative complement of 完 (completion) or 掉 (to get rid of something).

The use of 了 to emphasize actions that have already taken place

2. How is 了 used for emphasis?

了 can be used for emphasizing an action that has been completed.

1. To emphasize a single action, two 了 can be used: one after the verb and the other at the end of the sentence.

wŏ yĭjīng fàng le táng le

我 已经 放 了 糖 了.

I ALREADY PUT LE SUGAR LE

I've already PUT the sugar in.

wŏ yĭjīng chī guò le fàn le

我 已经 吃 [过] 了饭 了.

I ALREADY EAT [GUO] LEMEAL LE

I've already EATEN.

Without emphasis, it would be 我已经放了糖 or 我已经放糖了. 我已经吃(饭)了, 我已经吃了饭 or 我已经吃过饭了.

2. To emphasize direct or indirect speech, 了 can be placed after the verb 说, 问, 请 and 告诉.

wŏ yĭjīng gēn tā shuō le xué hànyŭ yīnggāi yònggōng

我 已经 跟 他 说 了学 汉语 应该用 功.

I ALREADYTO HIM SAY LE STUDY CHINESE SHOULD DILIGENT.

I've already SAID to him that he should work hard on (his) Chinese.

了 is not normally used for completed direct and indirect speech. Without the emphasis it would be: 我已经跟他说学汉语应该用功.

3. To emphasize a sequence of actions, an additional 了 is placed after the emphasized verb.

qù nián tā qĭng le wŏ chī le wŭ dùn fàn

去 年 他 请 了 我 吃 了 五 顿 饭 .

LAST YEAR HE INVITE LE ME EATLE FIVE DUN MEALS

Last year he INVITED me to eat five Chinese meals.

zuótiān tā qù le xiăo wáng jiā ná lái le nà bĕn shū

昨 天 他 去 了小 王 家拿 来 了那 本 书.

YESTERDAY, HE GO LE XIAO WANG'S HOME BRING BACK LE THAT BEN BOOK

Yesterdayhe WENT Xiao Wang's place and brought that book back.

Without the emphasis, 了 for completed action should be placed after the last verb of the sentence: 去年 他 请 我 吃了五顿 饭 . 昨天他去小王家拿来了那本书.

3. Can 了 be used to emphasize negative actions?

了 cannot be used to emphasize negation. The adverb 并 is placed before the negatives 不 or 没 to emphasize the negation.

wŏ bìng méi gēn tā shuō xué zhōngwén dĕi yònggōng

我 并 没 跟 她 说学 中文 得 用 功.

I BING NOT TO HER SAYLEARN CHINESE MUST DILIGENT

I did not (at all) say to her that one must work hard at Chinese.

4. Can 了 be used to emphasize stative verbs or complements of degree?

No, 了 cannot be used to emphasize stative verbs or the complement of degree construction. However, it can be used with the stative verb 对, and with 得多( in the comparative construction).

duì letā de zhōngwén bĭ wŏ hăo duō le

对 了, 她 的 中 文 比我 好 多 了.

CORRECT LE SHE DECHINESE BI I GOOD VERY MUCH LE

That’s right, her Chinese is very much better than mine.

The use of 了 to express excessiveness

5. How is 了 used to express excessiveness?

了 is often placed at the end of expressions which indicate excessiveness, such as 太冷了it’s too cold, 难极了it’s extremely difficult, 可热了it’s really hot. See the following patterns:

太 stative verb 了

stative verb 极了

可 stative verb了

Sometimes there is no 了 in a 太 expression. Why is that?

Among the above expressions, 太 is the only one which can be used without 了. But if 了 is omitted, the tone of voice can be rather rough. In colloquial Chinese, 太 can be omitted to show that the situation is slightly different from the one which the speaker expected.

一点儿 or 一 些 (a little) are placed after 了, in a (太)...了 sentence.

zhè jiàn yīfu tài dà le yìdiănr nà ge wèntí tài nán le yìdiănr

这 件 衣服 (太) 大了(一点儿). 那 个 问题 (太) 难 了一点儿.

THIS JIAN CLOTHING (TOO)BIG LE A LITTLE THAT GE QUESTION (TOO) HARD LE A LITTLE

This jacket is a little too big. That question is a little too difficult.

6. Can be the following expressions be placed before nouns: 太 stative verb 了; stative verb 极; and 可 stative verb 了?

No, they cannot be used as adjectives in sentences. 了 also gives a sense of the end of a sentence, so the above expressions are only used as stative verbs or complements of degree in sentences. In other words they cannot be placed before 的, but should be placed at end of sentences or clauses. One cannot say 太冷了的饭. 难极了的书. 可热了的天气. One should say: 饭太冷了 the rice is too cold, 那本书叫他写得难极了 that book he wrote is too difficult, 天气可热了 it’s extremely hot.

7. Can the above three expressions have negative forms?

The negation 不 can be placed before 太 and after 可, but 极 cannot take the negative form. If the negation 不 is used, 了 should be left out.

fàn bú tài lĕng tiānqi kĕ bú rè

饭 不 太 冷 天气 可 不 热.

RICE NOTTOO COLD WEATHER REALLY NOT HOT

The rice is not too cold. The weather is not really hot.

If 了 appears at the end of a negative sentence 饭不太热了, it indicates change: the rice is not too hot any more.

The use of 了 to express a change of situation

8. When do I use 了 for a change of situation, and where does it go in a sentence?

If the modal particle 了 is used to indicate change it should always be placed at the end of a sentence. It can be used in the following situations.

1. To indicate a change in the weather, in seasons or in time.

chūntiān le tiānqi nuănhuó le sān diăn bàn le

春 天 了. 天 气 暖 和 了. 三 点 半 了.

SPRING LE. WEATHER WARM LE THREE O'CLOCK HALF LE

It's spring (now). The weather is getting warm. It's half past three.

As you can see from the above sentences, 了 can also be placed after a noun (for the weather, seasons or time), and after a stative verb.

2. To indicate a change of situation, 了 is placed at the end of a sentence.

xiànzài wŏbú shì lăoshī le xiànzài rén duō le

现 在我 不 是 老 师 了. 现 在 人 多 了.

NOWINOT BE TEACHER LE NOW PEOPLE MANY LE

I'm not a teacher any more. Now there are many people.

9. Are the functions of 了 always clear in sentences?

Yes, they should always be clear. But sometimes 了can have many implications, with the result that ambiguous meanings are then unavoidable. In particular, when 了 is placed at the end of a sentence there may be a grey area where it is hard to differentiate between the 了 for change of situation and the 了 for completed action.

xiăo wáng lái le wŏmen chī fàn le

小 王 来 了. 我们 吃 饭 了.

XIAOWANG COME LE WE EAT MEAL LE

Wang has come. We have eaten.

(Completed action.) (Completed action.)

Now Wang is coming. We're about to eat.

(Change of situation.) (Imminent action.)

Now we are eating the meal. [We were eating fruit before.]

It is important to add appropriate words to clarify what you want to say.

我们已经吃过饭了. We've eaten. 我们就要吃饭了. We're about to eat.

我们现在吃饭了. Now we are eating our meal.

The use of 了 to indicate an imminent action.

10. How many sentence patterns can be used to indicate imminent action?

The following are the most commonly used "frame-patterns".

1. 要...了, (要快...了)

2. 快...了, 快要...了, 快就...了.

3. 就要...了, 就快...了.

The action which is about to happen is framed by these patterns. The possible elements which can be framed within these patterns are time words, verb-object phrases and verbs.

kuàiyào shí diăn le jiùyàoxià kè le jiùkuài kū le

快要 十 点 了. 就要 下 课 了. 就快 哭 了.

NEARLY 10 O'CLOCK LE NEARLY FINISH CLASS LE NEARLY CRY LE

Nearly 10 o'clock. The class is about to finish. (Somebody) is about to cry.

11. Do these expressions indicate the same degree of urgency?

Yes, they indicate the same degree of urgency.

The use of 了 as a resultative complement.

了 is not only used as a particle to indicate that an action has been completed, but can also imply 完 completion, and 掉 getting rid of something by acting as a resultative complement in a sentence. In this usage 了 has two functions: one is as a resultative complement; and the other is as a particle for completed action.

tā bă dōngxi dōu mài le tā băjiŭ hē le tā bă shū rēng le

她把 东西 都 卖 了 他 把 酒 喝 了他 把 书 扔 了

SHE BA THINGS ALL SELL LE HE BA WINE DRINK LE HE BA BOOK THROW LE

She has sold everything. He's drunk up all the wine. He's thrown away thebook.

All the above sentences have a sense of getting rid of something, as with the resultative complement 掉.

tā bă wăn xĭ le tā bă gōngkè zuò le

他 把 碗 洗 了. 她 把 功 课 作 了.

HE BA BOWL WASH LE SHE BA HOMEWORK DO LE

He has done the washing up. She has done her homework.

Both the above sentences have a sense of completion, as with the resultative complement 完.

Exercises

You can submit your work online here

Click here for answers

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. Mr. Wang does Chinese paintings extremely well.

2. It's too difficult to learn Chinese. The most difficult thing is to remember it all.

3. The food she cooked yesterday was good, but she made too much.

4. It's too late today. Shall we do it tomorrow?

5. The book she bought yesterday was not too expensive, but the one I bought today was much too much.

6. It's almost news time. Shall we watch the news in a minute?

7. We are almost in Beijing. Now you can see the Great Wall of China in the distance.

8. A: This term will soon be over. Where are you going in the holidays?

B: What holiday? I don’t have holidays. I always work.

9. A: The exam results are coming out soon. Then we'll see who is the best student.

B: Just because a student has achieved a good result doesn't necessarily mean that student is the best one.

10. I have finished my exam. I don't have to read "Practical Chinese Reader" any more!

11. It's already 10:30. I’ll be late for my lesson.

12. Mr. Li is getting old, and can't see properly. Can you help him?

13. I have to fetch a friend from the airport. Can you tell Mr. Wang that I will not be able to attend his lesson?

14. I have already told him that I don't like his food. How many more times should I tell him?

15. Last night I did a great many grammar exercises. I'm not going to do any more tonight.

Answers for the use of 了as a modal particle Exercises

王先生画中国画儿画得好极了.

学习汉语太难了.最难的是把什么都[1]记住.

她昨天作的饭很好吃,可是他作得太多了.

今天太晚了. 我们明天再作好吗?

她昨天买的书不太贵, 可是我今天买的太贵了.

新闻就要开始了. 我们一会儿看新闻吧?

我们快要到北京了.现在你们能看到在远处的长城了.

A:这个学期要快结束了.你假期去哪儿?

B:什么假期?我没有假期.我总是工作.

A:考试的成绩要出来了.我们就会知道谁是最好的学生.

B:考得好, 不一定是最好的学生.

我考完了试,不必再看 “实用汉语课本”了.

已经十点三十分了.我上课要迟到了.

李先生老了,看不清楚了.你能不能帮助他?

我得去飞机场接个朋友. 请你告诉王先生我上不了课了?

我已经告诉了他我不喜欢他作的饭.我得再告诉他多少次?

昨天晚上我作了很多语法练习.我今天晚上不作了.

[1] See the use of 都

Pronoun/noun + 这儿 or 那儿 (16)

A pronoun/noun + 这儿 or 那儿 is similar to the English expression (somebody’s) place, as in

我 们 去 小 王 那儿

wǒmen qù Xiăo Wáng nàr

W e will go to Xiao Wang’s place.

你来 我 这儿

nĭ lái wǒ zhèr

You come to my place. (The speaker is in his place as he is talking.)

If you have any questions about the above explanation, please click here to ask.

Assignments .

Translate the sentences into Chinese (15, zher and nar)

Who has got the newspaper that I bought for my older brother?

I have come from that very polite English student.

Telling the time (20)

You might remember that when giving the date in Chinese you start from the year, then go to the month and then the day. This background-to-foreground logic also applies to time-telling, where you start from 点 diăn o’clock , then go to 分 fēn minute, then to 秒 miăo second. The other two words that are commonly used for telling the time are 半 bàn half and 刻 kè quarter, as in 十一 点半 shí yī diăn bàn half past eleven (lit. eleven o’clock half ); 十一 点一 刻 shí yī diăn yí kè quarter past eleven (lit. eleven o’clock a quarter ). The word 刻 kè quarter is only used for time, not for other objects. In colloquial Chinese, for 12 hour clock time reading you use the words 上午 shàngwŭ a.m. (lit. up noon ) and 下午 xiàwŭ p.m. (lit. down noon):

上 午 十一 点 一 刻

shàngwŭ shí yī diăn yí kè

Quarter past eleven in the morning (lit. up noon , 11 o’clock , a quarter)

Another irregular feature which should be mentioned here is that two o’clock in Chinese can be either 二 点 èr diăn or 两 点 liáng diăn , although elsewhere it is normally 两 liăng two that is used for describing quantities.

When asking or telling the time, 是 shì to be is not needed:

现 在 几 点 ?

xiànzài jĭ diăn

What time is it ? (lit . now what time)

现 在 五 点

xiànzài wŭ diăn

It’s 5 o’clock . (lit. now 5 o’clock )

The modal particle 了 le , which indicates a change of situation, can be placed at the end of a sentence when expressing present time, as in

几点 了 ?

jĭ diăn le

What time is it now ?

五点 了

wŭdiăn le

It’s 5 o’clock now .

If you have any questions about this explanation, please click here.

Assignments.

Write down the following time in Chinese. (20, telling the time)

11:15, 12:06, 6:55, 8:30, 5:42, 7:00, 9:45

Modal verbs (19)

There are about a dozen modal verbs in Chinese. Modal verbs such as 喜欢 xĭhuān like , 想 xiăng wish and 应该 yīnggāi ought to are used to express feelings, intentions and obligations. Modal verbs are placed before the main verbs in sentences. For instance,

我 想 吃 中 国 饭

wǒ xiăng chī Zhōngguó fàn

I fancy eating some Chinese food

T he word 想 xiăng fancy , wish in is a modal verb which indicates the speaker’s inclination and intention.

When a modal verb is used in a sentence, the aspect particle 了 le for completed actions is not used . A time word (time when) is placed in the sentence to indicate that an action has taken place:

我 以前 想 去中 国

wǒ yĭqián xiăng qù Zhōngguó

I wanted go to China in the past .

The modal verbs in the following list are the most commonly used.

Chinese | Pinyin | English
要 | yào | want; ask for; wish; desire
想 | xiăng | want to; would like to; feel like (something)
应该 | yīnggāi | should; ought to; must
能 | néng | can; be able to; be capable of
喜欢 | xĭhuān | like; love; prefer; enjoy; be fond of
可以 | kěiyĭ | can; may
会 | huì | be good at; be skilful in
愿意 | yuànyì | be willing to
肯 | kěn | be willing to

If you have any questions about the above explanation, please click here to ask.

Assignments.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (20 modal verbs)

I want to go to China and she wants to go to Japan.

I would like to learn Chinese.

She should learn Japanese.

What language would you like to learn?

I fancy some French food.

I would like to visit my friend.

Asking ages

As with telling the time, the verb 是 shì to be is not used when talking about years of age:

你弟弟 几岁 ?

nĭ dì di jĭ suì

H ow old is your younger brother ? (lit. your younger brother how old)

我 五 岁 的 时候 每 天 都 吃 中 国 饭

wǒ wŭ suì de shíhou měitiān dōu chī Zhōngguó fàn

When I was five years old, I ate Chinese food every day.

Assignments

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (20, age)

I'm 20 this year. How old are you?

I'm 21. When is your birthday?

30 January, and you?

It's my birthday too.

How old is your Chinese teacher?

I don't know you should ask him.

Aspects

Progressive aspects (23)

Use of the 正在 … 呢 sentence pattern

The subject (S) 正在 verb (V) object (O) sentence pattern is used to describe a progressive action in the past, at the present, or in the future. The verbs that are used in this construction are transitive verbs. For instance,

Time clause | S V O

昨 天 我 去 他 家 的 时候 他 正 在 做 晚 饭

zuótiān wǒ qù tā jiā de shíhou tā zhèngzài zuò wănfàn

When I went to his house yesterday, he was cooking the supper .

Time clause | S V O

昨 天 他来 看 我 的 时候 我 在 学 习 汉 字

zuótiān tā lái kàn wǒ de shíhou wǒ zài xuéxí Hànzì

When he came to see me yesterday, I was learning Chinese characters .

S V O

他 正 看 电 视 呢

tā zhèng kàn diànshì ne

He is right in the middle of watching the TV .

Time | S V O

现在 我 在 上 课 呢

xiànzài wǒ zài shàng kè ne

I am having a lesson now .

Time clause | S V O

明 天 他 到 中 国 的 时 候，我 在 开 会

míngtiān tā dào zhōngguó de shíhou, wǒ zài kāihuì

When he arrives in China tomorrow, I will be having a meeting .

“ He was cooking the supper”, “ I was learning Chinese characters”, “ He is watching the TV ”, “ I am having a lesson” and “ I will be having a meeting” are all progressive actions.

Some of the elements for the progressive constructions have special emphasis if they are used selectively. For instance, 正 zhèng can precede a verb with 呢 ne at the end of the sentence, without using the element 在 zài to create an emphatic tone of “ right in the middle of”. (See the highlighted sentence below.)

All the following sentences mean he is watching the TV with different tones of emphasis.

S | 正 在 | V | O | 呢
他 | 正 在 | 看 | 电 视 |
他 | 正 在 | 看 | 电 视 | 呢
他 | 在 | 看 | 电 视 | 呢
他 |  | 看 | 电 视 | 呢
他 | 正 | 看 | 电 视 | 呢

If you have any questions about the above explanation, please click here to ask.

Assignments.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (23, progressive aspects)

Where is Ding Yun?

She is working in the bookshop at moment.

No, she is teaching Gubo Chinese in her dormitory.

What are you doing?

I am putting on my shirt.

I am using the dictionary that you bought me yesterday.

What are you looking at?

I am looking at the map of China.

What are you drinking?

I am drinking the Chinese tea that Mr Wang gave me this morning.

He is buying a Chinese car for his girlfriend.

The use of the particle 着 (36)

Many grammar books describe the use of verb (V)+ 着 zhe as the continuous aspect, but I have divided the usages into the following five categories.

1. V+ 着 zhe can be used to describe how an object has been left in a place in a certain position. For instance,

书 在 桌 子 上 放 着

shū zài zhuōzi shàng fàngzhe.

The book is on the table.

This implies that the book has been 放 fàng put on the table by someone.

门 开 着

mén kāizhe

The door is open .

This implies that the door has been left 开 kāi open by someone.

在 墙 上 挂 着 一 张 画

zàiqiángshàng guàzhe yì zhāng huà

There is a picture hanging on the wall.

This sentence implies that a picture has been 挂 guà hung on the wall by someone.

2. However, if an action is carried out by the subject of a sentence, the V + 着 zhe pattern implies that an action is in progress. For instance, if you see a friend of yours standing there, you might say:

别 站 着 。快 坐 下

bié zhànzhe. kuài zuòxia

Don’t stand there. Quickly sit down!

You might describe a group a students sitting in a classroom in the following way:

学 生 们 都 在 教 室 里 坐 着

xuéshengmen dōu zài jiàoshì lĭ zuò zhe

The students are sitting in the classroom.

The meaning of this sentence is similar to the form of its progressive aspect

学 生 们 都 正 在 教 室 里坐 着 呢

xuéshēngmen dōu zhèng zài jiàoshì lĭ zuò zhe ne

As you might have noticed that there is no object after the verb 坐 zuò sit , but instead the verb is followed by the particle 着 zhe . Another difference between the above sentence and the sentence pattern of the progressive aspect is that the word 在 zài here is a co-verb which means to be in (classroom) and it is not part of the elements that are used in the progressive aspect.

3. V + 着 zhe can also be used to describe how an action is carried out with another action. For instance,

小 学 生 唱 着 歌 去 学 校

xiăoxuéshēng chàngzhe kē qù xuéxiào

The primary school children go to school singing.

The phrase 唱着歌 chàngzhe kē singing describes the way that the primary school children go to school.

他 吸着 烟 看 书

tā xīzhe yān kàn shū

He reads while he is smoking.

The phrase while he is smoking describes the way that he reads.

The stative verb 忙 máng can be followed by particle 着 zhe to describe other actions as demonstrated below.

他 忙 着 准 备 考 试 呢

tā mángzhe zhŭnbèi kăoshì ne

He is busy preparing the exams.

他 忙 着 谈 恋 爱 呢

tā mángzhe tán liàn ài ne

He is busy being in love.

There are other verbs that can be used like 忙 máng such as 吵闹着

孩子们 吵 ( 闹 ) 着 要 我 带 他们 去 公 园 玩

háizimen chăo( nào) zhe yào wǒ dài tāmen qù gōngyuánwán

The children are nagging me to take them to the parks.

4. The expression of V+ 着 zhe has a commanding tone. It is used to demand that a listener to carry out an action continuously. The only verbs that can be used in these expressions are some of the monosyllabic ones. For instance,

等 着 站 着

děngzhe zhànzhe

Wait! (Don’t go away.) Stand up! (Don’t sit down.)

记 着 坐 着

jì zhe zuòzhe

Remember! (Don’t forget.) Sit! (Don’t stand up or move about.)

看 着

kānzhe

Watch it ! (Don’t lose your concentration)

5. A stative verb can precede 着呢 zhene to describe excessiveness. The expression is placed at the end of a sentence. For instance,

中 国 的 夏 天 热着呢 他的 钱 多 着 呢

zhōngguó de xiàtiān rèzhene tā de qián duōzhene

The summer in China is extremely hot. He has got plenty of money.

我 每 天 都 忙 着 呢

wǒ měi tiān dōu máng zhe ne

I am busy everyday

If you have any questions about the above explanation, please click here to ask.

Assignments.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (The use of the particle 着 36)

The students are sitting in the classroom.

There are three books on the table. (Use 放 fàng to put)

There is a map of China hanging (挂guà) in the reading room.

We are walking to the library.

The library door is open (开kāi).

I'm busy cooking the meal for tonight.

Don't smoke while you are reading!

The aspect for the completion of actions (27)

Although the aspect particle 了 le is one of the most complicated Chinese grammar points, I will only be explaining the practical aspect of the particle in this section.

Unlike the English past tense, the aspect particle 了 le only affects certain verbs in certain sentence constructions. The following list consists of the common rules for the use of the particle which are supported by examples. Learning where to apply the aspect particle 了 le in a sentence is important, but the most difficult thing is to know when it is not used. Learners must remember the following eight points when expressing a completed action in Chinese.

1. The aspect particle 了 le is placed after the main action verb of a sentence to indicate that the action has been completed. The aspect particle 了 le is not used when a verb is in the negative form. When expressing an action that did not occur in the past, a verb is preceded by the negation 没 méi did not. The following sentences demonstrate how some of the action verbs such as 学 xué to learn, 吃 chī to eat or 去 qù to go are used in the sentences with the aspect particle 了 le and the negation 没 méi .

The sentence below shows that the verb 吃 chī to eat is used in the affirmative form.

我 刚 吃了 一 块 面 包

wǒ gāng chīle yí huài miànbāo

I’ve just eaten a piece of bread.

The following sentence shows the verb 吃 chī to eat in the negative form.

我 没 吃 面 包

wǒ méichī miànbāo

I didn’t eat bread.

The next sentence shows the verb 去 qù to go in the affirmative form.

他 去了 两 次 中 国

tā qùle liăngcì zhōngguó

He went to China twice.

The following sentence shows 去 qù to go in the negative form.

他 没 去 中 国

tā méiqù zhōngguó

He didn’t go to China.

The following sentence shows the verb 学 xué to learn in the affirmative form.

小 王 学 了 三 年 法文

xiăowáng xuéle sānnián făwén

Xiao Wang studied French for three years.

The following sentence shows the verb 学 xué to learn in the negative form.

小 王 没 学 法文

xiăowáng méixué făwén

Xiao Wang didn’t study French.

If a sentence consists of a time measure such as three months or an action measure such as twice, the measures should be placed after the main verb of the sentence, as demonstrated below. More examples can be seen in Lesson 31 of Practical Chinese Reader Book II.

我 学 汉 语 学 了 三 个 月

wǒ xué hànyŭ xuéle sān ge yuè

我 学 了 三 个 月 的 汉 语

wǒ xuéle sān ge yuè de hànyŭ

我 汉语 学 了 三 个 月

wǒ hànyŭ xuéle sān ge yuè

I studied Chinese for three months.

2. One might have noticed that the above affirmative sentences have complex objects. However, when describing a particular action, if the object of the sentence is a simple one i.e. a noun, which is not attached to a number and measure word, and not attached to a descriptive clause ( 的 clause), the aspect particle 了 le can be placed at the end of the sentence. For instance,

今 天 上 午 你 去 哪儿 了 or | 今 天 上 午 你 去了 哪儿
jīn tiān shàngwŭ nĭ qù năr le or | jīn tiān shàngwŭ nĭ qù le năr

Where did you go this morning ?

我 去 买 书 了

wǒ qù măi shū le

I went out to buy (a) book .

Both objects of the sentences, 哪儿 năr where and 书 shū book are simple words without clauses attached, therefore the aspect particle 了 le can be placed at the end of the sentences.

As one can see that the answer in the above conversation uses the same sentence pattern as it is in the question.

3. The rules of the aspect particle 了 le only apply to the main verb of a sentence. If an action verb is used in a descriptive ( 的 ) clause as it demonstrated below, it will not be affected by the rules. The aspect 了 le is not used with stative verbs either. For example,

我 们 昨 天 学 的 汉 语 很 容 易

wǒmen zuótiān xué de hànyŭ hěn róngyì

The Chinese language that we learned yesterday was very easy .

The aspect particle 了 le is not used in the above sentence for the following two reasons.

The action verb 学 xué learned is only used to describe the subject of the sentence, 汉语 hànyŭ Chinese language , and is not the main verb of the sentence.

The main verb of the sentence is the stative verb, 容易 róngyì was easy , therefore the aspect particle 了 le is not applied.

4. The aspect particle 了 le is not used when describing a completed action that one has done regularly. In other words, if a sentence consists of the words that indicate regularity, such as 每天 měitiān everyday, 常常 chángcháng often or 总是 zǒngshì always, the aspect particle 了 le is not used, but a time adverb such as 昨天 zuótiān yesterday or 去年 qùnián last year is placed in a sentence to indicate that the action has been completed. The negation for a habitual action in the past is 不 bù do not, but not 没 méi . For example,

去 年 我 们 总 是 吃 中 国 饭

qùnián wǒmen zǒngshì chī zhōngguó fàn

We always ate Chinese meals last year.

去 年 我 们 每 天 都 不 吃 中 国 饭

qùnián wǒmen měitiān dōu bùchī zhōngguó fàn

We didn’t eat a Chinese meal during a single day.

5. When the verbs that imply habitual actions such as 是 shì , to be, 在 zài to be in and 有 yǒu to have are used as the main verbs of sentences, the aspect particle 了 le is not used. In this case the negation for these verbs is 不 bù not except for 有 yǒu . See below,

十 年 以前 小 王 是 汉 语 老 师

shí nián yĭqián xiăo wáng shì hànyŭ lăoshī

Xiao Wang was a Chinese language teacher ten years ago.

十 年 以前 小 王 不 是 汉 语 老 师

shí nián yĭqián xiăo wáng búshì hànyŭ lăoshī

Xiao Wang wasn’t a Chinese language teacher ten years ago.

昨 天 我 在 图书 馆

zuótiān wǒ zài túshūguăn

I was in the library yesterday.

昨 天 我 不在 图书 馆

zuótiān wǒ búzài túshūguăn

I wasn’t in the library yesterday.

去 年 我 有 很 多 钱

qùnián wǒ yǒu hěnduō qián

I had a lot of money last year.

去 年 我 没 有 很 多 钱

qùnián wǒ méiyǒu hěnduō qián

I didn’t have a lot of money last year.

6. If a modal verb is used in a sentence, the aspect particle 了 le should not be applied, but a time adverb such as 昨天 zuótiān yesterday or 去年 qùnián last year is placed in the sentence to indicate the completion of the action. The negation for a modal verb in the past is 不 bù do not, but not 没 méi . Modal verbs are those verbs which express intentions, such as 想 xiăng wish to and 要 yào want to; the verbs that are used to express feelings such as 喜欢 xĭhuān like and 爱 ài love; or the verbs that express obligations such as 应该 yīnggāi ought to , 能 néng can and 可以 kěyĭ may. For instance,

昨 天 晚 上 我 很 想 吃 中 国 菜

zuótiān wănshang wǒhěn xiăng chī zhōngguó cài

I really wanted to eat some Chinese food last night.

昨 天 晚 上 我 不想 吃 中 国 菜

zuótiān wănshang wǒ bùxiăng chī zhōngguó cài

I didn’t want to eat Chinese food last night.

7. The aspect particle 了 le is not used in the complement of degree construction. In other words when one expresses a sentence using verb+ 得+adverb , the aspect particle 了 le is not used. As you may have remembered, the complement of degree construction is used to describe habitual actions, such as “he runs very fast” and “she eats slowly”. It is mentioned in points 4 and 5 of this section that the aspect particle 了 le is not used when describing a regular action in the past. Although the complement of degree construction can also be used to describe the result or the outcome of a particular (one off) action, the aspect particle 了 le is not used. The following sentence describes a past habitual action without using the particle 了 le. The following sentence describes the regular action of studying in the past without using the particle 了 le .

去 年 他 学 中 文 学 得 很 好

qùnián tā xué zhōngwén xué de hěnhăo

He studied Chinese very well last year.

The following sentence describes the outcome of a particular action, cooking in the past, without using the aspect particle 了 le .

昨 天 晚 上 他 做 饭 作 得 很 好

zuótiān wănshàng tā zuòfàn zuò dehěnhăo

He cooked a lot last night.

8. If a sentence describes a sequence of completed actions, the aspect particle 了 le is placed after the last verb in the sequence, but in a negative sentence, the negation 没 méi is placed before the first verb. For instance,

昨 天 我 去 大 学 书 店 买 了 三 本 书

zuótiān wǒ qù dàxué shūdiàn măile sān běn shū

I went to the university bookshop and bought three books yesterday.

昨 天 我 没 去 大 学 书 店 买 书

zuótiān wǒ méiqù dàxué shūdiàn măi shū

I didn’t go to the university bookshop to buy books yesterday.

If one of the actions in a sequence is completed and the other is not, they should be treated separately as indicated below.

我 去了 大学 书 店，可是 没 买 书

wǒ qùle dàxué shūdiàn, kěshì méimăishū

Yesterday I went to the university bookshop, but I didn’t buy books.

If you have any questions about the above explanation, please click here to ask.

Assignments

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (the aspect for the completion of actions)

Yesterday I went to the shop and bought three Chinese maps.

I went to your place yesterday, but (但是) you were not at home.

I was at home yesterday afternoon.

The grammar teacher who lives next to the library had three Chinese cars last year.

I was learning French at the language college four months ago.

I haven’t learned the new characters in lesson fifteen.

I ate in restaurants everyday when I was in China last May.

I wanted to go to France last month.

Did you introduce Gubo to Mr Wang this morning?

In the past I often smoked in the classroom when there was no one there.

I liked drinking coffee in the morning last year.

Yesterday evening I went to the dormitory to see Ding Yun.

Frequently asked questions

Click on the following links to view the answers

When should I use it?

When should I place the 了 at the end of a sentence, and when should I place it after the main verb of a sentence?

Is it incorrect if I place 了 after the verb in a simple-object sentence?

Can I place 了 at the end of a sentence that has a complex object?

Where should I place 了 if a sentence has a time measure?

Is a time measure placed after 了 in a negative sentence?

Do I have to put the time-measures before 没 in all negative sentences?

Do I have to put 了 after every verb in a sentence, if the sentence has a sequence of actions?

Do I always have to place 了 after the last verb of a sentence when describing a sequence of actions?

Do I always have to use 了 to indicate a completed action?

Apart from the negation, are there any circumstances in which 了 is not used?

Is it true that if I use a time-word I don't have to use 了 ?

Are there any constructions that cannot take an aspectual particle 了 ?

Do I always have to consider the use of 了 when I see a past tense in an English sentence?

了 for completed actions

Exercises

Other terminology: aspectual particle "了"

1. When should I use it?

When you want to express that an action is completed. Normally 了 should be placed after main verbs or at the end of sentences.

tā

他

HE

măi le

买 了

BUYLE

sān zhāng piào

三 张 票

THREE ZHANG TICKETS

He has bought 3 tickets.

tā

她

SHE

băjiŭ ná lái le

把 酒 拿 来 了

BA WINETAKE (TOWARDS)LE

She has brought the wine.

2. When should I place the 了 at the end of a sentence, and when should I place it after the main verb of a sentence?

1. If the object of a sentence is a simple one i.e. a noun, which is not attached to a number

and measure word, and not attached to a descriptive clause (的 clause), 了 can be placed at the end of the sentence. In this case the particle 了 has many functions: it may indicate the completed action, or a change of situation, it may also indicate an imminent action.

s. v. o. le

wŏmen chī fàn le

我 们 吃 饭 了.

WEEAT MEAL LE

We have eaten.. [Completed action]

Now we are eating. (We didn't eat before.) [Change of situation]

We are about to eat. (我 们 要 吃 饭 了.)

3. Is it incorrect if I place 了 after the verb in a simple-object sentence?

No, it is not incorrect, but it seems as if the sentence is not yet finished. It may look like the first clause of the verb了...就...construction. For example (Also see pattern 5.),

tāchī le fàn... (jiùqù kàndiànyĭng)

他吃 了 饭 ... (就 去 看 电 影.)

HEEAT LE MEAL... (JIU GO SEE FILM)

After he finishes the meal...(he'll go to see a film.)

4. Can I place 了 at the end of a sentence that has a complex object?

No. If the object of a sentence is a complicated one, i.e. it is preceded by a number word and measure word, or a descriptive clause, 了 is placed after the main verb of the sentence.

s. v. le num.mw. o.

tā chī le liăng wăn fàn

他 吃 了 两 碗 饭.

HEEATLE TWO BOWLSRICE

He has eaten two bowls of rice.

5. Where should I place 了 if a sentence has a time measure?

If an action is attached to a time measure (e.g., duration , length of time) or an action measure (e.g., many times), 了 is placed after the main verb. The following three alternative patterns share the same feature, that is, they have 了 after the main verbs.

s. v. le tm.(am.)de o. (le)

tā

他

HE

xué le liăng niánde zhōngwén (le)

学 了 两 年 的 中 文 (了 )

STUDY LE TWO YEAR DE CHINESE (LE)

He studied Chinese for 2 years.

s. v. o. v. le tm.(am.) (le)

tā xué zhōngwén

他 学 中 文

xué le liăng niăn (le)

学 了 两 年 (了)

o. s.v. le tm.(am.) (le)

zhōngwén tā

中 文 他

nà ge diànyĭng wŏ

那个 电 影 我

xuéle liăng niăn (le)

学 了 两 年 (了)

kàn le liăng biàn (le)

看 了 两 遍 (了 )

I have watched that film twice.

nà shì wŭ nián qián de shì le wŏmenshì duō nián delăo péngyou le

那是五 年 前 的事 了. 我们 是多 年 的 老 朋 友 了.

THAT IS FIVE YEAR AGO DE MATTER LE WE ARE MANY YEARS DE OLD FRIEND LE

That incident happened 5 years ago We have been old friend for many years.

6. Is a time measure placed after 了 in a negative sentence?

No, negative sentences of this kind are normally in a different word order. The time-measure should be placed before the negation没. For instance, if you want to say: "I haven't eaten Chinese food for ages." It should be in the following word order:

s. tm. neg. v. o. le

wŏ

我

I

hăo jiŭ

好 久

LONG TIME

méi 没

NOT

chī zhōngguó cài le

吃 中 国 菜了

EAT CHINESE FOOD LE

I haven’t eaten Chinese food for a long time.

7. Do I have to put the time-measures before 没 in all negative sentences?

No. If you want to deny an affirmative statement which has a time-measure, then the time-measure should be placed after the main verb.

s. neg. v. tm. o.

wŏ méi xué sān nián zhōngwén, wŏ zhĭ xué le liăng nián

我 没 学 三 年 中 文, 我 只学 了 两 年.

I NOTLEARN3 YEAR CHINESE, I ONLY LEARN LE 2 YEAR)

I didn't learn Chinese for 3 years, I only did for 2 years.

8. Do I have to put 了 after every verb in a sentence, if the sentence has a sequence of actions?

If a sequence of actions in the sentence are completed, 了 is usually placed after the last verb of the sentence.

s. v.1 o.1 v.2 le (tm. ) o.2

tā

他

HE

qù zhōngguó 去 中 国

GO CHINA

xué le sì nián jīngjù

学 了 四 年 京 剧

STUDYLE FOUR YEAR PEKING OPERA

He went to China to study Peking opera for 4 years.

tā

他

HE

qù zhōngguó 去 中 国

GO CHINA

măi le cí qì

买 了瓷器

BUY LE CHINA

He went to China and bought some China.

If you leave 了 at the end of sentences, it normally indicates a change of the situation. Let's compare the following two sentences:

1. (Completed action) tā qù zhōngguó xué le zhōngwén

他去中 国 学 了中 文.

HE GO CHINA STUDY LE CHINESE

He went to China and studied Chinese.

2. (Change of situation) tā qù zhōngguóxuézhōngwén le

他去中 国 学 中 文 了.

HE GO CHINA STUDY CHINESELE

He has gone to China to study Chinese. (He's not here)

9. Do I always have to place 了 after the last verb of a sentence when describing a sequence of actions?

No. There is another sentence pattern, which indicates sequence of actions, but the first sequence in the sentence is conditional. In this sentence pattern 了 is placed after the first verb which is in the conditional clause, and the adverb 就 is placed before the second verb of the sentence. This kind of construction has a sense of urgency, which means that the action in the 就 clause takes place immediately after the completion of the first action.

s. v.1 le o.1 jiu v.2 o.2

tā dào le zhōngguó jiù zhăo péngyou.

他 到 了 中 国就 找 朋 友 .

HE ARRIVE LE CHINAJIULOOK FOR FRIEND

He'll look for friend immediately after he arrives in China.

As you can see, that sentence describes the action in future, but if you place another 了 at the end of the sentence, then it means that both actions have taken place.

10. Do I always have to use 了 to indicate a completed action?

No, not always. First of all, the particle 了 for completed action is not used in negative sentences. Instead 没 should be placed before the main verb of the sentence.

s. meiv. o.

tā méi chī fàn.

他 没 吃 饭.

HENOT EAT MEAL

He didn't eat the meal.

11. Apart from the negation, are there any circumstances in which 了 is not used?

In the following situations the particle 了 for completed actions is not used.

1.了 is not used for prolonged and regular actions in the past. In other words, if the sentence contains words such as 每天,年年,常常... the particle 了 for the completed action is not used.

wŏ yĭqián zài zhōngguó jiāoshū

我以 前 在 中 国 教 书.

I IN THE PASTINCHINA TEACH

I taught in China in the past.

qùnián wŏ chángchánggēn wŏ nǚ péngyouqù kàn diànyĭng

去年 我 常 常 跟 我 女 朋 友去 看 电 影.

LAST YEAR I OFTEN WITH MY GIRLFRIEND GO SEE FILMS

Last year I often went to see films with my girlfriend.

2. 了 is not used in sentences which have modal verbs such as 应该, 得(dei), 可以, 能, 会, 要, 想, or for verbs which indicate feelings such as 爱,喜欢, 觉得, 知道, 愿意, 肯.

zuótiān nĭ yīnggāiqù kàn tā

昨天 你 应该 去 看 他.

YESTERDAY YOUSHOULD GO SEE HIM

You should've gone to see him yesterday.

shí nián yĭqián tā hĕn xĭihuānchī făguó cài

十年 以前 她 很 喜 欢 吃 法国 菜.

TEN YEAR AGOSHE VERYLIKE EAT FRENCHFOOD

Ten years ago she liked eating French food very much.

3. 了 is not used when 是, 在, 有* are the main verbs of sentences.

shàng xīnqī tā zài bĕijīng

上 星期 他 在 北 京.

LAST WEEKHE WAS (IN) BEIJING

He was in Beijing last week.

yĭqián tā yŏu hĕn duō qián

以前 他 有 很 多钱.

BEFORE HE HAD VERY MUCH MONEY

In the past he had a lot of money.

If 有 (to posses) is used as the main verb of a sentence, 了(for completed action) is not used. However, 了 can be used if the object of a sentence is an abstract one which has an implication of action, such as “development”, “improvement” 他的学习有了很大的进步. He has improved greatly in his studies.

4. 了 is not used for direct and indirect speeches.

dir. speech zuótiān tā wèn wŏ: "nĭ yào qù zhōngguó ma"

昨天 他问 我: "你 要 去 中 国 吗?"

YESTERDAY HE ASK ME: "YOU WANT GO CHINA MA?"

Yesterday he asked me: "Would you like to go to China?"

indir. speech zuótiān tā wèn wŏ: yào qù zhōngguó ma

昨 天 他 问 我 要 去 中 国 吗.

YESTERDAY HE ASK ME WANT GO CHINA MA

Yesterday he asked me if I would like to go to China.

As you can see, in the situations when the completed action 了 is not used, time-words are used to indicate the actions happened in the past.

12. Is it true that if I use a time-word I don't have to use 了?

No. Time-words are needed when the completed action 了 cannot be used. But time-words have no effect on 了 when the completed action 了 is applicable.

zuótiān wŏqù măi le liăng bĕn shū

昨 天 我 去买 了 两 本 书.

TESTERDAY I GO BUY LE TWOBEN BOOK

Yesterday I went out and bought two books.

You can't say:

zuótiān wŏ qù măi liăng bĕn shū

昨 天 我 去买 两 本 书.

The above sentence sounds uncompleted. The listener would expect more and would ask, "and then what?"

13. Are there any constructions that cannot take an aspectual particle 了?

The completed action 了 is not applicable to the following constructions.

1. The V+得 construction (the complement of degree)

zuótiān tā fàn zuòde hĕn bú cuò

昨 天 他 饭 作 得 很 不 错

YESTERDAY HE MEAL COOK DEVERY NOTBAD

Yesterday he cooked meal very well.

2. Description+的 (The verbs in the descriptive clause don't take 了, as they are not the main verbs of sentences.)

zuótiān wŏ măi de nà bĕn shū hĕn yŏu yìsi

昨天 我 买 的 那 本 书 很 有 意思.

YESTERDAY I BUY DE THATBENBOOK VERY INTERESTING

The book which I bought yesterday is very interesting.

14. Do I always have to consider the use of 了 when I see a past tense in an English sentence?

No, not always. Remember: the 了 in this section is for completed actions, which is different from the past tense. Here is another example of a past tense English sentence which does not use the completed action 了:

qùnián wŏ fēicháng máng.

去年 我 非 常 忙 .

LAST YEAR I VERY BUSY

Last year I was very busy.

The word busy acts as a stative verb which does not take the particle 了 of completed action.

Exercises

You can submit your work online here

Click here for answers

A. Place "了" in the right in the following sentences, and give your reasons if 了 is not needed.

1. 昨天我去____大使馆办____签证____.

2. 我已经请____小王看____两次电影 ,可是他还是那么不客气____. 真气人____!

3. 上星期我去____北京看____朋友____.

4. 去年我常常在____路口的那家书店看____书.从来没有人管____我____.

5. 前天晚上我在____你那儿吃____饭的时候,我听见____她拉____小提琴拉____得真好听____.

6. 十年前我在____中国住____ .

7. 我研究____计算机研究____四年____.

8. 那本书我已经看____三次____.

B. Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. Yesterday Xiao Wang asked me to borrow a Chinese newspaper from the library for him.

2. For three months Mr. Li has been teaching me how to sing Peking Opera.

3. I've been living in this country for more than four years.

4. We've gone through this lesson twice, but the teacher wants us to go through it once more.

5. She is unhappy. She hasn't eaten for two days.

6. He should have returned that tea-set a long time ago.

7. Last month he said that he wanted to go to China, but this month he said that he wanted to go to Japan. I really don't know where he wants to go.

8. In the past I was the only one who did the cooking.

9. Last year he often helped me to learn Chinese.

10. Should we go to the hospital to see Xiao Zhang immediately after finishing our work?

He has been learning Chinese for 2 years.

The 了 at the end of the sentence indicates that the action is still going on. In this usage, 了 brings the time "up to the present". This usage of 了 only works when a time-measure or an implication of a time-measure is involved in the sentence. 了 in the following examples have the similar function, which brings the time "up to the present".

Answers for the Exercises of Completed Actions 了

昨天我去___大使馆办___签证了.

我已经请___小王看了两次电影, 可是他还是那么不客气___.真气人___!

上星期我去___北京看了朋友___.

去年我常常在___路口的那家书店看___书. 从来没有人管___我___.

前天晚上我在___你那儿吃饭的时候, 我听到___他拉___小提琴拉___得真好听___.

十年前我在___中国住___.

我研究___计算机研究了四年(了).

那本书我已经看了三次了.

昨天小王请我替他从图书馆借了一份中文报.

李先生教我唱京剧教了三个月了.

我在这个国家住了四年多了.

这课课文我们学了两遍了, 可是我们老师要我们再学一遍.

她很难过,两天没吃东西了.

他早就应该还那套茶具了.

上个月他说要去中国, 可是这个月他说要去日本. 我真不知道他要去哪儿?

以前作饭的总是我一个人.

去年他常常帮助我学习中文.

我们一下班,就去医院看小张好吗? or我们下了班,就去医院看小张好吗?

过 expressing experiences of actions in the past (32)

The verb suffix 过 guò can be used in the following two situations.

1. The particle 过 guò is placed after a verb to express an experience of action in the past, such as

他 学 过 中 文 我 去过 中 国

tā xué guò zhōngwén wǒ qùguò zhōngguó

He has studied Chinese. I’ve been to China.

When expressing an experience of action that didn’t occur, the negation 没 méi will be used and the verb will be followed by 过 guò . For example

他 没 学 过 中 文 我 没 去过 中 国

tā méi xué guò zhōngwén wǒ méiqùguòzhōngguó

He has never learned Chinese . I haven’t been to China.

2. The particle 过 guò can also be used to express the completion of a regular activity within a specific time, such as having a meal, sleeping, having lessons or doing homework. This type of affirmative sentence is often ended with the modal partical 了 le to indicate the change of the situation. The following sentences imply some of the regular activities that one does daily. Many native Chinese would use the aspect particle 了 le instead of 过 guò in the following affirmative sentences .

( 今 天 ) 我 吃 过 午饭 了 ( 今 天 ) 我 没 吃 过 午饭

(jīntiān) wǒ chī guo wŭfàn le (jīntiān) wǒ méi chī guo wŭfàn

I’ve had lunch (for today). I haven’t had lunch today.

( 今 天 ) 我 睡 过 觉 了 （今天）我 没 睡 过 觉

(jīntiān) wǒ shuì guo jiào le (jīntiān) wǒ méi shuì guo jiào

I’ve slept today. I haven’t slept today.

( 今 天 ) 我 上 过 课 了 ( 今 天 ) 我 没 上 过 课

(jīntiān) wǒ shàng guo kè le (jīntiān) wǒ méi shàng guo kè

I’ve had today’s classes. I haven’t had today’s classes.

( 今 天 ) 我 作 过 练 习 了 ( 今 天 ) 我 没 作 过 练习

(jīntiān) wǒ zuò guo liànxí le (jīntiān) wǒ méi zuò guo liànxí

I’ve done today’s homework. I haven’t done today’s homework.

If you have any questions about the above explanation, please click here to ask.

Assignments.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (过 expressing experiences of actions in the past)

I’ve been very busy and I haven’t eaten today.

Ding Yun hasn’t slept yet.

I’ve been to the Cafe next to the student dormitory.

I’ve been there too.

I haven’t had Chinese tea there. Have you?

Yes, I have.

Have you ever used Gubo’s car?

No, I haven’t.

particle 吧 , used for making suggestions

Position words with 在 , 是 and 有 (22)

1. The following table consists of all the position words. Position words are often bi-syllabic in spoken language. They are often formed by a joining position word with 边 biān side , 面 miàn face or 间 jiān between . Either of the suffixes 边 biān side or 面 miàn face can be used as a suffix in a position word. The suffix 间 jiān between can only be preceded by 中 zhōng centre .

Position words | Suffixes | English
前 qián | 边 / 面 biān/miàn | in front
后 hòu | 边 / 面 | behind
左 zuǒ | 边 / 面 | left side
右 yòu | 边 / 面 | right side
上 shàng | 边 / 面 | upper side
下 xià | 边 / 面 | underside
里 lĭ | 边 / 面 | inside
外 wàn | 边 / 面 | outside
东 dōng | 边 / 面 | east side
南 nán | 边 / 面 | south side
西 xī | 边 / 面 | west side
北 běi | 边 / 面 | north side
中 zhōng | 间 jiān | middle

2. The word order for expressing the position of an object in Chinese is different from what it is in English. As explained in the 的 de section, the primary information is placed after 的 de and the descriptions of the information are placed before 的 de . If one wants to say, “on the left of the dormitory”, in Chinese it would be 宿舍的左边 sùshè de zuǒbiān dormitory’s left . The primary information is left which is placed after 的 de . To illustrate this speech pattern an English – Chinese comparison table is given below.

English | Chinese word order | Chinese
Top of the bookshelf | Bookshelf’s upperside | 书架 ( 的 ) 上边 shūjià shàngbiān
Underneath the table | Table’s underside | 桌子 ( 的 ) 下边 zhuōzi xiàbiān
Inside the house | House’s inside | 房子 ( 的 ) 里边 fángzi lĭbiān
On the east side of the library | Library’s east | 图书馆 ( 的 ) 东边 túshūguăn dōngbiān

3. There are three common ways to express the position of an object in a sentence by using the verbs 在 zài to be in/on/at, 是 shì to be and 有 yǒu there is/are. In the following patterns, “A” and “B” represent objects or items and the PW stands for position words.

English sentence | Chinese sentence
A is PW of B The canteen is in front of the dormitory. | A is B ’s PW 食堂 在 宿 舍 的 前 边 shítáng zài sùshè de qiānbiān
PW of B is A In front of the dormitory is the canteen. | B ’s PW is A 宿 舍 的 前 边 是 食堂 sùshè de qiānbiān shì shítáng
There is A PW of B There is a canteen in front of the dormitory . | B ’s PW is A 宿 舍 的 前 边 有 一个 食 堂 sùshè de qiānbiān yǒu yíge shítáng

If you have any questions about the above explanation, please click here to ask.

Assignments.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (22, position words)

There is a Chinese restaurant next to the library.

The dormitory is behind the bookshop.

The chair is in front of the desk.

My college is left to the Chinese department.

The garden is behind of the house.

The students are inside the classroom.

There is dictionary beside you.

The use of 请 (8)

请 qĭng has many meanings in Chinese. It means to ask (sb. to do sth.), to invite, and please, and is sometimes used with other Chinese words to form expressions. The best way to learn 请 qĭng is to see how it is used in various practical contexts.

1. When a friend comes to your house, you might use the following expressions to welcome him.

请 进 请 坐 请 喝 茶

qĭng jìn qĭng zuò qĭng hē chá

Do come in. Do have a seat. Would you like some tea?

In China you might also say:

请 吸烟

qĭng xī yān

Would you like a cigarette? (lit. please breath in smoke)

You might have noticed that the word 请 qĭng is followed by verbs in the above examples.

2. When you want to ask someone a favour, you can the word 请 q ĭ ng . For example if you want your Chinese friend to help you with your homework you might say:

请 你 教 我 汉 语

q ĭ ng n ĭ jiāo wǒ Hànyŭ

Please teach me Chinese. (lit. please you teach me Chinese )

If your Chinese friend is incapable of answering your questions, you might say:

请 你问 你 老 师

q ĭ ng n ĭ wèn n ĭ lăosh ī

Please ask your teacher. (lit. please you ask your teacher)

When 请 q ĭ ng is used to ask a favour, it is followed by full sentences, as can be seen in the above examples.

3. 请 q ĭ ng means to invite. For example:

我 请 你 喝 酒

wǒ q ĭng nĭ hē ji ŭ

Let me buy you a drink. (lit. I invite you to drink wine.)

When you use 请 q ĭ ng for to invite, it usually means that you will take care of any payment. For example, if you say to a Chinese friend 我请你吃饭 wǒ q ĭng nĭ chī fàn, you are expected to pay the bill.

4. The use of 请 qĭng in Chinese is not the same as that for the English word “ please”. 请 qĭng is not used when asking for permission, as can be seen below.

我 能 喝 杯 茶 吗？

wǒ néng hē bēi chá ma

May I have a cup of tea please? (lit. I can drink a cup of tea MA?)

他 能 用 一下 你 的 车 吗？

tā néng yòng yíxià nĭ de chē ma

Could he please use your car for a while? (lit. he can use for a while your car MA)

As you may have noticed, the word 请 qĭng is not used in the Chinese questions above, although the word “please” is used in the English translation.

5. 请 q ĭ ng is also used to form the following expressions.

请 问 请 教 请 客 请 假

q ĭng wèn q ĭng jiào q ĭng kè q ĭng jià

May I ask… May I ask your advice? Entertain friends Ask for leave

Let’s see how the first expression above is used in sentences.

请问 q ĭng wèn excuse me; may I ask…is one of the most common expressions used for starting a question politely. For example:

请 问 谁 是 你的 汉 语 老 师？

q ĭng wèn shéi shì nĭ de hàn yŭ lăo shī

Excuse me, who is your Chinese teacher?

谁是你的汉语老师 shéi shì nĭ de hàn yŭ lăo shī who is your Chinese teacher is a question. The function of the expression 请问 q ĭng wèn is to attract the listener’s attention before the question is asked.

If you have any questions about the above explanation, please click here to ask.

Assignments.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (11,15).

Do come in.

Do take a seat.

Would you like some beer?

Excuse me, may I smoke?

Please ask your Chinese friend to visit our dormitory.

May I invite you for tea?

My teacher has asked me to use her car.

Could you please tell me about China?

Verbs that take two objects (15)

There are only a few verbs in Chinese that can take both indirect and direct objects without any other particles being used. Lets’ look at the following examples, which make use of the verbs 还 huán to return (sth to sb), 教 jiāo to teach and 给 gěi to give.

S | V | Indir O | Dir O
我 | 还 | 你 | 词典
wǒ | huán | nĭ | cídiăn

I’m returning the dictionary to you.

S | V | Indir O | Dir O
他 | 教 | 我 | 汉语
tā | jiāo | wǒ | hànyŭ

He teaches me Chinese.

S | V | Indir O | Dir O
我 | 给 | 你 | 书
wǒ | huán | nĭ | shū

I’m giving the books to you.

Serial verbs (after verbs of motion 来 and 去 )

The verbs 来 lái to come and 去 qù to go are used to describe motion coming towards or moving way from a speaker. More explanations and examples will be given in the “directional complement” section, but we would like to demonstrate here how 来 lái and 去 qù are followed by the noun or the main verbal clause of a sentence. For example:

他 来 我 家 喝 茶

tā lái wǒ jiā hē chá

He is coming to my house for tea. (lit. he is coming to my home to drink tea)

The motion in the above sentence moves towards the speaker. 来 lái to come is followed by wǒ jiā my home .

他 来 喝 茶

tā lái hē chá

He is coming for tea. (lit. he is coming to drink tea)

The motion in the above sentence moves towards the speaker. 来 lái to come is followed by the verbal clause hē chá drink tea.

我 去 书 店 买 书

wǒ qù shū diàn mǎi shū

I’m going to the bookshop to buy books.

The motion in the above sentence moves away from the speaker. 去 qù to go is followed by the noun shū diàn bookshop .

我 去 买 书

wǒ qù mǎi shū

I’m going out to buy books. (lit. I’m going to buy books)

The motion in the above sentence moves away from the speaker. 去 qù to go is followed by the verbal clause 买书 mǎi shū buy books .

Apart from indicating motion direction, 来 lái has the following functions.

1. It can mean that let sb. do sth …

我 来 给 你 作 我 来 教 你 汉 语

wǒ lái gěi nǐ zuò wǒ lái jiāo nǐ hàn yǔ

Let me do it for you. Let me teach you Chinese.

2. 来 lái is used for ordering food and drinks in restaurants. The expression implies the ‘Bring me’ …that you might say to a waiter:

来 一瓶 啤酒 来 一 杯 咖啡

lái yì ping pí jiǔ lái yì bēi kāfēi

I’d like a bottle of beer. I’d like a cup of coffee.

Use of 有

有 yǒu means to have . This is the only verb whose negative form is 没有 méiyǒu not have . 不 bù not is not used with 有 y ǒ u .

The Chinese word 有 y ǒ u to have is not used when translating an English past participle. In other words, 有 y ǒ u to have is not used when saying ‘I have done my work’.

Modal particle 了

This section gives a brief introduction to the use of the end-of-sentence particle 了 le . This modal particle 了 le may be used in the following situations.

To indicate change

To indicate imminent action

To indicate excessiveness ( Please see notes on 太… 了 )

1. The modal particle 了 le can be used to indicate change, such as in the weather, in seasons or in time.

两 点 半 了 。 冬 天 了 。

liăngdiănbàn le dōngtiān le

It’s 2:30 now. It’s winter now.

The modal particle 了 le can also indicate a change of situation, or that a situation no longer exists.

丁 老师 去年 教 我 们 汉字 现 在 教 我 们 语法 了 。

dīng lăoshī qùnián jiāo wŏmen hànzì, xiànzài jiāo wŏmen yŭfă le

Mr Ding taught us Chinese characters last year. He teaches us grammar now.

我 不是 老师 了 。

wŏ búshì lăoshī le

I am no longer a teacher.

The modal particle 了 le in the above examples implies “now”. The following end-of-sentence 了also has the function of bringing the action of “learning” into the present.

我 学 汉 语 学 了 三 个 月 了 。

wǒ xué hànyŭ xuéle sān ge yuè le

I have been studying Chinese for three months.

Here, the modal particle 了 le at the end of the sentence indicates that the action of learning is still going on. Without the end-of-sentence 了 le it means that the action of learning has been completed.

2. The modal particle 了 le is used as a sentence component to indicate that an action is about to take place. The other components used in this type of sentence pattern are 要 yào , 就 jiù and 快 kuài . Possible formulas for this speech pattern are as follows.

· 要... 了

· 快... 了, 快要... 了, 快就... 了.

· 就要... 了, 就快... 了.

The imminent action is placed between 要 yào , 就 jiù, 快 kuài and 了 le. Other possible elements that can be placed in this speech pattern are time words (such as winter, summer, June and 10 o’clock), verb-object phrases, and verbs. For instance,

快 十 二 月 了 。 (month) 快 要 冬 天 了 。 (season)

kuài shí èr yuè le kuàiyào dōngtiān le

It’s nearly December. It’s almost winter.

小 丁 要 来 了 。 (verb) 就 要 开 车 了 。 (verb-object)

xiăo dīng yào lái le jiù yào kāi chē le

Xiao Ding is about to arrive. The bus is about to leave.

Assignments

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (Modal 了)

Xiao Ding was here a minute ago. He isn’t here now.

I don’t want to stay in this dormitory any more.

Gubo has told me that his girlfriend doesn’t love him any more.

Stop drinking now! We are about to start the lesson.

It’s nearly 5 o’clock. We are about to finish the lesson.

These books are really expensive now!

Stop writing now. I’m about to go to bed.

Yesterday I wrote 50 Chinese characters. I am not going to write any more today.

Frequently asked questions

Click on the following links to view the answers

What else can 了 be used for, apart from for indicating a completed action?

How is 了 used for emphasis?

Can 了 be used to emphasize negative actions?

Can 了 be used to emphasize stative verbs or complements of degree?

How is 了 used to express excessiveness?

Can be the following expressions be placed before nouns: 太 stative verb 了 ; stative verb 极 ; and 可 stative verb 了 ?

Can the above three expressions have negative forms?

When do I use 了 for a change of situation, and where does it go in a sentence?

Are the functions of 了 always clear in sentences?

How many sentence patterns can be used to indicate imminent action?

Do these expressions indicate the same degree of urgency?

[1] The term of " stative verbs " is used in Colloquial Chinese by T’ung and Pollard. It is described as " predicative-only adjectives" on page 68, in Chinese A Comprehensive Grammar by Yip Po-Ching and Don Rimmington and it is described as " adjectival verbs" on page 56, in Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar by Claudia Ross and Jing-heng Sheng Ma

[2] Co-verb phrases are called prepositional phrases in Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar; prepositions in Practical Chinese Reader

[3] Measure words are called classifiers in Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

Adverbs 就 and 才 with time words and numbers

The adverbs 就 jiù and 才 cái serve many functions in sentences, and this section will

introduce two particular usages. 就 jiù and 才 cái should be placed before verbs in

sentences. The use of 就 jiù or 才 cái expresses the notion that the timing of an event is

earlier or later than expected. Let us look at how these adverbs are used in the following

sentences.

小

丁 今 天 八 点

睡 觉 了。

Xiăodīng jīntiān bā diăn shuìjiàole

Xiao Ding went to bed at eight o’clock.

The above sentence relates the fact that the action of going to sleep happened at eight o‟clock,

but by using the adverb 就 jiù, the sentence becomes:

小

丁 今 天

八 点 就 睡 觉 了。

Xiăodīng jīntiān bā diăn jiù shuìjiàole

Xiao Ding went to bed (as early as) eight o’clock.

As you can see, the adverb 就 jiù is placed before the verb 睡 shuì to sleep in the above

sentence. 就 jiù is used to comment on the preceding time expression 八点 bā diăn eight

o’clock, and indicates that it was earlier than the speaker expected. In other words, the speaker

is expecting Xiao Ding to go to sleep after eight o‟clock.

小

丁 今 天 八 点 才 睡 觉。

Xiăodīng jīntiān bā diăn cái shuìjiào

Xiao Ding only went to bed at eight o’clock. (Lit Xiao Ding went to bed as late as eight

o’clock.)

The adverb 才 cái implies “only then”. In other words, the speaker is expecting Xiao Ding to

61Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

2011

go to sleep before eight o‟clock. Notice that in addition to the adverb 就 jiù being replaced

by 才 cái, the end of sentence particle 了 le has also disappeared in the above sentence.

就 jiù or 才 cái can also be used to express a view on a number that is smaller or bigger than

expected. Let us see the effect that the adverbs 就 jiù and 才 cái have on the following

sentences.

他 用

两

个 小 时

作 了 一顿 中

国

菜。

tā yòng liăng ge xiăoshí zhuò le yídùn zhōngguó cài.

He took two hours to cook a Chinese meal. (Lit He used two hours....)

The adverbs 就 jiù and 才 cái are not used in the above sentence. The sentence only states

the fact that it has taken him two hours to cook a Chinese meal. However, if 就 jiù is added to

the above sentence, it becomes:

他 用

两

个 小 时 就 作

了 一顿 中

国 菜。

tā yòng liăng ge xiăoshí jiù zhuò le yídùn zhōngguó cài.

It only took him two hours to cook a Chinese meal. (Lit It took him as little as two hours to

cook a Chinese meal.)

就 jiù is used to comment on the preceding period of time 两个小时 liăng ge xiăoshí two

hours. The speaker thinks that two hours is a short length of time. However, if 才 cái is used

instead, as demonstrated below, the sentence has a different implication, although the

meaning is similar.

他 用

两

个 小 时

才 作

了 一顿 中

国

菜。

tā yòng liăng ge xiăoshí cái zhuò le yídùn zhōngguó cài.

He only finished cooking a Chinese meal after two hours. (Lit It took him as long as two

hours to cook a Chinese meal.)

By using the adverb 才 cái in the above sentence, the speaker shows that he thinks that the

preceding two hour period of time is of short length. The sentence implies that it took him as

62Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

2011

long as two hours to cook the meal.

When using the adverbs 就 jiù and 才 cái, one must remember the following points.

1. 就 jiù and 才 cái must be placed before verbs

2. 就 jiù or 才 cái can be used to comment on preceding time words and number words

which are earlier and smaller or later and larger than expected.

3. The end of sentence particle 了 le is not used when 才 cái is used.

Complement of degree 得

The complement degree construction is commonly used in the following situations.

1. To describe habitual actions. In other words, it is used to describe how someone

normally does something.

2. To describe the result of a particular action.

3. To describe the extent of a stative verb.

得 de is always preceded by a verb. It is important to remember that when you use a verb

which is in the verb-object form, you must make sure that the verb (but not the object) is

placed before 得 de. Because of this, a verb is often repeated in the first part of a

complement of degree construction. For instance,

s

我

wŏ

v-o / topic

游 泳

yóu yŏng

v

游

yóu

得

得

de

adv

很 快。

hěn kuài

I swim very quickly.

As you may know, 游泳 yóuyŏng is a verb in the V-O form, in other words, 泳 yŏng is a

noun, so it should not be placed before 得 de. In spoken Chinese, people often omit the object

of a V-O phrase when using the complement of degree construction. If the V-O (topic) is

clear to listeners, the topic can be omitted.

63Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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For example:

s

我

wŏ

v-o / topic

v

游

yóu

得

得

de

adv

很 快。

hěn kuài

I swim very quickly.

不 bú, the negation for the complement of degree is placed before adverbs. For example,

s v-o / topic v

我

wŏ 游 泳

yóu yŏng 游

yóu

得

得

de

不 adv

不 快。

bú kuài

I don't swimming quickly.

Sometimes the verb in the topic is omitted to avoid repetition, and the object of the sentence

can be placed before the verb. For instance,

s

她

tā

v-o / topic

中

国 菜

zhōngguó cài

v

作

zuò

得

得

de

adv

真 不 错。

zhēn búcuò

She cooks Chinese meal really well.

The above examples describe habitual actions. When the complement of degree is used to

describe the outcome of a particular completed action, a time word is needed, as a verb that is

placed before 得 de cannot take the aspect particle 了 le. For example,

tw

昨 天 晚 上

zuótiān wănshang

s

她

tā

v-o / topic

中

国 菜

zhōngguó cài

v

作

zuò

得

得

de

adv

真 不 错。

zhēn búcuò

She cooked a Chinese meal really well last night.

However, the aspect 了 le does not affect verbs that are used to describe the outcome of

actions. In other words, verbs that are placed after 得 de can still take aspect 了 le. For

example,

64Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

s sv

小 王

Xiǎo Wáng 难 过

nánguò

得

得

de

2011

degree

哭了 两

天。

kūle liǎngtiān

Xiao Wang was so sad that she cried for two days.

As you may have noticed, aspect 了 le is used for the verb to cry in the clause that describes

the stative verb 难过 nánguò to be sad. The above example illustrates the fact that the 得 de

construction can also be used to describe the extent of the stative verb. For instance,

s sv

中

文

Zhōng wén 难

nán

得

得

de

degree

我 们

都

不 想

学 了。

wŏmén dōu bù xiăng xué le

Chinese is so difficult that we don’t want to learn it any more!

In the above sentence, the phrase 我们都不想学了 wŏmén dōu bù xiăng xué le we don’t

want to learn it any more describes the extent of the difficulty.

s

我们

wŏmen

sv

忙

máng

得

得

de

degree

每

天 都

不 睡 觉。

měitiān dōu bù shuìjiào

We are so busy that we don’t even sleep a single day.

The phrase we don’t even sleep a single day describes the extent of the matter.

The use of the adverbial 地

The adverbial particle 地 de is used to describe the way or manner in which an action is

carried out. The descriptions can be adverbs or phrases with an adverbial function. Adverbs

used to describe actions should be placed before 地 de as demonstrated below.

s

他

tā

adv

地

认 真

地

rènzhēn de

v

在 纸 上

写 了

zài zhĭ shàng xiě le

三 个

sānge

o

汉字。

hànzi

He very carefully wrote three Chinese characters on a piece of paper.

s

他

tā

adv

地

一笔一笔 地

bĭ yì bĭ

de

v

在 纸 上

写 了

zài zhĭ shàng xiě le

三 个

sānge

o

汉字。

hànzi

Stroke by stroke, he wrote three Chinese characters on a piece of paper.

As you may have noticed, the aspect 了 le is used in the above sentences. The adverb phrase

一笔一笔地 yìbĭyìbĭ de stroke by stroke is placed before the co-verb phrase 在纸上 zài

zhĭ shàng to be on paper.

The negation for the adverbial 地 sentences is 不 bù, which is placed before the adverbial

phrases. For example,

s

他

tā

不 adv

地

不 认 真 地

bù rènzhēn de

v

在 纸 上

写

zài zhĭ shàng xiě

o

汉字。

hànzi

He is carelessly writing Chinese characters on a piece of paper.

66Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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The negation 没 méi is used for denying that an action has taken place in the suggested

manner. For example, if someone says "he wrote Chinese characters very carefully", you can

deny it by saying

没 adv

地

没 认 真 地

méi rènzhēn de

s

他

tā

v

在 纸 上

写

zài zhĭ shàng xiě

o

汉字。

hànzi

He didn't write the Chinese characters carefully on the paper.

The above Chinese sentence implies that he did write the Chinese characters, but he didn't do

it in a careful manner.

A monosyllabic adverb is reduplicated when using the adverbial 地 de and the duplicated

adverb is often pronounced in the first tone. For instance,

adv

地

慢 慢

地

ta mànmān de

s

他

tā

v

在 纸 上

写 了

zài zhĭ shàng xiě le

o

三 个

sānge

汉字。

hànzi

He slowly wrote three Chinese characters on a piece of paper.

The object 汉字 hànzi Chinese character in the above examples is attached to a number word

and a measure word. When an object has nothing else attached to it, the adverbial 地 de can

be omitted. For instance,

他 总 是 认 真

工

作。

tā zŏngshì rēnzhēn gōngzuò

He always works conscientiously.

小

王

总

是 努力 学 习 中

文。

Xiăo Wáng zŏngshì nŭ lì xuéxí Zhōngwén

Xiao Wang always studies Chinese diligently.

The above sentences describe habitual actions. You might ask if the complement of degree

67Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

2011

construction can be used to describe the above situation. Of course you can, but it would be

something like this.

小

王

学习 中

文

学习 得 很 好 。

Xiăo Wáng xuéxí Zhōngwén xuéxí de hěn hăo

Xiao Wang studies Chinese well.

You have to remember that the adverbial construction describes the manner in which an

action is carried out, and the complement of degree construction focuses on the outcome of an

action. As you can see from the above examples, 努力 nŭ lì diligent is used to describe the

manner and 好 hăo well/excellently is a description on the outcome of Xiao Wang‟s

studying

Resultative Verb Complements

A resultative verb complement is formed by an action verb and a resultative word. A

resultative word can be a verb or a stative verb describing the outcome of an action. The

examples of resultative words are 完 wán to finish as in 写完 xiěwán to finish writing and

清楚 qīngchu to be clear as in 写清楚 xiěqīngchu to write it clearly. The formula of the

resultative verb complements reflects the sequence of action. For instance 写完 xiěwán finish

writing in Chinese becomes writing finish, as finish is the outcome of the action of writing.

Some Chinese verbs are in the form of resultative verb complements such as

看见 kànjiàn to see

听见 tīngjiàn to hear

找到 zhǎodào to find

When translating a sentence into Chinese it is important to ask yourself if the verb of the

sentence is an action verb of or it is a verb with an outcome.

The following list consists of the most commonly used resultative complements.

68Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

Verbs

看 look; 听 listen

Resultative

complements

见 to sense

2011

Examples

你听

见 她 唱

歌了 吗?

nĭ tīng jiàn tā chàng gē le ma

看 look; 听 listen

懂 to

understand

Did you hear her singing?

我 没

看 懂

课 文。

wŏ méi kàn dŏng kèwén

放 put

在 to be

in/on/at

I didn‟t understand the text (by reading through it).

书 放

在 桌 子 上

了。

shū fang zài zhuōzi shàng le

送 give (sth. as a

present); 拿 take;

还 return; 借 lend

给 to give (to

a person)

The book has been put on the table.

词典

还 给 小 王

了。

cídiăn huángěi Xiăo Wáng le

The dictionary has been returned to Xiao Wang.

我 的 书 借 给 丁

云 了。

wŏ de shū jiè gěi Dīng Yún le

送 give (as a

present); 学 study;

寄 send/post

到 to reach

(to a place)

My book has been lent to Ding Yun.

我 们

学 到 了第 三 课。

wŏmen xué dào le dì sān kè

We have reached Lesson Three.

你的信 小

王

送

到 你 宿舍 去了。

nĭde xìn Xiăo Wáng song dào nĭ sùshù qù le

买 buy; 吃 eat; 喝

drink; 借 borrow

到 to obtain

Your letter has been delivered to your dormitory by

Xiao Wang.

我 没

买 到

地图。

69Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

2011

wŏ méi măi dào dì tú

I didn‟t get hold of the map.

我 没

心。

吃 到

小

王

作

的 点

wŏ méi chī dào Xiăo Wáng zuò de diănxīn

学 study

会 to master

I didn’t get to eat the Dianxin made by Xiao Wang.

我 们

都

学 会 中

文了。

wŏmen dōu xué huì Zhōngwén le

送 give (as a

present); 拿 take

走 to be away

We have all mastered Chinese.

礼物 送

走

了。

lĭ wù song zŏu le

拿 to take; 记 to

remember

住 to be fixed

The presents have been delivered.

记住 学

过 的 生

词。

jì zhù xué guò de shēngcí

Remember the words that (you) have learned. (It

implies that you should fix the words into your

memory. One could also say

我 记了,可 是 没 记住。

wŏ jì le

作 do; 写 write;

学 study

好 to be

satisfactory

kěshì méi jì zhù

I tried, but I failed to remember)

我 作

好 饭 了。

wŏ zuò hăo fàn le

I have finished cooking the meal.

70Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

作 do; 写 write;

说 say

错 to be

wrong

你说

2011

错了。

nĭ shuō cuò le

You’ve said it wrong.

我 没

作

错。

wŏ méi zuò cuò

I didn‟t do it wrong.

作 do; 写 write;

说 say

写 write; 说 say

对 to be right

清楚 to be

clear

你没

说

清

楚。

nĭ méi shuō qīngchu

You didn’t say it clearly.

我 写 清

楚 了。

wŏ xiě qīngchu le

I’ve written it clearly.

When two objects (both direct and indirect) are involved in a sentence, the direct object is

often placed at the beginning of the sentence. For example

书 我 借 给 小

王

了。

shū wǒ jiè gěi Xiǎo Wáng le

I’ve lent the book to Xiao Wang.

你的 衬

衫

我 拿 到 你 的 卧 室 去 了。

nǐ de chènshān wǒ ná dào nǐ de wòshì qù le

I’ve taken your shirt to your bedroom.

Both the direct objects of the sentences above,书 shū book and 你的衬衫 nǐ de chènshān

your shirt are placed at the beginning of the sentence. The resultative word 给 gěi to is

71Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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followed by a person: 小王 Xiǎo Wáng and the resultative word 到 dào to is followed by a

place: 你的卧室 nǐ de wòshì your bedroom.

The use of 从 and 离

从 cóng from is used as a co-verb in sentences such as

小

王

从

他家 来了这儿 。

Xiǎo Wáng cóng tā jiā lái le zhèr

Xiao Wang came here from his home.

离 lí from cannot be used in the same way, but is used to measure the distance between two

objects. For instance,

A

我 家

wǒ jiā

离

离

lí

B

学 院

xuéyuàn

SV

很 远。

hěn yuǎn

My home is a long way from the college.

A

我 家

wǒ jiā

离

离

lí

B

学 院

xuéyuàn

V + distance

有 三 英 里。

yǒu sān yīngliǐ

It is three miles from my home to the college.

A

我 家

wǒ jiā

离

离

lí

B

学 院

xuéyuàn

V + duration

走 路一个 小 时。

zǒu lù yī ge xiǎoshí

It takes an hour to walk to the college from my home.

72Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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The 离 lí construction can also be used to measure duration. For example,

离

离

lí

A

现 在

xiànzài

B

下 课

xiàkè

V + duration

还 有 一刻 钟。

Háiyǒu yíkè zhōng

It is 15 minutes from now to the end of the class.

The co-verbs 从 cóng from and 到 dào to can also be used to measure distance and duration

in the following sentence patterns.

从

从

cóng

A

我 家

wǒ jiā

B

到

到

学 院

dào xuéyuàn

SV

很 远。

hěn yuǎn

My home is a long way from the college.

从

从

cóng

A

我 家

wǒ jiā

B

到

到

学 院

dào xuéyuàn

V+ distance

有 三 英 里。

yǒu sān yīngliǐ

It is three miles from my home to the college.

从

从

cóng

A

我 家

wǒ jiā

B

到

到

学 院

dào xuéyuàn

V + duration

走 路一 个 小 时。

zǒu lù yī ge xiǎoshí

It takes an hour to walk to the college from my home.

从

从

cóng

A

现 在

Xiànzài

B

到

到

下 课

dào xiàkè

V + duration

还 有 一刻 钟。

háiyǒu yíkè zhōng

It is 15 minis between now and the end of the class.

73Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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Negation and question words are placed next to the main verbs or stative verbs expressing

distance or duration as demonstrated below.

A

我 家

wǒ jiā

离

离

lí

B

学 院

xuéyuàn

SV

远

吗?

yuǎn ma

Is it far from my home to the college?

A

我 家

wǒ jiā

离

离

lí

B

学 院

xuéyuàn

SV

不 远。

bù yuǎn

It is not far from my home to the college.

A 离 B SV

我 家

wǒ jiā 离

lí 学 院

xuéyuàn 多

远?

duō yuǎn

How far is it from my home to the college?

Directional Verb Complements

A direction verb complement can be formed by an action verb such as 走 zǒu to walk and a

word that expresses direction of action such as 进 jìn in or 出 chū out. For instance:

走 进 教 室。

zǒu jìn jiàoshì

To walk into the classroom.

74Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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The following list consists of the single directional words.

Verbs

挂 guà to hàng

Directional

complements

上 shang up, on

戴 dài to wear

Examples

挂

上

地图

guà shang dì tú

To hang up the map.

戴 上

帽

子

dài shang màozi

To put on the hat.

放 fàng to put

下 xià down

放

下

书

fàng xia shū

走 zǒu to walk

进 jìn in

To put down the book.

车

开 进了学 院

拿 ná to take chē kāi jìn le xuéyuàn

开 kāi to drive

走 zǒu to walk The car has been driven into the college.

出 chū out

走 出 教

室

拿 ná to take zǒu chū jiàoshì

开 kāi to drive

走 zǒu to walk To walk out of the classroom.

回 huí back

拿 回 家

拿 ná to take ná huí jiā

开 kāi to drive To take (bring) it back home.

寄 jì to post 寄回 中

国

jì huí Zhōngguó

To post it back to China.

75Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

走 zǒu to walk

过 guò across,

past, over

开 kāi to drive

走 过

2011

了书 店

zǒu guò le shūdiàn

Walked pass the bookshop.

A directional verb complement can also be formed without an action verb by a directional

word with 来 lái to come or 去 qù to go. Both 来 lái and 去 qù indicate the position of the

speaker. 来 lái to come indicates that the direction is moving towards the speaker and 去 qù

to go indicates that the direction is moving away from the speaker. For instance, if your

teachers are having a meeting in the classroom and you are outside, you might advise your

fellow students:

别 进 去

bié jìn qù

Don’t go in.

Another type of directional verb complement is called the combined directional verb

complement. This is formed by an action verb, a directional word and 来 lái to come or 去

qù to go as in:

走 进来

zǒujìnlái

Walking in.

来 lái to come in the above phrase indicates that the direction of 进 jìn entering is moving

towards the speaker, in other words the speaker is in the room. Adirect object is often

inserted into a combined directional complement. Let‟s introduce a subject and an object to

the above phrase.

小

王

走 进 了 教 室 来。

Xiǎo Wáng zǒu jìn le jiàoshì lái

Xiao Wang walked into the classroom. (The speaker is in the classroom.)

76Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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来 lái to come implies that the action is moving towards the speaker. In other words, the

speaker is in the classroom. You may also have noticed that the aspect particle 了 le is

placed after the directional word 进 jìn in. The following list consists of combined

directional complements.

Verbs

跑 pǎo to

run

Directional

complements

上来/去

shàng

lái/qù on

走 zǒu to

walk

小

王

跑

上

了 山

去。

Xiǎo Wáng pǎo shàng le shān qù

Xiao Wang ran up the mountain. (The speaker is at the

bottom of the mountain.)

拿 ná to

take

小

开 kāi to

drive

走 zǒu to

walk

Examples

丁

拿 上

了一 杯 茶 来。

Xiǎo Dīng ná shàng le yì bēi chá lái

下来/去

xiàlái /qù down

Xiao Ding brought up a cup of tea. (The speaker is

upstairs.)

他走 下 了楼 来。

tā zǒu xià le lóu lái

跑 pǎo to

run

He walked down from upstairs. (The speaker is

downstairs.)

拿 ná to

take

开 kāi to

drive

走 zǒu to

walk

进来/去

jìn lái /qù in

别 走 进 公

园 去。

bié zǒu jìn gongyuán qù

跑 pǎo to

run

Don’t go into the park. (The speaker is outside park.)

拿 ná to

take

开 kāi to

drive

77Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

走 zǒu to

walk

出来/去

chū lái /qù out

她 走 出 了 房

2011

间 来。

tā zǒu chū le fangjiān lái

跑 pǎo to

run

She walked out of the room. (The speaker is outside the

room.)

拿 ná to

take

开 kāi to

drive

走 zǒu to

walk

回来/去

huí lái /qù back

我 跑

回 了 家 去。

wǒ pǎo huí le jiā qù

跑 pǎo to

run

I ran home. (The speaker is away from home.)

拿 ná to

take

开 kāi to

drive

走 zǒu to

walk

跑 pǎo to

run

过来/去

guò lái /qù

across, past,

over

拿 ná to

take

开 kāi to

drive

站 zhàn

to stand

她 拿 过 了一本

本

书 。)

书 来。(她 拿 过 来了一

tā ná guòle yì běn shū lái

shū )

(tā ná guòlái le yì běn

She brought over a book.

起来

qǐ lái up (去 qù

is not used with

起 qǐ)

你们

都

站

起来。

nǐmen dōu zhàn qǐlái

You all stand up.

Potential Verb Complements

A potential verb complement is used to describe the capability of carrying out an action, such

as being capable of speaking Chinese or being capable of finishing one‟s homework. A

potential complement is formed from the following three elements.

1. an action verb

2. 得 de (for affirmative) or 不 bu (for negative)

3.

a resultative (apart from 在, 给 and 错) or directional complement.

For examples

看 得 见 走 不 进 教室

去

kàn de jiàn zǒu bu jìn jiàoshì qù

To be able to see To be unable to walk into the classroom

The following examples demonstrate how potential verb complements are used in colloquial

Chinese. If you can‟t hear someone, you might say to him or her:

我 听 不 见

你 说

的 话。

wǒ tīng bu jiàn nǐ shuō de huà

I can’t hear what you are saying.

If the door of the classroom is locked, you might say to your teacher:

教 室 门 关

着,我 们 走 不 进 去。

jiàoshì mén guān zhe wǒmen zǒu bu jìn qù

The classroom door is closed and we can’t get in.

79Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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If you have too much homework for the day, you might say to your teacher:

今 天 的 练 习太 多 了,我 们 作 不 完。

Jīntiānde liànxí tài duō le wǒmen zuòbu wán

There are too many exercises and we can’t finish them today.

The following list consists of those commonly used potential verb complements which have

not devolved from resultative and directional verb complements.

Verbs

吃 chī to eat

Potential

complements

得/不了 to be

able/unable to

走 zǒu to walk

跑 pǎo to run

住 zhù to live,

to stay

照 zhào to take

(a photo)

件 事。

He can’t deal with this matter on his own.

得/不动 to be

able/unable to

move

东 西 不 多,我 拿 得 动。

dōngxi bu duō, wǒ ná de dòng

There isn’t so much stuff; I can take it (on my own).

得/不下 to

have/don’t

have room for

坐 zuò to sit, to

seat

站 zhàn to

stand

放 fàng to put

他一个人 作 不 了 这

tā yí ge rén zuò bu liǎo zhè jiàn shì

说 shuō to

speak,

写 xiě to write

作 zuò to do, to

cook

拿 ná to take

Examples

这 间 房

住 得 下几 个 人?

zhè jiān fang zhù de xià jǐ ge rén

How many people can this room accommodate?

得/不上

can/cannot be

fitted on/in

后 边

的 房

子 照

得 上

吗?

hòu biān de fángzi zhào de shàng ma

Can the house in the background be fitted into the

photo?

80Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

买 mǎi to buy

吃 chī to eat

得/不起

can/cannot

afford

2011

我 买 不 起 这儿 的 房 子。

wǒ mǎi bù qǐ zhèr de fángzi

I can’t afford to buy the houses round here.

Comparatives 比 with stative verbs and complements of

degree

比 bǐ to compare and 没有 méiyou not as...as are used with stative verbs to compare

feelings and objects, while the „complement of degree‟ construction is used when comparing

two actions. We will be focusing on the following three sentence patterns in this section.

1. To compare feelings

Object A

我

wǒ

Object B

比/没有

比/没有

你

bǐ/méiyou nǐ

Feeling words (V-O)

想

家

xiǎngjiā

I’m more home-sick than you. / I’m not as home-sick as you are.

Object A

我

wǒ

Object B

比/没有

比/没有

你

bǐ/méiyou nǐ

Feeling words (V)

喜欢 学 习

xǐhuān xuéxí

I like studying more than you do. / I don’t like studying as much as you do.

2. To To compare two objects

Object A

我 的 书

wǒ de shū

比/没有

比/没有

bǐ/méiyou

Object B

你(的 书)

nǐ(de shū)

Stative verb

多

duō

I have more books than you. / I don’t have as many books as you do.

81Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

Object A

比/没有

我 昨 天 买 的 书

比/没有

wǒ zuótiān mǎi de shū bǐ/méiyou

Object B

你(昨 天 买 的 书 )

nǐ (zuótiān mǎi de shū)

2011

Stative verb

多

duō

Yesterday I bought more books than you. / Yesterday I didn’t buy as many books as you did.

When the description of “object A” is clear, the description of “object B” can be omitted. The

above example, comparing quantities of books (that I bought and you bought yesterday) can

also be changed into a comparison of two actions by using the complement of degree

construction.

3. To compare two actions

Action A

我 昨 天 买 书

wǒ zuótiān mǎi shū

比/没有

比/没有

bǐ/méiyou

Action B

你 买 得

nǐ mǎi de

Result of action

多

duō

Yesterday I bought more books than you did. / Yesterday I didn’t buy as many books as you

did.

You might have noticed that the complement of degree construction is divided into two parts

in the above example. The topic, which consists of the SVO, appears in “Action A”, and the

extent of the action appears in “Action B”. Let‟s look at some more examples.

Action A

我 写 汉 字

wǒ xiě Hànzì

比/没有

比/没有

bǐ/méiyou

Action B

你 写 得

nǐ xiě de

Result of action

漂 亮

piàoliàng

I write Chinese characters more elegantly than you do. / I don’t write Chinese characters as

elegantly as you do.

The adverb 很 hěn very is not used in comparatives. If the expression “very much” is needed

in a sentence, 多了 duōle much more can be added after the stative verb or any adverbs.

82Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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For example:

Object A

我 的 书

wǒ de shū

比

比

bǐ

Object B

你(的 书)

nǐ(de shū) Stative verb + 多了

多 多 了

duō duōle

Action B

你 写 得

nǐ xiě de Adverb + 多了

漂 亮

多 了

piàoliàng duōle

I have many more books than you.

Action A

我 写 汉 字

wǒ xiě Hànzì

比

比

bǐ

I write Chinese characters much more elegantly than you do.

更 gèng even more / less is placed before a verb to compare the feelings of two people. For

example:

Object A

我

wǒ

比

比

bǐ

Object B

你

nǐ Feeling words (V-O)

更

想

家

gèng xiǎngjiā

Object B

你

nǐ Feeling words (V)

更

喜欢 学 习

gèng xǐhuān xuéxí

I’m even more home-sick than you.

Object A

我

wǒ

比

比

bǐ

I like studying even more than you do.

不比 bùbǐ not more than... is another negative comparative construction. The difference

between 不比 bùbǐ sentences and 没有 méiyou sentences is that in a 不比 bùbǐ sentence the

quality of the object that appears before 不比 bùbǐ is not better than that of the object that

appears after 不比 bùbǐ, but could be of the same quality. However, in 没有 méiyou

sentences the quality of the object that appears before 没有 méiyou is always worse than that

of the object that appears after 没有 méiyou.

83Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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For example:

Object A

我 的 书

wǒ de shū

没有

没有

méiyou

Object B

你(的 书)

nǐ(de shū)

Stative verb

多

duō

I don’t have as many books as you do. (You have more books.)

Object A

我 的 书

wǒ de shū

不比

不比

bùbǐ

Object B

你(的 书)

nǐ(de shū)

Stative verb

多

duō

I don’t have more books than you. (I may have the same amount as you, but not more.)

Comparatives with 一样

The expression 一样 yíyàng as same as ... is used to make two objects equal. For example:

Object A

我的书

wǒ de shū

Object B

跟

跟

你的书

gēng nǐ de shū

一样

一样

yíyàng

My book is the same as yours.

The negative form of this construction is

Object A

我的书

wǒ de shū

Object B

跟

跟

你的书

gēng nǐ de shū

不一样

不一样

bùyíyàng

My book is not the same as yours.

一样 yíyàng can also be used to compare feelings, objects and actions. Let‟s use the

examples in the above section with the expression 一样 yíyàng as same as ...

1.

84Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

T

2011

To compare feelings

The negating 不 bù is placed before the co-verb 跟 gēng when expressing feelings.

Object A (不)跟 Object B 一样 我

wǒ 跟

gēng 你

nǐ 一样

yíyàng Feeling words (V-

O)

想

家

xiǎngjiā

Object B

你

nǐ 一样

一样

yíyàng Feeling words (V)

喜欢 学 习

xǐhuān xuéxí

I’m as home-sick as you are.

Object A

我

wǒ

(不)跟

跟

gēng

I like studying as much as you do.

2. To compare two objects (the negating 不 bù is placed before 一样 yíyàng.)

Object A 跟 Object B (不)一样 Stative verb

我 的 书

wǒ de shū 跟

gēng 你(的 书)

nǐ(de shū) 一样

yíyàng 多

(不)一样

一样 Stative verb

yíyàng duō

duō

I have the same number of books as you do.

Object A

我 昨 天 买 的 书

wǒ zuótiān mǎi de

shū

跟

跟

gēng

Object B

你(昨 天 买 的

书 )

nǐ(zuótiān mǎi de

shū)

多

Yesterday I bought the same number of books as you did.

3. To compare two actions (the negating 不 bù is placed before 一样 yíyàng.)

Action A

我 昨 天 买 书

wǒ zuótiān mǎi shū

跟

跟

gēng

Action B

你 买 得

nǐ mǎi de

(不)一样

一样

yíyàng

Result of action

多

duō

Yesterday I bought the same number of books as you did.

85Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

2011

Action A 跟 Action B (不)一样 Result of action

我 写 汉 字 跟 你 写 得 一样 漂

wǒ xiě Hànzì gēng nǐ xiě de yíyàng piàoliàng

亮

I write Chinese characters as elegantly as you do.

The 把 sentence construction

The 把 bǎ construction is used to talk about, for example: handling or disposing of a

particular object (such as sending a particular letter to somewhere); saying a particular

sentence clearly; or putting something somewhere.

The verbs used in 把 bǎ sentences take complicated forms such resultative complements,

directional complements and the complement of degree. Because of the complex use of verbs

in the 把 bǎ construction, it is important to learn or revise the grammar points that are in the

other sections relating to the 把 bǎ construction before embarking on this section.

Although 把 bǎ is not often used as a verb in modern Chinese, it still retains the meaning of

to hold or to grasp. In this section I will introduce 把 bǎ as a co-verb in the 把 bǎ

construction. Please note in this context that sequence is important in Chinese when it comes

to describing actions. The first action in a sequence should come first in an utterance. The

way to learn co-verb sentences properly is to understand the description of sequence in

Chinese word order. The following two patterns are commonly used to form 把 bǎ

sentences.

1. A sentence with a verb and direct and indirect objects

S

小 李

Xiǎo Lǐ

(没)把

把

bǎ

O direct

信

xìn

V+ other element

寄 给 了

jì gěi le

O indirect

小 王

Xiǎo Wang

Xiao Li has sent the letter to Xiao Wang.

86Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

S

小 李

Xiǎo Lǐ

(没)把

把

bǎ

O direct

信

xìn

V+ other element

寄 到

jì dào

2011

O indirect

中国

去 了

Zhōngguó qù le

Xiao Li has sent the letter to China.

These two sentences show how the direct and indirect objects are connected by the verb

complements 寄 给 jì gěi send to and 寄 到 jì dào send to. (The complement 给 gěi to is

followed by persons and the complement 到 dào to is followed by places.) The above

examples also demonstrate that „aspect‟ 了 le is placed after the verbs: in the first example it

is placed after 寄 给 jì gěi send to and in the second example it is placed after 去 qù.

2. A sentence with a verb and an object

S

你

nǐ

O

话

huà

(没)把

没 把

méi bǎ

V+ other element

说 清 楚

shuō qīngchǔ

You didn’t say it clearly.

The negation 没 méi did not is placed before the co-verb 把 bǎ in the above sentence.

Modal verbs, adverbial 地 de and co-verb phrases can also precede 把 bǎ. For example

S

你

nǐ

要

yào

把

把

bǎ

O

话

huà V+ other element

说

清 楚 吗?

shuō qīngchu ma

O

话

huà V+ other element

说

清 楚。

shuō qīngchu

Would you like to say it clearly?

S

你

nǐ

在这儿

zài zhèr

把

把

bǎ

Say it clearly here.

87Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

S

你

nǐ

把

一句一句地 把

yí jùyí jù de bǎ

O

话

huà

2011

V+ other element

说

清 楚。

shuō qīngchu

Say it clearly, sentence by sentence.

The following list consists of five types of the most common elements that can be attached to

verbs in 把 sentences.

1. Complement of degree

S

你

nǐ

把

把

bǎ

O

话

huà

V+ complement of degree

说

得 非 常

清 楚。

shuō de fēicháng qīngchu

You’ve said it very clearly indeed.

2. Resultative complements apart from 见

S

你

nǐ

把

把

bǎ

O

话

huà

V+ resultative complement

说

错 了。

shuō chuò le

You’ve said it wrong.

3. Directional complements

S

你

nǐ

把

把

bǎ

O

衬衫

chènshān

V+ directional complement

拿 进来。

ná jìnlai

Bring in the shirt.

4. ...action measures

S

你

nǐ

把

把

bǎ

O

房间

fángjiān

V+ action measure

整

理一下。

zhěnglǐ yíxià

Tidy up the room a little.

88Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

2011

5. ...着(as a continuous aspect)

S

你

nǐ

把

把

bǎ

O

门

mén

V+ 着

开 着。

kāi zhe

Leave the door open.

Potential verb complements are not used in the 把 bǎ construction; instead the modal verb

能 néng is placed before 把 bǎ.

S

你

nǐ

把

能

把

néng bǎ

O V+ other element

饭

fàn 吃 完

吗?

chī wán ma

Can you finish this meal?

Passive with 被, 让, 叫 and 给

In Chinese, the passive constructions with 被 bèi 让 ràng 叫 jiào and 给 gěi are not as

frequently used as are passive constructions in English. For instance, when translating the

previous sentence into Chinese, one would not use the bèi construction.

1. The co-verbs 被 bèi 让 ràng 叫 jiào and 给 gěi are used to introduce the agent of a

passive sentence, as in 我的车被小王借走了 wǒ de chē bèi Xiǎo Wáng jiè zǒu le

my car has been borrowed by Xiao Wang. The co-verb 被 bèi introduces the agent,

Xiao Wang, who has carried out the action of borrowing. All the co-verbs above have

the same function when introducing the agent of a passive sentence, but 被 bèi is the

most commonly used. The following tables show the sentence components that are

used in the 被 bèi construction.

89Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

sbject

我的车

wǒ de

chē

bèi/ràng/jiào/gěi agent

被/让/

叫 /给 小 王

bèi/ràng/jiào/gěi Xiǎo Wáng

2011

verb + other elements

借 走 了

jiè zǒu le

My car has been borrowed by Xiao Wang.

sbject

我的车

wǒ de

chē

bèi/ràng/jiào/gěi agent

被/让/

叫 /给 小 王

bèi/ràng/jiào/gěi Xiǎo Wáng

verb + other elements

开

回 家 去 了

kāi

huí jiā qù le

My car has been driven back home by Xiao Wang.

You might have noticed that the „action verb plus other element‟ constructions used in the

above sentences are complicated ones. Which elements that can be used with verbs in a 被

bèi construction? Let‟s look at the following list.

2. The elements that are commonly preceded by verbs in the bèi construction are:

--resultative complements

--directional complements

--the complement of degree

--action measures

As you may have noticed, the elements that are used in the 被 bèi sentence construction are

very similar to the ones used in the 把 bǎ construction. After learning the examples below

please try to reformulate them as 把 bǎ constructions.

sbject

电视

diànshì

bèi/ràng/jiào/gěi Agent

被/让/

叫 /给 小

王

bèi/ràng/jiào/gěi Xiǎo Wáng

verb + resultative complement

修 好 了

xiū hǎo le

The TV has been mended by Xiao Wang.

90Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

sbject

我的车

wǒ de

chē

bèi/ràng/jiào/gěi agent

被/让/

叫 /给 小 王

bèi/ràng/jiào/gěi Xiǎo Wáng

2011

verb + directional complement

开

回 家 去 了

kāi

huí jiā qù le

My car has been driven back home by Xiao Wang.

sbject

房间

fángjiān

bèi/ràng/jiào/gěi agent

被/让/

叫 /给 小 王

bèi/ràng/jiào/gěi Xiǎo Wáng

verb + complement of degree

打扫 得 很 干净

dǎsǎo de hěn gānjìng

The room has been cleaned up very nicely by Xiao Wang.

sbject

我 的 车

wǒ de

chē

bèi/ràng/jiào/gěi agent

被/让/

叫 /给 小 王

bèi/ràng/jiào/gěi Xiǎo Wáng

verb + action measure

用 了 一会儿

yòng le yíhuòr

My car has been used by Xiao Wang for a little while.

3. 被 bèi can also be used to form a passive sentence without introducing an agent, but 给

gěi 让 jiào and 叫 ràng cannot be used in this way. For example,

sbject

我 的 车

wǒ de chē

bèi

被

bèi

verb + other elements

开

回 家 去 了

kāi

huí jiā qù le

My car has been driven back home.

sbject

电 视

diànshì

bèi

被

bèi

verb + other elements

修

好 了

xiū hǎo le

The TV has been mended.

91Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

sbject

房 间

fángjiān

bèi

被

bèi

2011

verb + other elements

打扫 得 很 干 净

dǎsǎo de hěn gānjìng

The room has been cleaned up very nicely.

sbject

课文

kèwén

bèi

被

bèi

verb + other elements

翻译 成

汉 语了

fānyì chéng Hànyǔ le

The room has been cleaned up very nicely.

4. The above examples also indicate that aspect le is used when expressing the idea of an

action that has happened. 没 méi not can be followed by the co-verb 被 bèi to change the

above examples into the negative form in order to deny that the action has taken place. For

example, if someone says that:

sbject

电 视

diànshì

bèi

被

bèi

agent

小 王

Xiǎo Wáng

verb + resultative complement

修

好 了

xiū

hǎo le

The TV has been mended by Xiao Wang.

You can deny that the action has taken place by saying:

sbject

电视

diànshì

méi bèi

没 被

méi bèi

agent

小王

Xiǎo Wáng

verb + resultative complement

修

好

xiū hǎo

The TV hasn’t been mended by Xiao Wang.

If someone says that:

sbject

房间

fángjiān

bèi

被

bèi

verb + complement of degree

打扫 得 很 干 净

dǎsǎo de hěn gānjìng

The room has been cleaned up very nicely.

92Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

2011

You can deny that the outcome of the action by saying:

sbject bèi verb + complement of degree (bu)

房间

fángjiān 被

bèi 打 扫 得 不很 干 净

dǎsǎo de buhěn gānjìng

The room has been cleaned up very nicely.

5. Adverbs that are used to describe actions are placed before the verb in a 被 bèi

construction, unlike adverbs that are used in the 把 bǎ construction, which are followed by

the co-verb 把 bǎ. Let‟s see look at some examples.

sbject bèi

课文

被

kèwén bèi

agent

小

王

Xiǎo

Wáng

adverbial phrase + de verb + other elements

清 清 楚 楚

地 念

了一遍

Qīngqīngchǔchǔ de niàn le yíbiàn

The text has been read out very clearly by Xiao Wang.

If we use this information to form a 把 bǎ sentence it would become:

sbject

小王

Xiǎo Wáng

adverbial phrase + de

清 清 楚 楚 地

qīngqīngchǔchǔ de

bǎ

把

bǎ

object

课文

kèwén

verb + other elements

念

了一遍

niàn le yíbiàn

Xiao Wang has read the text out loud very clearly.

Notional passive (without 被, 让, 叫 and 给)

6. A notional passive sentence is formed without the co-verbs 被 bèi 让 ràng 叫 jiào and 给

gěi. Let‟s use the examples that we have used in the previous section to form some notional

passive sentences.

93Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

sbject

我 的 车

wǒ de chē

2011

verb + other elements

开

回 家 去了

kāi

huí jiā qù le

My car has been driven back home.

sbject

电 视

diànshì

verb + other elements

修

好了

xiū hǎo le

The TV has been mended.

sbject

房间

fángjiān

verb + other elements

打 扫 得 很 干 净

dǎsǎo de hěn gānjìng

The room has been cleaned up very nicely.

As the subjects in the above examples cannot carry out actions themselves, then we assume

that the actions must have been undertaken by someone else. In fact this sentence pattern is

very useful for describing how an object has been dealt with. For example:

sbject

书

shū

verb + other elements

放 在 桌 子 上

了

fàng zài zhuōzi shàng le

The book has been put on the table.

sbject

饭

fàn

verb + other elements

拿 上

楼 去了

ná shàng lóu qù le

The meal has been brought upstairs.

The verb components in the notional passive are very similar to those of the 被 bèi

construction. They are action verbs with other elements, as shown below.

94Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

2011

--resultative complements

--directional complements

--the complement of degree

--action measures

sbject

饭

fàn

verb + resultative complement

作

好 了

zuò

hǎo le

The book has been put on the table.

sbject

饭

fàn

verb + directional complement

拿

上

楼 去 了

ná

shàng lóu qù le

The meal has been brought upstairs.

sbject

房间

fángjiān

verb + complement of degree

打 扫 得 很 干 净

dǎsǎo de hěn gānjìng

The room has been cleaned up very nicely.

sbject

课文

kèwén

verb + action measure

念 了 两 遍

niàn le liǎng biàn

The text has been read twice.

没 méi not can be used to deny that the above actions have taken place, but 不 bu is used

with the complement of degree.

95Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

sbject

饭

fàn

2011

méi verb + resultative complement

没 作

好

méi zuò

hǎo

The meal hasn’t been prepared.

sbject

饭

fàn

méi verb + directional complement

没 拿 上

楼 去

méi ná shàng lóu qù

The meal hasn’t been brought upstairs.

sbject

房 间

fángjiān

verb + complement of degree (bu)

打扫 得 不 很 干 净

dǎsǎo de bu hěn gānjìng

The room hasn’t been cleaned up very nicely.

sbject

课文

kèwén

méi verb + action measure

没 念 两 遍

méi niàn liǎng biàn

The text hasn’t been read twice. (It implies that the text may only have been read once, or

possibly three times.)

Conjunctions

I will introduce ten of the most commonly used Chinese conjunctions in this section.

Chinese

要是... 就...

...要不...

只要...就...

只有...才...

因为...所以...

不但...而且...

虽然...但是...

Pinyin

yàoshì...jiù...

...yàobú...

zhǐyào... jiù...

zhǐyǒu... cái...

yīnwèi... suǒyǐ...

búdàn... érqiě...

suīrán... dànshì...

English

if...then...

otherwise

as long as...; provided that...

only...; only when...

because ...therefore...

not only...but also...

although......

96Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

除了...以外...

越...越... chúle... yǐwài,...

yuè... yuè...

一...就... yī... jiù...

2011

apart from...

the more/less... the more/less it

becomes

as soon as ... then...

Sentence patterns 1 - 4 above are conditional constructions.

1. 要是 yàoshì... 就 jiù... if...then... A condition is placed after 要是 yàoshì and is

followed by the 就 jiù clause which indicates the consequence of the condition. The adverb

就 jiù must be placed before verbs or stative verbs. For example, a parent might say to a child:

要 是 你 学 好

汉 语, 我 就 给 你 很 多 钱。

yàoshì nǐ xué hǎo Hànyǔ, wǒ jiù gěi nǐ hěn duō qián

If you learn Chinese well, I’ll give you a lot of money.

2. ...要不 yàobú...otherwise. The clause that precedes 要不 yàobú indicates a required

condition and an undesirable result is placed after 要不 yàobú otherwise. For example, a

strict parent might say to a child:

你 应该

学

好

汉语, 要 不 我 不 给 你 钱。

nǐ yīnggāi xué hǎo Hànyǔ, yàobu wǒ bù gěi nǐ qián

You should learn Chinese well, otherwise I won’t give you any money.

3. 只要 zhǐyào...就 jiù... as long as...; provided that...The 只要 zhǐyào clause is used to

introduce a condition that can be easily achieved, or is a minimum requirement, and the 就

jiù clause introduces the outcome of the condition. The adverb 就 jiù must be placed before

verbs or stative verbs. For example, a lenient parent might say to his or her child:

只要 你 学 汉 语, 我 就 给 你 很 多

钱。

zhǐyào nǐ xué Hànyǔ, wǒ jiù gěi nǐ hěn duō qián

As long as you learn Chinese, I’ll give you a lot of money.

97Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

2011

4. 只有 zhǐyǒu...才 cái...only...The 只有 zhǐyǒu clause is used to introduce a

condition that is hard to achieve, and the 才 cái clause introduces the outcome of the

condition. The adverb 才 cái must be placed before verbs or stative verbs. For

example, if a parent desperately wants his or her child to learn Chinese well he or she

might say:

5.

只有

你 把 汉语 学 好, 我 才 给 你 钱。

zhǐyǒu nǐ bǎ Hànyǔ xué hǎo, wǒ cái gěi nǐ qián

Only when you have learned Chinese well will I give you money.

5. 因为 yīnwèi...所以 suǒyǐ... because...therefore... A friend might want to know why a

parent has given a lot of money to her child. The parent might say:

因 为 他 学 好 了 汉 语, 所 以 我 给 他 很 多

钱。

yīnwèi tā xué hǎo le Hànyǔ, suǒyǐ wǒ gěi tā hěn duō qián

As he has learned Chinese well, I’ve given him a lot of money.

6. 不但 búdàn...而且 érqiě... not only...but also... 不但 búdàn and 而且 érqiě can be

placed before the subject or the verb of their clauses: this depends on the emphasis required.

If the emphasis is on the subject then they should be placed before the subject; if the emphasis

is on the action then they should be placed before the verb. After completing his Chinese

degree, the student has got his reward from his parent. He might say:

我 不但

学 会 了汉 语, 而且 拿 到 了 很 多 钱。

wǒ búdàn xué huì le Hànyǔ, érqiě nádào le hěnduō qián

I’ve not only learned Chinese, but have also got a lot of money.

The following example shows 不但 búdàn and 而且 érqiě are used for emphasizing the

subjects. As the material reward scheme is very successful, the parent's youngest son wants to

98Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

2011

learn Chinese as well.

不 但 大儿子 学 了 汉 语,而 且 小

儿子也 要 学

汉 语。

búdàn dà érzi xué le Hànyŭ érqiě xiăo érzi yě yào xué Hànyŭ

Not only the oldest son studied Chinese, but also the youngest son would like to learn Chinese

as well.

7. 虽然 suīrán...但是 dànshì...Although..., ... The 虽然 suīrán although clause should

precede 但是 dànshì clause. Unlike the English „although‟ construction, the second clause

should always start with 但是 dànshì or 可是 kěshì but... For example, if the parent breaks

her promise and doesn‟t give money to the student, the student might say:

我 虽然 学 好 了

汉 语, 但 是 没 拿 到 钱。

wǒ suīrán xué hǎo le Hànyǔ, dànshì méi nádào qián

Although I’ve learned Chinese well, I haven’t got the money (that was promised).

8. 一 yī...就 jiù...as soon as ... then...This construction is used to express the idea of a

second action immediately following the first action. Both 一 yī and 就 jiù should be

followed by verbs. The aspect 了 le is not used in the 一 yī clause. For example:

他一 学 完

tā yì xué wán

汉 语 他 爸爸 就 给 了 他 很 多

钱。

Hànyǔ , tā bàba jiù gěi le tā hěn duō qián

As soon as he completed the Chinese course, his father gave him a lot of money.

9. 越 yuè...越 yuè... the more... the more. The conditional clause following the first 越

yuè shows the extent of the feeling, state or action; the second 越 yuè clause shows the

result. 越 yuè should always be placed before a verb, stative verb or adverb. However, 越

yuè precedes the result of an action with a complement of degree. For example:

99Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

汉 语 越

2011

学 越 容 易。

Hànyǔ yuè xué yuè róngyi

The more one studies Chinese, the easier it becomes.

我 学 得 越

多

拿 到 的 钱 越 多。

wǒ xué de yuè duō ná dào de qián yuè duo

The more I learn the more money I get .

我 拿 到 的 钱 越

多

越 想

学。

wǒ ná dào de qián yuè duo yuè xiǎng xué

The more money I get, the more I want to learn.

10. 除了 chúle...以外 yǐwài, ... Apart from...The 除了 chúle...以外 yǐwài clause can be

followed by clauses with the following adverbs.: 还 hái in addition, 又 yòu again; in

addition, 也 yě also, 都 dōu all. For example:

除 了 汉 语 以 外,我 还 学 了 日语。

chúle Hànyǔ yǐ wài,

wǒ hái xué le Rì yǔ

Apart from Chinese, I’ve learned Japanese.

除 了 学 生

以 外,老 师 也 在 这儿 喝酒。

chúle xuésheng yǐ wài, lǎoshi yě lài zhèr hē jiǔ

Apart from students, teachers also come here to drink.

除 了 丁

云

以 外,大家 都 来 上

课 了。

chúle Dīng Yún yǐ wài, dàjiā dōu lái shàng kè le

Everyone came to the lesson apart from Ding Yun.

100Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

2011

除 了 他 给 我 的 那 杯 酒 以 外,我 又 喝了 一杯。

chúle tā gěi wǒ de nà bēi jiǔ yǐ wài, wǒ yòu hē le yì bēi

I had another glass of wine, as well as the one that he gave me.

The 是 shi ... 的 de construction

We have learned that the 是...的 shì... de construction is used to emphasis stative verbs, for

example, 这条裙子是新的 zhè tiáo qúnzi shì xīn de this skirt is new. In this session I

would like to introduce the other two usages of the 是...的 shì ... de construction.

1. 是...的 shì... de is used for emphasis in the past of time when and the way something is

done. For example, when you want to tell someone that it was last May that you went to

China by train, the 是...的 shì... de construction should be used as demonstrated below.

我 是 去 年 五 月 坐 火 车 去 中

国

的。

wǒ shì qùnián wǔyuè zuò huǒchē qù Zhōngguó de

As you may have noticed, 是 shì and 的 de are used like a “frame” that includes the time, the

method, the action and the place. If the object of a sentence has no description or has no any

other subordination, like the one above, 的 de can be placed after the verb to emphasize the

place. In other words, the sentence above could look like this

我 是 去 年

五 月

坐 火 车

去 的 中

国。

wǒ shì qùnián wǔyuè zuò huǒchē qù de Zhōngguó

2. 是...的 shì... de can also be used to emphasise the agent of a sentence. For instance:

这 件 事 是 我 作 的。

zhè jiàn shì shì wǒ zuò de

It was me who did this.

101Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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这 本 书 是 鲁 迅 写 的。

zhèběn shū shì Lǔxùn xiě de

It was Luxun who wrote that book. / That book was written by Luxun.

When translating a passive English sentence into Chinese, it is important to identify the

emphasis of the sentence first. If the emphasis is on the agent, then the 是...的 shì... de

construction should be applied. On the other hand, if the emphasis is on the outcome of an

action, but not on the agent, then the 被 bèi construction or notional passive construction

should be applied. For example

桌

子 上

的 菜 是 我 吃 的。

zhuōzi shàng de cài shì wǒ chī de.

It was me who ate the food on the table.

桌

子 上

的 菜 (被 我) 吃 完 了。

zhuōzi shàng de cài (bèi wǒ) chī wán le.

The food that was on the table has been eaten (by me).

The uses of question words with 都 dou and 也 ye

These constructions are used for general categorisation. They can describe how a particular

action applies to a general object, as in 我什么东西都吃 wŏ shénme dōngxi dōu chī I eat

anything; 我哪儿都去 wŏ năr dōu qù I go anywhere. They can also describe people in

general doing a particular type of thing, as in 谁都喜欢吃中国菜 shuí dōu xĭhuān chī

Zhōngguó cài everyone likes eating Chinese food.

The question word 什么 shénme what is placed before a noun to imply any or every, and

can refer to the subject or object of a sentence. If 什么 shénme any or every is used as the

object, it should be placed before the adverb 都 dōu both, all, and can be placed before or

102Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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after the subject of a sentence. The adverb 都 dōu is placed before the verb, as illustrated

below.

S.

我

wŏ

什 么 O.

什

么 东

西

shénme dōngxi

都

都

dōu

V.

吃。

chī

I eat anything. Or

什 么 O.

什 么

东

西

shénme dōngxi

都

都

dōu

S.

我

wŏ

V.

吃。

chī

The question words 哪儿 nǎr where and 谁 shuí who can be used in the same way as 什么

shénme what.

S.

我

wŏ

那儿 (O.)

哪儿

nǎr 都

都

dōu V.

去。

qù

S. 都

都

dōu V.

I go anywhere. Or:

那儿 (O.)

哪儿

nǎr

我

wŏ

去。

qù

I go anywhere.

If the any or every word is the subject of a sentence, the resulting sentence patterns will be as

follows.

谁(S)

谁

shuí

都

都

dōu

V. O.

喜欢

吃

xĭhuān chī 中

国

菜

Zhōngguó cài

Everyone likes eating Chinese food. Or:

103Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

什 么 S.

什么 人

shénme rén

都

都

dōu

V.

喜欢 吃

xihuan chī

2011

O.

中

国

菜

Zhōngguó cài

Everyone likes eating Chinese food.

The adverb 也 yě often precedes the negation 不 bù or 没 méi as demonstrated below.

S.

我

wŏ

哪 儿(O.)

哪 儿

năr

也

也

yĕ 不 /没 V.

不

去。

bú

qù

也

也

yĕ 不 /没 V.

没

去。

méi qù

I don’t go anywhere (nowadays).

S.

我

wŏ

什 么 O.

什 么 地方

shénme dìfang

I didn’t go anywhere.

The adverb 也 yě is usually used in negative sentences as above, while the adverb 都 dōu can

be used in both affirmative and negative sentences, such as:

S.

我

wŏ

哪 儿(O.)

哪 儿

năr

也 / 都

也 /都

yĕ/dōu 不 /没 V.

不

去。

bú

qù

也 / 都

也 /都

yĕ/dōu 不 /没 V.

不

去。

bú

qù

I don’t go anywhere (nowadays). Or:

S.

我

wŏ

什 么 O.

什 么 地方

shénme dìfang

I don’t go anywhere (nowadays).

The 连 lian... 也 ye construction

This is one of the constructions used to emphasize a noun, a noun clause or a v-o pattern. The

emphasized element can be the subject or the object of a sentence and is placed after 连 lián

104Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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even.

The adverb 都 dōu or 也 yě is placed before the main verb of the sentence. The difference

between 都 dōu and 也 yě is that 都 dōu can be used in both the affirmative and negative,

while 也 yě is normally used before negatives or before verbs which have a negative sense.

The 连 lián clause refers to the object of the sentence in the following examples.

S.

他

tā

连 O.

连

觉

lián jiào

都/ 也 V.

也 忘 了 睡

yě wàng le shuì

He has even forgotten to go to sleep. Or

S.

他

tā 连 V-O.

连

睡 觉

lián shuìjiào 都/ 也 V.

也 忘 了

yě wàng le

S.

我

wǒ 连

O.

连

他的 名 字

lián tā de míngzi 都/ 也 V.

也 忘 了

yě wàng le

I’ve even forgotten his name.

The 连 lián clause refers to the subject of the sentence in the following example.

连 S.

都/也

V.

O.

连 好学生 也 不去 上

课.

lián hăo xuéshēng yě búqù shàngkè

Even the good students don't go to class.

Although the sentences above are in the affirmative form, the adverb 也 yě is used to imply

that forgetting to sleep, forgetting someone‟s name, and not going to class, are all undesirable

actions. Of course, the adverb 都 dōu can also be used in the above sentences.

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When placed after the particle 得 de, the 连 lián construction can be used to describe the

outcome of an action, in a complement of degree construction, as follows.

S

我 们

wǒmen

SV 得

忙

得

máng de

Outcome of the SV (连...

也...)

连 饭 也 忘 了 吃

lián fàn yě wangle chī

We are so busy that we’ve even forgotten to eat.

The phrase 连饭也忘了吃 lián fàn yě wangle chī even forget to eat, here placed after the

particle 得 de, describes the results of the state described before 得 de.

1

Exercises

Translate the sentences into Chinese. (4, stative verb)

1. I am very busy.

2. You are very busy too.

3. His brothers are all very busy.

4. His younger brother is not busy.

5. They are not all busy.

6. I am very well. Are you well?

7. I'm very well too.

8. We are all very well.

Translate the following sentences into English and put into graphic analysis

form (diagrammatic). (8, shi)

1. 你妈妈是大夫吗?

2. 王老师,你吸烟吗?

3. 丁云是外语学院的学生。

4. 学生不都学汉语。

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (8, shi)

1. This is my mother.

2. Wang Da is my friend.

3. My mother is a doctor. Is your mother a doctor too?

4. My mother isn't a doctor, she is a teacher

5. Does your mother smoke?

6. She doesn't smoke.

Translate the sentences into Chinese (9-12 de)

1.

 A. Are you busy?

 B. Not very. I am looking at a map.

107Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

 A. What map?

 B. A map of Chinese.

 A. Is it yours?

 B. No, it's my older brother's

 A. Where is my teacher's map?

 B. Is this your teacher's map?

 A. Whose car is this?

 B. It is Mr Wang's.

 A. Who is Mr Wang?

 B. Mr Wang is my Chinese teacher.

 A. Is Mr Wang Chinese?

 B. No, he is not Chinese. He is a foreigner.

 A. Are you a student?

 B. Yes, I am a student of the Foreign Language Institute.

 A. What do you study?

 B. I study Chinese.

 A. Is that so? We welcome English friends.

 This is my book.

 That is his.

 That map is Wang Ming's.

 Is this book in English?

 Big cars are good, small ones are also good.

 He lives in a large dormitory, she lives in a small one.

 This dictionary is not Ding Yun's, it is the Frenchman's.

2011

2.

3

4

108Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

 This is the staff dormitory.

 This is the English students' dormitory.

 Have you got a piece of paper? Yes, I have a small one.

 I don't have any Chinese books.

2011

Translate the sentences into Chinese. (15, de)

1. Very good paper

2. A polite doctor

3. Very large cars

4. Very small maps

5. A book for my brother

6. Pictures for the children

7. A map for the students

8. Tea drinkers

9. Letter writers

10. Readers

11. Those learning Chinese

12. The recommender

13. Book buyers

14. The characters that students know

15. The book that my teacher wrote

16. The letter that she is reading

17. A magazine that my mother bought

18. This is a book that I bought for my brother.

19. I know the Chinese characters that are in this book.

20. I am using the dictionary that has Chinese characters.

21. I have the book that my teacher recommended.

22. They are all looking at the dictionary that I bought.

23. This is a person whom we all know.

24. Please have a look at this character that I have written.

25. We are all non-smokers in this student hostel.

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Translate the following sentences into Chinese (9, surnames)

1. What is your name?

2. My name is Gubo, and you?

3. My surname is Ding, I am called Ding Yun. What is your girlfriend's name.

4. She is called Palanka.

5. What is your Chinese teacher's surname?

6. His surname is Wang, he is called Wang Boyun.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (2, ma)

1. Are you busy?

2. Is your older brother well?

3. Are you all very well?

4. Are you my friend?

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (2, ne)

1.

2.

3.

4.

I am very well, and you?

My mother is very busy and yours?

Where is my friend?

Where is my mother?

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (2, short answers)

1. Are you busy?

2. Yes.

3. Is this your friend?

4. No.

5. Are you well?

6. Yes.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (8, verb-object)

1. Do you smoke?

2. I don't smoke.

3. Many Chinese people smoke.

110Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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4. Please have some tea?

5. What kind of tea tea do you have, Chinese or English?

6. Chinese. Is it OK?

7. I go to sleep at 12 everyday.

8. I don't sleep. I don't eat.

9. Everyone eats and sleeps.

What would say in the following situations? Please write the sentences down

on a piece of paper (8, greeting)

1. When you see your teachers in the morning.

2. When people give you presents.

3. When friends visit your home.

4. When you meet a friend in the evening.

5. When you see a friend in the afternoon.

6. When you see a friend at lunchtime.

7. When you see your colleagues and teachers before leaving the institute.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (9, svo)

1. I drink Chinese tea.

2. British people drink coffee and English tea.

3. I study Chinese.

4. I know Mr Ding.

5. His surname is Wang.

6. Mr Ding smokes Chinese cigarettes.

7. We all drink French wine. French wine is nice to drink.

Translate the following numbers into Chinese (10, 11 numbers)

46, 58, 87, 93, 11, 22, 65, 74

152, 478, 101, 1243, 1048, 1834695, 50002

Write receipts for:

78 RMB, 58 RMB, 69 RMB, 12 RMB.

111Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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Translate the following sentences into Chinese (11, v+一下)

1. Let me introduce you.

2. Could I please use your book for a while?

3. OK but I need it for my lesson this afternoon.

4. Could you please have a look at this?

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (10, 15 duoshao and ji)

1. How many friends do you have?

2. I have thirty friends. And you?

3. I don't have friends.

4. How many teachers do you have?

5. I have ten Chinese teachers.

6. How many good teachers do you have?

7. My teachers are all very good

Translate the sentences into Chinese (13, use of dou; position of indirect

objects)

1. Is this your magazine?

2. Do you know Mr Wang of the foreign Languages Institute?

3. Are they all busy?

4. Not all of them.

5. Students of Chinese do not all speak Chinese.

6. Are you returning the Chinese dictionary to me?

7. English students all drink very good tea.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (13, question words).

1. What is this? What is that?

2. What nationality is he?

3. He is Chinese.

4. Who is she?

5. I don't know her. Do you?

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6. Where is my book?

7. Your books are in my place.

8. Who is using my dictionary?

9. Could I use your dictionary for a little while?

10. Please give me some tea.

11. What kind of tea do you want, Chinese or English?

Parse the following sentences which must me translated into English (13,

choice type questions)

1. 她现在去留学生宿舍喝茶。

2. 你哥哥看不看中国画报?

3. 你认识我们的汉语老师吗?

4. 我来介绍一下,这是我的汉语老师,王先生,这是我朋友丁云。

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (11, 15).

1. Do come in.

2. Do take a seat.

3. Would you like some beer?

4. Excuse me, may I smoke?

5. Please ask your Chinese friend to visit our dormitory.

6. May I invite you for tea?

7. My teacher has asked me to use her car.

8. Could you please tell me about China?

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (16, 太 SV 了)

1. I am extremely busy. He is not too busy.

2. Mr Wang is extremely serious.

3. His Chinese is extremely good.

4. Her shirt is extremely white. My shirt is not so white.

5. Our dormitory is extremely new.

113Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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6. Our teacher is extremely nice.

7. Our textbook is extremely old.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (13, choice types)

1. Aren't you a student of Chinese?

2. Yes, I'm.

3. Don't you study Japanese too?

4. No, I don't study Japanese.

5. Don't you know my Chinese friend, Ding Yun?

6. No, I don't know her.

7. Don't you have Chinese books?

8. I don't have Chinese books, but I have a map of China.

9. Aren't you going to the shops?

10. No, I'm going to the bookshops to buy some Chinese books.

11. Aren't you very busy?

12. Yes, I am busy.

13. Don't you drink Chinese tea?

14. No, I don't.

15. Don't you have any Chinese cigarettes?

16. I don't smoke!

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (17, time when)

1. I am going to see a film this evening.

2. We have Chinese grammar lessons at 10 on Monday mornings

3. I'm going to the library after the class. Would you like to go?

4. No, I'm going to have coffee at the canteen this afternoon.

5. When do you have your supper?

6. At 6 in the evening.

7. Should we have a Chinese meal this evening?

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Translate the sentences into Chinese (15, co-verbs and measure words)

1. Are they all coming to the student dormitory to see me? Three of them are.

2. The English students often wrote letters to their Chinese friends.

3. The teacher gave an introduction to five students to the Chinese language.

4. I learn Chinese at the Institute for Chinese.

5. She is returning the book to me

6. Is Ms Wang (teacher) in China? Yes, she is studying there.

7. What are you buying? I am buying books for my mother.

8. The readers in the library were all students from China.

Translate the sentences into Chinese (15, measure words)

1. Pleased give me two magazines.

2. He has six books, magazine and two dictionaries, he has no maps.

3. One of the students lives in the foreign students dormitory.

4. I have three friends, none of them have Chinese dictionaries.

5. How many Chinese do you know? I know two.

6. He is going to the dormitory to see a student.

Translate the sentences into Chinese (15, zher and nar)

1. Who has got the newspaper that I bought for my older brother?

2. I have come from that very polite English student.

Translate the sentences into Chinese (16 Progressive and continuous aspects)

1. She is writing a letter

2. When you find Mr Zhang (the teacher) he is bound to be drinking tea.

3. When mother entered the classroom, the children were all reading.

4. Are the students of Chinese having a class?

5. No they are all drinking beer..

6. What was she wearing at the Peking Opera?

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7. She is drinking coffee as she learns her characters.

8. A lot of people were looking at him.

Write down the following time in Chinese. (20, telling the time)

11:15, 12:06, 6:55, 8:30, 5:42, 7:00, 9:45

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (20 modal verbs)

1. I want to go to China and she wants to go to Japan.

2. I would like to learn Chinese.

3. She should learn Japanese.

4. What language would you like to learn?

5. I fancy some French food.

6. I would like to visit my friend.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (22, position words)

1. There is a Chinese restaurant next to the library.

2. The dormitory is behind the bookshop.

3. The chair is in front of the desk.

4. My college is left to the Chinese department.

5. The garden is behind of the house.

6. The students are inside the classroom.

7. There is dictionary beside you.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (20, age)

1. I'm 20 this year. How old are you?

2. I'm 21. When is your birthday?

3. 30 January, and you?

4. It's my birthday too.

5. How old is your Chinese teacher?

6. I don't know you should ask him.

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Translate the following sentences into Chinese (23, progressive aspects)

1. Where is Ding Yun?

2. She is working in the bookshop at moment.

3. No, she is teaching Gubo Chinese in her dormitory.

4. What are you doing?

5. I am putting on my shirt.

6. I am using the dictionary that you bought me yesterday.

7. What are you looking at?

8. I am looking at the map of China.

9. What are you drinking?

10. I am drinking the Chinese tea that Mr Wang gave me this morning.

11. He is buying a Chinese car for his girlfriend.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (The use of the particle 着 36)

1. The students are sitting in the classroom.

2. There are three books on the table. (Use 放 fàng to put)

3. There is a map of China hanging (挂 guà) in the reading room.

4. We are walking to the library.

5. The library door is open (开 kāi).

6. I'm busy cooking the meal for tonight.

7. Don't smoke while you are reading!

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (Review of interrogatives following 好

吗)

1. Shall we have some tea in the café after the class?

2. Could I please use your car for a little while?

3. Shall we all go (straight) to the cinema from the library?

4. Let‟s all go there (straight) from my place.

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Translate the following sentences into Chinese (the aspect for the completion of actions)

1. Yesterday I went to the shop and bought three Chinese maps.

2. I went to your place yesterday, but (但是) you were not at home.

3. I was at home yesterday afternoon.

4. The grammar teacher who lives next to the library had three Chinese cars last year.

5. I was learning French at the language college four months ago.

6. I haven‟t learned the new characters in lesson fifteen.

7. I ate in restaurants everyday when I was in China last May.

8. I wanted to go to France last month.

9. Did you introduce Gubo to Mr Wang this morning?

10. In the past I often smoked in the classroom when there was no one there.

11. I liked drinking coffee in the morning last year.

12. Yesterday evening I went to the dormitory to see Ding Yun.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (过 expressing experiences of actions in

the past)

1. I‟ve been very busy and I haven‟t eaten today.

2. Ding Yun hasn‟t slept yet.

3. I‟ve been to the Cafe next to the student dormitory.

4. I‟ve been there too.

5. I haven‟t had Chinese tea there. Have you?

6. Yes, I have.

7. Have you ever used Gubo‟s car?

8. No, I haven‟t.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (Modal 了)

1. Xiao Ding was here a minute ago. He isn‟t here now.

2. I don‟t want to stay in this dormitory any more.

3. Gubo has told me that his girlfriend doesn‟t love him any more.

118Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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4. Stop drinking now! We are about to start the lesson.

5. It‟s nearly 5 o‟clock. We are about to finish the lesson.

6. These books are really expensive now!

7. Stop writing now. I‟m about to go to bed.

8. Yesterday I wrote 50 Chinese characters. I am not going to write any more today.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (The adverbs 就 jiù and 才 cái)

1. It took me three hours to find (找到) the dormitory my classmates were staying in.

2. It only took Xiao Ding half an hour to make a table‟s worth of Chinese pastries.

3. It took Ding Yun as long as two hours to swim from the institute to Palanka‟s home.

4. It took me a long time to work out (understand 看懂) the meaning of this sentence.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (The uses of question words with dou

and ye)

1. My classmate is a very good student. She can answer(回答) any questions that her

teacher asks her.

2. I‟ve been looking everywhere, but I can‟t find my books.

3. As I don‟t have my books, I won‟t be able to do any exercises.

4. These are very easy exercises. You don‟t need your books. Anyone can do them.

5. Xiao Li drinks any alcohol, but he doesn‟t eat anything, so his girlfriend is extremely

worried.

6. When I am doing my language work, I don‟t talk to anyone.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (The lián...yě construction)

1. Look, the houses are really cheap to buy here. Even students can afford (买得起)

them.

2. In the last few days we‟ve been very busy. We haven‟t even had time to go to the

cinema.

3. When Ding Yun heard that her mother was ill, she was so worried that she didn‟t sleep

for two days.

119Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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4. I don‟t eat any foreign food. I won‟t even eat the most expensive one.

5. Your friend is really nice to you. Look, she has even washed all your clothes for you.

6. This is a very easy question. Even the worst students can answer it.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (The complement degree construction)

1. Ding Yung speaks English well, but she doesn‟t translate things well.

2. As (因为) my parents are coming to see me on Sunday, I tidied up my room very well

this morning.

3. My classmates always do their assignments (课外作业) very carefully.

4. When Gubo heard that his girlfriend was coming to see him, he was so happy that he

smiled for two days.

5. What is Palanka‟s singing like? Terrible!

6. I didn‟t sleep well last night. Did you? I slept very well.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (The use of the adverbial 地)

1. Please say quickly what you did with Ding Yun yesterday.

2. Yesterday evening Ding Yun very seriously sang two Chinese folk songs for her

classmates, but she sounded awful.

3. She very quickly finished her dinner and went out (出去) immediately.

4. Yesterday he didn't do his language exercises very carefully.

5. Mr Li always works hard. Yesterday, stroke by stroke, he taught me all the Chinese

characters in Lesson 15.

6. One by one Xiao Wang showed me all the books that he bought from the Chinese

bookshop a week ago.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese ( Resultative Verb Complements)

1. You have written that character wrongly. There is a stroke missing (lack of one stroke)

here!

2. This morning Mr Wang didn‟t explain the grammar very clearly.

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3. Yesterday, I went to the bookshop and got the hold of the book that you recommended.

4. I have tidied up the study for my father.

5. Where is my dictionary? Who has taken it away?

6. I didn‟t get to eat the Chinese food that my younger sister had cooked.

7. I read your letter, but I couldn‟t understand it.

8. I‟ve given your letter to Mr Wang.

9. We will reach Lesson 40 by the end of this term.

10. I‟ve taken that cup of tea to Mr Wang‟s classroom.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (The use of 从 and 离)

1. Is it far from here to the University Park?

2. It is a five minute walk from here to the University Park. If (要是) you walk fast, it

only takes two minutes.

3. How long is it from now to the end of the lesson?

4. There are still ten minutes to go before the end of the lesson.

5. If I go there from my house how long will it take?

Translate the following sentences into Chinese ( Directional Verb Complements)

1. Yesterday morning she ran into the classroom and said that we were having the lesson

in the pub.

2. Could you please go upstairs and see if Xiao Wang is there?

3. I won‟t come in as I have other matters to attend to.

4. Stay here tonight. Don‟t go back.

5. Please sit down. Don‟t stand up.

6. Put down that book and put on your shirt!

7. Could you please take this book downstairs to Mr Wang for me?

121Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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Translate the following sentences into Chinese. (Comparatives 比 with stative verbs and

complements of degree)

1. This shirt is much prettier than that one.

2. He knows much more than you.

3. I like reading more than you do.

4. Xiao Wang doesn‟t translate the texts as quickly as Ding Yun does.

5. Ding Yun doesn‟t love Gubo as much as Palanka does.

6. Do you think our teachers are much busier than us?

7. Yesterday evening I didn‟t drink as much beer as you did.

8. We‟ve studied much more than the students at other universities.

9. You‟ve studied much more than the students at other universities, but you don‟t study

as well as they do.

10. My home is much further away from the institute than yours, but I always get here

earlier than you.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese. (Comparatives with 一样)

1. These two books are equally difficult.

2. Xiao Wang doesn‟t walk as fast as I do, but he swims as fast as I do.

3. I like drinking beer as much as you do.

4. This suit is as big as that one, but is much longer.

5. Ding Yun studies as conscientiously as Gubo.

6. Yesterday you ate as much as I did in Palanka‟s birthday party.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese ( The 把 sentence construction)

1. Could you please take the TV upstairs to your room?

2. The friend who lives in the student dormitory has sent me a hat.

122Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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3. I have to finish writing today‟s Chinese language exercises before going to bed. (Try

to use 才.)

4. Please put the tea on the desk or bring it over here.

5. You wrote that character wrong.

6. Can you translate the text into English? (Use 成 to become as a complement.)

7. You must remember the words that we have learned today.

8. Could you please drive the car into the car park?

9. Xiao Wang very carefully (小心地) put the ancient dictionary down on the table and

went out.

10. Xiao Ding borrowed my bike yesterday.

11. We have finished studying Practical Chinese Reader, but we still can't speak Chinese

well.

12. He only spent one hour to finish all the questions yesterday.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese. (Passive with 被, 让, 叫 and 给)

1. The letter that I wrote yesterday has been taken away by Xiao Wang.

2. The poem has been translated into English by the girl who works in the post office.

3. The bunch of plum blossoms that Ding Yun gave me this morning has been given to

Palanka by Gubo.

4. The use of „ba‟ has been very clearly explained by our grammar teacher, but we still

don‟t know how to use it.

5. The classroom door has been closed by my classmate, Xiao Ding and we can‟t get in.

6. My desk has been neatly tidied up by my roommate.

7. All the dictionaries have been taken home by Gubo, so we can‟t study in the library

any more!

123Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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Translate the following sentences into Chinese (Notional passive without 被, 让, 叫 and

给)

1. Your textbook has been brought here and you can read it out loud for me.

2. Today‟s exercises have been done, so I can go to the pub to have a rest.

3. It‟s too late! All the wine has been drunk, so you won‟t get anything to drink.

4. Meal is prepared. Let‟s eat.

5. The room has been tidied up, but the garden hasn‟t been done yet!

6. The stamps and envelopes have been bought, but there is no letter has been written!

7. Any thing that I should say has been said, but he still doesn‟t listen to me.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese ( Conjunctions)

1. If you work hard, you will achieve a better result.

2. If you don‟t help people, people won‟t help you either.

3. You have to write a lot of Chinese characters everyday, otherwise you will forget

them.

4. Don‟t drink any more, otherwise you won‟t be able to attend the class this afternoon.

5. As long as you come to the class everyday, your teacher will like you.

6. As long as tomorrow is a fine day, we will go to the Summer Palace.

7. Only when you finish your language exercises, you can eat your supper.

8. This sentence is too difficult, and only Mr Li can translate it into Chinese.

9. As Beijing is too far away from here, we will have to go there by plane.

10. As I don‟t have much money, I don‟t go to the cinema often.

11. I‟ve not only finished today‟s exercises but also I‟ve learned all the Chinese characters

for this term.

12. Not only I think that he writes badly, but also his girlfriend says that she can‟t

understand his writing.

13. Although it is snowing, everyone has come to the class.

14. Although the teachers don‟t teach well, the students have learned very well.

15. As soon as I said good bye to my girlfriend, she cried.

16. As soon as you have arrived in Beijing, you must write to me. Don‟t forget!

17. The more you eat the more you want to eat.

124Elementary Chinese Grammar 基础汉语语法

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18. The more expensive the things are, the more I want to buy.

19. Apart from me everyone went to the Chinese restaurant last night.

20. Apart from eating Chinese food they also went to the cinema.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese (The 是...的 construction)

1. It was last October that I went to China.

2. It was last winter that I came here to visit a factory.

3. It was my classmate who bought the TV that is in my bedroom.

4. It was Mr Li who cooked meal today.

The 地 Construction

Exercises

Other terminology: adverbial marker, adverbial modifier

Also included: the uses of 一点儿 and 一些; and the differences between 得 and 地.

1. When should I use the 地 construction?

When you want to describe how the action is carried out, 地 can be used. In other words, 地 is used to describe the manner, mood or method of the action.

2. How can I form a 地 sentence?

Modal verbs and negations should be placed before adverbs. An adverb in the 地 construction should always be placed before 地, which will then be followed by the verb.

s. neg. mv. adv. 地v. o.

tā

他

HE

yòng xīn de

用心 地

DILIGENTLY DE

zuò zhe

作 着

ZUO ZHE

liànxí

练习

EXERCISES

He is doing his exercises diligently.

tā

他

HE

bù

不

NOT

hĕnrènzhēn de

很认真 地

VERY SERIOUS DE

xuéxí

学习

STUDY

He doesn't study very seriously. (He studies in a very casual way.)

lăoshī

老师

TEACHER

yīnggāi

应该

SHOULD

rènzhēnde

认真 地

SERIOUS DE

jiăng

讲

TALK

kè

课

LESSON

The teacher should give lectures conscientiously.

Short phrases can also be placed before 地 to describe how actions are carried out:

s.neg. mv. short phrase地co-v / v. o.

xiăo gūniang

小 姑娘

LITTLE GIRL

dàshēngde

大声地

BIG SOUND DE

chàng

唱

SING

gē

歌

SONG

The little girl sings very loudly.

tāmen

他们

THEY

yìbiān zŏu yìbiān xiào de

一边 走 一边 笑地

WHILE WALK WHILE LAUGH DE

shuō

说

SAY

huà

话

SPEECH

They are laughing and walking while they are talking.

xiăo wáng

小 王 XIAOWANG

yí zì yí jù de

一 字 一 句 地

ONE WORD ONE SENTENCE DE

gēn wŏshuō

跟 我 说

TO ME SPEAK

Xiao Wang said to me, word by word...

3. What should I be aware of when I use the 地 construction?

1. A monosyllabic adverb should be duplicated, meaning that 慢 (slow) will become 慢慢(儿)地. The duplicated word should be pronounced in first tone when it is followed by 儿(Beijing accent), with the stress on the duplicated word. If 儿 is not used, the duplicated word should be pronounced in the same way as the original one:

qĭng nĭ

请你

PLEASEYOU

mànman (er) de zŏu

慢 慢 (儿) 地 走

SLOW SLOW(ER) DE WALK

Please walk slowly.

hăo hao(er)de xiĕ

好 好 (儿) 地 写

WELLWELL (ER) DE WRITE

Write it properly.

2. A di-syllablic adverb in the 地 construction can also be duplicated for emphasis according to the following pattern: AB → AABB.

gāogāoxìngxìngde qù

高高兴兴 地去

HAPPY DEGO

xuéxiào

学校.

SCHOOL

(He) goes to school very happily. (He goes to school in a very happy mood.)

4. Do I always have to use 地 if I want to describe how an action is carried out?

No, not always. Some adverbs, such as 多(more), 少(less), 快(quickly), 慢(slowly), 早(early) and 晚(late) can be placed before verbs without using 地. They don't have to be duplicated, and are used mainly for imperatives.

nĭ yīnggāi duō zuò shì shăo shuō huà

你 应该 多 作 事, 少 说 话.

YOU SHOULD MORE DO THINGS LESS SAY SPEECH

You should do more and say less.

kuài zŏu
快走
QUICKLY WALK
Quickly, go!

màn chī
慢吃
SLOW EAT
Eat slowly

zăoqĭ chuáng
早起床
EARLY UP BED
Get up early.

wănshuì jiào
晚睡觉
LATE SLEEP (YOUR) SLEEP
Go to bed late.

nĭ yīnggāi duō shuōhànyŭ

你 应该 多 说 汉语.

YOU SHOULD MORE SPEAK CHINESE

You should speak more Chinese. .

kuài păo nĭ kàn jiùyào xià yǔ le

快 跑, 你 看 就 要 下 雨 了.

QUICKLY RUN, YOU LOOK SOON FALL RAIN LE

Quickly! Run! Look, it's going to rain!

Phrases indicating quantity such as 一点儿 (a little bit) and 一些 (a little bit) can be used in these sentences as follows.

Patterns Examplesin Chinese Meanings in English

多+ verb 一点儿

多吃一点儿

Eat more [on the intention]

v (得)+多一点儿

吃多一点儿

Eat a little bit more [quantity]

少+ verb 一点儿

少作一点儿

Don't cook too much [on the intention]

v (得)+多一点儿

作少一点儿

Cook a little bit less [quantity]

快一点儿+ verb

快一点儿念

Quickly! Read!

v (得)+快一点儿

念快一点儿

Read a little bit faster

慢一点儿+ verb

慢一点儿说

Speak slowly [or: wait before you speak]

v (得)+慢一点儿

说慢一点儿

Say it a little bit more slowly

早一点儿+ verb

早一点儿睡

Go to bed early

v (得)+早一点儿

睡早一点儿

Go to bed a little bit earlier

晚一点儿+ verb

晚一点儿起

Get up late [don't get up early]

v (得)+晚一点儿

起晚一点儿

Get up a little bit later

As you can see from these examples, 一点儿 refers to quantity or results when 多,少,快,慢,早 and 晚 are placed after verbs. When 多,少,快,慢,早 and 晚 are placed before verbs , 一点儿 refers to the manner in which something is done.

míngtiān nĭ zăo diănr lái xuéxiào

明 天 你 早 点儿 来 学校.

TOMORROW YOU EARLY A LITTLE COME SCHOOL

You come to school early tomorrow. (Manner)

5. Is the particle 了 for completed action used in 地 constructions?

Yes, 了 for completed actions is used in 地 constructions.

xiăo lĭ zuótiān rènzhēn de xiĕle sān ge xiăoshíde hànzì

小 李 昨 天认真 地 写 了 三 个 小 时 的 汉 字.

XIAO LI YESTERDAY CONSCIENTIOUS DEWRITE LE THREE GE HOUR DE CHARACTER

Xiao Li conscientiously wrote Chinese characters for three hours yesterday.

6. Can verb complements be used in 地 constructions?

Directional complements and complements such as 到 (directions and attainment), 给 (to [person]), 在(at, in, on) and 走(away) can be used in the 地 construction, but potential complements cannot be used.

tā qiāoqiāo de ná zŏule wŏdeshŏu tíbāo

他 悄悄 地 拿 走 了我的 手 提包

HE QUIET DETAKE AWAY LEMYBRIEFCASE

He very quietly took away my briefcase.

wáng lăoshīsān bù bìng liăngbù de zŏu jìn le jiàoshì lái

王老师 三 步 并 两 步 地 走 进了 教 室 来.

WANG TEACHER THREE STEP INTO TWOSTEP DE WALK IN LE CLASSROOM ( TWARDS )

Mr. Wang came into the classroom half running.

7. How do I use 地 in the 把 and 被 sentences?

The 地 construction should be placed before 把 and after 被 and its agents,

lăo wáng xiăoxīnde bă nà zhāng zhōngguó huà guà zài qiáng shàng le

老 王 小心 地 把 那张 中 国 画 挂 在 墙 上 了.

OLD WANG CAREFUL DE BA THAT ZHANG CHINESE PICTURE HANG ZAI WALL ON LE

Mr. Wang has carefully hung that Chinese picture on the wall.

nà fēng xìn bèi tā zĭxì de kàn le yí biàn

那 封 信 被 他 仔细 地 看 了 一遍.

THAT FENG LETTER BYHIMCAREFULLY DE READ LE ONCE

That letter has been very carefully read by him once through.

8. Are the 地 construction and the 得 constructions interchangeable? For instance A.今天上午他很快地吃完了饭 // B.今天上午他饭吃得很快 Do these two sentences have the same meaning?

Strictly speaking, they are not interchangeable. The main difference between these two constructions is that the adverbs in 地 construction describe the manner, mood or method in which the actions are carried out; but the adverbs in the 得 construction are the degree or result of the actions and sometimes they can refer to the objects of sentences, e.g., 他吃饭吃得很多 the adverb 很多 refers to 饭. The emphasis in the (地) sentence "A" is very much on how he ate the meal. In other words, the stress is on his manner of eating the meal, but the result of that might not be necessarily very fast. The "B", (得) sentence implies that he only took very little time to finish the meal. Let's see another example:

tā zhăng dehĕn gāo

他 长 得 很 高.

HE GROW DE (VERY) TALL

He has grown very tall. (Tall is the result of growing.)

But one can't say

X他 很 高 地 长X

One can't have a manner, mood or method of being “very tall”.

Exercises

You can submit your work online here

Click here for the answers

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. One by one, Mr. Li put all his teacups on the table.

2. He gently opened the door and walked into the bedroom.

3. She slowly opened her eyes and said very quietly....

4. "Come here quickly!" Mr. Wang shouted loudly.

5. He always does his homework in a hurry.

6. These children always eat properly. / Can you eat properly?

7. The shop assistants always serve their customers thoughtfully.

Exercises on 地 and 得.

Fill in the following gaps with 地 and 得.

1. 古波今天早上不高兴,因为昨天晚上睡 不太好.

2. 他整天楼上楼下 跑.累 不得了.

3. 小王迟到了.他不好意思 对老师说:"对不起..."

4. 这个句子他翻译 不太清楚.

5. 我总是累.可能我休息 不够.

6. 她非常客气 对我说:"菜不好.请你们多吃点儿."

7. 帕兰卡的中国民歌唱 不好听.

8. 一本书就五十块.怎么卖 那么贵?

9. 丁老师看见我们来了,就高兴 说:"欢迎,欢迎,请进,请进."

10. 真累!今天晚上我要舒舒服服 睡一觉.

11. 你知道这封信的意思吗?怎么写 那么不清楚啊!

12. 她坐下来,慢慢 跟我说:"小王..."

Answers for the 地 Exercises

李先生一个一个地把茶碗放在桌子上了.

他轻轻地打开门, 走进了卧室.

她慢慢地睁开眼睛, 轻声地说…

‘快来这儿!’王先生大声地喊着.

他总是很块地作练习.

这个孩子总是好好地吃饭. / 你能好好(地)吃饭吗?

营业员总是认真地接待顾客.

Exercises on 地 and 得

古波今天早上不高兴, 因为昨天晚上睡得不太好.

他整天楼上楼下地跑.累得不得了.

小王迟到了. 他不好意思地对老师说: “对不起…”

这个句子他翻译得不太清楚.

我总是累.可能我休息得不够.

他非常客气地对我说: “菜不好. 请你们多吃点儿.”

帕兰卡的中国民歌唱得不好听.

一本书就五十块.怎么卖得那么贵?

丁老师看见我们来了, 就高兴地说: “欢迎, 欢迎, 请进, 请进.”

真累! 今天晚上我要舒舒服服地睡一觉.

你知道这封信的意思吗?怎么写得那么不清楚啊!

她坐下来, 慢慢地跟我说: “小王…”

Answers for Elementary Chinese Revision Exercises

把 Exercises Pages 10-11

Which of the following sentences can be turned into 把 sentences?

2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 can be turned into 把 sentences.

2. 他把今天的练习昨完了.

3. 我把那句很难的句子看懂了.

4. 昨天他把房间整理得真漂亮.

6. 你把生日礼物交 (送) 给他了没有?

7. 小王把那本书买到了没有?

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. 他把那件事告诉小王了.

2. 你把那封信拿过来,让我看一下好吗?

3. 你把我的裤子放在哪儿了? 我哪儿都找不到.

4. 我的学生常常把 “买”写成”卖”, 真不小心.

5. 她小心地把菜分成了两半, (把)一半留到明天吃.

6. 王先生没把 “把字句” 讲清楚.

7. 我朋友把在我房间的电视拿走了.

8. 你那个中国大夫朋友把你前天写的信寄到中国去了.

9. 你没把这些句子写对.

Write Chinese sentences with the following information.

1. 王先生把桌子扔到窗外去了.

2. 他把房间漆成粉红色了.

3. 他女朋友把灯打开了.

4. 他把电话打到她男朋友那儿去了.

5. 小丁把裤子忘在他家里了.

6. 你把书翻到第十一页.

Passive with 被 让 叫 给Exercises Pages 18-19

Fill in the gaps in the following sentences.

1. 我的车被偷走了.

2. 我妈妈昨天作的菜都被我们吃完了.

3. 小王写的那几个汉字都被挂在教室的墙上了.

4. 哪条语法被王老师讲得清清楚楚.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. 你看, 一锅(guō)饭都被吃完了!

2. 房子被整理好了可是花园还跟以前一样糟(zāo).

3. 你的照相机被小王借走了, 不是小李借的. Or 你的照相机是小王借的, 不是小李借的. (See page 21)

4. 桌子上的饭都被他吃完了.我们没有吃到饭.

Translate the following sentences into English. Change the following sentences into 被 sentences, where possible.

1. His novel took three years to write, it has just now been finished.

2. He removed that table into the room.

3. Xiao Li bought four shirts, but all were too small for him to wear.

4. I have finished cooking, let’s eat right away.

5. I called twice, but the call was not put through.

6. Please can you tidy the room? In a little while the guests will be arriving.

7. Can you repair the television for me?

8. She had finished singing two songs, but the audience wanted her to sing another.

1. 他的小说被写了三年, 现在才写好.

2. 那张桌子被他搬进房间里去了.

Make 被sentences with the following information.

1. 苹果都被他一个个地放在桌子上了.

2. 我们都需要的书被老师拿回家去了.

3. 在餐厅最好吃的饭常常被吃完.

4. 那个汉字被小李写错了.

5. 一瓶啤酒都被他喝完了.

6. 花被他女朋友扔到花园里去了.

7. 那本小说被他老师翻译成英文了.

8. 给女朋友的信被他忘在教室里了.

Passive without 被 让 叫 给Exercises Pages 22-23

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. 画挂得太低(dī)了, 看不见.

2. 那封信是丁先生写的.

3. 那辆车只开了两个月:差不多是新车.

4. 我房间的电视拿到楼上去了.

5. 商店的门开着.我们能进去.

6. 这个汉字是很有名的中国艺术家写的.

Can the following sentences be changed into the 被 sentences?

1. –

2. 哪本书被写得太好了

3. 饭被作得太多了.

4. 字被你写得真不清楚.

5. 那课课文才被我们念了一遍.

Comparative Exercises Page 33

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. 小丁比小王大, 可是 小丁比小王长得矮(ăi)小.

2. 张先生没有我跑得快, 可是他跟我走得一样快.

3. 今年的学生比去年的学得好多了, 也比去年的知道得更多.

4. 北京的景山很高, 可是我老家的山更高.

5. 从这儿到钢铁学院比从这儿到火车站远八英里.

6. 第四十四课比第四十五课多十五个生词, 可是第四十五课的语法比第四十四课的难.

7. 昨天他比我早来了八分钟, 可是今天他比我晚来了五分钟.

8. 要是他回答不了这个问题, 我们就更回答不了了!

9. 你的表比我的慢五分钟. 难怪你比我来晚了五分钟.

10. 他比他女朋友更注意身体.

11. 马先生比我的老师更了解中国山水画.

12. 星期日在家里睡觉跟早起床去公园比较起来我喜欢在家里睡觉.

Co-verb Exercises Pages 38-39

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. 我出去, 你去看朋友, (那么)谁给孩子作饭?

2. 别用普通话跟我说.

3. 别总是为我作所有的事. Or 别总是什么事都替(tì)我作.

4. 你常常在家吃午饭吗?

5. 在中国住的人跟华侨很不同.

6. 你在哪个商店买了这些苹果? Or你是在哪个商店买的这些苹果?

7. 我们都喜欢(吃) 从黄河来的鱼.

8. 这儿离故宫有多远?

9. 我家在城外, 离这儿三十公里.

10. 从王先生的家到学校很远.

11. A请问,从这儿到语言学院怎么走? B能坐飞机去那儿.

12. 他从昨天到现在不停地工作.

13. 你记住了从第一课到第四十五课的生词吗? Or 你把从第一课到第四十五课的生词记住了没有?

14. 我从报上看到中国就要实现四个现代化了.

Make sentences in Chinese with the following information.

1. 我跟我同学去了电影院.

2. 我们从图书馆到食堂去.

3. 从现在到下课还有十五分钟.

4. 我用毛笔写汉字.

5. 你用汉语告诉我你的中国旅行.

6. 你会用筷子吃饭吗?

7. 坐车从我家到学院要三个小时.

8. 请你用汉语替(tì)我给小王妈妈写封信.

的 Exercises Page 43

Fill in 的 where it is necessary.

英国人不喜欢喝冷咖啡.

他妈妈的朋友是一位很有名的大夫.

我同学都爱写中国字.

我们老师说的话都对.

这些中文书, 难的是我的; 容易的是你的.

我朋友爸爸的老师是一个大忙人.

你看见大门对面的那张中国画吗?

昨天晚上停在你们学校旁边的那辆车是我哥哥给王老师的.

小王家的那个视机是我爸爸朋友的.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

我爱人的朋友喜欢吃外国饭.

我可以看一下你昨天用我钱买的电视吗?

我老师今天上午让我翻译的句子很难.

昨天晚上我们去了在图书馆西北的中国饭馆儿.在那儿我们吃了一顿好吃的饭.

王先生告诉我你的那本很有意思的书是他的.

您要喝什么?我们这儿冷的, 热的都有.

好的和不好的都是他的.

古波哥哥有两个女儿. 大的三岁,小的只有两岁.

A 这本词典是谁的? B 大的是古波的, 小的是帕兰卡的.

你一共买了多少苹果? 好的和坏的一共十一个.

得 Exercises Page 50

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. 上个星期我们去王先生那儿玩,玩得很不好.

2. 我朋友的老师教法语教得非常好.

3. 路口的商店卖中国葡萄酒卖得很便宜.

4. 昨天晚上她唱歌唱得不好,还没唱完第一首歌大家都离开了.

5. 她听说李先生好些了.她高兴得忘了吃饭.

6. 老张胖得我都认不出他来了.

7. 因为周末他女朋友来看他, 所以每星期五小丁把房间整理得干干净净.

8. 昨天我们出发(得)太晚了所以没看到电影的开始.

Change the following affirmative sentences into negative ones.

2. 我朋友的老师教法语教的不好.

3. 路口的商店卖中国葡萄酒卖得不便宜.

7. …每星期五小丁都不把房间整理得干干净净.

8. 昨天我出发得不太晚.

1. Our teacher always explains grammar extremely clearly.

Last night I slept very soundly.

That girl is so beautiful that all the men want to befriend her.

He has frightened away all his classmates.

我们老师讲语法讲得不清楚.

昨天晚上我睡得不好.

那个姑娘难看得男人都不想跟她作朋友.

他没把他同学都吓得跑走了.

地Exercises Page 57

李先生一个一个地把茶碗放在桌子上了.

他轻轻地打开门, 走进了卧室.

她慢慢地睁开眼睛, 轻声地说…

‘快来这儿!’王先生大声地喊着.

他总是很块地作练习.

这个孩子总是好好地吃饭. / 你能好好(地)吃饭吗?

营业员总是认真地接待顾客.

Exercises on 地 and 得

古波今天早上不高兴, 因为昨天晚上睡得不太好.

他整天楼上楼下地跑.累得不得了.

小王迟到了. 他不好意思地对老师说: “对不起…”

这个句子他翻译得不太清楚.

我总是累.可能我休息得不够.

他非常客气地对我说: “菜不好. 请你们多吃点儿.”

帕兰卡的中国民歌唱得不好听.

一本书就五十块.怎么卖得那么贵?

丁老师看见我们来了, 就高兴地说: “欢迎, 欢迎, 请进, 请进.”

真累! 今天晚上我要舒舒服服地睡一觉.

你知道这封信的意思吗?怎么写得那么不清楚啊!

她坐下来, 慢慢地跟我说: “小王…”

The use of 就 and 才Exercises Page 61

1. 我等了他两个小时他才回来.

2. 今天他来早了, 八点就来了.

3. 那件事很难办, 王先生才能办好.

4. 我们只有三个人; 我想一瓶酒就够了.

5. 新闻就要开始了.我们一会儿看新闻吧?

6. 这个学期就要结束了.假期你想去哪儿?

7. 考试分数一出来,我们就知道最好的学生是谁了.

8. 有最好考试成绩的学生不一定是最好的学生.

Place the following words in the right order.

1. 已经十点了, 太晚了, 我就不去学校了.

2. 我们十个人, 三瓶茅台就够了.

3. 他一说我就哭.

4. 要是你不好好地学习考试就考不好.

了for completed actions Exercises Page 68

昨天我去___大使馆办___签证了.

我已经请___小王看了两次电影, 可是他还是那么不客气___.真气人___!

上星期我去___北京看了朋友___.

去年我常常在___路口的那家书店看___书. 从来没有人管___我___.

前天晚上我在___你那儿吃饭的时候, 我听到___他拉___小提琴拉___得真好听___.

十年前我在___中国住___.

我研究___计算机研究了四年(了).

那本书我已经看了三次了.

昨天小王请我替他从图书馆借一份中国报.

李先生教我唱京剧教了三个月了.

我在这个国家住了一多年了.

这课课文我们学了两遍了, 可是我们老师要我们再学一遍.

她很难过,两天没吃东西了.

他早就应该还那套茶具了.

上个月他说要去中国, 可是这个月他说要去日本. 我真不知道他要去哪儿?

以前作饭的总是我一个人.

去年他常常帮助我学习中文.

我们一下班,就去医院看小张好吗?

The use of 了as a modal particle Exercises Pages 75-76

王先生画中国画儿画得好极了.

学习汉语太难了.最难的是把什么都[1]记住.

她昨天作的饭很好吃,可是他作得太多了.

今天太晚了. 我们明天再作吗?

她昨天买的书不太贵, 可是我今天买的太贵了.

新闻就要开始了. 我们一会儿看新闻吧?

我们快要到北京了.现在你们能看到在远处的长城了.

A:这个学期要快结束了.你假期去哪儿?

B:什么假期?我没有假期.我总是工作.

A:考试的成绩要出来了.我们就会知道谁是最好的学生.

B:考得好, 不一定是最好的学生.

我考完了试,不必再看 “实用汉语课本”了.

已经十点三十分了.我上课要迟到了.

李先生老了,看不清楚了.你能不能帮助他?

我得去飞机场接个朋友. 请你告诉王先生我上不了课了?

我已经告诉他我不喜欢他作的饭.我得再告诉他多少次?

昨天晚上我作了很多语法练习.我今天晚上不作了.

Measure Word Exercises Page 87

三辆车

一所房子 (座)

一对花瓶

几片湖

几个国?

几张表格

三种报纸

一层楼

两本杂志

三扇窗

六张床

两条裤子

三条号码牌

一张便条

一个屋顶

16. 两扇门

17.四个轮子

18. 一把尺子

19. 两盏灯

20. 一个学生

Resultative Complement Exercises Pages 92-94

English-Chinese translation

1. 他把那本小说翻译成了汉语.

2. 李先生把那个汉字写错了.

3. 你想我把这张照片放大.

4. 我去了很多书店, 可是我还没找到那本书.

5. 我把你的电视搬到客厅去了.

6. 现在没有人想买茶具了. 我在商店有十套茶具, 可是不卖掉.

7. 昨天王先生说话快得我连一个字也没听懂.

8. 今天上午我把李先生的问题回答对了.

9. 你看你的衣服, 那么脏, 怎么洗干净呢?

10. 我已经把我的作业交给李先生了.

11. 你把票放好,别丢失了!

12. 你学会动词补语了没有?

13. 你说什么? 我没听见.

14. 请您把您的箱子打开好吗?

15. 请你把句子写清楚好吗?我觉得你写的字很难看懂.

16. 你有什么给我吃的吗?我饿死了!

17. 我把你的书房整理好了. 你想(付)给我多少钱?

18. 别坐在桌子上!

19. 昨天我去食堂太晚了, 所以我没吃着晚饭.

20. 这个学期学的汉字你都记住了吗?

Multiple choices

1. 我今天就能看完这本书.

2. 请您把茶拿过去给老师.

3. 我听了你刚说的话, 可是没听懂.

4. 小王把卖字写成买了

5. 我们已经说了这个问题可是没说清楚.

6. 昨天我们学到第几课?

Fill in the gaps

1. 书店里的书昨天就卖完了，你现在才去买一定买不着.

The books in the bookshop had already been sold out yesterday, if you only go there now you won’t be able to get it.

2. 古波今天收到他妈妈寄给他的信.

Today Gubo received the letter that her mum had sent him.

3. 这本小说你快看完了吗?

Did you read this novel quickly?

4. 你这个字写错了, 这里少了一笔.

The character you have miswritten lacks one stroke here.

5. 你们给我作得太多了, 我一个人怎么吃得完?

You have made far too much for me, how am I alone to eat it all?

6. 那个地方很好找, 你只要记住在图书馆的东边.

That place is easy to find, remember, it is on the east side of the library.

7. 你带的东西不多, 一个人拿得动.

The things you have brought along are not very many, one person can manage (to

carry them).

8. 外边下着大雨, 你出不去.

It has been raining heavily outside and you won’t be able to go out.

9. A: 那两人是谁? B: 哪儿? 我怎么看不见?

A: Who are those two people? B: Where? How come I can’t see them.

10. 今天我带的钱不多, 我应该回家拿点儿来.

Today I did not bring along a lot of money, I should go home and get some more.

11. 去年住在这儿的人搬走了.我们想明天搬进去.

Last year, the people living here moved out/house. We hope next year somebody

will move in.

12. 前面走过来一个人我想跑过去问问他图书馆在哪儿.

There is a person is approaching. I’m running up to him and ask him where the

library was.

13. 你们都坐下来吧.别看见我来了就都站起来了.

All of you sit down. You don’t have to stand up, when you see me coming.

14. 我多买些带回去给我朋友也尝尝.

I’ll buy a lot and bring them back for my friends to have a try.

15. 请你跑到楼上去给我拿一本书 下来.

Could you please go upstairs to fetch me a book?

Directional Complement Exercises Pages 98-99

你可以把这件衬衫拿进去吗?你看, 就要下雨了.

你走过来告诉我你所刚说的话.

我们怎么办呢? 门锁上了. 我们进不去.

我给你拿来一杯茶. 别工作得太努力了.

我们爬上山去吗? 从那儿我们能看见整个城市.

快起床!你看,几点了!

小丁从楼上下来高兴高兴地跟我说: “…”

Place the following nouns in to the sentences below.

我们走出学院去.

丁云跑下楼来.

我们上山去.

他们回学院了.

老师把书拿进教室来.

他们把钱送回小王的家去.

昨天我给他寄回去一封信.

Potential Verb Complement Exercises Pages 103-104

昨天小王买的书很受欢迎. 你现在才去买, 我不想你一定买不到.

我已经吃了很多了. 我吃不下了.

你的房子多大? 你的房子住睡得下多少人?

那句句子太难? 我翻译不了.

那座山太高了,我们爬不上去. 你爬得上去吗?

桌子上也有很多菜. 你吃得完吗?

门太小. 车我开不进去.

Ask questions

饭你一个人吃得完吗?

您一个人一个小时作得了十个人吃的饭吗?

大多数男人管不了家.

您写的字我看不见.

我明天以前学不完课文.

Choose the right expressions and place them in the correct places of the following sentences.

那个箱子太大, 我一个人拿不上楼来.

那么容易的事情小学生也办得了.

汉字太难,我也太笨,所以我怎么学得了中文呢?

站在外边看京剧,怎么看得见呢? 看得见,可是我看不清楚.

The uses of 什么… 都…, 哪儿 都…, and 谁 都… Exercises Page 107

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. 我哪儿都去找了,就是找不到我的眼镜.

2. 小王又漂亮又热情,所以谁都想跟他作朋友.

3. 我累死了,今天晚上我哪儿也不想去.

4. 我哥哥的同学学习语言比谁都学得快.

5. 今年他什么新衣服都没买.

6. 你说什么都不行,她什么都不听.

7. 小李整天在家学习哪儿都不想去.

Put the following words in the correct order, and translate them into English.

我谁都问了, 可是谁 都不知道上海在哪儿.

哪儿 都 能找到中国饭店.

在我们大学谁都会用电脑.

什么人都爱吃中国饭.

The 正在construction and V+着 Exercises Pages 111-112

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. 食堂的墙上挂着一张图片,上面写着“请你坐着吃饭”.

2. 我忙着准备她的生日就会呢.

3. 他急着要去上课.

4. 她急着要上厕所.

5. 小王笑着说: “我是说着玩的.”

6. 十一点半了,他书房的灯还开着呢.他正忙着准备考试呢.

7. 我正等着他出来呢!

8. 昨天早上我在图书馆看报的时候,看见你的好朋友和她的女朋友一起笑着喊着跑进了图书馆.

9. 他笑着问我: “你知道小王在哪儿吗?”

10. 我告诉他你正上课呢,请他下午来这儿找你.

[1] See pages 150-107

The 把 Construction

Exercises

Please note: it is important that one should learn and practise resultative and directional complements before starting on the 把 construction.

Other terminology: 把 (verb predicate) sentences/ the use of the preposition (or co-verb) 把/ the use of the pre-transitive 把 / 把字句

1. When can I use 把 sentences?

把 can be used when you want to deal with or to dispose of a particular object.

A verb in the 把 construction changes the form, situation or direction of the object. Verbs in 把 constructions are in complex forms. They are usually verbs of method of action plus other elements.

把 can be used when you want to specify that the result of an action affects a particular object, but not the action itself. This is because some resultative complements have ambiguous references and can refer either to the main verb of the sentence or to the object. For instance:

tā hē wán jiŭ le

他 喝 完 酒 了。

HE DRINK FINISH WINE LE

The resultative complement 完 (to complete) can refer either to the object 酒 or

to the verb 喝, so the meaning of that sentence can be either "He has drunk up all the wine," (and there is no wine left) or "He has finished drinking (the wine)," (but there is still plenty of wine left). If you use the 把 construction, the meaning is clearer:

tā

他

HE

bă jiŭ

把 酒

BAWINE

hēwán le

喝 完 了

DRINK FINISH LE

He has drunk up all the wine.

The above example shows that the element 完 (attached to the main verb 喝) refers to the direct object of the sentence, but not to the main verb.

When a sentence has both a direct and an indirect object connected by a verb plus a complement, the 把 construction is used. Let’s compare the following patterns:

Patterns in English

Patterns in Chinese

v. dir.o. indir.o.

把 dir.o. v. c. indir.o.

...to change sth. INTO sth. else

把 sth. 变成 sth. else

...to cut a cake into 4 pieces.

把蛋糕 切成 四块

...to translate English into Chinese

把英文 翻译成 汉语

...to take sth. TO swh.

把 sth. 拿 到 swh. 去/来

...to take the TV to the bedroom

把 电视拿 到 卧室去

...to take sth. TO sb.

把 sth. 拿 给 sb.

...to deliver a book to Mr. Li

把 书 拿 给 李先生

...to put sth. AT/ IN/ ON/...sth. else

把 sth.放 在 sth. else

...to put the paper on the table

把 纸 放 在 桌 上

...to post sth. BACK TO swh.

把 sth. 寄 回 swh. 去

...to send the money back to China

把 钱 寄 回 中国 去

...to take sth. IN TO swh.

把 sth. 拿 进 swh . 来

...to take the book in to the room

把 书 拿 进 房间 来

As you can see， the resultative complements 成 (to become) INTO; 到 (to arrive)

TO [a place]; 给 (to give) TO [a person], 在 (to be) AT, IN, ON, UNDER and the

combined directional complements 回去 /来 (back) BACK TO can all be used in the above 把 sentences.

2. How can I form a sentence with 把?

As you can see from the above examples, the objects which you want to dispose of are placed after 把, and are followed by the clauses which indicate how you want to dispose of them.

3. What are the commonly used attached verb elements in the 把 construction?

The elements which can be attached to the main verbs in 把sentences are: （Place the mouse on the following words to view the examples and click on the words to read the explanations.)

Resultative complements (apart from 见)

Directional complements

得 (complement of degree) constructions

一下 (or 一 verb)

Time/action measures

The particle 着

4. Apart from a subject of a sentence, what other elements can be placed before 把?

The following should be placed before 把:

Modal verbs or auxiliary verbs such as 想, 要, 能, 会, 可以 and 应该

Adverbs such as 常常, 总是, 都, 也and 已经

Negatives. The negative form for 把 sentences is 没有 or 别. 不 can only be used in hypothetical conditional sentences. For example

yàoshi nĭ bù bă jīntiānde hàn zi xué hăo wŏ jiù bu gĕi nī chī fàn

要 是你 不把今天 的 汉 字 学好, 我 就 不 给 你吃 饭。

IF YOU NOTBATODAYDE CHINESE WORDS STUDY WELLI JIU NOT GIVE YOU EAT MEAL

If you don't learn today's Chinese characters, I won't give you a meal.

5. Where should the negation 不 be placed if the 得 (complement of degree) construction is used a 把 sentence?

The negative 不 is normally placed before adverbs in 得 (complement of degree) sentences. For example:

zuótiān tā fángjiān zhĕnglĭde bù hăo

昨天 他 房间 整理 得 不 好。

YESTERDAY HE ROOM TIDY DE NOT GOOD

He didn't tidy the room well yesterday.

If 把 is involved in 得 (complement of degree) sentences, 没 should be placed before 把, instead of putting the negative 不 before the adverb 好:

zuótiān tā méibă fángjiān zhĕnglĭ dehĕn hăo

昨天 他 没 把 房间 整理 得 很 好。

YESTERDAY HE NOT BA ROOM TIDY DE VERY GOOD

This sentence places more emphasis than previous one on the object 房间.

The following words can be placed either before 把 or before main verbs.

Adverbs which are used to describe actions such as 认真地...

Co-verbs (or prepositions) such as 为, 从, 跟...一起...

There are two patterns for the 把 construction, as demonstrated in the following sections.

Pattern one with only one object

s.

m.v/co-v./adv./neg.

把

(complex) o.

v. + resultative compl directional compl.

得 construction一下/一verb action/time measure

着

tā

他

HE

méi

没

NOT

bă

把

BA

(nĭ zuò de) fàn

(你 作 的) 饭

(YOU COOK DE) MEAL

chī wán

吃 完

EAT FINISH

He didn't finish eating the meal (that you had cooked).

tā

她

SHE

xiăoxīn de

小心 地

CAREFUL DE

bă

把

BA

diànshì

电 视

T.V.

bān chū qu le

搬 出 去 了

MOVE OUT (AWAY) LE

She has carefully moved the TV set out (of the room).

tā

她

SHE

yīnggāi

应该

SHOULD

bă

把

BA

fángjiān

房间

ROOM

zhĕnglĭ dehĕn zhĕngqí

整理 得很 整齐

TIDY DE VERY NEAT

She should tidy the room (so that it is) clean.

tā

他

HE

tì wŏ

替 我

FORME

bă

把

BA

zhuōzi

桌 子

TABLE

cā le yíxià

擦 了 一下

WIPE LE YI XIA

He has wiped the table for me.

tā

她

SHE

bă

把

BA

(nà bĕn) shū

(那 本)书

(THAT BEN) BOOK

kànle sān biàn

看 了三 遍

READ LE THREE TIMES

She has read that book three times.

tā

他

HE

yòu

又

AGAIN

bă

把

BA

mén

门

DOOR

kāi zhe le

开 着 了

OPEN ZHE LE

He has left the door open again.

Pattern two with a direct and an indirect object

s.

[As in pattern one]

ba

dir.o.

v. + compl.(1) indir.o. compl.(2)

tā

她

SHE

bă

把

BA

yī fu

衣服

CLOTHES

ná jìn wū qù le

拿 进 屋 去 了。

TAKE INHOUSE(AWAY)LE

She has taken the clothes into the house.

xiăowáng

小 王

XIAOWANG

bă

把

BA

xiăolĭ

小李

XIAOLI

tuī chū fángjiān lái le

推出房 间 来 了。

PUSH OUTROOM (TOWARDS) LE

Xiao Wang pushed Xiao Li out of the room.

tā

他

HE

bă

把

BA

xìn

信

LETTER

jì dào Yīngguóqù le

寄 到 英 国 去 了。

POST TOENGLAND (AWAY) LE

He has posted the letter to England.

nĭ

你

YOU

bié

别

DON'T

bă

把

BA

bĕnzi

本子

NOTEBOOK

fàng zài yĭ zi xià

放 在 椅子 下。

PUT ZAICHAIR UNDER

Don't put the notebook under the chair.

6. Sometimes a 把 sentence contains only a simple main verb and the particle 了. Does that mean that any simple verb + 了 can be used in 把 sentences?

No, it doesn't always work in this way. 了has two functions here:

Its meaning is similar to the resultative complements 完 (to complete) 好 (to be satisfactory) 走 (to be away) and 掉 (to get rid of)

It still plays the role of the particle for completed action. You will often see this usage in colloquial language,

tā băjiŭ hēle

他 把 酒 喝 了。

HE BA WINE DRINK LE

He has finished up the wine.

The full form of the above sentence will be

他把酒喝完了 or 他把酒喝掉了。

7. Is it right that the 把 construction can only be used for real objects, and not for abstract objects?

No, it can be used for both real as well as abstract objects,

Physical object:

tā bă nà bĕn shū kàn wán le

她 把 那 本 书看 完 了。

SHE BA THATBEN BOOKREADFINISH LE

She has finished reading that book.

Abstract object:

nĭ bă zhè jiàn shì bàn yí xià

你 把 这 件事 办 一 下。

YOU BATHIS JIAN MATTER DEAL YIXIA

Could you deal with that matter?
8. What shouldn't be used in 把 sentences?

把 can't be used when you use sensory complements such as 见 or 到: 看见/看到 (to see), 听见/听到 (to hear) and 碰见/碰到 (to bump into). One can't say:

Ｘ 昨天我把小王看见了 Ｘ

Instead one should say:

zuótiān wŏ kànjiàn xiăo wángle

昨天 我 看见 小 王 了。

YESTERDAY I SEE XIAO WANG LE

I saw XiaoWang yesterday.

把 can't be used when you use the complement 到 to imply reaching a level or time (the direct object of the sentence). One can't say:

Ｘ 我们把第三课学到了 Ｘ

Instead one should say:

wŏ men xué dào dì sān kè le

我 们 学 到 第 三 课 了。

WE LEARN TO3RD LESSON LE

We have reached lesson 3.

Please note: 把 can be used if the complement 到 implies "to get hold of..." as in 找到 (to find), 借到 (lit. to get hold of something by borrowing), and 买到 (lit. to get hold of sth. by buying),

wŏ bă nàbĕn shū măi dào le

我 把 那 本 书 买 到 了。

I BA THAT BEN BOOK BUY GET HOLD OF LE

I've bought that book.

The complement 到 can also be used in a 把 construction if the sentence has a direct and indirect object and the indirect object is a place. 来 or 去 should be preceded by the place,

wŏbă xìn sòng dào xiăowáng jiāqù

我 把 信 送 到 小 王 家去。

I BA LETTER DELIVERTO XIAO WANG HOME GO

I shall deliver the letter to Xiao Wang's place.

In sentences where the main verb indicates knowing and hoping e.g., 知道,愿意, and 希望), the 把 construction can't be used. One can't say:

Ｘ小王把那件事知道了一年 Ｘ

Instead one should say:

xiăowáng zhīdào nàjiànshì yì nián le

小 王 知道 那 件 事 一 年了。

XIAO WANG KNOW THAT JIAN MATTER ONE YEAR LE

Xiao Wang has known about that matter for a year.

When you have a potential verb complement such as 吃不完 in a sentence, the 把 construction can't be used. One can't say:

Ｘ 她把饭吃不完 Ｘ

Instead one should say:

tā bù néng băfàn chī wán

她 不 能把 饭 吃 完。

SHE NOT CAN BARICE EAT FINISH

She can't finish the rice.

The verbs which appear on the lists of resultative and directional complements (see tables of Resultative and Directional Complements) can’t be used as the MAIN verbs of sentences in the 把 construction. They refer to either the result or the direction of actions, but not the method of actions. One can't say:

Ｘ你把这个课文懂了没有?Ｘ

Instead one should say:

zhè ge kèwén nĭdŏng le méiyou

这 个 课文 你 懂 了 没有?

THIS GE LESSON YOUUNDERSTANDLE NOT

Do you understand this lesson?

One can't say:

Ｘ她把书回去了Ｘ

Instead one should say:

tā bă shū ná huí qù le

她 把 书 拿 回 去 了。

SHE BA BOOK TAKE BACK (AWAY) LE

She has taken back that book.

A verb which has no other element attached to it can't be used in the 把 construction. (See Pattern One for the list of elements.) One can't say:

Ｘ 你能把作业作吗? Ｘ

Instead one should say:

nĭ néng băzuòyè zuò yíxià ma

你 能 把 作业 作 一下 吗?

YOU CAN BA HOMEWORK DO YIXIA MA

Could you do the homework for a little while?

The particle 过 (for experience in the past) is not used in 把 sentences. One wouldn't normally say:

Ｘ 我把那本书看过一遍 Ｘ

Instead one would say:

wŏbănà bĕnshū kànle yíbiàn

我 把 那 本 书 看 了 一遍。

I BA THAT BEN BOOK READ LE ONCE

I've read through that book once.

9. When can I avoid using 把?

When a sentence has only one object you can avoid the 把 construction by placing the object in front of the subject, but it may sound very stilted. Let’s look at the following examples.

fángjiān qĭng nĭzhĕnglĭ yíxià qĭng nĭ bă fángjiān zhĕnglĭ yíxià

房 间请 你 整 理 一下 。 请 你把 房间 整理 一下。

ROOM PLEASE YOU TIDY YI XIA PLEASE YOU BA ROOM TIDY YIXIA

Please tidy up the room.

Exercises

You can submit your work online here

Click here for answers

Which of the following sentences can be turned into 把 sentences?

你听见他说的话没有?

他作完今天的练习了。

我看懂了那句很难的句子。

昨天他整理房间整理得真漂亮。

我一个人吃不了那么多东西。

你给他生日礼物了没有?

小王买到了那本书没有?

我们学到第几课啊?

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

He told Xiao Wang about that (matter).

Could you bring that letter over here? Let me have a look.

Where did you put my trousers? I can't find them anywhere.

My students often write 买 instead of 卖. They are really careless.

She carefully divided the dish into two halves and left one half for the next day.

Mr. Wang didn't explain the 把 sentences clearly.

My friend has taken away the TV set which was in my room.

Your Chinese doctor friend has sent the letter that you wrote the day before yesterday to China.

You didn't write these sentences correctly.

Write Chinese sentences with the following information.

Mr. Wang, the table, out of the window, throw (扔 rēng).

He, room, pink, to paint (漆 qī).

His girlfriend, light, to switch on.

He, telephone, his boyfriend’s place, to phone.

Xiao Ding, trousers, his house, to forget.

You, book, page 11, to turn.

到. If the complement 到 is used, 来 or 去 should be placed after the

indirect object, ...拿到教室里去. (...Take it to the classroom.)

在. If the complement 在 is used, 里,外,上,下,前 or 后 should be placed after

the indirect object, except where the names of places and 这儿, 那儿, are involved

... bă zì xiĕ zàibĕnzi shàng nĭ bù néng bă zhĭ diū zài zhèr

...把 字 写 在本子上。你 不能 把 纸 丢 在 这儿。

...BA WORD WRITE ZAI NOTEBOOK ON YOU NOT CAN BA PAPER DROP ZAI HERE

...Write the words on the notebook. You can't drop paper here.

Passive with 被 让 叫 给

Exercises

Please note: It is important that one should learn and practise resultative and directional complements and the 把 construction before starting on this section.

Other terminology: passive preposition 被, the 被 construction, 被字句.

1. When should I use 被 sentences?

被 sentences describe how a particular object (abstract or physical) is dealt with or disposed of by somebody or something. The verbs in these constructions take complicated forms. They are verbs of method of action, plus other elements.

2. Which verb forms are used in 被 sentences?

Most of the elements attached to the main verbs in 被 sentences are similar to those used in the 把 construction:

Resultative complements

Directional complements

Complements of degree, the 得 construction

Time/action measure: 一下(or 一 verb); 三个星期; 一次; 一遍

V着 (呢) (continuous action)

The particle 过

3. How can I form 被 sentences?

All modal verbs, such as 想, 要, 能, 可以 and 应该; adverbs such as 常, 都, 就, 还, 已经 and 曾经; and negation such as 不, 没 and 非, should be placed before 被, 让,叫 and 给.

Adverbs, which describe actions, such as the 地 adverbial construction, may appear before 把, but in the 被 construction they should be placed before the main verbs of sentences:

tā xiăoxīn de bă chábēi fàng zài zhuōzi shàng

他 小心 地 把 茶杯 放 在桌子 上

HE CAREFULLY BA CUP PUT ONTABLE TOP

He carefully put the cup on the table.

chábēi bèi tā xiăoxīn de fàng zài zhuōzi shàng le

茶杯 被 他 小心 地 放 在 桌子 上 了

CUP BY HIM CAREFULLY PUT ON TABLE TOPLE

The cup was carefully put on the table by him.

Sentence pattern one

s.

m.v., f.adv., neg.

被
agent
adv. 地

v + rc, dc, 得(complt; of degree), 一下, action/time, measures, 着...呢

shū

书

BOOK

yĭjīng

已经

ALREADY

bèi

被

BY

(tā)

(他)

HIM

jiè zŏu le

借 走 了

BORROW AWAY LE

The book has been borrowed by him.

xiăo wáng

小 王 XIAO WANG

bèi 被

BY

tā bàba

他 爸爸

HIS FATHER

hĕnhĕn de

狠狠 地

VICIOUS DE

dă le yídùn

打 了 一顿

BEATEN LE ONE DUN

Xiao Wang was viciously beaten by his father.

zhàopiān

照 片 PHOTO

néng

能

CAN

bèi / ràng

被 / 让

BY

tā

他

HIM

kàn yíxià ma

看 一下 吗?

LOOK YIXIA MA

Can the photo be seen by him? / Should we let him have a look at the photo?

Sentence pattern two

s.
m.v./f.adv./neg.
被
agent
adv. 地
v. compl.(1) indir.o. compl.(2)

shū

书

BOOK

yĭjīng

已经

ALREADY

bèi

被 BY

tā

他

HIM

ná jìn wū qù le

拿 进 屋 去 了

TAKE IN HOUSE (AWAY) LE

The book has already been taken into the house by him.

píngzi

瓶 子

BOTTLES

bié dōu

别 都

DON'T ALL

bèi

被 BY

tā

他

HIM

yígègè de

一个个 地

ONE BY ONE DE

rēng dào lājīxiāng lĭ qù le

扔 到 垃圾箱 里 去 了

THROW TO DUSTBIN IN(AWAY) LE

Don't let all the bottles be thrown into the bin by him.

zhĭ

纸

PAPER

huì

会

WILL

bèi

被 BY

fēng

风

WIND

yízhāngzhang de

一张 张 地

ONE BYONE DE

guā dào shù shàng qù ma

刮 到 树 上 去 吗

BLOW TO TREE ON (AWAY) MA

Will the paper be blown up into the tree?

xìn

信 LETTER

dōu

都

ALL

bèi

被 BY

tā

他

HIM

wàng zài lăowáng jiā lĭ le

忘 在 老 王 家 里 了

FORGET ATWANG'S HOME IN LE

All the letter has been left at Lao Wang's home by him.

4. Can all 把 sentences be turned into 被 sentences?

No, for the following reasons:

The emphasis in 把sentences is on direct objects, whereas in 被 sentences it is on actions and results of actions.

When you are expressing a command (apart from with 别...了) or asking a favour, 被 sentences cannot usually be used, whereas 把 sentences can be used:

qĭng nĭ bă wăn xĭ yì xĭ

请 你 把 碗 洗 一 洗.

COULD YOU BA BOWL WASH YI WASH

Could you please wash up the bowls?

nĭ bă gōngkè zuòhăo

你 把 功课 作 好!

YOU BA HOMEWORK DO WELL

Complete your homework!

One cannot say

Ｘ碗请被你洗一洗Ｘ Ｘ功课被你作好Ｘ

Although the conditions for forming a被sentence are very similar to the ones for the 把construction, there are however some differences. For instance, the particle 过 cannot be used in the 把 construction but can be used in the 被 construction. Unlike in 把 sentences, sensory resultative complements such as 见 and 到, (e.g., 看见/到, to see, 听见/到, to hear, 碰见/到 to run into) can be used in 被 sentences, but they have a negative sense:

bié bèi tā kànjiànle nĭ shuō de huà bèi tā tīngjiàn le

别 被 他 看 见 了. 你 说的 话 被 他 听见了.

DON'T BEIHIM SEE LE YOU SAY DE SPEECH BEI HIM HEAR LE

Don't let him see. He has heard what you said.(Something which he should not have heard.)

5. Do 被 sentences always have a negative sense?

No, not all 被 sentences have a negative sense,

nĭ de diànshìjī bèi tā xiū hăo le

你的 电视机被 他修 好 了.

YOUR TVSET BEI HIM REPAIR GOOD LE

Your T.V. set has been repaired by him.

The above sentence doesn't have a negative sense.

A 被 sentence would have a negative sense in the following situations:

1. When the sensory complement 见 is used.

2. When the particle 了 is used as a resultative complement which implies (完) completion and (掉, 走) to get rid of something.

6. Can a simple mono-syllabic verb be used in the 被 construction?

Some verbs of method of action can be used, but they are followed by the particle 了 which means完 (completion), 走(away), or 掉(to get rid of....). These sentences can imply that the actions are undesirable,

fàn bèi tā chī le

饭 被 他 吃 了. (吃完了)

RICE BY HIM EAT LE

The meal has been eaten by him.

xiăo wáng ràng rén dă le

小 王 让 人 打 了. (打了一顿)

XIAO WANG BY SB. HIT LE

Xiao Wang has been beaten up by someone.

qián jiào rén tōu le

钱 叫 人 偷 了. (偷走了)

MONEY BY SB. STEAL LE.

The money has been stolen by somebody.

The first sentence means that the meal has been finished by him, so the implied element is (to complete)完. The second sentence means that Xiao Wang has been beaten up by somebody, so the implied element is an action measure 一顿. The third sentence implies (away)走. It means that the money is not with the speaker. So one could also say:

饭给他吃完了 小王让人打了一顿 钱叫人偷走了

Sometimes a simple verb is used in an interrogative without additional elements, e.g.,

zhè jiàn yīfu bèi nĭ chuān ma

这 件 衣服 被 你 穿 吗?

THIS JIANJACKET BY YOU WEAR MA?

Is this jacket going to be worn by YOU?

(This sentence implies that you are not good enough to wear this jacket.)

7. Should the agent always appear after 被?

1. The agent can be omitted if you use 被 and 给,

fàn bèi chī (wán) le xăio wáng gĕi dă le (yídùn)

饭 被 吃 (完) 了. 小 王 给 打 了 (一顿).

RICE BY EAT (FINISH) LE. XIAO WANG BY HIT LE (YIDUN).

The rice has been eaten. Xiao Wang has been beaten up.

2. But the agent cannot be omitted if you use 叫 and 让,

fàn jiào xiăo wángchī (wán) le

饭 叫 小 王吃 (完) 了.

RICE BY XIAOWANG EAT (FINISH) LE

The rice has been eaten by Xiao Wang.

xiăo wángràng tā bàba dă le (yídùn)

小 王 让 他 爸爸 打 了 (一顿).

XIAO WANG BY HIS FATHER BEAT LE (ONE DUN)

Xiao Wang was beaten up by his father.

8. Is there any other difference between 被, 让, 叫 and 给 in passive sentences?

Sometimes the meaning of 给, 让 and 叫 can be ambiguous, because they can be used as main verbs, and 给 can also be used as a co-verb, but 被 is a co-verb and cannot be used as a main verb in sentences,

nà jiàn shì ràng tā bàn hăo le

那 件 事 让 他 办 好 了.

THAT JIAN MATTER BY(LET) HIM DEAL WITH WELL LE

1. That matter has been dealt with by him.

2. Let him deal with that matter.

被 can be followed by a simple verb + 的 to form a 的 clause. In this case 被 is similar to 挨 and 受 which mean to RECEIVE, SUFFER FROM..., but 让, 给 and 叫 are not used in this way.

bèi mà de shì bié gàosù lăoshī

被 骂 的 事 别 告诉 老师.

BEI TOLD OFF DE MATTER DON'T TELL TEACHER

Don't tell the teacher that we were told off.

9. Is it necessary to use 被 or 给 if the agent is not there?

No, it is not necessary.(Also see the notes on passive without 被,让,叫 and 给.) It depends on the relationship between the subject and the verb of a sentence. Let's look at the above two examples. The first one is: 饭 被 吃 (完)了. One can omit 被, and say 饭吃(完)了 without changing the meaning. Because the subject 饭 (rice) cannot 吃 (eat) itself, so the rice must be eaten. But in the second example, 小王被打了, the 被 cannot be omitted, otherwise it could mean 小王 (Xiao Wang) 打了 (has hit) somebody else.

10. When an active sentence is changed into a passive one, is the emphasis of the sentence also changed?

Yes. Let's look at the emphasis on the following three examples.

tā zuò wán fàn le

1. 他 作 完 饭 了.

HE COOK FINISHMEAL LE

He has finished cooking.

[The emphasis is on cooking.]

tā bă fàn zuò wán le

2. 他 把 饭 作 完 了.

HE BA MEAL COOK FINISH LE

He has finished cooking the meal (or rice).

[The emphasis is on (饭) the meal (or the rice).]

fàn bèi tā zuò wán le

3. 饭 被他 作 完 了.

MEAL BEI HIM COOK FINISH LE

The meal has been cooked by him.

[The emphasis is on (他) him, the agent and the result of the action (完).]

Exercises

You can submit your work online here

Click here to view the answers

Fill in the gaps in the following sentences.

我的车___偷___了.

我妈妈昨天作的菜都___我们吃___了.

小李写的那几个汉字都___挂在教室的墙____了.

那条语法____王老师讲___清清楚楚.

Translate the following sentences

Look, the whole pot of rice has been finished!

The house has been tidied up but the garden is as bad as before.

Your camera was borrowed by Xiao Wang, not by Xiao Li.

The whole table of food was eaten by him; we didn't get anything to eat.

Translate the following sentences into English. Change the following sentences into the passive voices, where possible.

他的小说写了三年,现在才写好.

他把那张桌子搬进房间里去了.

小李买了四件衬衫,可是都太小不能穿.

我作好饭了.咱们快吃吧.

我打了两次电话,可是没打通.

请你把房间整理一下.一会儿有客人来.

你能不能给我把电视机修一修?

她唱完了两首歌,听众还要她唱一首.

Make 被sentences with the following information.

Apple, him, one by one, on the table, to put

The book, we all need, teacher, back his home, to take

The most delicious food, in the canteen, very often, to eat

That character, wrong, Xiao Li, to write

The whole bottle of wine, all, himself, finish, to drink

All the flowers, his girlfriend, to the garden, to throw (扔 rēng）

That novel, his teacher, into English, to translate

The letter to his girlfriend, him, in the classroom, to leave behind by mistake

Answers for the Passive with 被 让 叫 给 Exercises

Fill in the gaps in the following sentences.

1. 我的车被偷走了.

2. 我妈妈昨天作的菜都被我们吃完了.

3. 小王写的那几个汉字都被挂在教室的墙上了.

4. 哪条语法被王老师讲得清清楚楚.

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. 你看, 一锅(guō)饭都被吃完了!

2. 房子被整理好了可是花园还跟以前一样糟(zāo).

3. 你的照相机被小王借走了, 不是小李借的. Or 你的照相机是小王借的, 不是小李借的.

4. 桌子上的饭都被他吃完了.我们没有吃到饭.

Translate the following sentences into English. Change the following sentences into 被 sentences, where possible.

1. His novel took three years to write, it has just now been finished.

2. He removed that table into the room.

3. Xiao Li bought four shirts, but all were too small for him to wear.

4. I have finished cooking, let’s eat right away.

5. I called twice, but the call was not put through.

6. Please can you tidy the room? In a little while the guests will be arriving.

7. Can you repair the television for me?

8. She had finished singing two songs, but the audience wanted her to sing another.

1. 他的小说被写了三年, 现在才写好.

2. 那张桌子被他搬进房间里去了.

Make 被sentences with the following information.

1. 苹果都被他一个个地放在桌子上了.

2. 我们都需要的书被老师拿回家去了.

3. 在餐厅最好吃的饭常常被吃完.

4. 那个汉字被小李写错了.

5. 一瓶啤酒都被他喝完了.

6. 花被他女朋友扔到花园里去了.

7. 那本小说被他老师翻译成英文了.

8. 给女朋友的信被他忘在教室里了.

Passive without 被 让 叫 给

Exercises

Other terminology: Passive in English not in Chinese / Notional passive

1. When should I use this construction?

When you want to describe how something is dealt with or disposed of without mentioning the agent (a noun which carries out the action)

fàn chī wán le zìxiĕ cuò le

饭 吃 完 了. 字写 错 了.

MEAL EAT FINISH LE CHARACTER WRITE WRONG LE

The meal has been eaten. The character has been misswritten.

2. Are there any differences between the sentences above and sentences with 被: 饭被吃完了 and 字被写错了?

Yes, there are some differences. The sentences without 被 have less sense of a passive voice than the ones with 被.

饭吃完了and字写错了can be used as the first clause of "verb了,就..." sentences as in 饭吃完了就睡觉. As soon as (he) finishes (his) meal, (he) goes to bed. 字写错了就哭. As soon as (he) makes a mistake in writing characters, (he) cries.

They can also be used in emphatic sentences as in (我们)饭吃完了,可是还没喝酒呢. We have finished the MEAL, but we haven't drunk the wine yet.

3. What do I need to form a sentence like this?

The following elements can be used for this construction:

1. Resultative complements

2. Directional complements

3. Potential complements

4. Complement of degree (the 得 construction)

5. Time measures and action measures

Topics
verb + other elements
type of elements

shū

书

BOOK

xiĕ wán le

写 完 了

WRITE FINISHLE

Resultative complement

The book has been completed.

zhuōzi

桌子

TABLE

bān jìn qù le

搬 进 去 了

MOVE IN (AWAY) LE

Directional complement

The table has been moved in.

kùzi

裤子

TROUSERS

zhăo bu dào le

找 不 到 了

FIND NOT ATTAIN LE

Potential complement

The trousers cannot be found.

zì

字

CHARACTER

xiĕ de zhēn piàoliang

写 得真 漂 亮

WRITE DE REALLY BEAUTIFUL

Complement of degree

The character has been beautifully written.

kè

课

LESSON

shàng le yí ge xiăoshí

上 了一 个 小时

LAST LE ONE GE HOUR

Time measure

The lesson lasted for an hour.

kèwén

课文

TEXT

niàn le yí biàn

念 了 一 遍

READ LE ONE TIME

Action measure

The text was read through once.

4. Are there any other constructions in the passive voice, apart from 被, 让,叫 , 给 sentences and notional passives?

Yes, the 是...的 construction can also be used as passive to describe how something is done by somebody without mentioning the result of the action. In other words a simple verb is used in the是...的 construction. 是 is often followed by 由. In these constructions the agents (the nouns which carry out the actions) should not be omitted,

s. 是 (由) agent v. 的

zhè bĕn shū

这 本 书

THIS BEN BOOK

shi yóu

是 (由)

IS (BY)

lĭ lăoshī

李 老师

LI TEACHER

xiĕ

写

WRITE

de

的

DE

This book was written by Mr. Li.

fàn

饭

MEAL

shi

是

IS

tā

他

HE

zuò

作

COOK

de

的

DE

The meal is cooked by him.

5. What is the difference between 被 sentences and 是...的 sentences?

The differences are that the verbs in 被 sentences need other elements, but those in 是...的 sentences don't, and that the agents in 被 sentences can be omitted, but they cannot be omitted in 是...的sentences.

It is important to identify what kind of passive sentence it is before you start to translate the sentence into Chinese. You should ask yourself the following questions:

1. Is it a passive without the agent? (Notional passive)

2. Does it just tell you that the action is done by somebody? (是...的)

3. Does it tell you the degree of the action and the agent? (被 )

Exercises

You can submit your work online here

Click here to view the answers

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. The picture is hanging too low, and it can't be seen.

2. That letter was written by Mr. Ding.

3. That car has only been driven for two months: it is an almost new car.

4. The TV. in my room has been taken upstairs.

5. The shop door is open. We can all go in.

6. These characters are written by a very famous Chinese artist.

Can the following sentences be changed into the 被 sentences?

1. 这些瓷器都是景德镇出的.

2. 那本书写得太好了.

3. 饭作得太多了.

4. 你的字写得真不清楚.

5. 那课课文我们才念了一遍.

Answers for the Passive without 被 让 叫 给 Exercises

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. 画挂得太低(dī)了, 看不见.

2. 那封信是丁先生写的.

3. 那辆车只开了两个月:差不多是新车.

4. 我房间的电视拿到楼上去了.

5. 商店的门开着.我们能进去.

6. 这个汉字是很有名的中国艺术家写的.

Can the following sentences be changed into the 被 sentences?

1. –

2. 哪本书被写得太好了

3. 饭被作得太多了.

4. 字被你写得真不清楚.

5. 那课课文才被我们念了一遍.

Comparatives 比, 跟/像...一样...﹐比起来....

Exercises

Other terminology: Comparison, preposition 比; 比字句.

1. How many comparative constructions are there?

The following are the most commonly used comparatives.

1. ...比... ...sv. than... Used to compare two objects or two actions, in order to show that one is more or less superior, 他比我高. He is taller than me. 我比你学得好. I study better than you.

2. ...不比... ...not sv. than... Negative form of 比, as in 他不比我高. He isn't taller than me. 他不比我学得好. He doesn’t study better than I do.

3. 有 ...as sv. as...Usually used in comparative questions to compare A (an object or action) against B, 你的书有我(的)多吗? Do you have as many books as I do?

4. 没有... not as sv. as... Negative form of 有, as in 你的书没有我(的)多. You don't have as many book as I do.

5. ...跟...一样... ...as same as...Used to show that two objects or actions are in the same state, as in 中国大学跟英国大学一样好. Chinese universities are as good as English universities.

6. ...跟...不一样.../ ...不像...那么... not the same as... Negative form of 跟...一样..., 今天跟昨天不一样热./今天不像昨天那 么热. Today is not hot like yesterday.

7. ...跟...比起来... Compared with... Used to show one's preference: 英国菜跟法国菜比起来, 我喜欢法国的. I prefer French food to English food.

8. 更or 还 even (more/less). Used to express A is even more .... or less ... than B is. 更and 还 can be used with the 比construction, 他的汉语比中国人的汉语更/还好. His Chinese is even better than Chinese people's. If you use a stative verb in the first clause and place 更 or 还 要 before the stative verb of the second clause, 比 can be omitted. For instance, 中文比 英 文 更/还（要）难. Chinese is even more difficult than English. Or 英文难, 中文更/还（要）难. English is difficult, but Chinese is even more difficult.

9. 最 most/least. Used to express the highest degree of quality or quantity, 在世界上,中国的人口最多. China’s population is the largest in the world.

2. How can I form a 比 sentence, and what should I be aware of?

If you want to compare two objects, the superior noun should be placed before 比. A stative verb should be placed at the end of the sentence:

A
比
B
stative verb

yīngwén

英 文

ENGLISH

bĭ

比

BI

zhōngwén

中 文

CHINESE

nán

难

DIFFICULT

English is more difficult than Chinese.

3. Can the words “very much”, “extremely” and “really” be used in the 比 construction?

很,真,太 and 非常 are not used in 比 sentences. Instead 得多 or 多了 can be placed after a stative verb or an adverb in a 比 sentence to indicate very much more or less...],

A
比
B
stative verb 得多/多了

yīngwén

英 文

ENGLISH

bĭ

比

BI

zhōngwén 中 文

CHINESE

nán deduō

难 得多 / 多了

DIFFICULT VERY MUCH MORE

English is much more difficult than Chinese.

4. How do I form a sentence if I want to describe exactly how much more or less “A” is than “B”?

If you want to specify the amount in the comparison, for instance, if you want to say how much more A is than B, then the number word and the measure word should be placed after the stative verb, as in:

A
比
B
stative verb
number, measure word

zhè bĕn shū

这 本 书

THIS BEN BOOK

bĭ

比

BI

nà bĕnshū

那 本 书

THAT BEN BOOK

duō

多

MORE

sānyè

三 页

THREEPAGES

This books has three pages more than that book.

The following are three patterns when two objects are compared.

A

比

B

Stative verb

Stative verb 得多/多了

Stative verb, number, measure word

5. Can I use 比 to compare feelings and capabilities?

The 比sentences can also be used to compare two people's capabilities or intentions. Modal verbs such as 想, 要, 喜欢 and 会 or verbs which imply thinking and feeling such as 了解, 注意 and 关心 are used in this construction. The word for 多 [more] is not used in this construction, but 更 [even] can be used. It should be placed before a verb or modal verb:

A

比

B

更

mv. v. o

Tā

他

HE

bĭ 比 BI

nĭ

你

YOU

gèng

更

MORE

xĭhuānchī zhōngguó fàn

喜欢 吃 中 国 饭

LIKE EAT CHINESE MEAL

He likes to eat Chinese meals more than you do.

tā

他

HE

bĭ 比 BI

nĭ

你

YOU

gèng

更

MORE

huì shēnghuó

会生 活

ABLE LIVE

He knows how to enjoy life even better than you do.

tā

他

HE

bĭ 比 BI

nĭ

你

YOU

gèng

更

MORE

xiăngjiā

想 家

MISS HOME

I am more homesick than you.

lăo wáng

老 王

OLD WANG

bĭ 比 BI

wŏ

我

I

gèng 更

MORE

liăojiĕ zhōngguó

了 解 中国

UNDERSTAND CHINA

Wang knows even more about China than I.

6. Can I use the 比 construction to compare two actions?

If you want to compare two actions, the complement of degree (得) can be used. 很 (very much) is not used in this construction, but 得多 or 多了(very much) should be placed after adverbs. There are three possible sentence patterns for this construction:

1.

A v o

比

B

v 得 adv. (得多/多了)

tā chī fàn

他 吃 饭

HE EAT MEAL

bĭ

比

BI

wŏ

我

I

chīde duō (de duō)

吃得多 (得 多)

EATDE MORE (VERY MUCH)

He eats (very much) more than I.

2.

A v. o. v. 得

比

B

adv.

tāchī fàn chīde

他吃 饭 吃 得

HE EAT MEAL EAT DE

bĭ

比

BI

wŏ

我

I

duō(de duō)

多 (得 多)

MORE (VERY MUCH)

He eats (very much) more than I.

3.

A

比

B v. o. v. 得

adv.

tā

他

HE

bĭ

比

BI

wŏchī fàn chīde

我吃 饭 吃得

I EAT MEALEATDE

duō (de duō)

多 (得 多)

MORE (VERY MUCH)

He eats (very much) more than I.

7. Can I use the 比 construction to compare the difference in quantity between two actions?

If a number word and a measure word are used when you want to compare the difference in quantities between two actions. In this case the adverbs 多,少,早, or 晚 should be placed before the main verb and 快 or 慢 should be placed after the main verbs:

A
比
B
多
v 了
nw mw o.

tā 他 HE

bĭ 比 BI

wŏ 我

I

duō 多 MORE

xuéle

学了 LEARN LE

sān nián zhōngwén

三 年 中 文

3 YEARS CHINESE

He has learnt 3 years more of Chinese than I have.

A
比
B
v
快 了
nw mw

nĭ

你

YOU

bĭ

比

BI

wŏ

我

I

păo

跑

RUN

kuài le

快了

FAST LE

liăng fēnzhōng

两分钟

TWOMINUTES

You ran two minutes faster than I did.

8. Apart from 比 can any other word be used in comparisons?

有is usually used in questions to compare one object or action against another. The negative form of 有 is 没有, which can be used in a statement. Stative verbs and the complement of degree (得) are used in this construction:

A

neg. 有

B

sv

吗

zhōngwén

中文

CHINESE

yŏu

有

YOU

yīngwén

英文

ENGLISH

nán

难

DIFFICULT

ma

吗

MA

Is Chinese as difficult as English?

Av. o.

neg. 有

B

v. 得 adv.

tāxiĕ hàn zì

他 写 汉 字

HE WRITE CHINESE WORDS

méi yŏu

没 有

MEIYOU

wŏ

我

I

xiĕ de hăo

写 得 好

WRITE DE WELL

He doesn’t write Chinese characters as well as I do.

9. How can I form a sentence with ...跟 ...一 样？

...跟...一样/...像 ...一样 are used to indicate that two objects or actions are in the same state. A stative verb is not necessarily used:

A

跟

B

一样

(sv)

tā shuō zhōngénshuō de

他 说 中文 说 得

HE SPEAKS CHINESE SPEAK DE

gēn 跟 GEN

zhōngguó rén

中国 人

CHINESE PEOPLE

yíyàng

一样

SAME

(liúlì)

(流利)

(FLUENT)

He speaks Chinese as fluently as Chinese people do.

He speaks Chinese like a Chinese person.

The negative forms are ...跟...不一样/不像 ...那么...,

A

跟

B

不一样

xiăo wăng

小 王

XIAO WANG

gēn

跟

GEN

xiăo dīng

小 丁

XIAO DING

bù yíyàng

不 一样

NOT SAME

Xiao Wang is not the same as Xiao Ding.

A

不 像

B

那么 v/sv

xiăo wáng

小 王

XIAO WANG

bú xiàng 不 像 NOT LIKE

xiăo dīng

小 丁

XIAO DING

nàmeài xuéxí

那么爱 学习

SO LOVE STUDY

Xiao Wang doesn’t compare with Xiao Ding in his love of study.

zhōngwén

中文

CHINESE

bú xiàng 不 像 NOT LIKE

rìwén

日 文

JAPANESE

nàme nán

那么 难

SO DIFFICULT

Chinese doesn’t approach Japanese (in degree) of difficulty.

10. How can I say that I prefer A to B?

. ...跟...比起来 is used to show a preference:

A

跟

B

比较起来

s. v. o.

zhōngguó cài

中国 菜 CHINESE FOOD

gēn 跟 GEN

rìbĕn cài 日本 菜 JAPANESE FOOD

bĭjiào qĭlái 比较 起来 COMPARE QILAI

wŏ xĭhuān zhōngguó cài

我 喜欢 中 国 菜

I LIKECHINESE FOOD

I prefer Chinese food to Japanese food.

11. What is the difference between 比 sentences and 有 sentences?

1. 有 sentences imply that in comparing A to B the speaker already acknowledges the nature of B. For instance, 英文有中文难吗? Is English as difficult as Chinese? The speaker already thinks Chinese is difficult. A 比 sentence doesn't have this implication.

2. 有 sentences can only be used to compare one object to another or one action to another, but they can't be used to express the specific degree, as 比 sentences can:

xiăolĭ bĭxiăo dīngdàliăng suì

小李 比小 丁 大两 岁.

XIAOLI BIXIAO DING BIG TWO YEARS

Li is two years older than Ding.

有 cannot be used in the above sentence. One cannot say: Ｘ小李有小丁大两岁.Ｘ

12. Can I use the negation 没 before 比?

The negative form for 比 sentences is normally 不比. That is because the stative verbs and 得 sentences, which are used in 比 sentences do not take 没. However, 没 can be used if the verb of the sentence can take the particle 了 for completed action:

tā bù bĭ wŏ máng tā bù bĭ wŏ zhăng degāo

他 不 比 我 忙. 他 不比 我 长得 高.

HE NOT BI I BUSY. HE NOT BI I GROW DE TALL

He is not busier than I. He is not taller than I.

Neither 忙 busy nor the 得 de construction in the above sentences take the negative aspective 没, so 不 is used:

xiăowáng méi bĭ xiăo zhāng duō chī liăng wăn fàn

小王 没 比 小 张 多 吃 两 碗 饭.

XIAO WANG NOT BI XIAO ZHANG MORE EAT TWO BOWL RICE

Xiao Wang didn't eat two bowls of rice more than Xiao Zhang.

[小王比小张多吃了两碗饭.]

The affirmative form for the above sentence would need the particle 了 for completed action. 没 should be used for its negative form.

13. Are the negative forms of 比 (不比) and 有(没有) the same?

Strictly speaking, they are not the same. In colloquial Chinese they may be occasionally interchangeable:

ta lai de mei you ni zao

他 来 得 没 有 你 早.

HE COME DE NOT YOU YOU EARLY

He did not come as early as you did.

tā bù bĭ nĭ lái de zăo

他 不比你 来 得 早.

HE NOT BI YOU COME DE EARLY

He did not come before you did.

(He might have come at the same time as you did, or later.)

14. What is the difference between 有 sentences and 跟...一样... sentences?

1. Stative verbs, or the 得 construction, must be used in 有 sentences, but they are not necessarily used in ...跟...一样... sentences:

zhè ge zì gēn nà ge zì yíyiàngma

这个字 跟 那 个 字 一样吗?

THIS GE WORD GEN THAT GE WORD SAME MA

Is this character the same as that one?

You cannot say: Ｘ这个字有那个字吗?Ｘ

2. 有 sentences are normally used in questions and suggestions, but ...跟...一样...sentences do not have this restriction.

15. What is the difference between the constructions A 跟 B 一样 and A 像 B 一样?

像 means to be like, and 跟...一样... means the same as.... The word order for both constructions is very similar in the affirmative forms, e.g.,

哥哥跟弟弟一样聪明. / 哥哥像弟弟一样聪明. There is however a difference in the negative forms. The negative 不 should be placed before 一样 in the 跟 construction, but 不 should be placed before 像 in the 像 construction. 那么 or 这么 (so...) should replace 一样 in the 不像construction, but 这么 and 那么 are not used in the 不跟 construction:

gēge bú xiàng dìdi nàme cōngming

哥哥 不 像 弟弟 那么 聪明

OLDER BROTHER NOT LIKE YOUNGER BROTHER SO CLEVER

The older brother is not as clever as his younger brother.

gēge gēn dìdi bù yíyàng cōngming

哥哥 跟 弟弟 不 一样 聪明

OLDER BROTHER AS YOUNGER BROTHER NOT SAME CLEVER

The older brother and the younger brother are not of the same intelligence.

16. Can you demonstrate the different degrees of comparison?

The following sentence patterns show how different degrees of 聪明 and the construction of complement of degree.

gēge gēn dìdi yí yàng cōngming

哥哥跟 弟弟一样 聪明

The older brother is same clever as his younger brother

gēge zuòfàn gēn dìdi zuòde yíyàng hăo

哥哥作饭 跟 弟弟作得一样 好

The older brother cooks food as well as the younger brother

dìdi bĭ gēge gèng cōngming

弟弟比哥哥更 聪明

The younger brother is even cleverer

dìdi zuòfàn bĭ gēge zuòde gènghăo

弟弟作饭 比哥哥作得更好

The younger brother cooks even better food than his older brother

gēge búxiàng dìdi nàme cōngming

哥哥不像弟弟那么聪明

The older brother is not that clever like his brother younger

gēge zuòfàn búxiàng dìdi zuòde nàme hăo

哥哥作 饭 不像弟弟作得 那么 好

The older brother doesn’t cook the food well like the younger brother does

gēge méiyŏu dìdi cōngming

哥哥 没有弟弟 聪明

The older brother is not as clever as his younger brother

gēge zuòfàn méiyŏu dìdi zuòde hăo

哥哥 作饭 没有弟弟作得 好

The older brother doesn’t cook as well as the younger brother does

dìdi bĭ gēge cōngming

弟弟比哥哥 聪明

The younger brother is cleverer than his older brother

dìdi zuò fàn bĭ gēge zuòde hăo

弟弟作饭比哥哥作得 好

The younger brother cooks better food than the older brother

dìdi bĭ gēge cōngming de duō

弟弟比 哥哥聪明 得 多

The younger brother is much cleverer than his older brother

dìdi zuòfàn bĭ gēge zuòde hăodeduo

弟弟作饭 比哥哥作得好 得多

The younger brother cooks much better than his older brother

dìdi zuì cōngming

弟弟最 聪 明

The younger brother is cleverest

dìdi zuòfàn zuòde zuìhăo

弟弟作饭作得最好

The younger brother cooks the food best

Exercises

You can submit your work online here

Click here to view the answers

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. Xiao Ding is older than Xiao Wang, but Xiao Ding is smaller than Xiao Wang.

2. Mr. Zhang doesn't run as fast as I do, but he walks as fast as I do.

3. This year's students study much better than last year's did, and they also know more than last year's did.

4. Jingshan Hill in Beijing is very high, but the hills in my hometown are even higher.

5. From here to the Iron and Steel Engineering Institute is 8 miles further than from here to the railway station.

6. Lesson 44 has 15 more new characters than Lesson 45 has, but Lesson 45's grammar is a little bit more difficult than Lesson 44's.

7. Yesterday he came 8 minutes earlier than I did, but today he came 5 minutes later than I did.

8. If he can't answer that question well, we can only do it worse!

9. Your watch is about 5 minutes slower than mine. No wonder (难怪 nán gài lit. difficult to blame.) you came 5 minutes later than I did.

10. He pays even more attention to his health than his girlfriend does to hers.

11. Mr. Ma knows much more about Chinese landscape painting than my teacher does.

12. On Sundays I prefer sleeping in at home to getting up early and going to the park.

Answers for the Comparative Exercisers

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. 小丁比小王大, 可是 小丁比小王长得矮(ăi)小.

2. 张先生没有我跑得快, 可是他跟我走得一样快.

3. 今年的学生比去年的学得好多了, 也比去年的知道得更多.

4. 北京的景山很高, 可是我老家的山更高.

5. 从这儿到钢铁学院比从这儿到火车站远八英里.

6. 第四十四课比第四十五课多十五个生词, 可是第四十五课的语法比第四十四课的难.

7. 昨天他比我早来了八分钟, 可是今天他比我晚来了五分钟.

8. 要是他回答不了这个问题, 我们就更回答不了了!

9. 你的表比我的慢五分钟. 难怪你比我来晚了五分钟.

10. 他比他女朋友更注意身体.

11. 马先生比我的老师更了解中国山水画.

12. 星期日在家里睡觉跟早起床去公园比较起来我喜欢在家里睡觉.

Directional complements

Exercises

Other terminology: the complement of direction; 趋向补语

1. What are directional complements?

Directional complements are: directional words such as 上(up), 下(down), 进(in), 出(out), 回(back), 过(cross over), and 起(up), [see table].

păo jìn

跑 进

RUN IN

jiàoshì

教室

CLASSROOM

To run into the classroom.

fàng xià

放下

PUT DOWN

nĭdeshū

你的书

YOUR BOOK

To put down your book.

2. What are the functions of 来 and 去 in directional complements?

There are two verbs which can indicate the speaker's positions. One is 来(to come), which describes an action moving towards the place where the speaker is, and the other one is 去(to go), which describes an action moving away from the place where the speaker is, [see table].

tā

他

HE

ná lái

拿 来

TAKE (TOWARDS)

yìbēi chá

一 杯 茶

ABEI TEA

He has brought a cup of tea.

tā

他

HE

jiè qù

借 去

BORROW (AWAY)

yí ge zhàoxiāngjī

一个 照相 机

A GE CAMERA

He has borrowed a camera.(The camera is not with the speaker.)

3. Can a direction word and 来 or 去 be used together?

Directional words + 来 or 去, can form a combined complement which indicates both the direction of the action and the speaker's position.

tā

他

HE

ná jìn lái

拿 进 来

TAKE IN(TOWARDS)

yì bēi chá

一杯 茶

A BEI TEA

He has brought in a cup of tea.

4. Can you show me a list of combined directional complements?

The following table is for combined directional complements.

上

下

进

出

回

上 来

下 来

进 来

出 来

回 来

上 去

下 去

进 去

出 去

回 去

过

起

过 来

起 来

过 去

起 can only be combined with 来.

5. Can I use a combined directional complement as the main verb in a sentence?

The combined directional complements in the above table can be used as the main verbs of sentences.

wŏmen huí qù ba.

我 们回 去 吧.

WE BACK(AWAY) BA(SUGGESTION)

Should we go back?

6. When do I use the full version of directional verb complements in sentences?

Use the full version of directional verb complements when you want to indicate the direction of the action, e.g., up (上), down (下)..., and the speaker's position, e.g. towards the speaker (来), away from the speaker(去).

tā zŏu jìn lái.

他 走 进 来

HE WALK IN (TOWARDS) [The speaker is inside.]

He comes in.

7. Where should I place the directional verb complements in a sentence?

Directional verb complements should be placed after the subjects of sentences as normal verbs are. The negatives 不, 没 and 别 should be placed before the main verbs. neg. v. + compl

nĭ bié zhàn qĭ lái

你 别 站 起 来.

YOU DON'T STAND UP

(You) don't stand up!

8. Where should I place a 了 for completed action when I use a directional complement?

The particle "了" (for completed action) can be placed either after the main verb (method of action), or at the end of the sentence if a sentence has no object.

s. v. (了)complement (了)

tā

他

HE

păo(le)

跑(了)

RUN(LE)

shàngqu(le)

上 去 (了)

UP(AWAY)[LE]

He has run up.

If the particle "了" is placed at the end of the sentence, it can also indicate a change of situation.

If a sentence has an object, 了 should be placed after the directional word, or at the end of the sentence.

s. v+complement (了) o. 去 or 来 (了 )

tā

他

HE

păo shàng le

跑 上 (了)

RUN UP LE

lóu

楼

FLOOR

qù le

去 (了)

(AWAY)LE

He has run upstairs.

9. Can the particle 着 be used with a directional complement?

3. The particle "着 " should only be placed after the main verbs of method, but not verbs of direction,

s. v. 着 complement

tā

他

HE

păo zhe

跑 着

RUN ZHE

shàng qu

上 去

UP(AWAY)

He went up running.

10. Can the particle 过 be used with a directional complement?

过 can only be placed after 来 or 去 .

s. adv. v + complement o. 去 or 来 + 过 (了)

chá

茶

TEA

yĭjīng ná shàng

已 经 拿 上

ALREADY TAKE UP

lóu

楼

STAIRS

qù guò le

去 过 了

(AWAY)GUOLE

The tea has already been taken upstairs.

11. Where should I place the object of a sentence if a directional verb complement is used?

A simple object, such as a noun without a number word and measure word; a noun without a descriptive clause; and in particular an object which is a place word e.g., 家, 学院... should be placed in the middle of a combined complement.

s. v. complemnet simple o. 去 or 来

tā

她

SHE

zŏu jìn

走 进

WALK IN

fángjiān

房 间

ROOM

lái

来

(TOWARDS)

She walked into the room. (The speaker is in the room.)

Normally a complex object such as a noun with a number, measure word or a descriptive clause can be placed after the combined complement 去 or 来 .

s. v. + complex complement o.

tā 她

SHE

ná chū lái le

拿 出 来了

TAKE OUT (TOWARDS) LE

yì zhāng fēicháng piàoliang de huà

一 张 非 常 漂 亮 的 画

A ZHANG VERY BEAUTIFUL DE PICTURE

She took out a very beautiful picture.

12. I have seen some sentences with combined directional complements and complex objects, where 来 or 去 are placed after the complex objects. Can you tell me the reason for this?

If 来 or 去 is placed after a complex object, it usually implies that the sentence is not finished. 来 or 去 sometimes refer to a second clause in a sentences.

s. v.+ complement o. 去 or 来 second action

tā 她

SHE

ná chū

拿 出

TAKE OUT

yìzhāng hĕn piàoling dehuà

一 张 很 漂亮 的 画

A ZHANG VERY PRETTY DE PICTURE

lái 来

(IN ODER)

gĕi dàjiā kàn le yíxià

给 大家 看 了一下

TO EVERYONE LOOK LE YIXIA

She took out a very pretty picture to show everybody.

Exercises

You can submit your work online here

Click here for the answers

1. Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. Could you take those shirts in please? Look, it's going to rain.

2. Could you come over here and tell me what you have just said?

3. What should we do? The door is locked. We can't go in.

4. I've brought you a cup of tea. Don't work too hard. Have a rest.

5. Should we climb up to the top of the hill? From there we can see the whole city.

6. Get up! Look, what time it is!

7. Xiao Ding came down from upstairs and said to me very happily...

2. Place the following nouns into the sentences below.

学院, 山, 教室, 上海, 小王的家, 楼, 一封信.

1. 我们走出____ 去 ____ .

2. 丁云跑下 ____ 来 ____ .

3. 我们上 ____ 去 ____ .

4. 他们回 ____ 了 ____ .

5. 老师把书拿进 ____ 来 ____ .

6. 他们把钱送回 ____ 去 ____ .

7. 昨天我给他寄回 ____ 去 ____ .

Answers for the Directional Complement Exercises

1. Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

你可以把这件衬衫拿进去吗?你看, 就要下雨了.

你走过来告诉我你所刚说的话.

我们怎么办呢? 门关上了. 我们进不去.

我给你拿来了一杯茶. 别工作得太努力了.

我们爬上山去吗? 从那儿我们能看见整个城市.

快起来!你看,几点了!

小丁从楼上下来高 高兴兴地跟我说: “…”

Place the following nouns in to the sentences below.

我们走出学院去.

丁云跑下楼来.

我们上山去.

他们回学院了.

老师把书拿进教室来.

他们把钱送回小王的家去.

昨天我给他寄回去一封信.

The use of 就 and 才

Exercises

1. Where should I place 就 in a sentence?

就 is an adverb, and it should always be placed before a verb or stative verb.

wŏmen xué wán lezhè kè kèwén

我们 学 完 了这 课 课文

WE STUDY FINISH LE THIS KE LESSON

tā jiù néng huí jiā

他就 能 回 家

HE JIU CAN BACK HOME

He can go home as soon as we finish studying this lesson.

wŏ yì shuōhuà

我一 说话

I AS SOON AS SPEAK

tā jiù xiào

他 就 笑

HE JIU LAUGH

As soon as I speak he’ll laugh.

wŏ

我

I

bā diăn jiù lái le

八 点 就 来 了

8 O’ CLOCK JIU COME LE

I came here as early as 8 o’clock.

2. How do I use 就 to imply an action takes place earlier than I have expected?

就 can be placed after a time word to comment on the time which is earlier than you have expected.

tā

他

HE

jiŭ diăn jiù lái le xuéxiào

九点 就 来 了学校

9 O’ CLOCK JIU COME LE SCHOOL

He came to school as early as nine o'clock.

Comparing with 他九点来了学校. He came to school at 9.

3. Can 就 be used to imply anything else apart from “earlier than expected”?

就 can also be used to indicate that a preceded number word is a small number.

liăng ge rén

两 个人

TWO GE PEOPLE

jiù néng bàn hăo

就 能 办 好

JIUCAN DEAL WITH WELL/COMPLETE

......

It only takes two people to complete the job.

This sentence implies that the job is an easy one, and it only takes two people to complete. The speaker thinks two is a small number. 两个人能办好. It takes two people to complete the job. The speaker states a fact. The sentence has neither implicated the easiness nor the size of the number, which the above one has.

4. What are the implications if 才 is used in the above sentences?

The adverb 才 is opposite to 就 in meaning.

tā jiŭ diăn cái lái liăng ge rén cái néng bàn hăo

他九 点 才 来。两 个 人 才能 办 好。

HE 9 O’ CLOCK CAI COME TWO GE PEOPLE CAI COULD DEAL WITH WELL/COMPLETE

He came as late as 9 o’clock.This job would take as many as two people, before it can be finished

As indicated above, 才 normally doesn’t take the particle 了 for completed actions.

5. Can 就 be used for other purposes?

就 can also be used for emphasis.

tā jiù shi wŏde lăoshī
他就是我的 老师
HE JIU IS MY TEACHER
He is my teacher.

jiù măi zhèxiē
就买 这些
JIU BUY THESE
I’ll just buy these.

wŏ jiù bú qù zhōngguó
我就不 去中国
I JIU NOT GO CHINA
I certainly don’t go to China.

就 is used in the following sentence constructions.

The following example shows that 就 is used to indicate that first action is immediately followed by second action.

s. v.1 了 o.1

就 v.2 o.2 (了 )

tā xiàle kè

他下了课

HE FINISHLE LESSON

jiù qù tú shū guăn le 就去 图书馆 了

JIU GOLIBRARY LE

He went to the library after the class.

就 can also be used to indicate that as soon as the first action takes place, the second action will happen. The following pattern indicates that as soon as the action in the 一 clause takes place, then it will be followed by the action which is in the 就 clause. Both 一 and 就 are adverbs, which should be placed before verbs. This pattern is often seen in a four-character expression.

s. 一 v.1(o.1)

就 v.2 (o.2)

tā yì shōu

他一说

HE YI SPEAK

wŏ jiù kū

我 就 哭

I JIU CRY

A soon as he speaks I’ll start crying.

The difference between the above two examples is that the second example can be used for general descriptions, but the first is for a particular situation.

就 can be used in a conditional sentence.

Reasons/conditions

consequences

shū tàijiùle

书太旧 了

BOOK TOO OLDLE

wŏ jiù bă tārēng le

我就把它 扔 了

IJIU BA ITTHROW LE

The book was too old ,so I’ve thrown it away.

yàoshi nĭ bù xiăng qù zhōngguó

要是你 不 想 去 中国

IF YOU NOT WANT GO CHINA

jiù bié xué hànyŭ 就别 学 汉语

JIU DON’T LEARN CHINESE

If you don’t want to go to China, then don’t learn Chinese.

就 is also used in a sentence pattern, which indicates about to ... nearly.... 就要...了 indicates an imminent action. The imminent action is placed between 就要 and 了. Time words can also be placed between 就要 and 了.

就 要

v. o. / time words

了

jiùyào

就要

ABOUT TO

xià kè

下 课

FINISH CLASS

le

了

LE

The class is about to finish.

jiùyào

就要

NEARLY

shí diăn

十 点

10 O’ CLOCK

le

了

LE

It is nearly ten o’ clock.

6. Can 就 and 才 be used in a same sentence?

Yes, it is possible. The following sentence shows that 就 is used for emphasis in the first clause, 才in the second clause indicates the outcome of what has happened in the first clause.

jiùshiyīnweitā bùhăohao xuéxí wŏ cái dă tā de

就 是 因 为 他 不 好 好 学习,我 才 打 他 的 。

JIU BE BECAUSE HE NOT WELL STUDY I CAI HIT HIM DE

I only hit him because he didn’t study hard enough.

Exercises

You can submit your work online here

Click here to view the answers

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. I had waited for him for two hours before he came back.

2. Today he was early. He came at 8 o’clock.

3. That matter is very hard to deal with; only Mr. Wang is clever enough to do it.

4. There are only three of us; I think one bottle of wine will be enough.

5. It’s almost news time. Shall we watch the news in a minute?

6. This term will soon be over. Where are you going for your holidays?

7. As soon as the exam results come out we will know who is the best student.

8. Just because a student has the best exam result doesn’t mean that she is the best student.

Place the following words in the right order.

1. 不去学校了， 十点了，已经， 就， 太晚了

2. 三瓶茅台， 十个人， 就， 我们， 够了

3. 一说， 就， 哭， 我， 他

4. 你，学习， 考试， 考不好， 要是， 就，你不好好地，

Answers for the use of 就 and 才 exercises

1. 我等了他两个小时他才回来.

2. 今天他来早了, 八点就来了.

3. 那件事很难办, 王先生才能办好.

4. 我们只有三个人; 我想一瓶酒就够了.

5. 新闻就要开始了.我们一会儿看新闻吧?

6. 这个学期就要结束了.假期你想去哪儿?

7. 考试分数一出来,我们就知道最好的学生是谁了.

8. 有最好考试成绩的学生不一定是最好的学生.

Place the following words in the right order.

1. 已经十点了, 太晚了, 我就不去学校了.

2. 我们十个人, 三瓶茅台就够了.

3. 他一说我就哭.

4. 要是你不好好地学习考试就考不好.

Potential verb complement

Exercises

Other terminology: PVC, 可 能 补 语

1. What are potential complements?

Potential complements are used to express two types of ability: the ability to achieve an action; and the ability to move something in a certain direction. Most resultative (apart from 错) and directional verb complements can be turned into potential verb complements by putting 得 (affirmative) or 不 (negative) between the verb and its complement, as shown in the following patterns.

A resultative complement can be placed after 得 to indicate ability to achieve. A directional complement can be placed after 得 to indicate ability to move something in a certain direction.

main v得 (affirm.) r./d. complement

xiĕ

写

WRITE

de

得

DE

wán

完

FINISH

To be able to finish (writing).

kāi

开

DRIVE

de

得

DE

jìn qu

进 去

IN (AWAY)

To be able to drive (a car) in (to the garage).

main v. 不 (neg.) r./d. complement

xiĕ

写

WRITE

bu

不

BU

wán

完

FINISH

To be unable to finish (writing).

kāi

开

DRIVE

bu

不

BU

jìn qu

进 去

IN (AWAY)

To be unable to drive (a car) in (to the garage).

2. Are there any PVC which are only used idiomatically?

There are many idiomatic expressions using potential verb complements which

stand on their own and can't be turned back into resultative or directional verb complements.

chīdeliăo
吃得了
EATDE COMPLETE
To be able to eat up all the food.

zuò de liăo
作得了
DO DE COPE WITH
To be able to cope (with a job).

măi bu qĭ
买不起
BUY BU UP
Can't afford to buy.

kàn bu qĭ
看不起
LOOK BU UP
To look down on somebody.

3. How can I form a sentence with potential complements?

1. The object of a sentence is either placed at the beginning of sentence:

(complex) o. s. v. + potential complement

(tā xiĕ de)zì

(他 写 的) 字

(HE WRITE DE) WORDS

wŏ

我

I

kàn budŏng

看 不 懂

READ BU UNDERSTAND

I can't understand the words (he has written).

or after the potential complement;

s. v. + potential complement (complex) o.

wŏ

我

I

kàn budŏng

看 不 懂

READ BU UNDERSTAND

(tā xiĕ de) zì

(他 写 的) 字

(HE WRITE DE) WORDS

I can't understand the words (he has written).

4. Can I use the particle 了 for completed action in a sentence which has a potential complement?

The particle 了 for completed action is not used, but 了 can be placed at the end of a sentence to indicate a change of situation.

tā xiĕ de liăo hàn zì le

他 写 得 了汉 字 了

HE WRITEDE COPE CHARACTERS LE

He can write Chinese characters now.

5. How do you differentiate complements of degree (得 construction) from potential complements?

Sometimes one may confuse affirmative potential verb complements with the 得 (complement of degree) construction. In this case, 很 or other adverbs are added before the main adverb of the sentence to show the sentence is a complement of degree construction.

a. (Potential verb complement)

hànzì tā xiĕ de hăo, yīngwén tā xiĕ bu hăo

汉 字 他写 得 好, 英 文 他写 不好.

CHARACTERS HE WRITE DE WELL, ENGLISHHEWRITE BU WELL

He can write Chinese characters well, but not English.

b. (Complement of degree)

hànzì tā xiĕ de hĕn hăo.

汉字 他 写得 很 好

CHARACTERSHE WRITE DE (VERY) WELL

He writes characters (very) well.

6. Are 能 constructions and potential verb complements interchangeable?

Apart from fixed idiomatic expressions, most potential complements can be turned into a 能 sentence with a resultative or directional verb complement.

chī bu wán / bù néngchī wán

吃 不 完 / 不 能吃 完.

EAT BU FINISH / NOT CAN EAT FINISH

Can't finish eating it.

But one can't turn:

看 不 起

LOOK BU UP

To look down on (sb.) into Ｘ不能看起Ｘ

Exercises

You can submit your work online here

Click here for answers

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. The book Xiao Wang bought yesterday is very popular. If you only go to buy it now I don't think you will get hold of it.

2. I've already had a lot to eat. I don't think I can eat any more.

3. How big is your house? How many people can your house sleep?

4. That sentence is too difficult. I won't be able to translate it.

5. That hill is too high for me to climb. Can you climb it?

6. There is still a lot of food on the table. Will you be able to finish it?

7. The gate is too small. I won't be able to drive my car in.

Ask questions in Chinese using the following information.

1. Ask a Chinese friend if he could manage to finish the food on his own.

2. Ask a Chinese lady if she could manage to cook a meal for 10 people in an hour on her own without any help.

3. Tell somebody that most men are incapable of running a household. (管家 v-o)

4. Tell your Chinese teacher that you are unable to see the words he has written.

5. Tell your teacher that you are unable to finish the text by tomorrow.

Choose the right expressions and place them in the correct places of the following sentences.

那个箱子太大,我一个人______楼___.

1. 拿不起来 2. 拿不上来 3. 拿不出来 4. 拿不回来

那么容易的事情小学生也_________.

1. 作得好 2. 作不好 3. 办得了 4. 搞得清楚

汉字太难,我也太笨,所以我怎么 __________中文呢?

1. 学不了 2. 写得好 3. 学得了 4. 写得了

A: 站在外边 看京剧,怎么_______呢? B: __________, 可是我_________啊.

1. 看得见 2. 看不见 3. 看得见 4. 看不清楚

Answers for Potential Verb Complement Exercises

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

昨天小王买的书很受欢迎. 你现在才去买, 我不想你一定买不到.

我已经吃了很多了. 我吃不下了.

你的房子多大? 你的房子住/睡得下多少人?

那个句子太难了? 我翻译不了.

那座山太高了,我们爬不上去. 你爬得上去吗?

桌子上还有很多菜. 你吃得完吗?

门太小. 车我开不进去.

Ask questions

饭你一个人吃得完吗?

您一个人一个小时作得了十个人吃的饭吗?

大多数男人管不了家.

您写的字我看不见.

我明天以前学不完课文.

Choose the right expressions and place them in the correct places of the following sentences.

那个箱子太大, 我一个人拿不上楼来.

那么容易的事情小学生也办得了.

汉字太难,我也太笨,所以我怎么学得了中文呢?

站在外边看京剧,怎么看得见呢? 看得见,可是我看不清楚.

Resultative complements

Exercises

Other terminology: complements of result, resultative verbs, 结果补语.

1. What are resultative complements?

Resultative complements indicate results of actions and they are placed after verbs of action. These words can also be used as verbs or stative verbs in sentences. For example,

chī wán kàn dŏng

吃 完 看 懂 (完 and 懂 can be used as verbs.)

EAT FINISH READ UNDERSTAND

To finish eating. To understand sth. by reading it.

jìgĕi tā fàngzài zhuō shàng.

寄给他 放在 桌 上 (给 and 在 can be used as co-verbs)

POST TOHIM PUT ZAI TABLE ON

To post to him. To put on the table.

shuō qīngchu fàng hăo.

说 清楚 放 好 (清 楚 and 好 can be used as stative verbs)

SPEAK CLEARLY PUT PROPERLY

Speak clearly. put it (away)(down) properly.

2. When should I use resultative verb complements in sentences?

When you want to indicate the result of an action, a resultative complement is placed after a verb of action.

tā niàn wán zhè bĕn shū le.

她 念 完 这 本 书 了。

SHE READ FINISH THIS BEN BOOK LE

She has finished (reading) this book.

tā xué huì kāi chē le.

他 学 会 开 车了。

HE LEARN MASTER DRIVE CAR LE

He has mastered the skill of driving.

He has learnt how to drive a car.

3. Where does a resultative verb complement go in a sentence?

When a sentence describes an active action, the combined group (verb + resultative complement) is placed before the object.

s. neg/adv v.+ complt. o.

xiăo lĭ

小李

XIAO LI

méikàn dŏng

没看 懂

NOT READ UNDERSTAND

zhè ge zì.

这 个 字。

THIS GE WORD

Xiao Li didn't understand this word. (By reading it)

Xiao Li read this word, but he couldn't understand it.

4. Where does a resultative verb complement go if a sentence has a direct and indirect object?

If a sentence has a direct and an indirect object and its resultative complement refers to the indirect object, then the direct object can be placed at the beginning of the sentence, or the 把 construction should be used. [See the "把" construction.] The commonly used complements for this type of sentence pattern are: 成, 到, 给 or 在,.

dir.o. s. adv. v.+ complt. indir.o.

xìn

信

LETTER

wŏ

我

I

yĭjīng jì dāo

已经 寄 到

ALREADY SEND TO

zhōngguó qù le.

中 国 去了。

CHINA GO LE

I've posted the letter to China.

5. Can the particle "了" for completed action be used with resultative verb complements?

The particle "了" for completed action is used when it is necessary, even if the complements 完 and 好 which mean completion, are applied. (See "了" for completed action.) For example:

wŏchī wán (le) fànle.

我吃 完 (了) 饭 了。

IEAT FINISH (LE) MEAL LE

I've finished eating my meal.

6. What are the commonly used resultative complements?

The words in the following table are the regularly used resultative complements.

COMPLEMENTS & EXAMPLES

INDICATION IN CHINESE SENTENCES

IN ENGLISH SENTENCES

...băo

...饱

to be full up (used for describing people eating and drinking)

我 吃 饱 了 。

have enough of sth by eating or drinking

I’ve eaten enough.

...chéng

...成

翻译成 作成 写成 说成 修成 看成 当成

to change or turn sth into sth else

他把蛋糕切成了四块 /蛋糕他切成了四块。

...into

He cut the cake into 4 pieces.

...cuò

...错

说错 写错 看错 记错

听错 作错

to do sth mistakenly

这个电话号码你打错了。

...sth wrong

You've dialed the wrong number.

...dà

...大

放大 张大

to make sth big/wide

请你张大嘴。

...sth big/wide

Could you open your mouth wide.

...dào

...到

1 买到 借到 收到 找到

2 学到 看到 听到

3 听到 看到 踫到

1 to get hold of sth by...

我找到一个好老师。

2 to reach a place, time and level

我们学到第几课 。

3 to sense sth or sb

昨天我看到你女朋友了。

1. to obtain

I've found a good teacher

2. ...to (a place, time...)

Which lesson are we on now

3.similar to 见

Yesterday I saw your girlfriend.

...diào

...掉

扔掉 忘掉 丢掉 拆掉

to detach

他的地址我已经扔掉了。

to get rid of sth. by...

I've thrown away his address.

...dŏng

...懂

听懂 看懂 搞懂

to understand sth

我没听懂你说的话。

to understand sth by...

I didn't understand what

you said.

...duì

...对

作对 说对 听对 买对

to do sth correctly

这件事你没作对。

...correctly, ... right

You didn't deal with that matter correctly.

...gānjìng

...干净

整理干净 收拾干净

打扫干净

to make sth clean

请你把地扫干净/地请你扫干净。

...sth clean

Could you sweep the floor clean.

...gĕi

...给

交给寄给送给 还给 借给 拿给 递给

to reach a person or organization

这封信请你寄给他。

...to sb

Could you post this letter to him?

...hăo

...好

1 作好 学好 唱好

2 吃好 学好 放好

to finish doing sth

我作好饭了。

2 to do sth well

请你把钱放好/钱请你放好

1. to finish... sth

I've finished cooking the meal

2. ...properly

Please put the money away properly.

...huì

...会

学会

to master eth

你学会计算机了没有。

to master sth by...

Have you mastered how to use

the computer yet?

...jiàn

...见

看见 听见 踫见

to sense sth

早上我看见李老师了。

to sense sth or sb by...

I saw Mr. Li this morning.

...kāi

...开

打开 分开 拉开

to open sth

我打开门了。

to detach sth. by...

I've opened the door.

...qīng1chu

...清楚

说清楚 看清楚

讲清楚 解释清楚

to do sth clearly

他话没说清楚,就走了。

...sth clearly

Before he had said it clearly he

went away.

... sĭ

...死

饿死 忙死 气死 累死

...sth or sb to death

我们上了八个小时的课.真累死了。

...sth or sb to death

We had 8 hours of lessons. I'm

exhausted.

...wán

...完

作完 写完 听完 学完

讲完 说完 卖完 借完

看完

to finish sth

我们作完我们的工作了。

to finish sth by...

We've completed our work.

...zài

...在

放在 坐在 写在 贴在

挂在 站在

to locate at or in or on sth / swh

衣服我放在箱子里了。

...at,...in,...at

I've put the clothes in the suitcase.

...zháo

...着

买着 找着 借着 喝着

to obtain sth

人多酒少所以我一口也没喝着。

to get hold of sth by...

There were too many people but very little wine so I didn't get anything to drink.

...zhù

...住

拿住 记住 贴住

to make sure sth stays securely

我说的话请你记住。

...tightly

Please remember what I've said.

...zŏu

...走

拿走 寄走 借走 搬走

to make (verb) sth away

他拿走了我的电话。

...away

He has taken away my telephone.

What is the difference between 在 used as a co-verb and used as a complement, as in 在中国生活and 生活在中国？

……

Exercises

You can submit your work online here

Click here for answers

Resultative complements should be used in the following sentences.

1. He has translated that novel into Chinese.

2. Mr. Li wrote that character wrongly.

3. Would you like me to enlarge (放) this photo for you?

4. I went to many bookshops, but I still couldn't get hold of that book.

5. I've removed your TV set to the sitting room.

6. Nowadays nobody wants to buy tea sets. I've got ten tea sets in the shop, but I haven't got rid of them.

7. Yesterday Mr. Wang spoke so fast, I couldn't understand a word.

8. This morning I answered Mr. Li's question correctly.

9. Look at your clothes. They are so dirty. How can I wash them (clean)?

10. I've already handed in my homework to Mr. Li.

11. Put your ticket away properly, and don't lose it.

12. Have you mastered verb complements (动词补语)?

13. What did you say? I didn't hear.

14. Could you open up your suitcase please?

15. Could you write your sentences clearly? I've found your handwriting difficult to read.

16. Have you got anything for me to eat? I'm starving to death.

17. I have finished tidying up your study. How much are you going to pay me for it?

18. Don't sit on the table.

19. Yesterday I went to the canteen too late, so I didn't have any supper.

20. Can you remember all the characters that you learnt this term?

Can you tell the difference between the following paired words?

1.看/看见 2.找/找着 3.听/听到? 4.卖/卖掉 5.借给/借到

1. Multiple choices

Please note: it is important that one should learn and practise resultative, directional and potential complements before starting the following exercises.

A 我 今 天 就 能 看____这 本 书 。

1 得 完

2 见

3 到

4 完

B 请 您 把 茶 拿____给 老 王 。

1 到

2 交

3 去

4 过 去

C 我 听 了你 刚 说 的 话， 可 是 没 听____。

1 见

2 懂

3 完

4 出 来

D 小 王 把 卖 字 写____买 了 。

1 到

2 成

3 完

4 在

E 我 们 已 经 说 了 这 个 问 题 可 是 没 说 ____。

1 清 楚

2 懂

3 成

4 到

昨 天 我 们 学____第 几 课 ？

1 起 来

2 上

3 到

4 在

2 Fill in the gaps. All the following sentences must be translated into English.

书 店 里 的 书 昨 天 就 卖____了 ， 你 现 在 才 去 买 一 定 买____。

古 波 今 天 收____他 妈 妈 寄____他 的 信 。

这 本 小 说 你 快 看____了 吗 ？

你 这 个 字 写____了， 这 里 少 了 一 笔 。

你 们 给 我 作 得 太 多 了 ， 我 一 个 人 怎 么 吃____？

那 个 地 方 很 好 找 ， 你 只 要 记 __在 图 书 馆 的 东 边 。

你 带 的 东 西 不 多 ， 一 个 人 拿________。

外 边 下 着 大 雨 ， 你 出 。

A: 那 两 人 是 谁 ？ B: 哪 儿 ？ 我 怎 么 看 ?

今 天 我 带 的 钱 不 多 ， 我 应 该 回 家 拿 点 儿____。

去 年 住____这 儿 的 人 搬________了 。 我 们 想 明 天 搬 ________。

前 面 走________一 个 人 我 想 跑 问 问 他 图 书 馆 在 哪 儿 。

你 们 都 坐 吧 。 别 看 我 来 了 就 都 站 了 。

我 多 买 些 带 给 我 朋 友 也 尝 尝 。

请 你 跑 楼 上 给 我 拿 一 本 书____。

Answers for Resultative Complement Exercises

English-Chinese translation.

1. 他把那本小说翻译成了汉语.

2. 李先生把那个汉字写错了.

3. 你想我把这张照片放大.

4. 我去了很多书店, 可是我还没找到那本书.

5. 我把你的电视搬到客厅去了.

6. 现在没有人想买茶具了. 我在商店有十套茶具, 可是没卖掉.

7. 昨天王先生说话快得我连一个字也没听懂.

8. 今天上午我把李先生的问题回答对了.

9. 你看你的衣服, 那么脏, 怎么洗干净呢?

10. 我已经把我的作业交给李先生了.

11. 你把票放好,别丢失了!

12. 你学会动词补语了没有?

13. 你说什么? 我没听见.

14. 请您把您的箱子打开好吗?

15. 请你把句子写清楚好吗?我觉得你写的字很难看懂.

16. 你有什么给我吃的吗?我饿死了!

17. 我把你的书房整理好了. 你想(付)给我多少钱?

18. 别坐在桌子上!

19. 昨天我去食堂太晚了, 所以我没吃着晚饭.

20. 这个学期学的汉字你都记住了吗?

Multiple choices

1. 我今天就能看完这本书.

2. 请您把茶拿过去给老师.

3. 我听了你刚说的话, 可是没听懂.

4. 小王把卖字写成买了

5. 我们已经说了这个问题可是没说清楚.

6. 昨天我们学到第几课?

Fill in the gaps

1. 书店里的书昨天就卖完了，你现在才去买一定买不着.

The books in the bookshop had already been sold out yesterday, if you only go there now you won’t be able to get it.

2. 古波今天收到他妈妈寄给他的信.

Today Gubo received the letter that her mum had sent him.

3. 这本小说你快看完了吗?

Have you nearly finished reading this novel?

4. 你这个字写错了, 这里少了一笔.

The character you have miswritten lacks one stroke here.

5. 你们给我作得太多了, 我一个人怎么吃得完?

You have made far too much for me, how am I alone to eat it all?

6. 那个地方很好找, 你只要记住在图书馆的东边.

That place is easy to find, remember, it is on the east side of the library.

7. 你带的东西不多, 一个人拿得动.

The things you have brought along are not very many, one person can manage (to

carry them).

8. 外边下着大雨, 你出不去.

It has been raining heavily outside and you won’t be able to go out.

9. A: 那两人是谁? B: 哪儿? 我怎么看不见?

A: Who are those two people? B: Where? How come I can’t see them.

10. 今天我带的钱不多, 我应该回家拿点儿来.

Today I did not bring along a lot of money, I should go home and get some more.

11. 去年住在这儿的人搬走了.我们想明天搬进去.

Last year, the people living here moved out/house. We hope to move in tomorrow.

12. 前面走过来一个人我想跑过去问问他图书馆在哪儿.

There is a person is approaching. I’m running up to him and ask him where the

library was.

13. 你们都坐下来吧.别看见我来了就都站起来了.

All of you sit down. You don’t have to stand up, when you see me coming.

14. 我多买些带回去给我朋友也尝尝.

I’ll buy a lot and bring them back for my friends to have a try.

15. 请你跑到楼上去给我拿一本书 下来.

Could you please go upstairs to fetch me a book?

The use of 了 to imply completed action

Position of 了in a sentence | Examples in Chinese | Meaning in English

After verb

After first verb

After first & last verb

After last verb

我 坐 了 半 个 小 时/ 我 只 说 了 一 句 话 /他 把 书 都 卖 了

你 吃 了 饭 再 走

他 吃 了 饭 就 走 了

他 又 去 食 堂 买 了 一 碗 饺 子

I sat for half an hour./I’ve only said one sentence./He has sold off all his books.

Please go after the meal. or please don’t go until you have eaten.

He left after he had finished the meal.

He went to the canteen again and bought a bowl of dumplings

End of sentence* | 她 学 完 汉 语 了 她 去 中 国 了 她 去 上 海 看 朋 友 了 | She has finished learning Chinese. She has gone to China. She has gone to Shanghai to visit a friend.

了 for completed action is not used with: | Examples in Chinese | Meaning in English

1. negation

2. habitual action

3. modal verbs and verbs expressing feeling : 应 该, 可 以, 能, 要, 想, 得, 爱, 喜 欢, 觉 得, 愿 意, 希 望, 知 道

4. 是, 在, 有 when acting as the main verb in a sentence

5. stative verbs

6. direct speech, indirect speech

7. The得 construction

8. The 的 clause

我没有作练习

去年我常常/总是/每天上饭馆

我 昨 天 应 该 去 看 她

她以前爱/喜欢吃牛肉

我小时候能说十种语言

他昨天想请我吃饭

我上星期就知道他们要去国外

他两年前就希望去中国

我去年在中国

我去年是学生

我去年只有两个中国朋友

上个月我很忙

前几天她说她帮我作练习

他刚才唱得很好听

我昨天买的鞋是破的

I didn’t do the exercises.

I (often) / (always) went to a restaurant (everyday) last year.

I should have gone to see her yesterday.

She loved / liked beef in the past.

I could speak ten languages when I was little.

He wanted to treat me to a meal yesterday.

I knew (as early as) last week that they were going abroad.

He hoped (as early as) two years ago that he would go to China.

I was in China last year.

I was a student last year.

I only had two Chinese friends last year.

I was very busy last month

She said a few days ago that she would help me to do the exercises.

He sang very beautifully a minute ago.

The shoes that I bought yesterday are damaged.

Modal particle 了

The use of了to bring the time up to the present

了used at the end of a sentence implies that a sustained action extends to the present

小 王 等 了 她 十 年 了

我 们 是 多 年 的 好 朋 友 了

这 是 十 年 前 的 事 了

Xiao Wang has been waiting for her for ten years.

We’ve been friends for many years.

It happened ten years ago.

The use of了to emphasize an action which has taken place

After the verb & at the end of the sentence

我 买 了 票 了

她 已 经 喝 过 了 酒 了

I’ve BOUGHT the ticket.

She has already DRUNK the wine.

At the end of the sentence

她 的 汉 语 比 我 的 好 多了

Her Chinese is MUCH better than mine.

The use of了to imply a change of situation

At the end of the sentence

我 不 去 了

夏 天 了 ， 天 热 了

她 的 病 好 了

他 学 会 吸 烟 了

好 了 ， 算 了 ， 我 们 不 说 了

这 辆 车 已 经 是 旧 的 了

I am not going. (I have changed my mind.)

It’s summer now; so it’s hot.

She has recovered from the illness.

He has learnt how to smoke.

OK, forget it, we are not going to talk about this.

This car is already an old model.

The use of 了to imply imminent action

要... 了

快... 了

快 要... 了

就 要... 了

都 要... 了

就 快... 了

我 们 一 会 儿 要 吃 饭 了

电 影 快 开 始 了

她 快 要 哭 了

我 们 就 要 考 试 了

火 车 都 要 开 了

我 们 就 快 下 班 了

We are about to eat.

The film is about to start.

She is about to cry.

We are about to have examinations.

The train is about to leave.

We are about to finish our (work) shift.

The use of 了to imply excessiveness

太 ...了

...极 了

可 ...了

她 太 漂 亮 了

难 吃 极 了

他 可 有 意 思 了

She is extremely beautiful.

It’s disgusting (to eat).

He is extremely funny (interesting / lovable).

These sentences can also imply a change of situation. Please see modal particle 了

The 得 Construction

Exercises

Other terminology: complement marker, complement of degree

Including notes on differences between the 得 construction and affirmative potential verb complements (v + 得 + resultative complement).

1. When do I use the 得 construction?

The 得 construction can be used in the following three situations.

(1) When you want to describe customary actions. In other words, when you want to say how somebody usually does something. For instance,

tā zú qiú tī de hĕn hăotā păo de fēicháng kuài

他足 球 踢 得很 好.她 跑得 非常快.

HE FOOTBALL KICK DE VERY WELL SHE RUN DE EXTREMELY FAST

He plays football very well. She runs extremely fast.

(2) The 得 construction can also be used to describe the result of a particular action. Usually a time word (time when) is placed before or after the subject of the sentence, to indicate the action has already taken place. For instance,

zóutiān wănshang wŏ nán péngyouzhōngguófàn zuò de hĕn hăo

昨 天 晚 上 我男 朋友 中 国 饭 作得很好.

YESTERDAY EVENING MY MALE FRIEND CHINESE MEAL COOK DE VERY WELL

My boyfriend cooked Chinese meal very well yesterday evening.

(3) They can be used to express the effect of an action and the degree of a stative verb (verb to be + adjective). For instance,

tā shuō de dàjiā dōu kū le

她 说得大家 都 哭 了.

SHE SAY DE EVERYBODY ALL CRY LE

She spoke to the extent that everybody cried. "Everybody cried" is the effect of what she had said.

zhōngwénnán de wŏmen dōu bù xiăng xué le

中文 难 得我们 都 不想 学 了.

CHINESE DIFFICULT DE WE ALL NOT WANT LEARN LE

Chinese is so difficult that we don't want to learn any more. "We don't want to learn any more" tells us how difficult the Chinese language is.

tā máng de méi you shíjiān chī fàn

她忙 得 没 有 时间 吃饭.

SHE BUSY DE NOT HAVE TIME EAT MEAL

She is so busy that she doesn't have time to eat. "She doesn't have time to eat" tells us how busy she is.

As you can see from the above examples, when a stative verb is used in the 得 construction, it is often translated as: so (stative verb) to the extent that ...

2. How many different ways can I form the 得 construction?

The most important thing in a 得 construction is that verbs should always be placed before 得. If a verb is in a pattern of verb-object, then the verb should be separated from the object. For example, if 睡觉 (to sleep) is used in the 得 construction it can be formed in the following four ways:

(1) You must repeat the verb.

s. v- o. v. de adv.

wŏ

我

I

shuì jiào

睡 觉

SLEEP JIAO

shuì de hĕn hăo

睡 得 很好

SLEEPDE VERY WELL

I sleep very well.

(2) It sounds less repetitive if you omit the first verb of the above sentence:

s. o. v. de adv.

wŏ

我

I

jiào

觉

JIAO

shuì de hĕn hăo

睡 得很好

SLEEP DE VERY WELL

(3) If you want to emphasize the object of the sentence, then the object can be placed at the beginning of the sentence and it will be:

o. s . v. de adv.

jiào

觉

JIAO

wŏ

我

I

shuì de hĕn hăo

睡 得很好

SLEEP DE VERY WELL

(4) If the object of the sentence is clear to listeners, which it is in this case, you can just simply say:

s. v. de adv.

wŏ

我 I

shuì de hĕn hăo

睡 得很 好

SLEEP DE VERY WELL

3. What is the negative form for the 得 construction?

The negative form for the 得 construction is 不. 没 is not used, except when the 得 construction is used in the 把 construction. 不 should be placed before adverbs and after 得, but not before verbs, except when the 得 construction is used in comparatives (比 sentences)

s. o. v. de neg. adv. [description ]

tā

他

HE

hànyǔ

汉 语

CHINESE

shuō de bu hăo

说 得 不 好

SPEAKDE NOT GOOD

[A normal negative 得 sentence]

He doesn't speak Chinese well.

s. neg. 把/比 o. v. de adv. [description ]

tā

他

HE

méi bă fángjiān

没 把 房 间

NOTBA ROOM

zhĕnglĭ de gāngānjìngjìng

整 理 得干干 净净

TIDY DE CLEAN

[A negative 把sentence with the 得 construction]

He didn't tidy the room properly.

nĭ

你

YOU

bu bĭ wŏ

不 比我

NOT BI I

păo de kuài

跑 得 快

RUN DE FAST

[A negative 比sentence with the 得 construction.]

You don't run faster than I do.

4. Is the particle 了 for completed actions used in the 得 construction?

No, 了 for completed actions cannot be used, but time words can be used to indicate the action has already been completed. For example,

wŏ xiăo shíhou rìyŭ shuō de hĕn liúlì

我 小 时候 日语 说 得 很 流利.

I LITTLETIME JAPANESE SPEAK DE VERY FLUENT

I spoke Japanese very fluently when I was little.

If a 了 appears in the 得 construction, it usually indicates a change of situation.

tā yĭjīng hē de hĕn duō le

他 已经 喝 得 很 多 了.

HE ALREADY DRINK DE VERY MUCH LE

He has already drunk too much. (It implies that he should not drink any more.)

5. I find it difficult to distinguish the 得 construction from potential verb complements. How can I tell which is which?

The 得 construction and potential complements serve different purposes, although the word order of these sentence constructions is similar. Sometimes they can be very confusing, especially when those stative verbs which can also be used as resultative complements (such as 好, 清楚 and 对) are involved. For example, the following sentence is ambiguous in meaning.

jīntiān tā xiĕ de hăo ma

今天 他 写 得 好 吗?

TODAY HE WRITE DEWELL MA / BE ABLE FINISH MA

1. Did he write well today? (The 得 construction) / 2. Can he finish writing today? (Potential complement)

An adverbial group in the 得 construction is usually formed by an adverb + stative verb as a combined adverb to differentiate it from a potential verb complement which is just a stative verb. Let’s answer the above question in two different ways.

1. 好 in the 得 construction (the complement of degree):

jīntiān tā xiĕ de hĕn hăo

今 天 他 写 得 很 好.

TODAY HE WRITE DE VERY WELL

He wrote (very) well today.

2. 好 used in potential complement:

jīntiān tā xiĕ de hăo

今天 他 写 得 好.

TODAYHE WRITE BE ABLE FINISH

He can finish writing (it) today.

6. Do I always need 得 to indicate the degree of complement?

No, not always. Colloquially, some single-syllable adverbs, such as 多,少,早,晚,快,慢,大,小,贵 and 便宜, can be placed after verbs without 得. In many ways they are similar to resultative complements. 了 is often placed at the end of these sentences to indicate excessiveness and change of situation as in

tā hē (de tài) duō le

他 喝 (得太) 多 了.

HE DRINK (DE TOO) MUCH LE

He has drunk too much.

xiăo wáng lái (de tài) wăn le

小 王 来 (得 太) 晚 了

XIAO WANG COME (DE TOO) LATE LE

Xiao Wang came too late. / Xiao Wang came late.

tā păo (de tài) kuài le

他 跑 (得 太) 快 了

HE RUN (DE TOO) FAST LE

He has run too fast. / He is running faster (than before).

yīfu zuò (de tài) dà le

衣服 作 (得 太) 大 了

CLOTHES MAKE (DE TOO) BIG LE

The clothes have been made too big.

shū mài (de tài) guì le

书 卖 (得 太) 贵 了.

BOOK SELL (DE TOO) EXPENSIVE LE

The books have been sold at too high a price.

7. Where can I place 一点儿 and 一些 in the 得 construction?

一点儿 and 一些 should be placed after the adverbial groups in the 得 construction.

qĭng nĭ shuō de màn yì diănr

请 你 说 得 慢 一 点儿.

COULD YOU SPEAK DE SLOWA LITTLE BIT

Could you speak slowly.

Or colloquially, you can leave out 得 and say:

qĭng nĭ shuō màn yì diănr

请 你 说 慢 一 点儿.

8. What is the difference between "请你说得慢一点儿." and "请你慢一点儿说."

Please see the notes on “The differences between 得 constructions and 地 constructions” in “The 地 construction”

Exercises

You can submit your work online here

Click here for answers

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

Change the following affirmative sentences into negative ones.

1. We went to stay at Xiao Wang's place last week, but we didn't have a good time at all.

2. My friend's teacher teaches French extremely well.

3. The shop on the corner sells Chinese wine very cheaply.

4. Last night she sang so badly that everybody left before she could finish her first song.

5. She heard that Mr. Li was much better. She was so happy that she forgot to eat her meal.

6. Lao Zhang has become so fat that I can hardly recognize him.

7. Xiao Ding tidies his room neatly every Friday. That is because his girlfriend visits him every weekend.

8. Yesterday we set off too late so we missed the beginning of the film.

Translate the following sentences, then make them negative.

1. 我们老师讲语法总是讲得非常清楚.

2. 昨天晚上我睡得香极了.

3. 那个姑娘好看得男人都想跟她作朋友.

4. 他把他同学都吓得跑走了.

Answers for the Exercises on the Complement of Degree

Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. 上个星期我们去王先生那儿玩,玩得很不好.

2. 我朋友的老师教法语教得非常好.

3. 路口的商店卖中国葡萄酒卖得很便宜.

4. 昨天晚上她唱歌唱得不好,还没唱完第一首歌大家都离开了.

5. 她听说李先生好些了.她高兴得忘了吃饭.

6. 老张胖得我都认不出他来了.

7. 因为周末他女朋友来看他, 所以每星期五小丁把房间整理得

干干净净.

8. 昨天我们出发(得)太晚了所以没看到电影的开始.

Change the following affirmative sentences into negative ones.

2. 我朋友的老师教法语教得不好.

3. 路口的商店卖中国葡萄酒卖得不便宜.

7. …每星期五小丁都不把房间整理得干干净净.

8. 昨天我出发得不太晚.

Our teacher always explains grammar extremely clearly.

Last night I slept very soundly.

That girl is so beautiful that all the men want to befriend her.

He has frightened away all his classmates.

1. 我们老师讲语法讲得不清楚.

2. 昨天晚上我睡得不好.

3. 那个姑娘难看得男人都不想跟她作朋友.

4. 他没把他同学都吓得跑走了.

The uses of 什么…都…, 哪儿都…, and 谁都…

Exercises

When do I use the 什么… 都…, 哪儿 都…, and 谁 都…constructions?

These constructions are used to indicate general categorisation. They can be used when you want to describe how a particular action applies to a general object, as in 我什么(菜)都吃 wŏ shénme (cài) dōu chī I eat anything. They can also be used to describe people in general doing a particular type of thing, as in 谁都喜欢吃中国菜 shéi dōu xǐhuān chī Zhōngguó cài everybody likes eating Chinese food.

How do I form a sentence with these constructions?

The interrogative什么 shénme what is placed before a noun to become any or every. Any or every can be used as the subject or object of a sentence. If the word什么 shénme any or every is used as the object, it should be placed before the adverb都 dōu both, all and can be placed before or after the subject of the sentence. The adverb都 dōu is placed before the verb, as indicated below.

s | 什 么 o | 都 | v

wŏ

我

shénme dōngxi

什么东西

dōu

都

chī

吃。

I

ANY THING

ALL

EAT.

I eat anything. Or

什 么 o

s

都

v

shénme dōngxi

什么东西

wŏ

我

dōu

都

chī

吃。

ANY (THING)

I

ALL

EAT.

Apart from什么 shénme what, the interrogatives 哪儿 nǎr where and 谁 shuí who are also used in this type of construction. If the word any or every refers to the subject of a sentence, the resulting sentence pattern will take the form of one of the four examples below.

谁(s)

都

v

o

shuí

谁

dōu

都

xihuan chī

喜欢 吃

Zhīngguó fàn

中 国 饭。

ANY/EVERY (ONE)

ALL

LIKE

CHINESE FOOD.

Everyone likes eating Chinese food. Or

什 么 s

都

v

o

shénme rén

什么 人

dōu

都

xihuan chī

喜欢 吃

Zhīngguó fàn

中 国 饭>。

ANY/EVERY (ONE)

ALL

LIKE

CHINESE FOOD.

谁(s)

都

v

o

shuí

谁

dōu

都

shnàng

上

dàxué

大学>。

ANY/EVERY (ONE)

ALL

GO

UNIVERSITY.

Everyone goes to university. Or

什 么 s

都

v

o

shénme rén

什么 人

dōu

都

shnàng

上

dàxué

大学>。

ANY/EVERY (ONE)

ALL

GO

UNIVERSITY.

How do I form a negative sentence with these constructions?

In a negative sentence, the adverb也yĕ is used instead of都dōu. The negation 不bù or没méi is placed before the verb as indicated below.

s

哪 儿(o)

也

不 /没v

wŏ

我

năr

哪儿

yĕ

也

bú qù

不去>。

I

ANY/EVERY (WHERE)

ALL

NOT GO.

I don’t go anywhere. Or

s

什 么 o

也

不 /没v

wŏ

我

shénme dìfang

什 么 地方

yĕ

也

méi qù

没去>。

I

ANY/EVERY (WHERE)

ALL

NOT GO.

I didn’t go anywhere.

Is there any difference in meaning between都and 也 here? >

No, not really. The adverb也yě is usually used in negative sentences as above, while the adverb都dōu can be used in both affirmative and negative sentences as in

s

哪 儿(o.)

也 / 都

v

wŏ

我

năr

哪儿

yĕ / dōu

也 /都

bú qù

不去>。

I

ANY/EVERY (WHERE)

ALL

NOT GO

I don’t go anywhere. Or

s

什 么 o

也 / 都

v

wŏ

我

shénme dìfang

什么 地方

yĕ / dōu

也 /都

bú qù

不去。

I

ANY/EVERY (WHERE)

ALL

NOT GO.

Are there any differences in word order between the constructions of 什么…都…, 谁都… and哪儿都…? >

The word order in all these constructions is the same, but there are differences in the way that things are indicated. A noun is often used to specify什么, as in 什么人都… shénme rén dōu anybody…, 什么东西都… shénme dōngxi dōu anything… or 什么菜都… shénme cài dōu any kind of food... The word 什么 shénme any in these constructions has a similar meaning to the adjective 任何 rènhé any, which is also followed by a noun, as in 任何人rènhé rén anybody, 任何东西rènhé dōngxi anything, and 任何菜rènhé cài any kind of food. However, 谁shuí anybody or 哪儿nǎr anywhere refers to a person or a place, so there is no additional noun needed to specify 谁 shuí and 哪儿nǎr.

What is the difference in meaning between using 任何, 所有的and these constructions? >

任何rènhé any and 所有的 suŏyŏude every/all expressions are followed by都 dōu (but not也yĕ). 任何rènhé any can be used in a similar way to the sentence constructions above, with a noun being placed after 任何 rènhé any, as in

wŏ

我

rènhé dōngxi / shénme dōngxi

任何东西/什么东西

dōu

都

chī

吃>。

I

ANY/EVERY (THING)

ALL

EAT.

I eat anything.

rènhén rén /shénme rén

任何 人/什 么人

dōu

都

shuō

说

Zhōngguó fàn hăo

中 国 饭 好>。

ANY/EVERY (BODY)

ALL

SAY

CHINESE FOOD GOOD.

Everybody says that Chinese food is good.

wŏ

我

rènhé dìfang / shénme dìfang

任何地方/什 么 地方

dōu

都

búqù

不去>。

I

ANY/EVERY (WHERE)

ALL

NOT GO.

I don’t go anywhere.

However, unlike任何rènhé, sometimes什么 shénme does not necessarily need a specified noun. For example, 我什么都吃 wŏ shénme dōu chī I eat anything. 我什么都看wǒ shénme dōu kàn I read anything/ I watch anything.

How can I form a >比or a >把sentence with these constructions?

The general principle for forming these sentences is the same: the adverbs 都or 也should be placed before verbs and stative verbs. Please see the following word order possibilities in sentences using 比and 把.

The following sentence demonstrates a construction where谁都shéi dōu forms the subject.

1.

s

都

比

o

sv

谁

dōu

都

比

他

好

ANY/EVERY (BODY)

ALL

COMPARE

HIM

BETTER

Anybody is better than him.

The following sentence demonstrates a construction where哪儿都 nǎr dōu forms the object.

2.

s

比

o

都

sv

zhèr

这儿

比

哪儿

dōu

都

好

HERE

COMPARE

ANY/EVERY (WHERE)

ALL

BETTER

Here is better than anywhere else.

If the construction forms the subject of a sentence, as demonstrated in example 1, 都 dōu is placed before比 bĭ, and if it forms the object of a sentence, as in example 2, 都 dōu is placed before the stative verb.

Let’s see how these constructions are used to compare actions. The construction forms the object of the sentence in examples 3 and 3b.

3.

s (topic)

比

o

都

verb phrase

他说中 文

比

谁

dōu

都

说 得流利

HE SPEAKS CHINESE

COMPARE

ANY/EVERY (BODY)

ALL

SPEAK DE FLUENTLY

He speaks Chinese more fluently than anybody.

3b.

s (topic)

v (complement of degree)

比

o

都 adverb

他说中 文

说 得

比

谁

dōu 都 流利

HE SPEAKS CHINESE

SPEAK DE

COMPARE

ANY/EVERY (BODY)

ALL FLUENTLY

Please also see the notes on the ‘complement of degree’ construction.

The construction forms the subject of the sentence in examples 4 and 5.

4.

s

都

比

o

verb phrase

谁

dōu

都

比

他

说 中 文 说 得 流利

ANY/EVERY (BODY)

ALL

COMPARE

HIM

SPEAKS CHINESE SPEAK DE FLUENTLY

Anybody can speak Chinese more fluently than he does.

5.

topic

s

都

比

o

verb phrase

说 中 文

谁

dōu

都

比

他

说 得 流利

SPEAKS CHINESE

ANY/EVERY (BODY)

ALL

COMPARE

HIM

SPEAK DE FLUENTLY

We can see a common feature in the example sentences, which is that the adverb 都dōu is always placed after the interrogative 把.

1.

s

把

o

都

verb phrase

他

把

shì

什么 事

dōu

都

作 好 了

HE

BA

ANY/EVERY (THING)

ALL

DO COMPLETE LE

He has done everything.

2.

s

都

neg/mv

把

dir. o

v

indir. o

谁

dōu/yĕ

都/也

不想

把

这 件事

告诉

她

ANY/EVERY (BODY)

ALL

NOT INTEND

BA

THIS JIAN MATTER

TELL

HER

Nobody wants to tell her about this matter.

As with the 比 bĭ construction, if the XX都construction forms the subject of a sentence, as in example 2, 都dōu all is placed before把bǎ; while if XX都construction forms the object of a sentence, as in example 1, 都dōu all is placed before the main verb.

Exercises

Click here for the answers >

>

I have been looking everywhere, but I still can’t find my shirts.

Xiao Wang is both pretty and friendly, so everybody wants to be her friend.

I am so tired that I don’t want to go anywhere this evening.

My brother’s classmate can learn languages more quickly than anyone.

He hasn’t bought any new clothes this year.

Whatever you say, it’s no good! He won’t listen to anything.

Xiao Li spends all his time at home studying and he won’t go out anywhere.

>

>

> 问了 都 谁, 不知道 谁 都 可是 上海 在哪儿.

> 都 能 哪儿 找到.

> 用电脑 都 会 在我们大学.

> 爱 吃 中国饭 什么人.

Answers for the sentence translation

1. 我哪儿都去找了,就是找不到我的衬衫.

2. 小王又漂亮又热情,所以谁都想跟他作朋友.

3. 我累死了,今天晚上我哪儿也不想去.

4. 我哥哥的同学学习语言比谁都学得快.

5. 今年他什么新衣服都没买.

6. 你说什么都不行,她什么都不听.

7. 小李整天在家学习哪儿都不想去.

Answers for the correct word order

我谁都问了, 可是谁都不知道上海在哪儿.

哪儿 都能找到中国饭店.

在我们大学谁都会用电脑.

什么人都爱吃中国饭.