<!DOCTYPE html> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta name="generator" content= "HTML Tidy for HTML5 for Linux version 5.2.0" /> <title></title> </head> <body> <p>Remembering where to put the time words, such as "yesterday," "tomorrow," "this week," etc. in a sentence is really important in order to speak Chinese correctly. In Chinese you get two equally correct choices.</p> <h2 id="structure">Structure</h2> <p>Time words can appear in one of two positions in the sentence in Chinese: either at the beginning of the sentence (before the subject), or directly after the subject. The structures are:</p> <div class="jiegou"> <p><strong>Time</strong> + Subj. + Verb + Obj.</p> </div> <div class="jiegou"> <p>Subj. + <strong>Time</strong> + Verb + Obj.</p> </div> <p>So if you start speaking with "time first" English word order, you can carry on and get away with it. If, however, you're saving the time word for the <em>end</em> of the sentence, you can be pretty sure that it doesn't sound at all natural to your Chinese audience.</p> <h2 id="examples">Examples</h2> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li><em>昨天</em> <strong>我</strong> 去 了 酒吧 。 <span class= "pinyin"><em>Zuótiān</em> <strong>wǒ</strong> qù le jiǔbā.</span><span class="trans">Yesterday I went to the bar.</span></li> <li><strong>我</strong> <em>昨天</em> 去 了 酒吧 。 <span class= "pinyin"><strong>Wǒ</strong> <em>zuótiān</em> qù le jiǔbā.</span><span class="trans">I went to the bar yesterday.</span></li> </ul> </div> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li><em>下 个 星期</em> <strong>他</strong> 要 回 国 。 <span class= "pinyin"><em>Xià gè xīngqī</em> <strong>tā</strong> yào huí guó.</span><span class="trans">Next week he is going back to his country.</span></li> <li><strong>他</strong> <em>下 个 星期</em> 要 回 国 。 <span class= "pinyin"><strong>Tā</strong> <em>xià gè xīngqī</em> yào huí guó.</span><span class="trans">He is going back to his country next week.</span></li> </ul> </div> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li><em>明年</em> <strong>我</strong> 要 开 一 个 公司 。 <span class= "pinyin"><em>Míngnián</em> <strong>wǒ</strong> yào kāi yī gè gōngsī.</span><span class="trans">Next year I want to open a company.</span></li> <li><strong>我</strong> <em>明年</em> 要 开 一 个 公司 。 <span class= "pinyin"><strong>Wǒ</strong> <em>míngnián</em> yào kāi yī gè gōngsī.</span><span class="trans">I want to open a company next year.</span></li> </ul> </div> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li><em>下 个 月</em> <strong>我们</strong> 结婚 吧 ？ <span class= "pinyin"><em>Xià gè yuè</em> <strong>wǒmen</strong> jiéhūn ba?</span><span class="trans">Next month shall we get married?</span></li> <li><strong>我们</strong> <em>下 个 月</em> 结婚 吧 ？ <span class= "pinyin"><strong>Wǒmen</strong> <em>xià gè yuè</em> jiéhūn ba?</span><span class="trans">Shall we get married next month?</span></li> </ul> </div> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li><em>现在</em> <strong>你</strong> 能 来 我 办公室 吗 ？ <span class= "pinyin"><em>Xiànzài</em> <strong>nǐ</strong> néng lái wǒ bàngōngshì ma?</span><span class="trans">Now you can come to my office?</span></li> <li><strong>你</strong> <em>现在</em> 能 来 我 办公室 吗 ？ <span class= "pinyin"><strong>Nǐ</strong> <em>xiànzài</em> néng lái wǒ bàngōngshì ma?</span><span class="trans">Can you come to my office now?</span></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul> <li><a href="Word_order" title="wikilink">Word order</a></li> <li><a href="Using_"zai"_with_verbs" title= "wikilink">Using "zai" with verbs</a></li> <li><a href="Wanting_to_do_something_with_yao" title= "wikilink">Wanting to do something with yao</a></li> <li><a href="Expressing_completion_with_le" title= "wikilink">Expressing completion with le</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2> <h3 id="books">Books</h3> <ul> <li><a href="Chinese:_An_Essential_Grammar,_Second_Edition" title= "wikilink">Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition</a> (pp. 75-7) <a href= "http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615"> →buy</a></li> <li><a href="Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_1_(3rd_ed)" title= "wikilink">Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)</a> (pp. 205-6) <a href= "http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385"> →buy</a></li> <li><a href= "40_Lessons_for_Basic_Chinese_Course_(%E5%9F%BA%E7%A1%80%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD40%E8%AF%BE%E4%B8%8A%E5%86%8C%EF%BC%89" title="wikilink">40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册）</a> (p. 98)<a href= "http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FTL8D8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FTL8D8&linkCode=as2&tag=allset-20">→buy</a></li> </ul> <p><a href="Category:A2_grammar_points" title= "wikilink">Category:A2 grammar points</a></p> </body> </html>