<!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>In China, you often hear you should do this or that more (eat more, drink more water, wear more warm clothing etc.), and they often use the word 多 (duō). What's not intuitive to learners is that the word 多 should come <em>before the verb</em>.</p> <h2 id="structure">Structure</h2> <p>This structure is often used in commands or suggestions. Note the position of 多:</p> <div class="jiegou"> <p>多 + Verb-Obj.</p> </div> <p>This structure is not used exclusively as a command, so you could also include a subject if you needed to.</p> <h2 id="examples">Examples</h2> <p>In English we like to say things like "eat <em>more</em>" and "drink <em>more</em> beer" and "I need to exercise <em>more</em>." Notice that in every one of these cases, the word "more" (equivalent to this use of 多) comes <em>after</em> the verb in English. In Chinese, it's more natural to put the 多 <em>before</em> the verb.</p> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li><em>多</em> 吃 点 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Duō</em> chī diǎn.</span><span class="trans">Eat a little more.</span></li> <li><em>多</em> 加 点 辣 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Duō</em> jiā diǎn là.</span><span class="trans">Add a little more spice.</span></li> <li><em>多</em> 放 点 糖 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Duō</em> fàng diǎn táng.</span><span class="trans">Put a little more sugar.</span></li> <li>爷爷 ，你 要 <em>多</em> 出去 走走 。<span class="pinyin">Yéye, nǐ yào <em>duō</em> chūqù zǒuzou.</span><span class="trans">You need to go out and take a walk more often.</span></li> <li><em>多</em> 给 他 点 时间 吧 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Duō</em> gěi tā diǎn shíjiān ba.</span><span class="trans">Give him a little more time.</span></li> <li>你 为什么 不 <em>多</em> 陪陪 家人 呢 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ wèishénme bù <em>duō</em> péipei jiārén ne?</span><span class="trans">Why wouldn't you spend more time with your family?</span></li> <li>感冒 的 时候 要 <em>多</em> 喝 水 。<span class="pinyin">Gǎnmào de shíhou yào <em>duō</em> hē shuǐ.</span><span class="trans">Drink more water when you have a cold.</span></li> <li>医生 让 我 <em>多</em> 运动 。<span class="pinyin">Yīshēng ràng wǒ <em>duō</em> yùndòng.</span><span class="trans">The doctor told me to exercise more.</span></li> <li>他 比 你 有 经验 ，你 应该 <em>多</em> 跟 他 学习 。<span class="pinyin">Tā bǐ nǐ yǒu jīngyàn, nǐ yīnggāi <em>duō</em> gēn tā xuéxí.</span><span class="trans">He's more experienced than you. You should learn from him more often.</span></li> <li>想 提高 汉语 口语 ，就要 <em>多</em> 练习 。<span class="pinyin">Xiǎng tígāo Hànyǔ kǒuyǔ, jiùyào <em>duō</em> liànxí.</span><span class= "trans">If you want to improve your speaking Chinese, you need to practice more.</span></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="counter-examples">Counter-Examples</h2> <p>Just to be completely clear, the following uses of 多 are not as natural as the ones above. They'll be understood, and they might not be technically <em>wrong</em>, but you can do better!</p> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>吃 <em>多</em> 点。<span class="pinyin">Chī <em>duō</em> diǎn.</span></li> <li>我 要 回家<em>多</em>点！<span class="pinyin">Wǒ yào huíjiā <em>duō</em> diǎn!</span></li> <li>我 应该 运动 <em>多</em> 点。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ yīnggāi yùndòng <em>duō</em> diǎn.</span></li> </ul> </div> <p>The opposite of 多 is, of course, 少. It is further explained in the article <a href="doing_something_less_with_"shao"" title="wikilink">doing something less with "shao"</a>.</p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2> <h3 id="books">Books</h3> <ul> <li><a href="Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_2_(3rd_ed)" title= "wikilink">Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)</a> (pp. 39) <a href= "http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276709/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276709"> →buy</a></li> <li><a href= "%E5%8F%91%E5%B1%95%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD_%E4%B8%AD%E7%BA%A7%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%8F%A3%E8%AF%AD%E4%B8%8A" title="wikilink">发展汉语 中级汉语口语上</a> (pp. 72)</li> </ul> <p><a href="Category:B1_grammar_points" title= "wikilink">Category:B1 grammar points</a></p> </body> </html>