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Chinese Grammar Index - Ox - Ac.uk
Chinese Grammar Index - Ox - Ac.uk
Possessive de [1]
This construction indicates that the noun after de belongs to the noun that comes before de, as in Xio Wng de yupio Xiao Wangs stamp.
V yxi [1]
When yxi is preceded by a verb, it has two functions. 1. It is used as a time measure to imply that the action lasts for a little while. 2. It is used to soften the tone of voice. (See lesson 6)
Co-verbs [2]
This term refers to a verb when its function, used together with its own object, is to modify the main verb of a sentence. An example is zi, 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. In Xio Dng zi ji kn sh 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, with the co-verb zi followed by the noun ji forming a co-verb clause. In the example given here Xiao Ding would have had to be at home before he started reading the book.
Grammar Index
sh bu sh
xusheng
zu linx
bu zu
zu mi zu
linx
zule
linx
mi zu
Did you do the exercises (or not)? If a verb has a double syllable it can be used in the following ways:
A x B huan bu A x B huan
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Grammar Index
bu
huan
A xu
B x
mi
A xu
B x
A xu mi A xu B x
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yf b ho, sh yf ti nn le it is not that my grammar is weak, it is that the grammar is too difficult.
Topic [5]
The object of a sentence is called a topic if it is placed before the verb. It can be a noun, or a noun-functioned phrase in list form. The subject of a sentence in this pattern can be placed either before the topic or before the verb.
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Grammar Index
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Grammar Index
k [8]
k can be used as an adverb to reinforce a statement or to emphasise desires and feelings. k can precede the linking verb sh as in Xio Wng k sh y ge d mng rn Xiao Wang is a really busy person. A stative verb such as ho good or mng busy, or a modal verb such as xing intend to or xhuan like to.. can be placed between k ...le to form an affirmative construction. The negative form is k b, but le is not used, for instance, jntin k lng le today is really cold. w k xing q Zhnggu le I really want to go to China. w k b xhuan ch Ynggu ci I really dont like eating English food.
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Grammar Index
y ling z xng ch I bought a bike. The aspectual marker le is not used in the following situations: 1. The aspectual marker le is not used in the negative form, but instead () mi(yu) is placed before the main verb. , w mi mi xn ch, ksh w mile y ling ji ch I didnt buy a new bike, but I bought an old one. 2. When sh to be, zi to be in or yu to have are used as the main verbs of a sentence, the aspectual marker le is not used with them. qnin w yu y ling hn ho de ch last year I had a very good bike. 3. If a sentence contains a modal verb, the aspectual marker le is not used. qnin w xing mi y ling ch last year I wanted to buy a bike. 4. The aspectual marker le is not used in the complement of degree construction. zu wn t fn zu de hn ho last night he cooked very well. 5. The aspectual marker le is not used for those verbs which indicate direct and indirect speech. t shng ge yu shu yo li kn w he said last month that he would visit me. 6. The aspectual marker le is not used in attributive clauses. w zutin mi de ch the bike which I bought yesterday.
V zhe O [12]
The V zhe O pattern can be used in the following two situations: 1. It is used to describe how something has been left, as in zhu shng fngzhe y bn sh there is a book left on the table;
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Grammar Index
qing shng xizhe sn ge z there are three characters written on the wall; mn kizhe the door has been left open. 2. It can also be used to make this action simultaneous with the main verb in the sentence, as in t chngzhe g hu ji she went home singing.
w 2.
s
xu
hny
xu le sn nin
v () tm
w 3.
s
hny
xu le sn nin
v ( ) tm
xu le sn nin de hny
A time measure is placed near the beginning of a negative sentence, as in w sn nin mi knjin t le I havent seen her for three years. The le at the end of the sentence marks a stage in a continuing situation.
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Grammar Index
V zhe O [16,12]
The V zhe O pattern can be used in the following two situations: 1. It is used to describe how something has been left, as in zhu shng fngzhe y bn sh there is a book left on the table; qing shng xizhe sn ge z there are three characters written on the wall; mn kizhe the door has been left open. 2. It can also be used to make this action simultaneous with the main verb in the sentence, as in t chngzhe g hu ji she went home singing.
Comparatives [17]
The following constructions are used to compare one item or action with another. 1. The construction is used to indicate whether A is better or worse than B.
A B (stative) verb + quantity
d ling su
t
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ch de du
[du le]
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Grammar Index
He eats (much) more than I do. 2. The gn...yyng construction indicates that A is in the same state as B.
A () B () stative verb
gn
yyng d
complement of degree
gn
ch de
yyng du
He and I eat the same amount. 3. The construction implies that A is as [stative verb] as B.
()
stative verb ?
yu
ma
Is he as old as me?
A () B complement of degree ?
yu
ch de du
ma
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fngjin dso de gngnjngjng the room [has been cleaned so that it] is spotless. The outcome of the cleaning is that the room is spotless, so gngnjngjng is placed after dso de. 3. Sentence with an adverbial marker de t yjyj de shu he said it sentence by sentence. Sentence by sentence is the manner in which he said what he had to say, so yjyj de is placed before shu. 4. Sentence with a resultative verb phrase w kn dng le I have understood it [by reading]. I understood it because I read it first, so kn should be placed before dng.
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