Grammar Index
Stative verbs [1]
A stative verb expresses quality or conditions. In Chinese a stative
verb is used where in English one would use the verb ‘to be’ with an
adjective. For instance, in 他 很 忙
tā hěn máng he is very busy 忙
máng is a stative
verb and means to be busy.
Possessive 的 de [1]
This construction indicates that the noun after 的 de belongs to the noun that comes before 的
de, as in
小 王 的 邮 票
Xiǎo Wáng de yóupiào Xiao Wang’s stamp.
V 一 下 yíxià [1]
When 一 下
yíxià 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)
The verb 在 zài
[1]
When 在
zài is used as the main verb in a sentence, it means to be
located...; to be in, on, or at a place, as in 在 这 儿
zài zhèr
to be here,
他 在 这 儿 tā
zài zhèr he is here.
The linking verb 是
shì [2]
The linking verb 是
shì is used to link nouns or pronouns, as in 他 是 老 师
tā shì
lǎoshī
he is a teacher and 我 是 学 生
wǒ shì
xuésheng I am a student. (See lessons 4 and 5)
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 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. In 小 丁 在 家 看 书
Xiǎo 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, with the co-verb 在
zài
followed by the noun 家
jiā
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.
The particle 吧 ba [2]
The particle 吧 ba is placed at the end of a sentence to indicate suggestion.
Modal verbs [2,10]
Modal verbs are like auxiliary verbs and are placed before main
verbs. Examples are: 应 该
yīnggāi
should, to be obliged
and 得
děi to have to…; 可 以
kěyǐ
to be permitted; 能
néng to be able; 想
xiǎng to want, to intend;
and 爱 ài
to like, to be fond of.
Choice type questions [3]
One type of choice type questions is formed by following an affirmative verb with a negative verb as in: V 不
bù
V or V 没 méi V. The following patterns are those most commonly used.
|
subject |
verb 不 verb |
object |
|
你
nǐ
|
是 不 是
shì bu
shì |
学 生？
xuésheng |
Are you a student or not?
|
subject |
verb object |
不 verb |
|
你
nǐ
|
作 练
习
zuò liànxí |
不 作？
bu zuò |
Are you going to do the exercises (or not)?
|
subject |
verb 没 verb |
object |
|
你
nǐ
|
作 没 作
zuò
méi zuò |
练 习？
liànxí |
Did you do the exercises or not?
|
subject |
verb 了
object |
没 verb |
|
你
nǐ
|
作 了
练 习
zuòle liànxí |
没 作？
méi zuò |
Did you do the exercises (or not)?
If a verb has a double syllable it can be used in the following ways:
|
喜
xĭ |
欢
huan |
不 bu |
喜
xĭ |
欢
huan |
|
学
xué |
习
xí |
没
méi |
学
xué |
习
xí |
Measure words [3]
The word ‘cup’ in a cup of tea and the word ‘bottle’ in a bottle of
beer are ‘measure words'. In Chinese a measure word is used when quantifying
or specifying a noun. A measure word is preceded by one of the following: a
number word; a specifier such as 这
zhè this, 那
nà that , or 每
měi
every ; or a question word such as 哪
nă
which? or 几 jĭ
how many?
太 tài
expresses excessiveness [4]
The affirmative form of the 太
tài
construction is 太
tài [stative
verb] 了le, which means extremely [stative verb] as in 太 好 了
tài hăo le
extremely good. The negative form is 不 太
bú tài
[stative verb] without 了le, which means that something is not very
[stative verb], as in 不 太 好
bú tài hăo
not very good.
The question particle 呢 ne [4]
呢 ne is placed at the end of a sentence. It can be used in the
following situations:
1. To bounce a question or statement 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
wŏ hěn hăo. nĭ ne?
I am very well, and you?
2. To ask the question where? as in 我 的 书 呢
wŏ de shū ne where is my book?
3. To reinforce questions formed with a question-word [who? what? which? when?
why? where?] and to show that a speaker really wants to know the answer, as
in: 他 是 哪 国 人 呢
tā shì nă guó
rén ne what nationality IS he? 你 看 的 是 什 么 书 呢
nĭ kàn de shì
shénme shū ne what book ARE you reading? 你 去 哪 儿 呢
nĭ qù năr ne
where ARE you going?
不是...是...
búshì…
shì … sentence construction [4]
The 不是...是...
búshì …
shì… sentence
construction is used to deny one statement and confirm another, as in 不 是 我 的
语 法 不 好, 是 语 法 太 难 了
búshì wǒ de yǔfǎ bù hǎo, shì yǔfǎ
tài nán le it is not that my grammar is weak, it is that the grammar
is too difficult.
Use of 以后
yǐhòu [4]
以 后
yǐhòu is used to form time clauses. So, if 以
后
yǐhòu is placed after a noun
or phrase to form a time clause, it defines a time after the action indicated
by the noun or predicate, as in: 午 饭 以 后
wǔfàn yǐhòu
after having lunch. However,
if 以 后 yǐhòu
is placed at the beginning of a phrase and used as a time word, it
means later, in the future, as in 以 后 我 想 去 中 国
yǐhòu wǒ
xiǎng qù Zhōngguó later/one day I would like to go to China.
Telling the time [4]
The linking verb 是 shì
to be is not needed when giving the time
or the date: 今 天 星 期 天 jīntiān
xīngqī tiān today is Sunday. 现 在 两 点 零 五 分
xiànzài liǎng
diǎn líng wǔ fēn it is five past two. (See lessons 2 and 5)
The adverb 那(么) nà (me)
[4]
那
nà
is short for 那 么
nà me
. If 那 (么)
nà (me)
is placed at the beginning of a
sentence it implies if this is the case….
Giving the day, month and/or year [5]
When you ask for the time or the date, 是
shì is omitted, as in: 今 天 几 号
jīntiān jǐ
hào
what date is it today? 今 天 十 五 号
jīntiān shíwǔ
hào today is the 15th. The 是
shì in 还 是
háishì choice-type questions cannot be omitted. (See lessons 2 and 4)
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.
Pronoun or name + 这儿 zhèr
or 那儿 nàr [5]
When 这 儿
zhèr and 那 儿
nàr are placed after a pronoun or name, they identify a
place associated with that person. 这 儿
zhèr implies that the speaker is actually in
the place to which he refers, while 那 儿
nàr implies that the speaker is not in the
place to which he refers: 我 那 儿
wǒ nàr
my place (though I am not in my place as I speak).
我 这 儿 wǒ zhèr
my place (I am in my place as I speak).
Duplicate verbs [6]
A verb is duplicated to soften the tone of voice, especially when used at the end of a sentence, as in
请
你 给 他 介 绍 介 绍
qǐng nǐ gěi
tā jièshaojièshao please tell him about it. (See lesson 1)
Resultative verb phrases [6,10,18]
A resultative verb phrase is used to describe the result of an
action. It is formed by an action verb and its result, as in 我 吃 完 了
wǒ chī wán le
I finished eating.
The verb is to eat, the result of the eating is finished, so the resultative verb phrase is
eating to a finish.
Attributive clause with 的 de [6]
An attributive clause is used to modify a noun preceded by 的 de. The
clause can be formed from a word or a phrase, as in 一 个 很 好 的 朋 友
yí ge hěn hǎo
de péngyou a very
good friend and 我 从 小 王 那 儿 借 来 的 书
wǒ cǒng Xiǎo
Wáng nàr jiè lái de shū the book which I borrowed from Xiao Wang.
Combined directional verb phrase [7]
A combined directional verb phrase is formed from a verb of action
with a directional word such as 进
jìn in, 出
chū
out, 上
shàng up or 下
xià down and is followed by 来
lái or 去
qù (indicating the position of the speaker). 来
lái indicates that the action is moving towards the speaker, and 去
qù indicates that the action is moving away from the speaker, for instance, 走 进 来
zǒu jìn lái
to walk in (the speaker is inside). A simple object is placed between 进
jìn
and 来
lái, as in 走 进 图 书 馆 来
zǒu jìn túshū
guǎn lái
to walk into the library. The object 图 书 馆
túshū guǎn
library is placed between the directional word and 来
lái or 去qù .
是 … 的 shì ... de construction [7]
The 是 … 的 shì
... de construction is used to emphasise the state or situation of the noun. The emphasised
statement is placed between 是
shì and 的 de, as in 我 的 书 是 新 的
wǒ de shū shì
xīn de my book is the new one.
Position words [7]
Position words are 前
qián
front, 后
hòu
back, 旁
páng beside, 右
yòu to the right, 左
zuǒ to the left, 上
shàng above,下
xià beneath and
中
zhōng middle/inside. These position words can all be followed by 边
biān side.
The exception is 中
zhōng middle/inside, which cannot be used with 边
biān, but
instead is used with 间
jiān
. When position words are used to describe nouns they
are placed after the noun, as in 房 间 里 边
fángjiān lǐ
biān inside the room.
Complement of degree construction [8,19]
A complement of degree construction is used to describe how an
action is habitually carried out, as in 他 吃 得 很 快
tā chī de hěn
kuài he eats very fast. The verb is placed before 得 de, while the elements which follow 得
de are usually adverbs describing the outcome of the action.
This construction can also be used to describe a particular action. For example, in 昨 天 晚 上 我 作 饭 作 得 很 好
zuótiān
wǎnshang wǒ zuò fàn zuò de hěn hǎo
last night I cooked the meal very well, 很 好
hěn hǎo
describes the outcome of the cooking. (See lessons 19)
Potential verb phrases [8,20]
A potential verb phrase is used to indicate that an action can or cannot be achieved. It is formed from a verb of action with 得
de
[for affirmative] or 不
bù [for negative] and is followed by a resultative or directional word, as in 吃 得 完
chī de wán
to be able to finish eating. 走 不 进 去
zǒu bu jìn qù
to be unable to walk in.
Most resultative or directional verb phrases can be turned into potential verb phrases by inserting 得
de or 不 bù
between the verb and its resultative or directional word. But some potential verb phrases such as 对 不 起
duì bù qǐ are only used as idiomatic expressions.
可 kě
[8]
可
kě can be used as an adverb to reinforce a statement or to emphasise
desires and feelings. 可
kě can precede the linking verb 是
shì
as in 小 王 可 是 一个 大 忙 人
Xiǎo Wǎng kě
shì yí ge dà máng rén Xiao Wang is a really busy person.
A stative verb such as 好
hǎo good
or 忙 máng
busy, or a modal verb such as 想
xiǎng intend to … or 喜 欢
xǐhuan like
to.. can be placed between 可…了
kě ...le to form an affirmative construction. The
negative form is 可 不… kě bù,
but 了 le is not used, for instance, 今 天 可 冷 了
jīntiān kě lěng le today is
really cold. 我 可 想 去 中 国 了
wǒ kě xiǎng qù Zhōngguó le I really want to go to China. 我 可 不 喜 欢 吃
英 国 菜 wǒ kě bù xǐhuan chī
Yīngguó cài I really don’t like eating English food.
The conditional construction with 要是...就... yàoshi…jiù...[8]
The 要 是... 就... yàoshi…jiù...
construction is used to form a conditional sentence. The condition is placed after the 要 是
yàoshi clause, and the consequence is placed after 就 jiù.
Use of the 正 在 V 着 O 呢 zhènzài
V zhe O ne
sentence pattern [9]
This sentence pattern indicates that an action is under way. Note that some of the elements of this pattern can be omitted: all the following sentences mean
he is watching TV.
1. 他 正 在 看 着 电 视 呢
tā zhèngzài
kànzhe diànshì ne full version
2. 他 正 看 着 电 视 呢
tā zhèng
kànzhe diànshì ne without 在
zài
3. 他 在 看 着 电 视 呢
tā zài kànzhe
diànshì ne without 正
zhèng
4. 他 正 在 看 电 视 呢
tā zhèngzài
kàn diànshì ne without 着 zhe
5. 他 正 在 看 着 电 视
tā zhèngzài
kànzhe diànshì without 呢 ne
6. 他 在 看 电 视 呢
tā zài kàn
diànshì ne without 正
zhèng and 着
zhe
7. 他 看 电 视 呢
tā kàn
diànshì ne without 正
zhèng
, 在
zài and 着
zhe
(See lesson 16)
Aspectual marker 了 le with verbs [10,11,14]
When placed after the main verb of a sentence the aspectual marker 了le is used to indicate that an action has been completed, as in 我 买 了 一 辆 自 行 车
wǒ mǎile yí
liàng zì xíng chē
I bought a bike.
The aspectual marker 了 le is not used in the following situations:
1. The aspectual marker 了le is not used in the negative form, but instead 没 (有)
méi(yǒu)
is placed before the main verb. 我 没 买 新 车, 可 是 我 买 了 一 辆 旧 车
wǒ méi mǎi
xīn chē, kěshì wǒ mǎile yí liàng jiù chē
I didn’t buy a new bike, but I bought an old one.
2. When 是
shì to be, 在
zài to be in or 有
yǒu to have are used as the main verbs of a sentence, the aspectual marker 了le is not used with them. 去 年 我 有 一 辆 很 好 的 车
qùnián wǒ yǒu yí liàng hěn hǎo de
chē last year I had a very good bike.
3. If a sentence contains a modal verb, the aspectual
marker 了 le is not used. 去 年 我 想 买 一辆 车
qùnián wǒ
xiǎng mǎi yí liàng chē last year I wanted to buy a bike.
4. The aspectual marker 了
le is not used in the ‘complement of degree’ construction. 昨 晚 他 饭 作 得 很 好
zuó wǎn tā
fàn zuò de hěn hǎo
last night he cooked very well.
5. The aspectual marker 了 le is not used for those verbs which indicate direct and indirect speech. 他 上 个 月 说 要 来 看 我
tā shàng ge
yuè shuō yào lái kàn wǒ
he said last month that he would visit me.
6. The aspectual marker 了
le
is not used in attributive clauses. 我 昨 天 买 的 车
wǒ zuótiān
mǎi de chē the bike which I bought yesterday.
The modal particle了 le implying change of situation [11]
了 le can be placed at the end of a sentence to imply a change of
situation or to imply that something is no longer in the same state as it was.
我 不 是 老 师 了
wǒ bú shì lǎoshī le I am no longer a teacher. 夏 天 了
xiàtiān le
it’s summer now. 他 好
多 了 tā hǎo
duō le he is much better now.
Imminent actions [12]
The following sentence patterns are used to indicate that an action is about to take place or that a particular time is approaching.
1. 要 … 了
yào…le
2. 快 要 … 了kuàiyào…le
3. 就 要 … 了
jiùyào…le
Elements which can be placed between 要
yào leand 了
le are: V-O patterns; and time words
such as 三 月
sānyuè March, 春 天
chūntiān
spring, 中 午
zhōngwǔ
noon and 两点
liǎng diǎn 2 o’clock.
The adverbial marker 地 de [12]
The adverbs or phrases which are placed before 地 de describe the
intention, manner or method with, in or by which an action is carried out, as
in 她 高 兴 地 唱 了 一 个 歌
tā gāoxìng de
chàngle yí ge gē she happily sang a song. 学 生 们 都 一 个 一 个 地 回 家 了
xuésheng men
dōu yí ge yí ge de huí jiā le
the students went home one by one.
V 着 zhe O [12]
The V 着 zhe O pattern can be used in the following two situations:
1. It is used to describe how something has been left, as in 桌 上 放 着 一 本 书
zhuō shàng
fàngzhe yì běn shū
there is a book left on the table; 墙 上 写 着 三 个 字
qiáng shàng
xiězhe sān ge zì there are three characters written on the wall;
门 开 着 mén kāizhe 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 她 唱 着 歌 回 家
tā chàngzhe
gē huí jiā
she went home singing.
Time measures [13]
A time measure quantifies duration or length of time. A time measure is placed after the verb in an affirmative sentence, as in 我 学 汉 语 学 了 两 个 月 了
wǒ
xué hànyǔ xué le liǎng ge yuè le
I have been learning Chinese for two months. 了 le at the end of the sentence marks a stage in a progressing action.
When describing a future action the time measure is placed after the verb, as
in 明 年 我 要 在 北 京 学 习 三 个 月 汉 语
míngnián wǒ
yào zài Běijīng xuéxí sān ge yuè hànyǔ I will study three weeks of Chinese in Beijing next spring.
The following three sentence patterns for
I learnt Chinese for three years are all acceptable.
1.
|
我 wǒ
|
学
xué
|
汉
语
hànyǔ
|
学
了
三
年
xué le
sān nián |
2.
|
我
wǒ |
汉
语
hànyǔ
|
学
了
三
年
xué le
sān nián |
3.
|
我
wǒ |
学 了
三
年
的
xué le
sān nián de |
汉
语
hànyǔ
|
A time measure is placed near the beginning of a negative sentence, as in 我
三 年 没 看 见 她 了
wǒ sān nián méi kànjiàn tā le I haven’t seen her for three years. The 了
le at the end of the sentence marks a stage in a continuing situation.
The particle 过 guo [14]
The particle 过 guo is placed after a verb and is used in the following two situations.
1. It is used to indicate that a particular action has been experienced, as in
我 吃 过 英 国 菜
wǒ chīguo Yīngguó cài I have eaten English food.
2. It can also to be used to
indicate that a regular action such as the daily eating of a meal has been
completed, as in 你 吃 过 饭 吗
nǐ chīguo fàn
ma have you eaten?
The action measure [14]
次
cì is used as an action measure in sentences. Like time measures, an
action measure is placed after the verb in an affirmative sentence and before
the verb in a negative sentence, as in 我 去 过 一 次 中 国
wǒ qùguo yí
cì Zhōngguó I have been to China once.
在
zài
used in a resultative verb phrase [15]
在
zài can be used as a verb or co-verb. It can also be placed after a verb of action to form a resultative
verb phrase, so that the action has a direct effect on the object. For
instance, in 放 在 桌 上
fàng zài zhuō
shàng to put (it) on the table, the item
is on the table as a result of the action to put. However, in 在 中 国 学 习
zài Zhōngguó
xuéxí
to study in China the action to study does not have a direct
effect on China, meaning that 在 中 国
zài Zhōngguó
to be in China is a co-verb clause which gives the background to an action and/or indicates the sequence of action.
Use of the 正 在 V 着 O 呢 zhènzài
V zhe O ne
sentence pattern [16,9]
This sentence pattern indicates that an action is under way. Note that some of the elements of this pattern can be omitted: all the following sentences mean
he is watching TV.
1. 他 正 在 看 着 电 视 呢
tā zhènzài
kànzhe diànshì ne full version
2. 他 正 看 着 电 视 呢
tā zhèng
kànzhe diànshì ne without 在
zài
3. 他 在 看 着 电 视 呢
tā zài kànzhe
diànshì ne without 正
zhèng
4. 他 正 在 看 电 视 呢
tā zhèngzài
kàn diànshì ne without 着 zhe
5. 他 正 在 看 着 电 视
tā zhèngzài
kànzhe diànshì without 呢 ne
6. 他 在 看 电 视 呢
tā zài kàn
diànshì ne without 正
zhèng and 着
zhe
7. 他 看 电 视 呢
tā kàn
diànshì ne without 正
zhèng
, 在
zài and 着
zhe
(See lesson 9)
V 着 zhe O [16,12]
The V 着 zhe O pattern can be used in the following two situations:
1. It is used to describe how something has been left, as in 桌 上 放 着 一 本 书
zhuō shàng
fàngzhe yì běn shū
there is a book left on the table; 墙 上 写 着 三 个 字
qiáng shàng
xiězhe sān ge zì there are three characters written on the wall;
门 开 着 mén kāizhe 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 她 唱 着
歌 回 家 tā
chàngzhe gē huí jiā
she went home singing.
Comparatives [17]
The following constructions are used to compare one item or action with another.
1. The 比construction is used to indicate whether A is better or worse than B.
|
A |
比 |
B |
(stative) verb + quantity |
|
他
tā |
比
bǐ |
我
wǒ |
大
两岁
dà liǎng
suì |
He is (two years) older than me.
|
A |
比 |
B |
complement of degree +
多
了 |
|
他
tā |
比
bǐ |
我
wǒ |
吃
得
多
[多
了]
chī de
duō
[duō le] |
He eats (much) more than I do.
2. The …跟…一 样 …gēn...yíyàng
construction indicates that A is in the same state as B.
|
A |
(不)
跟
|
B |
(不)
一
样 stative verb |
|
他
tā
|
跟
gēn |
我
wǒ |
一
样
大
yíyàng dà |
He and I are the same age.
|
A |
跟
|
B |
complement of degree (不)
一
样
|
|
他
tā |
跟
gēn |
我
wǒ |
吃
得
一
样
多
chī de yíyàng duō |
He and I eat the same amount.
3. The 有 construction implies that
A is as [stative verb] as B.
|
他
tā |
有
yǒu |
我
wǒ |
大
吗?
dà ma |
Is he as old as me?
|
A |
(没)
有 |
B |
complement of degree |
|
他
tā |
有
yǒu |
我
wǒ |
吃
得
多
吗?
chī de
duō ma |
Does he eat as much as I do?
是 … 的 shì ... de construction [17,7]
The 是 … 的 shì
... de construction is used to emphasise the state or situation of the noun. The emphasised
statement is placed between 是
shì and 的 de, as in 我 的 书 是 新 的
wǒ de shū shì
xīn de my book is the new one. (See lesson 7)
Word order in Chinese corresponds to the sequence of action. [18]
1. Sentence with a co-verb clause
坐 车 去 学 校
zuò chē qù
xuéxiào (I) go to school by car. The action of sitting in a car happens before going to school, so 坐 车
zuò chē
is placed before 去 学 校
qù
xuéxiào.
2. Sentence with a complement of degree construction
房 间 打 扫 得 干 干 净 净
fángjiān
dǎsǎo de gāngānjìngjìng the room [has been cleaned so that it] is spotless. The outcome of the cleaning is that the room is spotless, so 干 干 净 净gāngānjìngjìng
is placed after 打 扫 得
dǎsǎo de.
3. Sentence with an adverbial marker 地
de
他 一 句 一 句 地 说
tā yíjùyíjù de shuō he said it sentence by sentence. Sentence by sentence is the manner in which he said what he had to say, so 一 句 一 句地
yíjùyíjù de
is placed before 说
shuō.
4. Sentence with a resultative verb phrase
我 看 懂 了 wǒ
kàn dǒng le I have understood it [by reading]. I understood it because I read it first, so 看
kàn should be placed before 懂
dǒng.
Complement of degree construction [19,8]
A complement of degree construction is used to describe how an
action is habitually carried out, as in 他 吃 得 很 快
tā chī de hěn
kuài he eats very fast. The verb is placed before 得 de, while the elements which follow 得
de are usually adverbs describing the outcome of the action.
This construction can also be used to describe a particular action. For example, in 昨 天 晚 上 我 作 饭 作 得 很 好
zuótiān
wǎnshang wǒ zuò fàn zuò de hěn hǎo
last night I cooked the meal very well, 很 好
hěn hǎo
describes the outcome of the cooking. (See lessons 8)
Potential verb phrases [20,8]
A potential verb phrase is used to indicate that an action can or cannot be achieved. It is formed from a verb of action with 得
de
[for affirmative] or 不
bù [for negative] and is followed by a resultative or directional word, as in 吃 得 完
chī de wán
to be able to finish eating. 走 不 进 去
zǒu bu jìn qù
to be unable to walk in.
Most resultative or directional verb phrases can be turned into potential verb phrases by inserting 得
de or 不 bù
between the verb and its resultative or directional word. But some potential verb phrases such as 对 不 起
duì bù qǐ are only used as idiomatic expressions.
(See lesson 8)
The 把 bǎ
construction [21]
The 把
bǎ
construction is used to indicate what one does to a particular object, or how one does it. Verbs used in the 把
bǎ
construction take complex forms, and are verbs of action attached to resultative
words, directional words or other elements. The attached elements refer to the
direct object of the sentence. For instance, in 我 把 酒 喝 完了wǒ
bǎ jiǔ hē wán le I finished the wine the resultative
word finish refers to the wine, but not to the action of drinking. I finished drinking would be expressed by the simple utterance 我 喝 完 酒 了wǒ
hē wán jiǔ le.
Passive construction with 被 bèi
[22]
The passive construction with 被
bèi indicates 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. Most of the elements that are attached
to the main verbs in 被
bèi sentences are similar to those used in the 把
bǎ
construction. For instance, 书 已 经 被 他 借 走 了
shū yǐjīng
bèi tā jiè zǒu le the book has been borrowed by him. In 把
bǎ
sentences this will be 他 已 经 把 书 借 走 了tā
yǐjīng bǎ shū jiè zǒu le
he has already borrowed the book.
|
