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Grammar Notes for lesson 3 |
Choice type questions
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？
buzuò
Are you going to do the exercises (or not)?
subject
verb 没 verb
object
你
nǐ
作 没 作
zuò méizuò
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？
méizuò
Did you do the exercises (or not)?
If a verb has a double syllable it can be used in the following ways:
A
B
不
A
B
喜 xĭ
欢 huān
不 bu
喜 xĭ
欢 huān
A
不
A
B
喜 xĭ
不 bu
喜 xĭ
欢 huān
A
B
没
A
B
学 xué
习 xí
没 méi
学 xué
习 xí
A
没
A
B
学 xué
没 méi
学 xué
习 xí
Measure words
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?