|
Lesson One
2. Sentences
How to use this webpage
1. Place the mouse on the following
Chinese words to view the functions of the words. Click
on the words to learn the expressions.
2. If you place the mouse on the example
sentences, the English translation of the sentences will
pop up on your screen. Click on the example sentences to
hear the sentences spoken. Click on the Back
button on the navigation bar at the top of your webpage
to return to the top of the Sentences section.
1. 可
…了
kĕ..……le
INDEED; CERTAINLY; REALLY
可
…了is
used to emphasize stative verbs and modal verbs.可
is placed before negatives, stative verbs, modal verbs,
adverbs, other construction particles, and co-verbs such
as
比,
把,
and
被.
[Click
on the following Chinese example sentences to hear the
example sentences spoken.]
年轻人可不能学吸烟
(before NEG) Young people really shouldn't learn to
smoke.
他的中文可好了
(before SV) His Chinese is really good.
我可想去中国了
(before MV) I really want to go to China.
她的中文可比我的好多了
(before
比)
Her Chinese is certainly much better than mine.
了
is placed at the end of affirmative sentences, but is not
used in the negative form of this expression:
我可不想听这些话
I really don’t want to hear this.
If
可
appears in front of a
resultative verb or directional verb, it often has the
idea of "at last (we have reached the end)":
功课可作完了
(at last) I have
finished the homework.
我可想去法国旅行了。
中文可比英文难多了。
小王可不是个好人。
昨天晚上我看的那个中国电影可有意思了。
他的口语可不比我好多少。
谢天谢地﹐我们可把那本书学完了。
她花了五年时间,（最后）可写出来了一本很有意思的小说。
他可走了。
Analyse the
following sentences and note the difference between
年轻人不可能吸烟 and
年轻人可不能吸烟.
Try to say the following sentences in
Chinese.
1.
Thank God, he has left! 2.
She is extremely pretty. 3.
I'm extremely hungry. 4.
Chinese food is extremely cheap.
2.
逛(逛)
guàng
or
转(转)
zhuàn
TO GO SIGHTSEEING;
TO HAVE A WALK
[Click on the following Chinese example
sentences to hear the example sentences spoken.]
A
casual way of saying to go out to enjoy oneself or go
on holiday:
我想明年去美国逛逛
I would like to travel in the U.S.A. next year.
逛
can be followed by a place:
逛公园
to enjoy oneself in the park.
转转
is similar to
玩儿.
Both
转 and
玩儿
are not usually followed by a noun:
去公园转转
or
去公园玩儿玩儿.
If
逛逛
and
转转
are used at the end of a sentence they are often duplicated
to soften the tone of voice.
我们今天下午去逛马路怎么样？
他第一次来我们大学。我想带他出去转转。
去年我在北京的时候﹐该去逛的地方我都去转了一下。
今年夏天我想去欧洲逛逛。你也想去转转吗？
Try to use the
alternative expressions
逛逛,
转转
and
玩儿 for the above sentences, and see whether
they would still work.
Try to say the following sentences in
Chinese.
-
Shall we go out window-shopping?
-
Where shall we go (to enjoy ourselves) on Sunday?
3.
有
V
头
yŏu
tóu
IT IS
INTERESTING TO…; IT IS WORTH…
The following verbs are commonly used
in the affirmative form of this expression:
听,
说,
看,
作,
吃,
喝,
玩.
[Click
on the following Chinese example sentences to hear the
example sentences spoken.]
This expression is often used as a
stative verb clause in a sentence, in the following
pattern.
Chinese films are interesting to
watch.
The negative form for this expression
is
没有
V
头.
However, the rhetorical question
有什么V
头
also has a negative sense:
中文有(什么)学头
what is so good about learning Chinese? It
implies that
中文没有什么学头
Chinese is not worth learning.
In colloquial Chinese, the question
word
什么 is often used in rhetorical questions to
express a negative attitude. [Also see sentence patterns
6 and 13, which demonstrate how the question words
哪儿
and
怎么 are used in a similar way.]
在饭店里吃不到好饺子。过年的时候去中国北方人家吃饺子才有吃头呢。
你总是说这件事﹐有什么听头呢？（没有听头。）
茅台酒没有什么喝头。（有什么喝头？）
老王写的那本书真有看头。
这种句子没有学头。（有什么学头？）
Try to
say the following sentences in Chinese.
1.
Chinese is not worth learning. 2.
That film is too boring to watch.
4. 还(算)
…
hái
suàn
RATHER;
FAIRLY
[Click
on the following Chinese examples sentence to hear the
example sentences spoken.]
This expression
shows that the speaker is not positive about the
preceding statement.
还
here implies a negative feeling about a stative verb that
has a positive sense:
这个菜还好
this dish of food is
OK. (The speaker is not very enthusiastic about the
dish.)
The stative verb
after
还
must have a positive sense:
好
good;
漂亮
beautiful. One cannot place
还
before
难,
as 难
has an undesirable sense. In order to soften a stative verb
with an undesirable sense such as
难,
one can say
比较难.
还
also shows that you do not want to express your positive
views too strongly.
A
这个班的汉语口语怎么样？
B 还（算）可以／马马虎虎。
A
这个电影还（算）不坏﹐我们再去看一次吧。
B 不管好坏﹐看一遍就够了。
英国夏天的天气还（算）不错﹐可是冬天天气冷得没有人想去上课。
她长得真难看﹐可是她妹妹长得还算漂亮。
Can you think of
any English words that have a similar function?
5. 还
... 呢
hái
ne
COME OFF
IT; HOW COULD YOU…?
还
... 呢
is used to deny or be sarcastic about
the statement which is placed between
还
and
呢
.
[Click on the
following Chinese example sentences to hear the example
sentences spoken.]
This expression
can sometimes demonstrate the speaker's disapproval:
还睡觉呢
!
不看看几点了
Still in bed! Can't you see
what time it is!
还喝酒呢！你看看已经几点了﹐同学们都去上课了。
你还说她努力呢﹐你看﹐ 她中午上酒馆﹐下午逛马路﹐ 晚上去跳舞﹐总是不学习。
A
我想去吃法国菜。
B 还吃法国菜呢！我们连面包也吃不起了。
还说社会主义好呢！为什么那么多的社会主义国家都要改革呢？
Try to say the following sentence in
Chinese.
Come off it, how could you say she is pretty?
What's wrong with your eyes?
6. 哪儿...了
năr le
or
怎么...了
zĕnme le
(Lit.
WHERE DID...?)
[Click
on the following Chinese example sentences to hear the
example sentences spoken.]
The rhetorical
question
哪儿…了is
used to deny that an action has taken place. The denied
action is placed between
哪儿
and
了.
This expression does not have the
same sarcastic tone of voice as
还...呢.
Note the difference between
她怎么漂亮了
she is not pretty; and
她还漂亮呢!
Her, pretty? Come off it!
The difference
between
哪儿…了and
怎么...了
is that
哪儿…了
is used for denying actions and situations, while
怎么...了
is used for denying a stative verb or
the degree of action.
A
昨天晚上我看到你跟一个女的在酒馆喝酒呢。
B 我哪儿上酒馆喝酒了？
我一直在家学习中文呢。
小丁哪儿去上课了?
他在家睡觉呢。
A
我们这班学生汉语说得可流利了。
B 他们怎么说得流利了？他们一点也不愿意说。
A
我们食堂的饭一点都不好吃。
B 怎么不好吃了？
有鱼又有肉的。
Try to say the following sentence in
Chinese.
I certainly didn't say that she was pretty.
7.
数得上
shŭ dé shàng
(Lit. TO BE COUNTED
AS); TO BE RECKONED TO BE (AN OUTSTANDING); THE TOP; THE
BEST
[Click
on the following Chinese example sentences to hear the
example sentences spoken.]
If
数得上
is used at the end of a sentence as a
stative verb, it is normally placed between
是...的
for emphasis.
数得上
may be preceded by
还
to soften the stative verb:
这种酒是数得上的
This is one of the
top grade wines.
他的口语还数得上
His spoken language is quite good.
It can also be
placed before
的
and used as an adjective in a sentence:
他是我们这儿数得上的有钱人
He can be reckoned to be one of the richest people
in this place.
说到喝酒﹐他是我们这儿数得上的酒鬼。
他踢足球还数得上﹐可是说到看书写字就不行了。
A
我们大学是数得上的名大学。
B 还数得上呢！我可没听说过。
我们系里中文好的人多着呢。哪儿数得上他呀。
What is the function of
数得上
in the above sentence?
Try to
say the following sentence in Chinese.
You can be reckoned to be the number one alcoholic in
the Institute.
8.
拿...来说
ná láishuō
对
...
来说
duì láishuō
[Click
on the following Chinese example sentences to hear the
example sentences spoken.]
8a. 拿...来说
TO
TAKE ... AS AN EXAMPLE
The example is
placed between
拿
and
来说.
This expression is often followed by
another clause that reinforces the example in the
拿
clause. It is often used in the following pattern:
[Click
on the following Chinese example sentence to hear the
example sentences spoken.]
China's urban population is very
large. Take Shanghai as an example: (one can see) huge
crowds of people on the streets.
However,
拿...来说
cannot be the last clause of a
sentence. One can't say
中国城巿人口可多了,拿上海来说.
Support for the examples is needed in
this usage.
Another similar
expression is
比如
(FOR INSTANCE, FOR EXAMPLE). This is always placed
before the example given. ‘Support’ for the example is
not necessary.
中国虽然在改革,可是问题非常多,拿物价上升来说就是目前的大问题。
学汉语好处可多着呢。就拿跟朋友上中国饭店吃饭来说，人家看不懂的菜你都能看懂。
我们课文的内容真有看头呀。拿书里的古波来说，他就是一个非常有意思的角色。
Use
比如
instead of
拿...来
说
in the above sentences.
8b. 对
... 来说
AS FAR AS...IS CONCERNED
The matter or
person concerned is placed between
对
and
来说,
which is often followed by a statement relating to the
matter or person concerned.
学习中文对日本人来说不太难﹐可是对我们英国学生来说可困难了。
对去逛外国来说他什么都知道﹐要是说到学习﹐他就什么都不懂了。
对作工作来说老王算是一个数得上的热心人﹐可是他就是不会生活。
Try to say the following sentences in
Chinese.
As far as I am concerned, the most interesting thing in
life is drinking!
That is why everybody calls me a drunkard.
9. 管 guăn
Ａ
叫
jiàoＢ
/
管
/
管他
V
不
V
9a.
管 Ａ
叫
Ｂ
TO ADDRESS "A" AS
"B"
This
construction is commonly used in the spoken language.
管
acts as a co-verb, like
把,
but does not require a complement after the main verb.
叫
is the only verb used in this
construction.
9b.
管
TO TAKE CHARGE; TO CONTROL; TO PROVIDE FOR/WITH
(Colloquial)
台湾人管北京叫北平。
他们管出租车叫计程车。
香港人管出租车叫的士。那么英国人管出租车叫什么呢？
因为老王天天在酒馆喝酒﹐所以我们管他叫酒鬼。
每天在宿舍开酒会。那怎么行？！这种事情你们学院应该管一下。
A
你住的地方管不管早、晚饭？
B
只管住不管吃。
应该让学生独立思考﹐别把他们管得太死了。
我实在不明白﹐为什么你管得那么宽。(!?)
Try to use "把"
in the above sentences.
9c
管他
V
不
V I DON'T
GIVE A DAMN; I DON'T CARE
The matter about
which one does not care should be placed after
管他,
but in an affirmative/ negative (choice type) speech
pattern.
A
明天早上要上课﹐咱们回去吧。
B 管他上不上课呢。再来两杯。
A
你练习怎么 写得那么不清楚。
B 管他清不清楚﹐写完就行了。
我管他是不是老师﹐（我管他是谁）他说得不对我就不听。
A
对不起﹐今天有事﹐我不能来上课。
B 我管你有没有事儿﹐有课就该上。
10.
倒
dào
BUT; YET; ACTUALLY; RATHER; UNEXPECTEDLY (BETTER)
倒
indicates that something has turned out to be the opposite
of, and usually better than what one expected.
It is similar to
可是,
but
倒
can only be placed before a verb or stative verb.
可是
and
倒
can both be used in the same
sentence.
[Click
on the following Chinese example sentences to hear the
example sentences spoken.]
倒
can also be followed by
还是
as in:
小王比小李努力,可是考试的成绩倒还是小李好
Xiao Wang works harder than Xiao Li, but
unexpectedly Xiao Li's exam results were better.
他才来这儿两个月﹐认识的朋友倒不少。
A
中文倒没有日文难。
B
还没有日文难呢！我们学了一年还不会说一句话呢。
去年我总管着他﹐可是他一点都不努力。今年我不管他了﹐他倒用功起来了。
以前这本书不让看，想看的人可多了。但是现在可以随便看了，看的人倒不多了。
我以为去北京学口语最好。可是从台湾回来的学生的口语倒还是比我们强。
How many
different ways can you find of using
还
and
还是?
Try to say the following sentence in
Chinese.
It's already the end of October, but it is still hot.
11. 好
像
... 似的
hăo xiàng
shìde
IT SEEMS AS IF; IT SEEMS THAT; IT SEEMS LIKE
The resemblance
should be framed by
好像
and
似的.
似的
can be omitted, but it gives a feeling of completion to the
sentence.
A
他今天好像 有一点儿不太高兴（似的）。
B 是因为昨晚没喝上酒﹐给气的。
A
这些学生上课的时候好像 没吃饱饭似的。
B 那是因为上你的课实在没有上头。
李老师总是说我﹐好像我一直不作练习似的。
What is the
difference between
好
像
...似的
and
像
...一样?
Try to say the following sentence in
Chinese.
It seems as if he never hears what I say.
12. 受
shòu
/ 受得了
/
受不了
12a.
受
TO RECEIVE; TO
ENDURE; TO SUFFER FROM (not in a medical sense)
The difference
between
受
and
收
is that
受is
for abstract objects such as
影响
and
欺负 (influence, bullying); but
收
is for physical objects such as
信,
礼物
(letters, presents).
12b.
受
得
了
or
受
不
了
BEARABLE / UNBEARABLE
This is an
idiomatic phrase and must be used in the form of a
potential verb complement.
多作一点儿工作我倒不在乎﹐可是我就怕受气。
那次火车撞车事故受害者至少有好几十。
住在牛津每月房租那么贵﹐你受得了吗？
A
每天查词典﹐作练习﹐我实在受不了了！
B 受不了﹐也要受。
在这个世界上﹐我看不惯﹐受不了的事可多了。
要是你不看不听不说﹐那么就没有受不了的事了。
没有什么
is used to reinforce a
negative statement. It can also be used affirmatively as
a rhetorical question (有什么...?)
but with an opposite meaning:
学中文有什么好? Lit: what is good
about learning Chinese? It implies that learning
Chinese is not good at all. Also see the notes in Speech
pattern 3, on page 8.
小王是个老好人。对他来说，这个世界上没有什么看不惯，受不了的事。
作业有什么作头？不上课也没什么关系。我们老师不管我们。
A 我可没吃过什么好吃的英国菜，这家馆子的菜还算高级，咱们试试吧？
B 管他英国饭有多高级，有多贵，都没什么吃头？
小丁是我们这儿数得上的好学生，她没有什么不会作的练习。
好学生有什么好？我可不想作好学生呢！
14. 千万
qiān wàn
BE SURE TO; AT ALL COSTS; FOR GOD'S SAKE
[Click
on the following Chinese example sentences to hear the
example sentences spoken.]
It is used to
give strong advice or a warning. It is usually used in
the negative form and is often followed by
别,
不
要
and 不
能.
The only affirmative modal verb which it is possible to
use with this expression is
得
(dĕi):
你开车千万可得小心点儿
, (千万)别撞人啊
You must be extremely careful when you drive. For
God’s sake, don’t run people over.
昨天晚上我在酒馆喝醉的事你可千万别告诉李老师啊。要不他又要说我了。
咱们明儿早七点车站见。你可千万别忘了。
你千万别跟老李在一起。
在家﹐在学院千万不能随便打人骂人﹐作坏事,可是在别的地方我就管不到你了。
Try to
say the following sentence in Chinese.
For God's sake don't drink any more!
15.
(Name) 这个人
zhè ge rén
...THIS
PERSON
[Click
on the following Chinese example sentences to hear the
example sentences spoken.]
If
这个人
is used after the name of a person, the following statement
refers to his or her physical appearance or character:
小王很好
Xiao Wang is very well / Xiao Wang is very
nice. But
小王这个人很好
has only one meaning, that is: Xiao Wang is a nice
person. In spoken Chinese
你这个人啊!
has overtones of complaint: honestly, you!
小李这个人倒不错﹐就是爱喝酒，所以找不到女朋友。
你这个人啊﹐跟你说了半天怎么好像没听见似的。
真受不了！老李这个人可太势利了。所以他到处不受欢迎。
王老师这个人很认真。跟他作事一点儿都不能马虎。
古波这个人真是没有希望了。他学了一年中文还不会写“大”字。
Try to
say the following sentence in Chinese.
You have to be careful of Gubo. He is terribly snobbish.
I really can't bear him.
16.
什么的
shén me de or
...
之类的
zhīlèi de
THIS KIND OF THING; ET CETERA
Both expressions are placed after a
list of nouns, or a single noun. Another similar
expression is
等等.
听说最近中国海关不准人们带高级电器品之类的东西进去了。
我们应该多吃点儿水果、蔬菜之类的食品﹐不能只吃肉、鱼什么的。
天气这么冷我想喝点儿茅台什么的。
年轻人什么都能学﹐就是吸烟、喝酒什么的不能学。
你们什么书都能看﹐就是那些黄色、红色、黑色之类的不能看。(!?)
Can
等等be
used in the above sentences?
17.
都...了
dōu…
le
ALREADY
Its meaning is often not immediately
clear. It can also mean ABOUT TO, NEARLY or ALMOST. It
depends on the context of the additional statement.
The important thing to know is that
this expression gives a sense of urgency, or of urging
people on, in the spoken language.
都上课了﹐你还在这儿聊天呢。快走吧！
都十点一刻了﹐老师怎么还没来呀？
电影都开始了﹐可是小王还在门口等着呢。
都开车了﹐你怎么还没有买票呢？
都要吃饭了﹐别往外跑了。
What is the difference between
要...了
and 都...了?
Try to
say the following sentence in Chinese.
|