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Stative verbs [1]
A stative verb expresses quality or conditions, so in Chinese one simply uses one ‘verb’, this stative verb, where in English one would use the verb to be with an adjective. For instance, in 他很忙 [he is very busy] 忙 is a stative verb and means to be busy.
好 [to be good] or [to be well] is here used as a stative verb, as in: 你 的 车 好 吗 [is your bike / car good?] 是 [to be] is not needed here.
The statement 他 很 好 can mean either [his health is very good] or [he is very good]. The true meaning of this sentence depends on the context.
In colloquial Chinese the affirmative form of 忙 is often preceded by 很. 我 今 天 很 忙 [I am [very] busy today]. 我 今 天 忙 sounds incomplete, or like the answer to a question.
If 我 忙 is followed by another phrase, 很 can be omitted. 我 今 天 忙 明 天 不 忙 [I am busy today, but not tomorrow].
When a monosyllabic stative verb such as 忙 is used in a question: 你 忙 吗? [are you busy?] 很 can be omitted. The answer to this question is 我 忙 [I am busy].
Possessive 的 [1]
This construction indicates that the noun after 的 belongs to the noun that comes before 的, as in小 王 的 邮 票 [Xiao Wang’s stamp].
的 can be omitted when 你, 我 and 他 refer to family relations such as 爸 爸, 妈 妈, 哥 哥, 姐 姐, 弟 弟 and 妹 妹 ...; to people with whom one is in regular contact such as 朋 友 and 老 师... 我 弟 弟 [my younger brother] 她 朋 友 [her friend]and to places with which one is closely related such as 家 and 学 校... 你 家 [your home].
V一 下 [1]
When一 下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.
看 一 下 [to have a look]. 一 下 is used to soften the preceding verb. This is often done when a verb has to be placed at the end of a sentence. Without the pattern V一 下 , it would sound very demanding or bossy. The reduplicated verb phrases or V一 V phrases are used in a similar way. 一 下 can also be used as a time measure which means [for a little while].
The verb 在 [1]
When 在 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 [to be here], 他 在 这 儿 [he is here].
在 is used as a verb [to be at, in, on]…. 他 在 邮 局 [he is in the post office] 她 在 中 国 [she is in China].
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