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+--- Thread: Chinese Grammar Thread (/thread-13243.html)
Chinese Grammar Thread - gyuujuice - 2011-02-09
I have seen some great sites showing grammar but I think it's time we make a sticked thread for Mandarin grammar here on this forum. My Chinese is elementary but I'm sure as a community we can gather some great examples for future students (and myself).
-- You can contribute in either Symplified or Traditional Hanzi. I'll change them accordingly into both.
-- I'll list sources and usernames at the bottom of this thread.
Key)
T=Traditional characters
S=Symplified characters
When there is no difference only one will be written. ;)
1234 = tones
1234* = tone changes for tonal rules
Word Order)
Chinese word order is very close to English but is a bit more flexible. Articles such as "the", "an" or "a" don't exist so simply forget they exist.
ming2tian1 wo3 qu4 shang4hai3
明天我去上海。
Tomorrow I go to Shanghai. (I will go to Shanghai.)
Plurality)
Most Chinese nouns by themselves have no definite plurality ('s/ cow vs cattle etc). You can add S们 (T們) to a pronoun to create a plural.
wo3
我
I/Me
wo3men
我们（T我們）
We/Us
ni2
你
ni3men
你们（T你們）
You (guys/plural)
ta1
她
She
ta1men
她们 （T她們）
She (plural)
ta1
他
He
ta1men
他们 （他們）
He (plural)
ta1
它
It
ta1men
它们 （T它們）
It (plural)
[UNSURE of this one]
There are also counting words in Chinese similar to that of Japanese or Korean.
List of "classifiers".（http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chinese_classifiers）
Possession)
的 [de]
的 is used to show possesion between nouns similar to 's or the Japanese の.
wo3 de peng2you
S我的朋友
My friend
ni3 de peng2you
你的朋友
Your friend
Verb Tense)
Chinese verbs have no tense by themselves.
wo3 qu4 shang4hai3
我去上海。
I go to Shanghai.
ming2tian1 wo3 qu4 shang4hai3
明天我去上海。
Tomorrow I (will) go to Shanghai.
zuo2tian1 wo3 qu4 shang4hai3
昨天我去上海。
Yesterday I went to Shanghai.
wo3 bu3 (*2) shang4hai3
我不去上海。
I don't go to Shanghai.
There are particles (similar but different to Japanese ones) which also help show tense.
了 [le]
了 is used to show past events or things which happened. You can place it after the verb or at the end of the sentence. (It seems more commonly after the sentence.)
wo3 qu4 le tai2 bei3.
我去了台北。［T我去了臺北］
I went to Taipei. (Actually pronounced with a 'b'.)
wo3 qu4 tai2 bei3 le.
我去台北了。［T我去臺北了］
I went to Taipei.
过 （T過）［guo4］
过 is used to show something you HAVE done or something that HAS happened before but necessarily recently. 过 usually comes after the verb. (You can sometimes see 了 after 过 but it is not necessary.)
wo3 qu4 guo4 zhong1 guo2.
我去过中国。[T我去過中國。]
I have been to China.
wo3 mei2 qu4 guo4 mei3 guo2.
我没去过美国。[T我没去過美國。]
(正) 在 ［(zheng4)zai4］
For actions you are doing RIGHT now you can use 正在. (It translates to "truly be/exist".) The first part is optional and is often taken out.
ta1 zheng4zai4 xie3 xin4.
她正在写信。[T他正在寫信。] (From Yellow Bridge dictionary)
She is writing a letter right now.
着 （T著）［zhe］
This particle is very close to the last one(s) other than this is for an action which continues over a period of time -- usually passively. (Japanese equivilent of てある)
rang4 chuang1zi guan1 zhe.
让窗子关着。[T讓窗子關著。] (From Yellow Bridge dictionary)
Keep the window closed.
My Chinese friend told me a great way to understand "的" and "地":
"~ful" is used as "的" and "~ly" is used as 地.
【例】(examples)
bei3 jing1 de dong1 tian1
北京的冬天 n+的+n
Beijing's winter(time)
zuo4 de fan4
做的饭 v+的+n
???
ke3 ai4 de xiao4 rong2
可爱的笑容 adj+的+n
a cute smile
kai1 xin1 de xiao4
开心地笑 adj+地+v
laugh happily
yu3 bu4 ting2 de xia4
雨不停地下。 v+地+v
It rained relentlessly.
Resources)
ZhongWen Red
http://www.zhongwenred.com/
ZhongWen Green
http://www.zhongwengreen.com/
ZhongWen Blue
http://www.zhongwenblue.com/
Unilang
http://www.unilang.org/wiki/index.php/Chinese_Grammar
Learn Chinese Online
http://www.learn-chinese-language-online.com/chinese-grammar.html
The Chinese Outpost
http://www.chinese-outpost.com/language/grammar/
Grammar Primer Via Chinese Forums
http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/7962-a-primer-on-simple-chinese-grammar-work-in-progress/
Credit)
zer0range
Womacks23
Chinese Grammar Thread - gyuujuice - 2011-02-10
Like I said, my Chinese abilities are not strong enough to teach up to any level, but I only wrote down what I felt mostly confident about. If you a mistake or want to add anything just post is here and I will add it and your name.
Thank you
Chinese Grammar Thread - zer0range - 2011-02-15
我不去过美国。*
should be: 我没去过美国。
Chinese Grammar Thread - gyuujuice - 2011-02-15
Thank you very much! (沒 is used for 有 but is it also used with 去？)
Chinese Grammar Thread - Womacks23 - 2011-02-15
Technically, 有 is being used.
The negative for a completed action is 没有＋verb. 没有 often gets contracted and 有 gets cut. 没 alone is just a contraction of 没有.
我没去过美国 could be written 我没有去过美国
I / not have / go / experience marker / America
I have never been to America.
Chinese Grammar Thread - gyuujuice - 2011-02-15
You should be writing this not me. *writes your name under credit*
Chinese Grammar Thread - zer0range - 2011-02-16
没(As Womacks said, 没有) is used for many, many verbs and different tenses.
Some examples..
a 作业写了没（有）？
Did you do your homework?
b 没有（写）
Nope.
a 晚饭做了没有?
Is dinner ready?
b 没有（做）
Nope.
a 这本书你读过了吗
Have you read this book?
b 没有
No.
a 我们到了没（有）？
Are we there yet?
b 没有阿!
Nope!
etc..
btw. IANA中 - find your examples from more reliable sources.
(I am not a 中国人)
Chinese Grammar Thread - gyuujuice - 2011-02-16
Thank you for your contribution!
"IANA中" <--- What's this I tried googling it.
BTW, I asked a Chinese friend go over everything and she says it's accurate so far but obviously there is a long way to go.
Chinese Grammar Thread - Jarvik7 - 2011-02-16
Yay that I remembered most of this after not studying Chinese for 2~3 years. I should study for HSK.
Chinese Grammar Thread - gyuujuice - 2011-02-16
That's great! But the HSK just recently got revamped so make sure that you know what's apart of each test. XD I think they lowered the top levels and raised some of the lower levels.
Chinese Grammar Thread - zer0range - 2011-02-16
It's an acronym used when giving advice over the internet, usually legal or medical advice.
I Am Not A Lawyer/Doctor
IANAL, IANAD
Chinese Grammar Thread - gyuujuice - 2011-02-16
Haha, you learn something new everyday.
Thanks