Grammar
1. 一下（儿）: verb + 一下（儿）EX：看一下儿
一点（儿）: 一点（儿）+ noun EX：一点儿苹果
If there you say ”eat a bit of apple”: 吃一点儿苹果
有（一）点儿 (somewhat, rather; a little bit)
The phrase 有一点儿precedes adjectives or verbs. It often carries a negative tone. The 一in the phrase is optional.
我觉得中文有(一)点儿难。(I think Chinese is a little bit difficult.)
However, you cannot say *我觉得中文有(一)点儿容易。 *(I think Chinese is a little bit easy.)
我觉得这一课生词有点儿多。(I think there are a few too many new words in this lesson.)
[The speaker is complaining about it.]
However, when the sentence suggests a change of the situation, the phrase 有一点儿
我以前不喜欢他, 现在有(一)点儿喜欢他了。(I used to dislike him, but now I somewhat like him.)
Take care not to confuse 有一点儿 (a little), which is an adverbial used to modify adjectives, with 一点儿 (a little), which usually modifies nouns. In the abovesentences, 有一点儿 cannot be replaced by 一点儿. Compare:
给我一点儿咖啡。 (Give me a little coffee.)
给我一点儿时间。 (Give me a little time.)
我有一点儿忙。 (I am kind of busy.) You cannot say *我一点儿忙。
她有一点儿不高兴。 (She is a little bit unhappy.) You cannot say*她一点儿不高兴。
有一点（儿）+adj: If you say “a little too big”, you have to add “有”：有一点儿太大了！
2. 又/既 + adj or verb又+ adj or verb: both…… (can be used for both adjectives and verbs that are either both positive or both negative in meaning) . You cannot use before nouns: 妈妈又做饭又打扫房间。 You cannot say:妈妈又律师又会计师。
3. To say that an action did not take place in the past, use
没(有) instead of不…了or 没有…了.
EX：昨天我没有听音乐。(I didn’t listen to music yesterday.)
It is wrong to say: *昨天我不听音乐了。 *昨天我没有听音乐了。
4. The Adverb 才 (not until) and 就 ( as early as)
The adverb 才 indicates that the occurrence of an action or situation is later than the speaker may have expected. That lateness is perceived by the speaker, and is not necessarily objective. 才never takes the particle了, whether or not it pertains to an action or situation in the past. 就 is the opposite, it means “as early as……”
The Adverb 就 (jiù) (I)
The adverb 就 (jiù) is used before a verb to suggest the earliness, briefness, or quickness of the action.
他明天七点就得上课。(He has to go to class [as early as] at 7:00am tomorrow.)
我们八点看电影, 他七点半就来了。(We [were supposed to] see the movie at 8:00, but he came [as early as] 7:30.)
* If use 就 for a past action, you must use 了at the end of the sentence. However, even use 才for a past action, 了is not required.
就 (jiù) and 才 (cái) compared
The adverb 就 suggests the earliness or promptness of an action in the speaker's judgment.
The adverb 才 is the opposite. It suggests the tardiness or lateness of an action as perceived by the speaker.
A: 八点上课，小白七点就来了。 (Class started at 8:00, but Little Bai came [as early as] 7:00.)
B : 八点上课，小张八点半才来。 (Class started at 8:00, but Little Zhang didn’t come until 8:30.)
A: 我昨天五点就回家了。 (Yesterday I went home when it was only 5:00.) (The speaker thought 5:00 was early.)
B : 我昨天五点才回家。(Yesterday I didn’t go home until 5:00.) (The speaker thought 5:00 was late.)
When commenting on a past action, 就 (jiù) is always used with 了 (le) to indicate promptness, but 才 (cái) is never used with 了.
5. The Preposition 给 (gěi)
给 can be a verb or a preposition. In Chinese, prepositions are generally combined with nouns or pronouns to form prepositional phrases, which appear before verbs as adverbials.
他给我打了一个电话。 (He gave me a call.)
他是谁？请你给我们介绍一下。 (Who is he? Please introduce us.)
你有你姐姐的照片吗？给我看一下，行吗？
(Do you have a picture of your older sister? Can you let me have a look?)
6. . The Modal Verb要 (yào, will; be going to) (I)
The modal verb 要has several meanings. In this lesson, 要indicates a future action, particularly a scheduled event or an activity that one is committed to. The negative form is expressed by adding 不.
下午我们要考试。(In the afternoon we are going to have a test.)
今天晚上妹妹要去看电影. (This evening my younger sister is going to see a movie.)
A: 明天我要去小白家玩儿。你呢？(Tomorrow I’m going to visit Little Bai. How about you?)
B : 明天我不去小白家玩儿，我要开会。(Tomorrow I am not going to visit Little Bai. I am going to a meeting.)
3. The Adverb 别 (bié, don’t)
别, same as 不要 is used to advise someone to refrain or stop someone from doing something. Depending on the context, it can be used to form a polite formula, a gentle reminder, or a serious admonition:
别客气/不要客气。 (No need to be so polite.)
你别说/不要说。 (Don’t tell/say anything.)
别进来！/不要进来！(Don’t come in!)
那个电影没有意思，你别看/你不要看。
(That movie is boring. Don’t go see it.)
一边+action一边+action (yìbiān...yìbiān...)
This structure denotes the simultaneity of two ongoing actions. In general, the word or phrase for the action that started earlier follows the first 一边, while that for the action that started later follows the second 一边.
我们一边吃饭，一边练习说中文。(We practiced speaking Chinese while having dinner.)
他常常一边吃饭一边看电视。(He often eats and watches TV at the same time.) Generally, the verb that follows the first 一边indicates the principal action for the moment, while the one that follows the second 一边 denotes an accompanying action.
我一边洗澡一边唱歌。(I sang while taking a shower.)
我妹妹喜欢一边看书一边听音乐。(My younger sister loves listening to music while she reads.)
5. The Particle了 (le) (II)
If a statement enumerates a series of realized actions or events, 了 (le) usually appears at the end of the series, rather than after each of the verbs.
昨天第一节课是中文。 老师教我们发音、生词和语法，也教我们写字，还给了我们一篇新课文。那篇课文很有意思。
(Yesterday the first class was Chinese. Our teacher taught us pronunciation, vocabulary,and grammar, taught us how to write characters, and gave us a new text. That text was very interesting.)
6. The Particle 的 (III)
When a disyllabic or polysyllabic adjective modifies a noun, the particle 的 is usually inserted between the adjective and the noun, e.g. 漂亮的学校(beautiful schools), 容易的汉字 (róngyì de Hànzì, easy characters), 有意思的电影 (interesting movies). However, with monosyllabic adjectives, 的 (de) is often omitted, e.g., 新课文 (new lesson texts), 新电脑 (new computers), 大教室 (big classrooms); 好老师 (good teachers). If the adjective is preceded by 很 , however, 的 (de) cannot be dropped, e.g., 很新的电脑 (very new computers); 很大的教室 (very big classrooms); 很好的老师 (very good teachers).
7. The Adverb 正在 /正/在 (zhèng zài, be doing...)
The adverb 正在denotes an ongoing or progressive action at a certain point of time. It is more emphatic than 在when it serves the same function.
A: 李友，你在做什么？ (Li You, what are you doing?)
B: 我在练习写汉字。 (I’m practicing writing Chinese characters.)
我们现在正在上课，你别打电话。 (We are having a class right now. Don’t make phone calls.)
我昨天到他宿舍的时候，他正在练习发音。 (When I got to his dorm yesterday, he was in the middle of practicing pronunciation.)
A: 你知道不知道王老师在哪儿？ (Do you know where Teacher Wang is?)
B: 他正在办公室开会。 (He is having a meeting in his office.)
Descriptive Complements (I)
The particle 得 (de) can be used after a verb or an adjective. This lesson mainly deals with 得 (de) as it appears after a verb. What follows 得 (de) in the construction introduced in this lesson is called a descriptive complement, which can be an adjective, an adverb, or a verb phrase. In this lesson, the words that function as descriptive complements are all adjectives. These complements serve as comments on the actions expressed by the verbs that precede 得 (de).
1. 他写字写得很好。 (He writes characters well.)[很好very well) is a comment on the action 写 (to write).]
2. 他昨天睡觉睡得很晚。 (He went to bed late last night.)[很晚very late) is a comment on the action 睡觉 ]
3.妹妹歌唱得很好。 (My younger sister sings beautifully.)[很好very well) is a comment on the action 唱 ]
If the complement is an adjective, it is usually preceded by 很as is the case when an adjective is used as a predicate. If the verb is followed by an object, the verb has to be repeated before it can be followed by the “得 (de) + Complement” structure, e.g., 写字写得in (1). By repeating the verb, the “verb + object” combination preceding it becomes a “topic” and the complement that follows serves as a comment on it. The firstverb can be omitted if the meaning is clear from the context, as in (3).
The Modal Verb 要 (yào) (II)
One of the meanings of 要 (yào) is “to desire to do something.”
1. 明天是周末，你要做什么？ (Tomorrow is the weekend. What do you want to do?)
2. 我要去图书馆看书，你去不去？ (I want to go to the library to read. Are you going?)
3. 我要喝可乐，他要喝茶。 (I want to drink cola. He wants to drink tea.)
To negate it, use 不想 .
4. 我不想去图书馆。 (I don’t feel like going to the library.)
5. 今天我不想做功課。 (I don’t feel like doing my homework today.)
For (4), however, some Chinese speakers, particularly in the South, would say: 我不要去图书馆。
Both modal verbs 想and 要can express a desire or an intention, but 要 carries a stronger tone.
The 的 (de) Structure (II)
We have a 的 (de) structure when a noun, a pronoun, or an adjective is followed by the structural particle 的 (de). Grammatically, a 的 (de) structure is equivalent to a noun, e.g., 老师的 (the teacher’s), 我的 (mine), 大的 (the big one), etc.
4. 多 (duō) Used Interrogatively
The adverb 多is often used in a question asking about degree or extent, e.g.,
1. 你今年多大？ (How old are you this year?)
2. 你穿多大的衣服？ (What size clothes do you wear?)
3. 你弟弟多高？ (How tall is your younger brother?)
The adjectives that follow 多are typically those suggesting large extents such as大 (big), 高 (tall; high) and 远 (yŭn, far), rather than those denoting small degrees such as 小 (small; little), 矮 (ǎi, short), and 近 (jìn, near).
每…都… (měi...dōu..., every)
In a sentence that contains the term 每 (every), usually 都 (all) has to be inserted further along in the sentence, immediately in front of the verb.
要…了 (yào…le, soon)
The 要…了 (yào…le) structure indicates the imminence of an anticipated action or situation. It also appears in the form of 快要……了 (kuài yào…le).
Comparative Sentences with 比
Specific comparison of two entities is usually expressed with the basic pattern
A + 比+ B + Adj 1. 李友比她大姐高。(Li You is taller than her oldest sister.)
a) by adding a modifying expression after the adjective :
A + 比+ B + Adj + 一点儿/得多/多了
4. 今天比昨天冷一点。 (Today is a bit colder than yesterday.)
It is wrong to say: (4a) *今天比昨天一点儿冷。
5. 明天会比今天冷得多。 (Tomorrow will be much colder than today.)
6. 纽约比这儿冷多了/冷得多。 (New York is much colder than here.)
Note that the modifying expression must be placed after the adjective, not before it.
It is wrong to say: (6a) *纽约比这儿很冷。
“Much colder” is 冷多了or 冷得多 , not 很冷very cold).
b) by adding the adverb 更 (gèng) or the adverb 还 (hái) in front of the adjective:
A + 比+ B + 更/还 (gèng/hái) + Adj
7. 昨天冷，今天比昨天更冷/今天比昨天还冷。(Yesterday was cold. Today is even colder than yesterday.)
跟 (gēn) and 和 (hé) can be used in another type of comparative sentence:
A 跟/和 B (不)一样 + Adj
However, unlike a comparative sentence with 比 , a comparative sentence with 跟 or 和only indicates whether two things or persons exhibit the same degree of an attribute, without specifying which of the two exhibits it to a greater or lesser degree.
8. Compare (8a) with (8b) and (8c) with (8d).
a: 这个教室和那个教室一样大。 (This classroom and that classroom are the same size.)
b: 这个教室跟那个教室不一样大。 (This classroom and that classroom are not the same size.)
c: 这个教室比那个教室大。 (This classroom is larger than that classroom.)
d: 这个教室比那个教室大得多。 (This classroom is much larger than that classroom.)
2. The Particle 了 (III): 了 as a Sentence-Final Particle
When 了occurs at the end of a sentence, it usually indicates a change of status
or the realization of a new situation.
1. 下雪了。 (It’s snowing now.)
2. 妹妹累了。 (My sister has become tired.)
3. 我昨天没有空儿，今天有空儿了。 (I didn’t have time yesterday, but I do today.)
4. 你看，公共汽车来了。 (Look, the bus is here.)
When used in this sense, 了 (le) can still be used at the end of a sentence even if the sentence is in the negative.
5.我没有钱了，不买了。 (I don’t have any money [left]. I won’t buy it anymore.)
Remember that to negate 有 (yŏu, to have), one uses 没(méi), not 不(bù).
4. Adj+(一)点儿
The expression (一)点儿can be placed after an adjective to indicate slight qualification. 一is optional.
1. 前几天我很不高兴，昨天考试考得很好，我高兴点儿了。 (I was very unhappy a few days ago. I did very well on the exam yesterday. I am a little bit happier now.)
2.我妹妹比我姐姐高一点儿。 (My younger sister is a bit taller than my older sister.)
3.你得快点儿，看电影要晚了。 (You’d better pick up the pace a bit, or you’ll be late for the movie.)
4.今天比昨天冷点儿。 (Today is a bit colder than yesterday.)
老师，请您说话说得慢一点儿。 (Teacher, would you please speak a little bit more slowly?)
(一)点儿does not precede the adjective. The following sentences are therefore incorrect:
(2a) *我妹妹比我姐姐一点儿高。.
(4a) *今天比昨天一点儿冷。
(5a) *老师，请您说话说得一点儿慢。
5. The Adverb 又 (yòu, again) indicates recurrence of an action.
1.昨天早上下雪，今天早上又下雪了。 (It snowed yesterday morning. It snowed again this morning.)
2.妈妈上个星期给我打电话，这个星期又给我打电话了。
(My mom called me last weekend. She called me again this weekend.)
3.他昨天复习了第八课的语法，今天又复习了。 (He reviewed the grammar in Lesson Eight yesterday, and he reviewed it again today.)
Both 又 (yòu, again) and 再 (zài, again) indicate repetition of an action, but in a sentence with 又 (yòu, again), usually both the original action and the repetition occurred in the past, whereas 再 (zài, again) indicates an anticipated repetition of an action in general.
4.我上个周末去跳舞了，昨天我又去跳舞了。 (I went dancing last weekend. Yesterday I went dancing again.)
5.我昨天去跳舞了，我想明天晚上再去跳舞。 (I went dancing yesterday. I’m thinking of going dancing again tomorrow night.)
6. A dj/ V +是 (shì) + Adj / V, + 可是/但是 …
Sentences in this pattern usually imply that the speaker accepts the validity of a certain point of view but wishes to offer an alternative perspective or emphasize a different aspect of the matter.
1. A: 滑冰难不难？ (Is ice skating difficult?)
B: 滑冰难是难，可是很有意思。 (It is difficult, but it is very interesting.)
2. A: 在高速公路上开车，你紧张吗？ (Do you get nervous driving on the highway?)
B: 紧张是紧张，可是也很好玩儿。 (I do get nervous, but I find it a lot of fun, too.)
3. A: 明天学校开会，你去不去？ (There is a meeting at school tomorrow. Will you go?)
B: 我去是去，可是会晚一点儿。 (I’ll go, but I will be a little bit late.)
4. A: 你喜欢这张照片吗？ (Do you like this picture?)
B: 喜欢是喜欢，可是这张照片太小了。 (I like it, but this picture is too small.)
This pattern can be used only when the adjective or verb in it has already been mentioned, e.g., 难 (nán) in (1), 紧张 (jĭn zhāng) in (2), 去 (qù) in (3), and 喜欢in (4). In this regard, it is different from the pattern 虽然…可是/但是
Verbal Phrases and Subject-Predicate Phrases Used as Attributives
In Chinese, attributives, often followed by the particle 的 (de), always appear before the elements that they modify. Verbs, verbal phrases, and subject-object phrases can all serve as attributives.
1. 吃的东西 (things to eat)
2. 穿的衣服 (clothes to wear, or clothes being worn)
3. 新买的饭卡 (newly-bought meal cards)
4. 昨天来的同学 (the classmate{s} who came yesterday)
5. 以前认识的朋友 (the friend{s} one got acquainted with in the past)
6. 我妈妈做的豆腐 (the tofu dish that my mother makes/made)
7. 老师给我们的功课 (the homework the teacher assigned us)
8. 朋友送的苹果 (the apples given by a friend)
9. 请你跳舞的那个人 (that person who asked you to dance)
10. 我妹妹爱的那个很帅的男人 (that very handsome man that my sister loves)
Time Duration
To indicate the duration of an action, the following structure is used:
Subject + Verb + (Object + Verb) + (了) + Duration of time
1. 老高想在上海住一年。 (Old Gao wishes to live in Shanghai for a year.)
2. 我每天在书店工作三个钟头。 (I work in a bookstore for three hours every day.)
3. 昨天下雪下了二十分钟。 (It snowed for twenty minutes yesterday.)
4. 你上暑期班上了多长时间？ (How long were you in summer school?)
Sentences in this pattern must be in the affirmative. If the verb takes an object, the verb has to be repeated, as in (3) and (4). If the verb has an object, the following alternative pattern can be used to express the same idea.
Subject + Verb + (了) + Duration of time + (的) + Object
5. 昨天下了二十分钟（的）雪。 (It snowed for twenty minutes yesterday.)
6. 我上了四个星期（的）暑期班。 (I was in summer school for four weeks.)
The phrase for the length of time must not be put before the verb: (6a) *我四个星期上了暑期班。
To describe or inquire about the time (when?), , the manner (how?), where the action took place (not where to go), or the initiator of an action that we know already happened, we need to use the (是)…的 structure. The use of 是, however, is optional.
1. A: 你去过北京吗？ (Have you been to Beijing?)
B: 我去过北京。 (Yes, I’ve been to Beijing.)
死 (sĭ) Indicating an Extreme Degree
Placed after an adjective, 死+了 can serve as a complement to indicate an extreme degree of the condition named by the adjective.
1. 打针疼死了。 (It’s extremely painful to get a shot.)
2. 我饿死了。 (I’m starving.)
3. 今天热死了。 (It’s awfully hot today.)
Subject + 把 + Object + Verb + Other Element (Complement/了, etc.)
In the 把 construction, what follows the position 把 and precedes the verb serves as both the object of 把 and the object of the verb. In general, a sentence in the 把 construction highlights the subject’s disposal of or impact upon the object, with the result of the disposal or impact indicated by the element following the verb.
1. 我把你要的书找到了。(I have found the books that you wanted.) [The resultative complement 到 (dào) serves as the “other element.”]
In (1), the subject 我exerts an impact on the book through the action of找 (zhǎo), of which 到 (dào) is the result.
2. 你把这个字写错了。 (You wrote this character incorrectly.) [The resultative complement 错 (cuò) serves as the “other element.”]
In (2), the subject 你exerts an impact on the character through the action of 写 (xiě), of which 错 (cuò) is the result.
3. 请把那条裤子给我。 (Please pass me that pair of pants.) [The indirect object 我 serves as the “other element.”]
4. 你把这篇课文看看。 (Would you take a look at this text?) [The reduplicated verb 看 (kàn) serves as the “other element.”]
5. 把这杯咖啡喝了！ (Finish up this cup of coffee!)
6. 你怎么把女朋友的生日忘了？ (How did you manage to forget your girlfriend’s birthday?)
[In (5) and (6), the particle 了 (le) serves as the “other element.”]
(3), (4), and (5) suggest what the listener is requested to do to the objects (the pants, the text, and the coffee). The other element could be a complement as in (1) and (2), an indirect object as in (3), a reduplicated verb as in (4), or the particle 了 as in (5) and (6).
In the 把 construction, the object is often something already known to both the speaker and the listener. For example, 你要的书 in (1), 这个字 in (2), 那条裤子 in (3), and 女朋友的生日 in (6) are all things that are already known.
Compare the following two sentences:
7. 老王给了小张一些钱。 (Old Wang gave Little Zhang some money.)
8. 老王把钱给小张了。(Old Wang gave the money to Little Zhang.)
The object in (7), “some money,” is unspecified. However, in (8), the speaker expects the listener to know what money is being referred to. If the subject of a sentence is given, the object is something known to both the speaker and listener, and the verb is followed by a complement in the form of a prepositional phrase with 在or 到 , that sentence must appear in the 把construction. For example:
9. 你把笔放在桌子上。 (Put the pen on the desk.)
10. 请你把这封信送到律师的办公室。 (Please deliver this letter to the attorney’s office.)
The following sentences are therefore incorrect:
*你放笔在桌子上。
*请你送这封信到律师的办公室。