A practical Chinese grammar

503 Pages·1994·15.805 MB·English

by  Hung-Nin Samuel Cheung

fi PRfiCTICfIL CHINESE GRfiMM6R
Hung-nin Samuel Cheung
in collaboration with
Sze-yun Liu and Li-lin Shih
The Chinese University Press
C V S
© The Chinese University of Hong Kong 1994
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may
be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or any information storage and retrieval
system, without permission in writing from
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
ISBN 962-201-595-6
First edition 1994
Second printing 1996
THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY PRESS
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
SHA TIN, N.T., HONG KONG
Printed in Hong Kong by Nam Fung Printing Co., Ltd.
Contents
Introduction X111
Lesson 1 1. The Adjective as a Verb 1
Lesson 2 ^1. Question Formation: The ^ —Question 3
2. Question Formation: The 呢一 Question 3
3•很 + Adjective 4
4. The Adverb 也 5
5. Omission of a Subject 6
Lesson 3 1. The Negative Sentence 7
2. The Adverb 都 8
3. Pronouns and Their Plural Forms 9
Lesson 4 1. How to Introduce a Person 11
Lesson 5 1. The Demonstrative 13
2. The Possessive Construction 13
u 3. More on the 吗—Question 14
Lesson 6 1. Question Formation: The Use of an Interrogative Word 17
Lesson 7 1. The Interrogative Word 什么 19
2. The Imperative 19
Lesson 8 1. An Action Sentence 21
2. The Polite Request 22
3. The Honorific Pronoun 您 22
4. How to Address a Person 23
Lesson 9 1. Naming in Chinese 25
2•请问 “May I ask…” 26
vi Contents
Lesson 10 1. The Verb 在 27
2. The Locative 27
3. Numerals 28
4. The Interrogative Word 多少 28
Lesson 11 1. The Double—Object Construction 31
2. Time Words 31
3. The Tentative 一下儿 32
4. Numerals (continued) 33
Lesson 12 1. The Modification 35
2. The Motion Verb 去 35
3. The Adverb 常 36
4. The Multifunctional 看 36
Lesson 13 1. Question Formation: The Affirmative 一 Negative Question 39
2. Verbal Expressions in Series 42
3. Positioning of Adverbs in a Sentence 44
4. The Conjunction 和 46
5. A Noun Functioning as an Attribute 47
6. The Use of 喂 48
7. How to Ask for Someone’s Name 48
8. The Verb 介绍 48
Lesson 14 1. The 有一Sentence 51
2. The Prepositional Construction 52
3. The Adverb 常（continued) 55
4. The Rhetorical Question 56
Lesson 15 1. Numbers 59
2. The Measure Word 59
3. The Existence 有 63
4. The Double — Object Construction (continued) 64
5. The Adverb 还 66
I Contents vii
I Lesson 16 1. The Measure Word (continued) 69
2. The Numeral 两 71
3. The Use of 的 in a 是一Sentence 72
4. The Locative Construction 78
Lesson 17 1. How to Tell Time 83
2. The Time Word Construction 86
3. Verbal Expressions in Series (continued) 88
I Lesson 18 1. The Use of 每 as a Demonstrative 93
2. The Time Word 有时候 96
3. The Adjective 多 97
I Lesson 19 1. The Alternative Question 101
2. The Pivotal Construction 105
3. A Verbal Unit Functioning as an Object 108
4. The Prohibitive 别 》 111
\/5. The Tag Question 112
Lesson 20 1. How to Tell the Date 115
2. How to Inquire about Someone’s Age 123
3. The Nominal Predicate 124
4. Topic and Comment 125
5. 知 道 v s .认识 127
6. More on 以前 and 以后 129
7. How to Make an Apology and How to Respond to One 130
Lesson 21 1. The Relative Clause Construction 133
2. The Adjectival Predicate 138
3. The Transitive Quality Verb 141
4. Reduplication of Verbs 143
5. The Particle 吧 145
Lesson 22 1. Position Words 147
2. The Location Sentence 150
Contents
Vlil
3. The Existence Sentence 152
4. The Identification Sentence 154
Lesson 23 1. The Progressive Aspect 159
2. The Particle 吧（continued) 166
3. Position Words (continued) 167
4. Reduplication of Verbs (continued) 169
5. Lexical Differentiation• 参观，访问，and 看 170
Lesson 24 1. The Indefinite Measure Word 173
Lesson 25 1. The Complement of Degree 177
2. The Adverb 再 184
3. More on the Particle 呢 184
4. The Honorific Measure ÍM 185
5. How to Respond to Compliments 186
Lesson 26 1. The Optative Verbs 189
2. The Adverb 还 （continued) 202
3. The Connector 或者 204
4. The Adverb 就 205
5. A Special Numeral 俩 206
Lesson 27 1. The Perfective 了 207
2. The Adverb 又 222
3. The Collective Pronoun 大家 224
4. The Preposition 为 225
Lesson 28 1. The Modal Particle 了 227
2. The Measure Word 双 237
Lesson 29 1. The Imminent Aspect 239
2. The Optative 会 244
3. The Prohibitive 另1J (continued) 245
4. The Sentential Predicate Construction 248
Contents ix
5. Adjective —点儿 250
6. The Conjunction 所以 250
Lesson 30 1. The Preposition 离 253
2. The Word for “Self”：自己 255
Lesson 31 1. The Time — Measure Complement 257
2. Approximate Number Indicators 265
3•多 as a Question Word 270
4. The Ordinal Number Prefix 第 271
5. Point of Time vs. Period of Time 273
Lesson 32 1 .过 as an Experience Marker 275
2. The Action — Measure Complement 278
3. The Time —Measure Complement 282
Lesson 33 1. The New Situation 了 285
2. The Subjectless Sentence 293
3. More about the Weather Terms 296
4. Markers of Adjectival Comparison 299
5. The Construction 从........到........ 301
Lesson 34 1. The Continuous Aspect Marker 着 303
2. The Adverbial Modifier Marker 地 310
3. The Attributive 有的 315
Lesson 35 1. The Adverb 再（continued) 319
Lesson 36 1. Degrees of Comparison 321
2. Counting Money 331
Lesson 37 1. Degrees of Comparison (continued) 335
2. The Quantity Complement 340
3. Compounds of Antonyms 344
4. The Conjunctive Expression 要不 345
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i 5. More on the Use of 还是 346
6. The Sequential Use of 上 and 下 347
Lesson 38 1. The Resultative Complements 351
2. The Adverb 刚 360
3. The Directional 往， 361
4 The Interrogative Word 怎么 362
Lesson 39 1. The Resultative Complement (continued) 365
2. The Locative Complement 367
3. Sentence Conjoining 371
4. The Preposition 对 375 1
Lesson 40 1. Adjective —极了 379
2. How to Read a Fraction 379
Lesson 41 1. The Simple Directional Complement 381
2. The Destination Expression with 到 387
3. Reduplication of Adjectives 388
4. The Conditional Sentence 391
5. The Differences between 就 and 才 393
Lesson 42 1. The Potential Complement 397
2. Idiomatic Potential Complement Expressions 407
3. 开 as a Resultative Complement 411
4. Numbers (continued) 412
5. The Use of 这么 414
6. The Use of 对 415
Lesson 43 1. The Complex Directional Complement 417
2. The Rhetorical Question (continued) 425
3. The Construction 又........又........ 427
4. 有点儿 Adjective 4281
5. Two Different Uses of 另1J 430 ■
6. A Special Use of 来 4321
i Contents xi
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Lesson 44 1. The Construction 是........的 433
2. The Existence Sentence (continued) 442
3. The Exclamatory Pattern 445
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4. The Conditional Sentence (continued) 446
5. Special Time Expressions 447
Lesson 45 1. The Potential Complement (continued) 449
ļ 2 .后来vs.以后 450
3. Another Use of the Adverb 又 451
Lesson 46 1. The 把一Construction 453
2 .上 as a Resultative Complement 462
1
Lesson 47 1. Special Types of the 把一Construction 465
2. The Construction 除了........以外 469
1 Lesson 48 1. The Passive Sentence 473
2. The Use of the Interrogative for Indefinite Reference 476
3. The Construction 因为........所以........ 480
4. The All-Inclusive 全 482
5. The Assertive Particle 的 484
1 Lesson 49 1. The Passive Sentence (continued) 485
2. The Construction 不但........而且........ 494
3. The Emphatic Marker 连 496
4. The Complement of Extent 498
Lesson 50 1. Numeral Approximates 501
2. Reduplication of the Measure Word 502
Epilogue 505
‘
References 507
Index 509
Introduction
Ever since the early 1970s when the re-establishment of Sino-US relations gener­
ated a surging interest in the study of the Chinese language, there has been an in­
creasing demand for teaching materials compiled in China. The various series pub-
lished by the Beijing Language Institute, when compared to texts issued overseas
and especially those compiled in the United States, are most successful in accurately
representing current language use in mainland China. Their 1981 publication en­
titled Practical Chinese Reader has been reprinted twice and remains the primary
choice for a beginning text among American colleges that offer Chinese language
training. Linguistic currency and cultural relevance notwithstanding, one major
drawback of all the Beijing Language Institute series is the inadequacy of gram­
matical explanations. As noted in the introduction to Practical Chinese Reader
(PCR), the grammar section in each lesson aims at introducing major grammatical
points, without attempting a comprehensive analysis. The discussions concentrate
primarily on features which are characteristic of the Chinese language and which
may pose difficulty for foreign students. However, because grammatical particulars
are broken down bit by bit throughout the lessons and presented in a somewhat
illogical fashion, the result is a disappointingly insufficient grammar component, at
times fragmentary or even confusing. As is always the case, every teacher has his
or her own philosophy about grammar and how it should be taught Many are
ready to improvise answers derived from their linguistic experiences when account­
ing for why the language behaves in a certain manner. Yet, despite such willing and
ready effort to supplement what textbooks provide for grammatical explanation,
many of US in the field had hoped that the Beijing Language Institute would pub­
lish a grammar, which we would readily use as a PCR reference. However, no such
reference has been produced. In fact, compared with other languages, Chinese has
suffered from an unfortunate lack of adequately prepared grammar handbooks
which we, teachers and students alike, could consult for detailed and systematic de­
scriptions of sentence patterns and functional words.
In Fall 1986 when I assumed responsibility for the first year Chinese language
program at Berkeley, I felt firsthand, and with mounting anxiety, the need for a
grammar handbook designed for beginning Chinese students. During the following
year, with the help of Mrs. Liu Szeyun and Mrs. Shih Lilin, both veteran instructors