Integrated Chinese 3 Grammar

了

了 is a dynamic particle that has three usages.

1. As an exclamation in set phrases

太+adj+了 (extremely, very, so)

2. Indicates a change of state

我父母不工作了

My parents don't work anymore

vs

我父母不工作

My parents don't work

3. Emphasizes the completion of an action

昨天晚上我看了一个电影

Last night I saw a movie

(If the object isn't quantified it must be followed by another 了）

or

明天我吃了早饭去机场

Tomorrow, I'll go to the airport after breakfast

是 . . . 的

Sentences with 是 . . . 的 are used after an action or event is established and the speaker wants to draw attention to the particulars. 是 is often optional, but cannot be omitted in negative sentences.

你是大学生吗？

Are you and undergrad

不，我是研究生

No I am a grad student

你是在纽约上大学的

I went to college in New York

除了. . . 以外，还 (chúle ...yǐwài, hái)

This structure introduces something that is in addition to what is already known

我除了学中文以外，还学经济。

In addition to studying Chinese, I also study economics

除了. . . 以外, 都 （chúle ...yǐwài, dōu)

The structure emphasizes that a group of people or things share something in common, excluding the noted exception. Except for...

除了可心以外，我们班的同学都去过中国。

Except for Kenzi, every student in our class has been to China.

再说 （zài shuō)

What's more, besides

现在去找他太晚了，再说我鹿也不熟。

It's too late to go and see him now, besides I don't know the way

Ordinal Numbers to connect Sentences

Using 第一，第二，第三。。。you can create list and better connect sentences.

有的人喜欢住在学习宿舍，觉得又方便又安全，有的人喜欢住在校外，因为，第一，校外的房子比便宜，第二，住在校外比较自由，第三，住在校内不见得很方便

Some people like to live in a study dormitory, which is convenient and safe. Some people like to live off-campus because, firstly, it's cheaper to live off-campus, secondly, it's more free to live off-campus, and thirdly, you can't live on campus Very convenient

着

A verb+着 creates a stative verb.

坐- to sit

坐着 - the state of sitting, to be sittingIt also can indicate a continous state

Verb + 着 + active verb

他们站着聊天

They are standing and chatting

Existential Sentences

Existential sentences indicate something exist in a certain place. They have a non typical order. 有 is used when a location has multiple objects or types of objects, while 是 is used for one type of object.

桌子上放着一本书

There is a book lying on the desk

床前有一把椅子

There is a chair in front of the bed

书桌的旁边是衣柜

Next to the desk, there is a wardrobe

比较 (Bǐ jiào)

Relatively, comparatively, rather

比较 is not used to make absolute comparisons like X is more than Y. It is more general, and used to indicate a relative degree or extent.

今天比较冷，你多穿点衣服呢。

It is pretty cold today, you'd better put on more clothes.

这呢椅子比较贵，你别买了。

This chair is rather expensive, don't buy it.

Topic-Comment Sentence Structure

When someone, something, or some event is already known this information typically appears at the beginning of a sentence.

你去台北的飞机票买好了吗？

The ticket for your flight to Taipei - have you bought it?

一+verb

一 before a verb (usually monosyllabic) indicates a brief action. It must be followed by a second clause.

外面有人叫我，我开门一看，是送信的。

Someone outside was calling my name. I opened the door and took a look, and it was the mailman.

一. . . 就 . . .

As soon as (something) then (something). 就 is usually required before the second verb but sometimes optional.

我同事每天一回宿舍就做功课

Every day, my roommate does his homework as soon as he gets back to the dorm.

又 . . . 又 . . .

both . . . and . . . can be used with two positive of two negative adjectives to describe something or two concurrent verbs

那个衣柜又旧又小

That wardrobe is old and small

孩子们又跑又跳，玩儿的非常高兴。

The kids ran and jumped. They had a great time.

The reaffirmative 是

Used before adjectives and verbs, 是 reaffirms the validity of a prior statement.

住在这个宿舍很方便。

This dorm is really convenient.

住在这个宿舍是很方便，去上课，去医院，去舱厅都不远。

This dorm is indeed very convenient. It's not far from school, the hospital, and restaurants.

无论 . . . 都 (wú lùn . . . dōu)

Regardless, no matter what. Signifies the result will remain the same under any circumstance. Must be used with a question pronoun or alternative construction.

那天无论谁请客我都不去。

It doesn't matter who's paying tomorrow. I'm not going.

Non-predicative adjectives

When using non-predicative adjectives (有机，女，男, etc.）as predicates you have to use 是 . . . 的 construction

我的中国朋友是个男的

My Chinese friend is male.

我买的水可都是有机的。

The fruit I buy is all organic

adj/verb + 是 + adj/verb， 可是 or 但是

. . . is . . . but

学音乐好是好，可是以后找工作不太容易。

While it is good to study music, it may not be easy to find a job later.

我去是去，可是会晚一点儿。

I am going, but I will be a little late.

对 . . . 来说

Used to suggest that the opinion expressed is valid only with regard to a particular person.

对他来说， 今年最需要做的事情是选一个好大学。

For him, the most urgent thing this year is to pick a good college.

另外 (lìng wài)

1. Can be used before a numeral or demonstrative pronoun + noun. Other

这里有两个大学，一个是男校，另外一个是女校，都很不错。

There are two colleges here. One is a men's college and the other is a women's college. Both are quite good.

2. Used as an adverb before a verb phrase or as a conjunction means in addition, besides, plus, and also.

下个学期我要选一门化学课，另外再选两门电脑系的课，学分就够了。

Next semester I'll take a chemistry course, in addition to two more computer science courses. Then, I'll have enough credits.

再

Indicates the repetition or continuation of an action. Usually refers to the future.

因为工作，我去年去了一次上海，明年要再去两次。

For business, I went to Shanghai once this year, and will go twice again next year.

还

Denotes an increase in number of an expansion of scope, it can be past or future.

另外可我选了一门了，还得选一门。

I have already taken one history class, I have to take one more.

要么 . . . , 要么 . . .

if it's not..., it's...; either... or ... indicates two or more possibilities or desires from which one must or will choose.

你要么学医，要么学经济，就是不能学文学。

You have to study either medicine or economics. You just can't study literature.

(在）. . . 上

Can be combined with an abstract noun to mean "in terms of" for instance, in terms of character, interest, studies, work, etc.

在兴趣上，丽莎跟天明不太一样。

In terms of interest, Lisha and Tian ming are not really the same.

verb 来 verb 去

Signifies a repetitive action 走来走去：walk back and forth.

妈妈教我学经济，我想来想去还是选了化学。

My mom wanted me to study economics. After thinking about it again and again I decided to study chemistry.

的，得，地

的 links an attributive with a noun

你说的那位教授我不认识

I don't know the professor you are talking about

得 links a verb/adjective to a descriptive complement

孩子们玩儿电脑玩儿得完了吃饭。

The children had such a good time playing the computer that they forgot to eat.

地 links an adverb with a verb

看完电视，爷爷奶奶慢慢地走上楼去休息。

After watching TV, grandpa and grandma slowly went upstairs to rest.

原来 (yuán lái)

Has two meanings

1. Can be used at the beginning of a clause to convey a sudden realization

我早就听说有一个新同事要来，原来就是你呀。

I heard that a new roommates was coming. So it was you!

2. Can be used as an adjective before a noun or an adverb before a verb to mean in the past, before a change occurred.

我原来吃肉，现在吃起素来了。

I used to eat meat, Now I am a vegetarian.

verb + 得 + resultative/directional complement

Indicates whether a result is achievable because of subjective conditions or external circumstances.

我一会儿都离不开手机

I can't tear myself away from my cell phone, not even for a moment.

我的中文水平不高，看不懂中文杂志。

My Chinese is not good enough for reading Chinese magazines

verb + 得了/不了

Indicates whether subjective or objective conditions permit the realization of a certain action.

我明天晚上有课，那个演唱会我去不了了。

I have class tomorrow evening. I won't be able to go to the concert.

那栋楼没有水电，住不了人。

That building doesn't have water of electricity. It is uninhabitable.

过来 and 过去

Both are used to indicate movement in relation to the speaker of what the speaker is discussing. It may or not pass a location. 过来 is for when the movement is coming towards the speaker and 过去 is when the movement is moving away.

他往我这边走过来，好像有什么事要跟我说。

He walked over to me, as if he had something to tell me.

张老师很高兴地往她老朋友那边走过去。

Teacher Zhang happily walked over to her old friend.

Connecting two verb phrases using 来

Connects two verbs. The second verb indicates the purpose of the first verb. "In order to"

大家计划开一个舞会来给他过生日。

Everybody planned to throw a dance party to celebrate his birthday.

The adverb 才 before numbers

才 is used before numbers to express a small quality.

我每天上网才三个小时，时间不长

I go online for only three hours a day. That's not a lot of time.

Adjectives as predicates

When an adjective is used as a predicate, the subject of the sentence can be "noun + predicate" phrase.

今天晚上有一个生日舞会，我不知道穿什么衣服合适。

There's a birthday party tonight. I don't know what to wear.

不是 X, 而是 Y

This pattern is used when, in response to a statement or situation, the speaker wishes to negate X and strongly affirm Y.

你知道有些只是不是从书上学的，而是从社会，从生化总学的。

You know that some knowledge can't be learned in school or from books. Rather, one learns it from society, from life.

Indicating the beginning of a state using 起来

Can indicate that an action is starting to take place

听她说完那些话，大家都笑了起来。

After listening to what she said, everybody began to laugh.

Indicating the start of a diminution or decrease using 下来

Similar to 起来，下来 is used to indicate the start of an action or condition, but usually used for when something starts to decrease.

上课了，教室里安静了下来。

Class started, and the room began questing down.

The conjunction 而

Used to connect two clauses that present different or contrasting characteristics or situations.

他毕业以后计划回中国工作，而不准备留在美国。

After he graduates he plans to go back to China to work rather than stay in the US.

最 adjective 不过了

"Nothing can surpass X" similar to 没有比 X 更 adjective 的。Highlights that something is the highest extent of the adjective.

她过生日，买花送她最好不过了。

Nothing would be a better birthday gift for her birthday than flowers.

这个实习工作对化学系的学生来说，最合适不过了。

For a chemistry major, there's no internship more appropriate than this one.

The Dynamic Particle 过

Used to explain the reasoning for a following statement. The emphasis is on the impact a past action has had on the present situation

你去过中国，请告诉我们去哪儿旅游最好。

You've been to China. Let us know the best places to go.