New answers tagged grammar
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The case with 的.
If tend to emphasise either part of the word, you could say 不死的骷髅. While emphasising 不死 means some undead and some can be killed, emphasising 骷髅 means some skeleton and some monsters.
(usually emphasising happens in speaking or more details in words)
The case without 的.
When those two parts mean the same/one thing, or they r equally ...
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We can take 不死骷髅 as a name in this case. Well, 不死骷髅 and 不死的骷髅 mean the same. We don't usually embrace 的 in a name. However, we use 之 in a name，such as 不死之身, 天王之王， etc.
P. S. 之 means 的 in traditional Chinese.
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(Too long to leave as a comment...)
First, good luck!
The book appears to be 钢骨之王 which contains this exact sentence. Before committing, I recommend analyzing the difficult of the book in the following way:
Download the plain text (e.g. from here), which also saves a lot of time looking up unfamiliar characters in the dictionary.
Analyze the difficulty ...
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不死骷髅 = the "undead", or Zombies, (a fantastical possibility)
不死的骷髅 = skeletons or skulls that are actually alive, (a natural impossibility)
So, 至少两千具不死骷髅像潮水一样涌过:-
At least 2ooo Zombies went passed like the tide.
There is therefore no adjective modifying the noun in 不死骷髅 as it is read as a single item,like "Zombie", which if broken down would read "a ...
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A 小姐， 我相机一个包裹。
Miss, I wanna camera a parcel.
Tang Ho is probably right, you may mean 想寄：
Miss, I wanna send a parcel.
B 请问，寄到哪儿? 急什么?
Where d'you wanna send it to? Need fast delivery?
Then later A asks:
请问几天能到?
How long before it arrives?
Use 能 or 会：一样的。
请问几天会到?
How long before it arrives?
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原配/手撕/小三
as indicated by the other answer, 原配 means his first/legal wife and 小三 mistress.
手撕 is used metophorically here. Its literal meaning is tear by hand. In the context, I could imagine his wife pinched and twisted the mistress' face and inflicted some other humiliating attacks. 手撕 here indicates more physically than verbally.
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A: "小姐， 我想寄一个包裹。" (Miss, I want to mail a parcel)
B: "请问寄到哪儿? 寄什么?" (May I ask, where are you mailing it to? And what you are mailing?)
.......
A: "请问几天能到?" (may I ask, in how many days can it arrive?)
能 = can ; 到 = arrive
几天能到? = can arrive in how many days?
会 = would/will
几天会到? = would/will arrive in how many days?
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原 (original/ first)
配 (match)
"原配" is short for "原配夫人" (first legal wife)
In olden time China, it was very common for rich men to have multiple legal wives. And the first wife is called "原配夫人" or simply "原配".
Nowadays, it simply means a man's wife
手 = hands
撕 = tear
The term 手撕 is most commonly seen in "手撕鸡" (hand shredded chicken)
"小三" is ...
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There are two things going here, the reduplication， and a sentence structure that goes N + Adj + 的. I think of these sentences as:
你的女朋友高高的 = 他的女朋友 （是一个）高高的 （女朋友）
NB: The N + Adj + 的 structure is not limited to reduplicated adjectives.
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In many spoken cases you will be able to hear the difference between 得/地, because 得 is often realised as dé and 地 as dè.
Native speakers do make a conscious effort to use them in different situations in writing.
地 is used to link a verb and an adverb, as in
同学们迅速地跑回课室，准备上课。
Or “the students ran back to the classroom quickly to prepare for lessons.”
...
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You won't hear any difference in spoken because both are pronounced the same de.
In writing, 他高兴得跳起来 is correct. 他舒服地睡觉 and 他舒服得睡觉 are not idiomatic because they are not a typical Chinese way but English. We'd say 他睡得很舒服 in this case.
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If we look at MoE's definition of 形便, we get:
形容地理形勢優良便利。
Google Translate tell us this means:
Geographical situation is good and convenient
Basically you can think of 形便 as a mix of 形势 (situation) and 便利 (convenient).
Wiktionary also gives two English definitions:
Noun
advantages offered by terrain
Adjective
convenient (because of the ...
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Much more interesting is why we think big sis bought the shirt!
我买了一件衬衫。
我买的衬衫
这是我买的衬衫。
给 works like 把 or 将：it tells us： 我 did not buy.
姐姐给我买的衬衫太好了！
The shirt (which) my sister bought me is great!
The shirt (which) my sister bought for me is great!
adjective: 姐姐给我买的 = (which) my sister bought me
sentence: 衬衫太好了！ = The shirt is great!
姐姐买给我的衬衫太好了！
The ...
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I don't think that you have complex verb phrases here. All I can see is a single verb phrase (V-O eat dinner). In English, you can attach different grammatical units to a verb to indicate, among other things, the time the action takes place (past/ present/ future ...), the mood (indicative, subjunctive ... ), the aspect (continuous, completed ...) and so on. ...
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question1 :"I wonder how 打扮, (to dress / make up), came about?"
answer :
from a Chinese language Dictionary:
与及物动词性成分结合，构成并列结构，「打」的实义虚化，作用是使结合的那个动词表示的意义泛化。例如:
「打扮」、「打扫」、「打捞」、「打量」……
translation :
It combines with a transitive verb to form a paratactic structure. The function of "打" is to generalize the meaning of the combined verb. for example :
...
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There are 20 meanings of the word "打". "打酱油" should take the 6th meaning, which is 举，提起。Per to Toosky's answer, "you need to go to the shop and ladle it into your container" ladle is the action of put the soy into the container and then lift the bottle. Namely, 举，提起. That's why we call the process 打酱油
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The differences are contextual. I do agree it is very subtle.
到 is used when the verb, (action), produces a response from a purely physical perspective. Whereas, 了 is from a non-physical moral, legal, ethical standpoint.
So, in 收不到 vs 收不了, the former connotes the physical impossibility of receiving whatever is sent, perhaps it was physically destroyed ...
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打 in 打酱油 doesn't intrinsically mean "buy". In the last century, soy sauce was not sold in bottles as today. It was produced by the merchant himself, so you need to go to the shop and ladle it into your container from a big jar. 打 is for the action to lift liquid from a jar or well with long spoon / bucket etc. SO IT DOENSN'T MEAN “BUY” ELSEWHERE.
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“打” can mean a lot of things. You can check collins.
The meaning "buy" is one of them, and it is used daily.
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That reduplication pattern of adjectives is a cutie way to express quite. E. g. 她的眼睛大大的。他的个子高高的。
Well, 她的眼睛很大 and 他的个子很高 don't have that effect.
We don't say 她的眼睛很大大的, which means 很 doesn't work with this reduplication pattern.
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很 as an adverb (very) only applies to adjective, never noun
A reduplicated adjective emphasizes itself similar to adding "quite" (颇/相当)
A reduplicated adjective cannot also use "very" because a reduplicated adjective emphasizes itself similar to adding the adverb "quite"
Example:
他(很强壮) = He is (very strong)
(强强壮壮的)他 = He who is (quite strong)
We ...
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Probably you can find the negative meaning of 一条狗 from 周星驰 (Stephen Chow)'s movie 《大话西游之仙履奇缘》：
“那个人样子好怪，他好像一条狗。”
That person looks strange, he looks like a dog.
or
“你看，那个人好像一条狗哎。”
You see that person? He looks like a dog.
"一条狗" here indicates they thought that person is a "poor guy" rather than "a dog".
But don't use this if you're not ...
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嘿，朋友，不要那么在意这些语法细节。
中华文化博大精深，中国人民也十分善解人意。
相信我，无论什么时候你在中国讲出这句 "昨天把我吃得站不起来了"，对方都会很清楚你想表达的意思。另外你还可以加一句，”今天我打算吃不完兜着走“，对方就会对你投来赞许的目光，并夸奖你的中文really very good!
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The sentence it self is understandable (and also a lot of people do use this everyday) if you are talking to a Chinese speaker, but it is informal when you write this down.
As a native Chinese speaker, I can tell that something is wrong with "昨天'把'我吃得站不起来了", but it's not a very big problem (if you want people to understand that).
昨天把我吃得站不起来了 sounds more ...
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做为书面语不规范，做为口头语行得通（事实上中国很多人这么用）。
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Quote from the page on chineseboost:
Use a descriptive complement
You may be interested to know that you can also use 把 to get a little bit more descriptive and interesting than the standard things being moved around, changed, affected etc. This is commonly done with a descriptive complement. This just means that some extra description comes right ...
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If you removed the complement, the sentence becomes 昨天吃我. The verb is acting in the incorrect direction. 我 should be the subject here not the object. Correcting this mistake, we get 昨天我吃 which is still awkward because 吃 needs an object [1].
The 把 construction does not really work in this setting. The complement in 把 describes the object, but you are trying ...
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昨天把我吃得站不起来了
The sentence might be fine if you put it into a proper context. By itself, it sounds a little stilted. It will be more natural if we add 都 for emphasis.
昨天把我吃得都站不起来了
It's worth to note that this use of 把 is very common.
This definition in dictionaries explains the usage:
表示致使，后面的动词通常带有表示结果的补语
E. g. 把他急坏了.
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That is normal status during 春节：吃得站不起来！Your sentence is ok.
昨天把我吃得站不起来了。
Yesterday I ate so much I couldn't stand up!
昨天把我冻得感冒。
Yesterday I got so cold I caught a cold!
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You need a subject before the disposal marker "把" and 昨天 is not a subject
If you add a subject in your sentence and write 昨天他把我吃得站不起来 (yesterday, he ate me to the point of I couldn't stand up) The verb (eat) would not match the result (I couldn't stand up)
What would make sense, is something like: "昨天他把我打得站不起来" (yesterday, he beat me to the point of I ...
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Cases/Examples that you'd use 怎么 rather than 如何.
你怎么在这儿？ Why are you here? (Can be used as a joke to tease someone for showing up at the same place you did)
这支笔怎么会在这里？Why is this pen over here?
你怎么会回答这题？ How did you manage to answer this question?
他怎么可能会下厨？How is it possible that he knows how to cook?
你怎么来了？ Why did you come here? (An expression of ...
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(1) You use 怎么 when you are seeking a definite answer to a specific question.
你今天看来很开心，收到怎么好消息？-- You appear very happy today, what good news did you receive?
(2) You use 如何 when you are soliciting an opinion / or agreement on a certain matter.
我们今晚吃寿司如何？-- How about we eat sushi tonight?
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小松鼠每天都到地里去
都 here is an adverb denoting the sense of all. It usually governs the word (每天 here) preceding it. E. g. 大家都去；我们都喜欢你；
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It will make more sense to you if you understand it as:
孩子[由于不小心]踢到椅子.
不小心 here is the cause of 踢到椅子. In English, it can be The kid kicked the chair due to his carelessness.
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Strictly speaking, your translation is incorrect and that is what is tripping you up.
不小心 has many interpretations here, and the one employed in all these examples is along the lines of "wasn't paying attention" or "was not being careful" -- this implies it is NOT actually playing the role of an adverb in the sentence. As such, 地 is not required. In ...
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每 bla bla 都 is a very commonly seen structure in Chinese. You could leave 都 out.
小松鼠每天都到地里去，看看结花生了没有。
The little squirrel goes down to the ground every day, to see if the peanut plants have any fruit.
If the little squirrel 到地底去看看， he might have more luck! Maybe he could ask his friend 鼹鼠去看一看？
结: 结出果实 bear fruit
However, the peanut is generally known as ...
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Chinese grammar wiki has a page for the "每 + measure word + noun + 都" structure to express "every".
Sometimes when the noun is also a measure word (like your example, 每天都), the "measure word" part does not show up in the structure.
And it is to emphasize the "every".
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Sometimes, you can use 的 or not use 的 to describe things. For example: 她就是那個穿著墨綠色衣服的溫柔女生，總是為別人著想。 in English: She is that tender female dress in dark green who always care about others. In this example, 穿著墨綠色衣服 used to describe somethings after 的(女生). 墨綠色 used to describe something after 墨綠色(衣服). And 溫柔 used to describe something after 溫柔(女生).
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I think 她上街去买东西去了 is strange. It is redundant and not usual to use 去 in this way.
In this example, 去 means to a place after 去(上海).
You can also use 寄包裹到上海. In this example, 到 have the same meaning as 去, which means to a place after 去(上海).
去 also have the meaning of moving location to do something. For example: 去睡覺, this example means that move to a ...
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In your examples, take 去 as to.
She went 'to' the market ("to" do some shopping): 她上街("去"买东西)'去'了 is a complete translation for the sentence, but wordy with two 去, so just dismiss any.
寄包裹去上海怎么寄: How to deliver the package "to" Shanghai
回家去: go home or go "to" the living place (no "to" as "home" is an adv here)
信寄去了没有: Have you sent the letter "to" (...
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得 has many meanings, and one of them is
可以、能够: can, able to
不得抽烟: cannot smoke (here)
得饶人处且饶人: (if) can forgive another person
(for the circumstances), then forgive
so 记得(我) has the meaning of "able to remember" or "can remember" (me).
你还记得我吗？ has the meaning of "you still can remember me?"
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Quote:- "Has the meaning or feeling of the sentence changed? Is either preferred in some contexts?"
(1) the meaning has not changed.
(2) the "feeling" may have shifted, if by feeling you mean the thought-processes you wish to convey to or impress upon the listener. The 既是，也是 is to convey to the listener the "contra-duality" of a certain personal ...
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我是一个语言的从教者，也是一个语言学习的爱好者。
This sentence reminds us of the fact that I'm also a language hobbyist(assuming I'm well known as a 语言的从教者).
我既是一个语言的从教者，也是一个语言学习的爱好者。
With 既, it parallels the two roles (语言的从教者 and 语言学习的爱好者), which share the same level of importance.
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Ergative constructions (作格结构) is one name for a phenomenon where the one subject argument in the intransitive version of the construction is the same as the direct object of the transitive version. These ergative verbs are variously called labile verbs, unaccusative verbs (非宾格动词), anticausative verbs; they have even been posited as reflecting a sort of ...
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I think you are making a fundamental mistake. Your conscious or otherwise presumption is, Western Grammar is correct and it must therefore apply, without reservation, to Chinese. Words are placed in categories such as 'preposition', but words refuse to remain in their categories. This is true in Chinese and English.
And dear old Aunty Wiki blathers on about ...
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I suggest beginning with the Chinese Grammar Wiki's article Preposition, where there's many examples and links. In practice, I expect these terms are all called "prepositions" 介系词 (or 介词), as the distinction in terminology is unimportant (and confusing).
[To be honest, this sounds like a linguistics question with "in Chinese" tacked on. Consider asking at ...
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The article below gives background and development of generative grammars of Chinese, including discussions of germinal research problems and an extensive bibliography containing references to contemporary (1995) generative grammars of Chinese.
C.-T. J. Huang and Y.-H. A. Li (eds.) New Horizons in Chinese Linguistics, 49-95.Copyright © 1995 by Kluwer ...
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The nearest you'll get to ergative is the Chinese use of 把：you could argue 把 marks ergative case, but just as easily, you could say, 把 marks accusative case and ergative is accusative under another name!
（你快点儿） 把作业做完!
Mostly, 把 gets used like this: 我把门开了。
So is '把门‘ accusative, or ergative, or both, or neither?
Since there really are no case markings, ...
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你家孩子真多！
Ambiguous!!!
It may means 抱怨
It may means 羡慕
Please see the context.
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There are several usages of 為, I just list part of it. Sometimes, 為 show that things are or are done for object after 為. For example, 他為我留了一塊蛋糕。 in English: He left a piece of cake for me. This example shows that thing was done for object after 為 (我). Sometimes, 為 shows that something after 為 is used to describe something before 為. 這餐花費為1000元。 in English: ...
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