New answers tagged grammar
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两 vs 二 in large numbers
For things like serial numbers, codes, where the number is written or read using its digits without the words like 十，百，... always use 二 (Not necessarily true - 2202 can be read as 二二零二 or 两两零二. See ...
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两 vs 二 in large numbers
Confirm with your rules 0 and 1, but there are more to say to the other two rules.
Officially use 二 in all positions. Exceptions includes those 百，千，万，亿 without 零数 or before a head noun(二百人）, that is ...
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两 vs 二 in large numbers
I think it is safe to say that you will almost always use 兩 with measure words, or in phrases like 一兩（one or two ) 兩三 (two or three) etc.
You will almost always use 二 in regular counting/serial number ...
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两 vs 二 in large numbers
There's no rules for choosing between 二 and 两, but more of the regional customary expression, although 两 is used more frequently orally to my intuition.
However, indeed the 二 is usually used at the ...
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How did I go in my mock HSK6 exam faulty wording section?
Disclaimer: With this kind of questions it's always easier when you know how the exam usually operates. I don't.
You are correct.
Your answer is correct, 原因在于…造成的 is redundant, plus 造成 is usually ...
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What is the meaning/purpose of 一 in the following sentence?
[一] + [v] depicts a 'single' movement (implies starting abruptly or carrying out decisively)
Example:
挥利剑砍下敌人头颅 = "swing a sharp sword and cut off the enemy's head"
一挥利剑，砍下敌人头颅 = "with ...
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When can we start a question with 什么是……?
Question: When can we start a question with 什么是……?
When asking for a definition
Example:
什么是美？ - you want the answer to tell you the definition of beauty
If the answer is a definition you can use ...
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Does omitting pronouns change the relationship between sentences?
What permits us to omit, as we frequently do, anything in language?
The fact that that chunk of language can be understood in its context without the omitted part.
Chinese is world champion in ...
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Does omitting pronouns change the relationship between sentences?
These sentences may be logically compatible with a conditional, causal or any other subordinative reading, but only by contextual inference.
When a sentence leaves out something that is grammatically ...
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Does omitting pronouns change the relationship between sentences?
妈妈昨天喝茶，今天喝咖啡。 = 妈妈昨天喝茶，她今天喝咖啡。 ≠ 妈妈昨天喝茶，所以今天喝咖啡。
妈妈不喝茶，喝咖啡。 = 妈妈不喝茶，她喝咖啡。 ≠ 妈妈如果不喝茶，就喝咖啡。
Here omitting the pronoun 她 will not change the meaning of the sentence. Normally we omit the repeating ...
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How did I go in my mock HSK6 exam faulty wording section?
Here are the items that I have a different view:
53. A 梦想无论怎么模糊，它总潜伏在我们心底。
“总”should be “还是”，“仍然”， or “依然”
B 研讨过程中，应该让大家各抒己见，刻不容缓，珍惜宝贵的时间。
“刻不容缓”shouldn't be used here, it means it's urgent, and of ...
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Differences between 咱们 and 我们？
咱=我：咱不懂他的话。
咱们=我们 including the listener: 同志，您别客气，咱们军民是一家人。
As possessive pronoun: 咱=咱们（的）：咱村全都富起来了。（Here it could be a villager talking to another villager, or talking to an outsider, or even an ...
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Which 了 is this in 虽然那件衬衫很好看，但是太贵了！
太 is just an adverb, equivalent to very, so in English. Chinese usually add adverb to enhance the tone.
For example, 你真好看，这太棒了, we're not going to say, 你好看，这棒了。
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Which 了 is this in 虽然那件衬衫很好看，但是太贵了！
Here, 了 is used to strengthen/emphasize/intensify the adjective before it. It falls in the pattern of:
太 [adjective] 了
可 [adjective] 了
[adjective] 极了
[adjective] 死了
太貴了 - too expansive; too ...
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Why doesn't 真的, when used as an adverb, use 地？
Here, 真的 is being used as a word (an adverb). When 真的 is used as an adverb, the 的 in 真的 is not interpreted as the particle 的, it's a character in the word 真的, such as in this answer (another example ...
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Why doesn't 真的, when used as an adverb, use 地？
Simple rules for 的 and 地:
的 proceeds and modifies a noun or pronoun, such as "真的東西 - a real thing". Note that 真的 acts as an adjective.
地 proceeds and modifies a verb, such as "快快地跑 - ...
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How would you say "The mother wants her child to eat at home."?
The mother wants her child to eat at home.
那位母亲想要她的孩子在家吃饭。
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How would you say "The mother wants her child to eat at home."?
Essentially there is no obvious difference between the two sentences - 妈妈要她的孩子在家吃饭 = 妈妈要她的孩子在家里吃饭.
里, the same as 裡 and 裏, refers to "in, or inside of, a space domain", such as "在這里(in/...
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Is there a pattern for 沒 VS 沒有 as negative of 了?
Same, don't overthink about it. the only difference is one has just one character, the other has two. So if you are running out of time, just say 沒.
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Why use "為" instead of the verb "是" for the meaning "to be"?
These two, in this situation, mean the same, but 為 is almost never used in spoken language to mean the same as 是.
Actually even in dictionary, 是 and 為 are redundant for definition. If you have to use ...
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What is the meaning of 都 in a structure of 连 什么 都 = 连 ... 都 = even ... sth？
连 has the meanings of "even(甚至于)" and "include(包括)".
都, here, is an auxiliary word that means "all(统统,全)", which is required to connect the phrase "三岁小孩" and &...
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What is the meaning of 都 in a structure of 连 什么 都 = 连 ... 都 = even ... sth？
[连 ~ 都] is a set structure. It means [even ~ (too)]
If you omit 都 and write "连 三岁 小孩 知道" The sentence would make no sense. It is like omitting "en" in "even" and writing ...
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Why use "為" instead of the verb "是" for the meaning "to be"?
Why say "to be" instead of "it is" or "exists"?
In english there are many alternative ways to say something, differing only in formality, nuance, or emphasis. The same is ...
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Why use "為" instead of the verb "是" for the meaning "to be"?
為 can be used as "to be", as well as "take...to be". Both are correct depending on the full context.
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Is 的 used in Singlish?
Although liao (from Minnan 了 "liau") is often seen in Singlish conversations, 的 is almost nonexistent in Singlish.
In fact, it is also almost nonexistent in the Chinese varieties the ...
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How is this smodin.io AI-generated Chinese passage?
The grammar / wording gives me the feeling that it's an English passage translated into Chinese, and the translator did a poor job. Some parts are not even locally grammatical. Considerable ...
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Is there a pattern for 沒 VS 沒有 as negative of 了?
有 is redundant in both cases:
一些衣服沒有乾 = 一些衣服沒乾, some clothes are/did not dry. The opposite is 一些衣服乾了, some clothes are dry, or some clothes have dried.
我沒有找到 = 我沒找到, I did not find. The opposite is ...
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Is there a pattern for 沒 VS 沒有 as negative of 了?
Actually, when emphasising ownership (e.g.I don't have a pen), in some formal occasions, or written language, 没有 is the prefer one, but not absolutely. More than 90% scenarios they can be treat as ...
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What is the sentence structure when 有 is followed by a verb?
Very often and normal, 有没有, 是不是, + verb would form a question. 没有, 不是, + verb would form a negative statement. For positive statements Chinese language does not use 有, 是 + verb structure. But in ...
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What is the sentence structure when 有 is followed by a verb?
有(have) or 没有(have not) is an auxiliary verb that acts as a helping verb along with the main verb in a sentence to make it more meaningful. It is used to alter the tense, mood, or voice of the ...
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What is the sentence structure when 有 is followed by a verb?
"有没有 + verb" totally equals to "v. + 不 + v.", which means "did you v. or not" or "have you v. or not". These "or not" do not reinforce the tone. These ...
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Is there a pattern for 沒 VS 沒有 as negative of 了?
In my opinion
"沒" is like adjective or adverb.
"沒有" much like the meaning doesn't or doesn't have.
But in most conversations, you can actually use interchangeably.
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What is the sentence structure when 有 is followed by a verb?
In first sentence, we can think that "有没有" as whether or not. "有没有" or "是不是" usually used as question for asking something.
So "但却总爱问我有没有想你" can be translated ...
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Which of "她睡觉的时候...", "她在睡觉的时候...", "她睡觉时候...", and "她在睡觉时候..." are grammatically correct and do they all have the same meaning?
Conclusion is 在 may be omitted without problems, but if you want to omit 的, you’d better omit 候 at the same time.
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压力高低 vs. 压力大小: Why did a native speaker change 生活的压力很低 to 生活的压力小?
Meet the word 压强, “单位面积所受力”, “the force applied per unit area”. It's a evaluated physics value, so 高低 is used for it. 压 in 气压/水压 refers to 压强.
压力 literally refers to “the pressing force” in 生活压力, so ...
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Is 我喜欢吃的中国菜是…… grammatically correct?
The structures of Chinese and English are similar here: 我喜歡吃的中國菜是…could be literally translated as : The Chinese dish that I love to eat is…. So we could see that the attributive adjective phrase ...
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What are the punctuation symbols in early magazines?
It's called 圈点.
As a mark for stress, they're normally at the center to the right of the characters. If circles and dots both appear, then the author or the publisher has an internal logic for their ...
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What are the punctuation symbols in early magazines?
These symbols are used for
punctuation, and
highlighting.
There is no consensus on where these symbols should be placed or what they do. The exact location and meaning of these symbols vary a lot ...
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Is there a difference between "我明天要看电视“ and ”我要明天看电视“？
我明天要看电视 I am going to watch tv tomorrow. A normal sentence express things that will happen in the future.
我要明天看电视 I want(prefer) to watch tv tomorrow. To emphasize the speaker's preference or will.
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Is there a difference between "我明天要看电视“ and ”我要明天看电视“？
I would modify the sentences as below. The words in ( ) should be added to clarify your intent. Note the change in "tense" of each. Hope they make sense to you.
"我明天要看(那個)电视(劇)“ - I am ...
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Is there a difference between "我明天要看电视“ and ”我要明天看电视“？
Placing time adverbs after 要 like that doesn't sound right to my non-native ears. However, should you happen to or want to say it that way, the end result is indeed close to your translations, but not ...
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Is there a difference between "我明天要看电视“ and ”我要明天看电视“？
我明天要看电视 = I will watch TV tomorrow. Here 要 is like the English will. It express the future tense with a slight hint of want to, but not quite. If stressing the personal will, we use want to instead. ...
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Is 我喜欢吃的中国菜是…… grammatically correct?
我喜欢吃的中国菜是..... This structure is grammatically correct. And we Chinese use this kind of structure a lot.
More similar sentences.
我喜欢穿的牌子是......
我喜欢开的车是.......
我喜欢去的酒吧是......
This structure is correct, ...
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Usage of “了” in sentences where a period of time is involved
In my opinion they imply different contexts.
A. 我看了一个小时书 - I read (past tense) books for an hour. (Period. You can say anything after this sentence and the sentence itself does not "indicate"...
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Is 我喜欢吃的中国菜是…… grammatically correct?
"是 + noun" = "is/are + an item/items".
In your sentence, I suggest adding the word "最" before "喜欢" to emphasize your particular liking of the item
我"最&...
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Is 我喜欢吃的中国菜是…… grammatically correct?
The sentence is incomplete, but grammatical:
我喜欢吃 的 中国菜 是 ……
The Chinese dishes that I like to eat are ...
Presumably you're meant to fill in the blank with your favorite Chinese dishes.
We modify ...
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Usage of “了” in sentences where a period of time is involved
Sentence B is grammatically correct, and it's identical to sentence C. People would sometime ignore the first 了 in sentence C.
Sentence D is incorrect. I never see people saying this.
For the ...
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压力高低 vs. 压力大小: Why did a native speaker change 生活的压力很低 to 生活的压力小?
If the pressure can be measured into a number like 10kPa, use gao/di. If it is just a general idea, use da/xiao.
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