New answers tagged grammar
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Let's play a puzzle game using this sentence,
我对他的态度变了 = 我 对他 的 态度 变了 = 我(I) 对他(towards him) 的(?) 态度(attitude) 变了(has changed)
Now put the English together - "I towards him ? attitude has changed", which does not make sense per English Grammar, so we need to modify the sentence.
Grammatically, 的(?) can be a possessive pronoun or a possessive noun. ...
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Depending on how we use it. 我是累 can be valid in some context to clarify the fact that I am truly tired. E.g. 你是不是累了? 我是累(了).
Similarly, 我也是又累又渴 can also be valid in a context like A: 我是又累又渴 B: 我也是又累又渴.
Without previous context, we can say 我又累又渴. It's generally saying I'm tired and thirsty. It's not for clarification or anything.
So, this use of 是 is for ...
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Yes. You can totally use it. It is equal to "am" in this sentence
我(I) 也(also) 是(am) 又累又渴(tired and thirsty)
I'm also tired and thirsty
In the meantime, 我也又累又渴 is totally fine too. You can use both.
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It can read as either [我对他的]观点 or 我对[他的观点] depending on context. We will decide this according to logic, tone, etc. If one interpretation can make sense, we ignore the other. Sometimes, both can make sense. Then we have to rely on other context to determine.
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#1 -- 我对他的观点提出抗议
#2 -- 我对他的态度变了
First of all the way to parse them is:-
(我对他的观点), (提出抗议)
(我对他的态度), (变了)
The question then is in each case what does 我对他的... refers to ?
In #1 the 观点 is the 观点 of the Second Person, the 他.
In #2 the 态度 is the 态度 of the First Person, the 我.
Thus in #1, the 抗议, "objection / protest", is towards the 观点 of the Second ...
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You need to identify the adjective and the object from the context
[我对他的]态度变了 = [My] attitude [toward him] have changed (I can change my attitude, but not his)
我对[他的]态度提出抗议 = I object [his] attitude (I can object his attitude, but not mine)
[我对他的]观点变了 = [My] viewpoint [toward him] have changed (I can change my viewpoint, but not his)
我对[他的]观点提出抗议 = I ...
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That is due to the translator assume the user is sitting (坐) and operate the computer, so you need to use 前面 to describe it.
User joehua's translation is better and simple and won't confuse you.
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1) There is a difference between 冷得 and 冷到. While 到 has the meanings of "to", "up to", "until (a time)", and "arrive"; 得 simply means "obtain" or "permit". It is clear that 到 has the implication of an event related to the change in space, extent, or time, which is lacking from the meanings of 得.
...
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极 means "extreme", such as 北极(north pole), 南极(south pole), 极端(extreme - nothing if not).
多 means "much", "more", "many", "numerous",....
极了 - 好极了(extremely good), 棒极了(extremely good), 他長的難看极了([Direct translation]- His face is extremely difficult to look at. [Practical meaning] - He's so ugly.)
多了 - 好多了(...
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“极了” is like "extremely", and usually used when you would state your opinion.
For example, you try on a new tux, and others said:
You look fantastic in this tux =
你穿西装的样子真是棒极了
“多了” its level is lower than “极了”, and usually indicates some sort of change or comparison.
You look better in this tux (maybe look awful in the previous one) =
...
2
Yes, "请问" can indeed be ambiguous, because it can mean
"may I ask ..."
Example: 请问您找誰？
May I ask who you are looking for?
or it can mean:
"please ask (someone) ..."
Example:
這個我也不明白，请问老師。
I don't understand this either. Please ask the teacher.
How do you know which is which? Well, as with pretty much everything language, context ...
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请问 - Please allow me to ask. "me" is not required, because the audiences know well who is asking the question.
大家 - everybody.
Put the above together, 请问大家 - Please allow me to ask everybody ....
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When someone says 我想问一个问题 (I want to ask a question), I may reply 问吧/请问吧 as "please ask", or more formally 请提出你的问题
When I wanna say "big family" , it'll be 大家庭. A single 家 is always regarded as house, rather than family. For example, 我的家还蛮大的 means my house is big, 我的家庭挺大的 means my family is big.
个人观点，仅供参考
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adjectives like old, new, good don't need 是
I would not put it that way. I would say that sentences without a verb are very common in Chinese. In this case, the structure is called 形容词谓语句 (adjectival predicate sentence), that is a sentence with an adjective as the main element of its predicate.
Example:
你的房间很大。
你的房间: subject
很大: predicate
In an affirmative ...
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XY
X很Y
X是Y的
All three of these are grammatically correct and equivalent in meaning (though the second is always preferred over the first and the third has an air of emphasis)
In a sentence such as "这很新"， 这 is a noun, 新 is a verb (roughly meaning "to be new") and 很 is an adverb.
In "这是新的" 这 is still a noun while 新的 is also a noun ...
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Depending on context.
E.g. 多少人活着却如同死去. It's stilted to say 多少个人活着却如同死去.
你家里有多少人? It's ok to say 你家里有多少个人?
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Both are correct. 多少个人 = 几个人. The latter is the same as 多少人, which is more common in daily use. 多少个人 is more of formal use.
Note that "个" shouldn't be used when you say/ask "多少位", which is identical to "几位". This phrase is more polite, especially for people in the position that provide services.
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多少个人 is not incorrect, just less common. The "个" is indeed optional, so you can say either 多少人 or 多少个人. Probably just an editing oversight in the textbook.
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你要衣服 (noun + verb + object) = you need/ want clothes
你要旗袍 (noun + verb + object) = you need/ want cheongsam
The verb applies an action to the object
I have heard that the 的 particle can also be used for "adjective clauses", is this the case here?
Yes, 的 turns the noun + verb phrase 你要 into an adjective phrase that describes the noun e.g. 衣服，旗袍
...
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Tang Ho's comment hits the main problem of the second sentence. Here is the translation after correction:
You haven't purchased (chosen) the cloth you wanted yet. Where is the 旗袍 (traditional dress) you wanted?
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Actually, 在 can express a habitual ongoing action in some context
Example:
他畢業後(在)做散工 - He is (working) as a casual worker after he graduated
He may not be working right this moment, but taking some odd jobs here and there is a habitual ongoing action that still happening regularly
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In Chinese, adjectives of quality such as 聪明（smart），漂亮（pretty），高兴（happy）and the various colour terms etc., when used in predicative construction, must be initialised with a certain value. These adjectives are associated with a compact semantic field which includes its complement as well: 聪明 ranges from "not so smart" to "vary smart". We ...
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For the last question:
都----是----值得考虑的。
Both----are----considerable.
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As a native speaker, I consulted some grammar books and couldn't find an explanation for this example, so I'm speaking from my personal thinking.
The 是+...+的 structure is necessary in this sentence. I can't think of another way to express "This car is red." You can't say "这辆车红", and "这辆车很红" has a slightly different meaning.
Is ...
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这辆_车_是_红色的(车).
This car is a red (car).
"红色的" is adj.
red, noun, 红色
red, adj, 红色的
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"你什么时候开始学中文的?"
When did you start learning Chinese?
"你什么时候开始学中文?"
When will you start learning Chinese?
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Consider this: 是(verb) + 红色(adj) + 的(adv).
Yes, "的" emphasizes the color "红色", it is considered a modifier when placed at the end of the sentence.
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"从"价格方面"看", 还是"从"质量上"看" - looking from the side of price or looking from/on the side/aspect of quality...
"在价格方面"看", 还是"在"质量上"看" - looking at/on the side/aspect of price, or looking at/on the side/aspect of quality...
"都是"值得"考虑的" - "both are" worth &...
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从。。。看,
means
Inspect this thing from xxx side.
(在)。。。方面, (在)。。。上
They are different expression of same meaning as the above.
都 是 值得 考虑 的。
is short for
(价格) (和) (质量) 都 是 值得 考虑 的 (因素)。
the "是" means "are".
Both price and quality are worth considering aspects.
can be shorted as
Both are worth considering.
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我跟你去 means I will follow you, whilst 我跟你一起去 means I will go with you together.
我跟你去: It somehow imply that you take the lead. It might be that you go first, then I go after you.
我跟你一起去: you two go together.
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Besides 'with', 跟 also has the meaning of 'follow'. Therefore, 一起 (together) can only be omitted when the context clearly suggests it doesn't mean 'follow'
Example:
我跟我的朋友都不懂滑水 -- 跟 here clearly means 'and' because it is indicated by 都, therefore, adding 一起 in the sentence is ungrammatical (redundant with 都)
我跟我的朋友一起去滑水 clearly means "I went water ...
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Yes, 一起 can be omitted.
However, the translation of the original sentence should be "I and my friend go together", as 跟 = 和 in this sentence.
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My answer might not be how teachers would explain this typically, but here it is..
When you ask someone 這東西有幾個(几个)?, you can think of 幾(几) as a character that represents the uncertainty of counts.
So for "這東西有幾個", you can view it as "這東西有?個"
Same rule applies to your question:
幾十個 -> ?十個 -> ?0, so it implies you have at least >19
...
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十几个人 = 10 <= x <= 19
几十个人 = x > 20
So the latter has more people.
Generally, the 几 in the word means that this number can be chosen arbitrarily from all numbers greater then 2, so 几百个人 is 200-999 people.
If you just want to express that there are a lot of people, then you usually put 几 in front to show there is more.
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十 means 10, 几 means a few( less than 10 usually ). So 十几 means 10 + a few which indicates the number is 10+ but < 20. 几十 is a few of 10s so it is a multiple of 10, usually < 100 and definitely > 20.
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[又 A 又 B] = [A and B ] or [not only A but also B] when connecting two clauses, but a comma is still needed
Example:
又要馬兒好，又要馬兒不吃草
长得又美，武功又高
No comma is needed When connecting adjectives or verbs,
Example:
又高又瘦 (tall and thin) connecting adjective A and adjective B
又打又駡 (beating and cursing) connecting verb A and verb B
[又 A 又 B] can even connect nouns
...
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