8
votes
碗掉地下，Why not 地上？
If you look for »地下« in the PLC dictionary (where you found your example), you’ll find that it can also mean »on the ground«: »从地下捡起« – »pick up from the ground«.
ABC also says 地下 means »(on) the ...
- 766
8
votes
Accepted
美国意大利黑帮 - Expressing location without 在?
Chinese and English express this in different ways. Or better yet, English emphasizes the nuance that these mafiosi are of Italian descent but operate in America: Italian mafia in America.
The ...
- 7,188
7
votes
碗掉地下，Why not 地上？
The referring prospective is different between 地上 and 地下.
地上 is referring from the prospective of the ground or the current position of the object. The object is above the ground (without describing ...
- 327
7
votes
碗掉地下，Why not 地上？
I live in Hong Kong, and '地下' for us means ground. In buildings, the ground floor is called '地下'. I almost never use the term '地上', however, both sentences are actually fine to use.
碗子掉在地下 ...
- 226
6
votes
碗掉地下，Why not 地上？
Are you being corrected by Cantonese-speaking people?
In Mandarin, I would say 碗掉地上. I rarely hear people say 碗掉地下, although it's correct. The difference between 地上 and 地下 is prospective, like the ...
- 71
6
votes
Accepted
Phrase structure for "餐厅是在周边一个靠海的小城市。"
(1) Here 是 is NOT a copula, but a marker for the cleft sentence, equivalent to the English it-cleft. It emphasizes what comes after.
Historically, the evolution of copula in Chinese started from ...
- 4,485
4
votes
碗掉地下，Why not 地上？
I think the reference is different when we say 地上 or 地下.
Reference to a person, you can say 地下有什么东西 because the ground is always under you.
Reference to the ground, you can say 地上有什么东西 because ...
- 24k
4
votes
I do not really understand the word order in these four examples
Yes, 這個故事在上個世紀末發生 is grammatical and sensical. It appears that the adverbial phrase 在上個世紀末 can act as both 狀語 (a preceding adjective or adverb) and 補語 (a succeeding adjective or adverb). It is a ...
- 5,595
4
votes
Accepted
I do not really understand the word order in these four examples
1-这个故事发生在上个世纪末. I wonder if 发生 could be placed after 在上个世纪末. Shouldn't time be placed before a verb?
昨天，明天，一小時前，or 十分鐘後 are 'time particles' that indicate when the verb occurs.
在昨天，在明天，在一小時前，or 在十分鐘後 ...
- 77.2k
4
votes
How would I say "I'm going to be living here for a year"?
How would I say "I'm going to be living here for a year"?
You can say that 我 会 在 这里 住 一年. Other answers can be:
我 将会 在 这里 住 一年.
我 将要 在 这里 住 一年.
The best translation of "to be going to&...
- 3,650
3
votes
Accepted
As 閣下 = at the foot of the pavilion, why not 閣上 for Your Excellency?
I think Dan's reference to Baidu and 陛下 answers the question, but for those who might not understand the Chinese or don't understand the connection. I will also provide an additional answer.
Terms of ...
- 864
3
votes
As 閣下 = at the foot of the pavilion, why not 閣上 for Your Excellency?
This is the answer from Baidu.
以“陛下”为例。古代皇帝议事时坐在大殿上面，与大臣之间隔着“陛（台阶）”，陛的下面站着的是近臣（后来多由太监充任）。大臣有话要说或有本要奏，不能直接呼叫皇上，更不能直接将奏本递给皇上，而是通过站在台阶下面的近臣（太监）转达。大臣有话要说时只能喊“陛下”，即台阶下面的人。由于大臣所说的话皇帝都能听得见，并不用近臣复述，而可以直接对话。...
- 24k
3
votes
Accepted
A city is located east/north/west/south of a country; what is the correct Chinese grammar for that?
A在B的东边 has two meanings，one meaning is that A is inside of B, another could be outside of B.
The first one can be stated more clearly as: A在B的东部，and the second one as A在B的东边上（也可用：A在B的东面）。
However, ...
- 179
3
votes
美国意大利黑帮 - Expressing location without 在?
Drunken Master have given the correct answer in my opinion.
But I'd like to add some details about the phrase 美国意大利黑手党.
As Drunken Master said, meaning of Chinese heavily depends on context. The ...
- 1,307
3
votes
碗掉地下，Why not 地上？
both are profectly fine, as a native Chinese speaker, I frequenty use both words up and down.
- 166
3
votes
碗掉地下，Why not 地上？
I always say 地上, no matter what kind of situation. I don't think 碗掉地下 make sense.
- 147
3
votes
碗掉地下，Why not 地上？
Never mind. We can say and understand both. People from different regions may have certain habit/custom to use one of them, but not a big problem.
I think sometimes it also depends on our point of ...
- 1,238
3
votes
Structure for the phrase 尾班車開出前5分鐘
尾班車開出5分鐘前 has 歧义: it has another reading as before the last bus has departed for 5 mins. This problem is created because different possible syntactical analyses lead to different semantic meanings. ...
- 4,485
3
votes
Is it grammatically correct to omit 在 in prepositional phrases
I am on your side regarding the first sentence, though "在" is often omitted in casual conversation.
In general, the word "在" should be included in the answer to the question that ...
- 12.1k
3
votes
How would I say "I'm going to be living here for a year"?
我要住这儿一年 is acceptable, but I consider 我要住在这儿一年, or 我要在这儿住一年 is more natural.
- 12.1k
3
votes
Accepted
How to do the naming "of" construct in Chinese?
of = ... 的 [dì;de]
The seat of the great rock of the north. = The north('s) great rock's seat - 北方(的)巨石的基座/底盤.
The man of the forest of the east. = The east('s) forest's man - 東方(的)叢林的男人.
The super ...
- 12.1k
2
votes
碗掉地下，Why not 地上？
地下 = underground
地上 = on the floor
I think the most natural way to express this could be:
碗掉到地上就碎了。
I'd think 地下 in this context sounds awkward.
I am a native writer of Traditional Chinese, and I ...
- 292
2
votes
What is the difference between 于 and 以 to express "a certain time" or "a fixed date"?
As a preposition, 以(with) and 于(at/ in) are very different.
我以三月一日返。(I take March the first come back)
It is plain wrong, the sentence make no sense.
The only way you can use 以 with a fixed date or ...
- 77.2k
2
votes
How does 在 function in 男女结合在一起?
'结合'(to join) is a verb and '在' is an preposition for 'into/ at/ in/ on' that indicates the 'location' the verb applies to. and the location is '一起'
A and B join in at 一起(the same place)
'结合'= join
'...
- 77.2k
2
votes
Accepted
How does 在 function in 男女结合在一起?
This is the best explanation I think.
In this case, prep. 在 can't be omitted.
Updates:
In this case, you have to differentiate with the meaning, instead of grammar.
In Chinese, 一起 can mean
in ...
- 24k
2
votes
Accepted
The grammatical construction of 比较有名的开始
You got it: “starting from relatively famous schools”. This is not great written Chinese tho, it's more like spoken Chinese written down - I wouldn't read too much into it. You already know what it ...
Mou某♦
- 35.7k
2
votes
碗掉地下，Why not 地上？
To me a Chinese native speaker.
They both make sense for me with the same meaning, and I use them equally.
The only difference is the way they express in.
掉地下 emphasizes that the blow was dropped ...
- 21
2
votes
"以" in "敗義以求生， 豈荀巨伯所行邪"
in "敗義[以]求生， 豈荀巨伯所行邪", '以' functions as "to" in English
commit immoral act [to] survive, isn't something I (荀巨伯) would do
it makes no sense to interpret it as "commit ...
- 77.2k
2
votes
A city is located east/north/west/south of a country; what is the correct Chinese grammar for that?
I want to say that Freiburg (in Germany) is located east of France.
弗莱堡在法国东边 could mean "Freiburg is in the Eastern part of France" or "Freiburg is located somewhere East of France's border"
To ...
- 77.2k
2
votes
Accepted
Structure for the phrase 尾班車開出前5分鐘
Both the two sentences "尾班車開出前5分鐘" and "尾班車開出5分鐘前" are fine with the former less prone to misconception. The listener could have missed "前" in the latter sentence when in ...
- 12.1k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible