11
votes
Accepted
Why is it 出差去 and not 去出差?
adding some thoughts here as a native speaker:
You can say 前几天爸妈去出差了。There's no semantic difference to me in this case.
Under the hood, the syntax are different. In 去出差, 去 indeed means "to go", and ...
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votes
Why is it 出差去 and not 去出差?
I am Chinese so I can explain it to you.
"出差“means go on a business trip and “去” also means go.
It is duplicated so we usually say it "出差“ not "去出差“ since "出差" has the meaning of "去"
"出差去了“ this ...
- 365
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votes
How does word order work in "作业 他 一点 都 没 做 ？"?
This is the classic "topic-comment" structure in Chinese sentences. Bring the object of the verb to the beginning of the sentence for focus and emphasis, then comment on it.
作业他一点都没做。
Homework (...
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6
votes
What's the difference between 这本词典是老师的吗? and 这本是老师的词典吗?
a) 这本词典是老师的吗?
Is this dictionary the teacher's? Or more colloquially, Does this dictionary belong to the teacher?
这本是老师的词典吗?
Is this the teacher's dictionary?
They are both correct and mean ...
- 6,066
5
votes
Why is it 出差去 and not 去出差?
I'm loathe to disagree with user3306365 but, I'm not so sure 去 is simply "the verb 'to go'"
In German we have 2 words: her (say 'hair') and
hin (say hin to rhyme with in).
These combine with ...
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5
votes
Accepted
Which is correct: 已经毕业了两年大学 or 已经大学毕业了两年?
The verb phrase is "大学毕业"
Following the rule of verb particle 了 must be placed after a verb or verb phrase, the following are both correct
[已经][大学毕业][了][两年] (了 is a verb particle )
[大学毕业][已经][两年][...
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5
votes
Accepted
Why is 很早 after the verb in 我起床很早?
I'd take 今天我起床很早 as the shorthand of 今天我起床起得很早.
To me, 今天我起床很早 isn't my favourite sentence. The succinct version doesn't necessarily mean "more idiomatic". Some grammar pedants might even ...
- 24k
5
votes
Why is the 几次 in 你这个星期买东西几次了 incorrect?
买 is a transitive verb; 买东西 is a separable Verb-Object structure, so the number + measure goes between.
Examples:
to eat/ to have eaten a meal
吃飯/ 吃了一頓飯
to sing/ to have sung two songs
唱歌/ 唱了兩首歌
to ...
- 6,066
4
votes
Grammar of 大道無門
「大道無門，千差有路；透得此關，乾坤獨步。」
Now that you only question about grammar, let's just talk about grammar. I found a well written elucidation, though, and paste the link here for reference.
釋義
1.無 serves as a ...
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4
votes
Accepted
which sounds more natural? 我今天已经把猫食放了 or 我已经今天把猫食放了
The first one is definitely natural, and moreover, the second is not only unnatural, it is not grammatically correct.
You would put 已经 in front of a time period when an action is happening, for ...
- 3,089
4
votes
Accepted
What is the correct word order for words 跑步 and 轻快?
I see no issue with 轻快的跑步 when you consider 跑步 (as a whole) a noun word.
If you take 跑步 as a verb, then 轻快地跑步 is ok.
For example,
轻快的跑步能让我们的身心得以放松。 // used as a noun.
我们在操场上轻快地跑步。 // used ...
- 24k
4
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Why is it 出差去 and not 去出差?
This is not really a case of words being reversed, it has more to do with the grammatical functions of the word “to go.”
If you check out Pleco’s definition of 去 you’ll see it says:
4 [before and /...
Mou某♦
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4
votes
Accepted
上网 vs 网上 word order
上网 is a Verb Object construction internally ("ascend net" = to get on the web). 上网购物 is a Serial Verb construction: first action 上网, second action 购物. Both actions are equal, not subordinate/main, as ...
- 281
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Words order: 我们两个是好朋友
As Ben Yang pointed out, 我们是两个好朋友 is not quite idiomatic. It's because 两个好朋友 (two good friends) is not a unity. You can say 我们是一对好姐妹；我们是一对夫妻，where 一对好姐妹 or 一对夫妻 is a unity.
我们两个是好朋友 is idiomatic, ...
- 24k
4
votes
Accepted
Words order: 我们两个是好朋友
Not much of a different depends on the question asked if this is an answer:
我们两个是好朋友 - Us two are good friends
我们是两个好朋友 - We are two good friends
- 2,132
4
votes
Accepted
Why is 英语和汉语我都会说 correct and 我会说都英语和汉语 incorrect?
Yes, without 都, you can say "我会说英语和汉语" The reason is unlike the English word "both" which is placed before the objects, "都" must be placed after the objects
I can speak [English and Chinese]
I can ...
- 77.1k
4
votes
Must 怎么 be right after 你 in this sentence: 你怎么知道我的名字
什么 is a modifier for 名字 in 你叫什么名字
怎么 is a modiifer for 知道 in 你怎么知道我的名字
You cannot move 怎么 in the sentence. And you can see that they are actually of different structure.
- 8,725
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How Would I Write 多为和平 Vertically?
Horizontal to vertical is pretty simple in modern Chinese. Vertical Chinese is read from the top down - so the first one goes at the top and then the rest follow one by one.
多为和平 would be written:
多
...
Mou某♦
- 35.7k
4
votes
Accepted
Should words like 一般 or 平时 be put before or after the time reference?
Tl;dr: There is inherent adverbial order in Chinese (point 2.). Sentences with the same adverbs ordered differently can have different meanings (points 3. to 6.).
The correct order is 你平時/一般什麼時候做作業？.
...
- 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 ...
- 77.1k
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
Why is it 搬运工人把电视机从楼上搬了下来 and not 搬运工人从楼上把电视机搬了下来?
About the position of a "从" structure into a "把" sentence, an interesting dissertation (in Chinese) covering almost thoroughly the subject can be found at the following link: https:...
3
votes
Grammar of 大道無門
the following answer is based on my experience & knowledge only, other's mileage may vary. i would interpret "大道無門" as
the great (大) enlightenment (道) [is] without (無) gate (門)
in chinese, "...
- 15.1k
3
votes
上网 vs 网上 word order
上网 is used when someone is doing the action of going online.
网上 (or sometimes 网路上）means online / on the web.
For instance, of the two examples you provided, you could use 网上 or 上网 under different ...
- 201
3
votes
What is the correct word order for words 跑步 and 轻快?
I think the correct version is:
轻快地跑步 (Brisk walking / running)
where you might want to use 地 de, as 轻快 qing1kuai4 here is modifying a verb 跑 pao3.
- 5,452
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Why is it 出差去 and not 去出差?
Well, you have received several answers from native speakers. But I'd like to add some contexts and hope that would help you understand it better.
A1: 你爸妈做什么去了？
B1: 我爸妈出差去了。
A2: 你爸妈上哪去了？
B2: 我爸妈去出差了。
...
- 24k
3
votes
Why is it 出差去 and not 去出差?
as a native speaker, I think both ways are acceptable and commonly seen, and I feel no difference between them.
If I have to pick some difference, I'll say:
"去出差了" focuses on the verb "...
- 31
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votes
How does word order work in "作业 他 一点 都 没 做 ？"?
It is acceptable and understandable. 作業他一點都沒做。(He did not even do small amount of homework.)
Think the component as [thing][person][description used to denote less amount of thing][description used ...
- 1,617
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votes
Passive object position in 是...的 structure?
In "是谁打来的电话" , the object is '电话'
[电话]是谁打来的 (places the object before the verb emphasize the object, makes it a more important part in the sentence - The phone call is the topic)
~
In "...
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