Huayu / /

Huayu

e-mail address:changkt@pc.jaring.my
Notes on Grammar
Verb-Object Compound(v-o compound)
Many verbs in Mandarin are in fact v-o compound,e.g.
hecha(p.18 your textbook);dazhen(p.25);jianmian(p.32).
You can replace the object by other nouns. e.g. - - - he kafei (drink coffee)
 \/ /
daqiu (play ball)

  \   -   /
jian jingli(see the manager)


Question words


 \/   \
zenmeyang(How?)(p.25)
 \    /  \
wei shenme(why?)(p.25)
  /  \
shenme (what?(p.17)
 \/
ji(How much/many?)
  -  \/
duoshao(how much/many?)
Pay attention to the position of the question words in a sentence.
They are mostly placed after the subject:

Ni wei shenme meiyou lai?

answer: yinwei wo shengbing.

Abu zenmeyang qu Sitiawan?
answer: Abu zuo bashi qu Sitiawan.




Xianzai ji dian?("xianzai":now)

what is the time now?
answer:xianzai 3 dian.(3 dian:three o'clock)



zheli you duoshao ren?("zheli":here; "ren":people)

answer:zheli you 10 ge ren.("ge":penjodoh bilangan for "ren")


Helping Verb

neng(p.25)
dei(p.47)
yiding(p.59)
keyi(p.66)


Helping verbs are normally placed before main verbs:

 \/ /    -    \/
Ni neng bang wo ma?("bang";help)

Can you help me?(The main verb here is "bang")



                            \/
The different meanings of "gei"

When used as a verb "gei" means "give" but it can also
be used as a preposition which means "for", "on behalf of"
and "to":
wo da dianhua gei Abu.("gei" is a preposition here)

Wo gei Abu 3 kuai qian.("kuai qian":ringgit)("gei" is a verb here)



                            /
The different meanings of "he"

Like "gei" "he" can also be used as two parts of speech:as
a conjunction and as a preposition.

wo he Abu qu Sitiawan.("he" is a preposition here)
I go to Sitiawan with Abu.

wo chi "pizza" he "otak-otak".<"he" is a conjunction here).



                                   \/
Other conjunction in your book is "ye"(p.10)(meaning "also")
Ni chi "Laksa". Wo ye yao chi "Laksa".


Negation is signalled by "meiyou" or "bu". e.g.

Ni you kong ma?
answer: wo meiyou kong.("you" only takes "mei" as negative)



Ni he zhongguo cha ma?(Do you drink Chinese tea?)
Wo bu he zhongguo cha.

Ni jiehun le ma?
answer: wo hai meiyou jiehun.("hai":still)

Ni yao kan dianying ma?("dianying":movie)
answer:wo bu yao kan dianying.