Alternative existential sentences

Existential sentences are used to express an object's existence in a certain place or location. The word order is a little different from that of a regular Chinese sentence, but this is still a pretty useful grammar point as existential sentences express everyday sentences, like "there is a book lying on the desk," and similar phrases.

Typically, Chinese sentences contain the SVO or STPVO word order, but as mentioned above, existential sentences have their own order.

Structure

Place word/phrase + verb + 了／着 + numeral + measure word + noun

Examples

• 桌子上着一本书。Zhūo zi shàng zhe yī běn shū. There is a book lying on the table.
• 在电影院的椅子上坐着几个人。Zaì dìanyǐngyuàn de yǐzi shàng zuò zhe jǐ ge rén. Some people are sitting in the chairs in the movie theater.
• 在柜子里挂着一些衣服。Zaì guìzi lǐ guà zhe yī xiē yīfu. There are some clothes hanging inside the closet.

Existential sentences have three kinds of verbs: 有 (yǒu), 是 (shì), and verbs that express bodily gestures or actions like 拿 (ná).

Examples

• 洗衣机里有一些衬衫。Xǐyījī lǐ yǒu yī xiē chènshān.There are some shirts inside the washing machine.
• 书桌上是一个手机。Shū zhūo shàng shì yī ge shǒujī.On the desk is a cellphone.

Note when using existential sentences, you are describing an object's existence in some place or location. Also, when using 有 and 是, note that 是 is used to describe a singular, or one object existing somewhere while 有 can refer to multiple objects/ people.