Difference between revisions of "Using "lai" as a dummy verb"
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*让 他 自己 <em>来</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Ràng tā zìjǐ <em>lái</em>.</span><span class="trans">Let him do it himself.</span> | *让 他 自己 <em>来</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Ràng tā zìjǐ <em>lái</em>.</span><span class="trans">Let him do it himself.</span> | ||
*还是 你们 自己 <em>来</em> 吧 。<span class="trans">It's better that you do it by yourselves.</span> | *还是 你们 自己 <em>来</em> 吧 。<span class="trans">It's better that you do it by yourselves.</span> | ||
| + | *你 写 得 好看 ，你 <em>来</em> 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ xiě de hǎokàn, nǐ <em>lái</em> ba.</span><span class="trans">You write well. You write it.</span> | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
| + | A few example dialogues: | ||
| − | <div class=" | + | <div class="liju"> |
| − | + | *A: 谁 能 读 一 下 这 段 话 ？<span class="trans">Teacher, let me read it.</span> | |
| + | *B: 老师 ，我 <em>来</em> 。<span class="pinyin">B: Lāoshī, wǒ <em>lái</em>.</span><span class="trans">Teacher, let me read it.</span> | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
| − | + | <div class="liju"> | |
| − | + | *A: 你 怎么 做 得 这么 慢 ？<span class="trans">How come you do it so slowly?</span> | |
| − | + | *B: 你 觉得 我 慢 ？你 <em>来</em> ！<span class="trans">You think I'm slow? You do it!</span> | |
| − | |||
| − | *你 | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | * | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
Revision as of 05:00, 22 December 2017
The verb 来 (lái) can be used as a "dummy verb," similar to the way "do" is used in English.
A scenario: Imagine you are with your some friends making dinner. There is a bottle of Chinese pickles that you want to open, but can't because the lid is so tight. You start passing it around to see who can open it, and no one is able to, until your body-builder friend comes in and says, "我来!" He is saying, "Let me do it!"
Contents
Structure
The structure for using 来 as a dummy verb is very basic. Usually it is a very short phrase, kind of like "your turn!," "let me give it a shot!," or "you do it!" in English. Usually it is used with 你 or 我 as the subject, and it ends with the 来. Sometimes it can end with a 吧.
(让 +) Subj. + 来
Examples
- 你 来 ！You do it!
- 我 来 吧。Let me do it.
- 让 他 自己 来 。Let him do it himself.
- 还是 你们 自己 来 吧 。It's better that you do it by yourselves.
- 你 写 得 好看 ，你 来 吧 。You write well. You write it.
A few example dialogues:
- A: 谁 能 读 一 下 这 段 话 ？Teacher, let me read it.
- B: 老师 ，我 来 。Teacher, let me read it.
- A: 你 怎么 做 得 这么 慢 ？How come you do it so slowly?
- B: 你 觉得 我 慢 ？你 来 ！You think I'm slow? You do it!
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
Academic Articles
- 现代汉语形式动词研究 Research on Dummy Verb in Modern Chinese
- 現代漢語中的形式動詞 Dummy Verbs in Contemporary Chinese
