Difference between revisions of "Alternative existential sentences"

 
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Expressing something's existence in a certain place or location is not just limited to 在 (zài) and 有 (yǒu). The word order may be a little different from what you are used to, but 着 (zhe) and 是 (shì) are also ways to make everyday statements such as, "There is a book lying on the desk."
  
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.
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== Pattern with 着 ==
  
Typically, Chinese sentences contain the SVO or STPVO word order, but as mentioned above, existential sentences have their own order.
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Verbs that are paired with 着 are usually [[stative verb]]s. So unlike with [[action verb]]s, you're going to be describing an action that is kind of like just sitting there. It could be standing there, lying there, sitting there hanging there... the point is it isn't actively expending energy ''doing'' anything.  
  
== Structure ==
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=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
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Place + Verb + 着 + [Noun Phrase]
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</div>
  
Place word/phrase + verb + 了/着 + numeral + measure word + noun
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=== Examples ===
 
 
== Examples ==
 
  
 
<div class= "liju">
 
<div class= "liju">
  
*桌子上<em>着</em>一本书。<span class="pinyin">Zhūo zi shàng <em> zhe </em> yī běn shū.</span><span class="trans"> There is a book lying on the table.</span>
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*桌子 上 放 <em>着</em> 一 本 书 。<span class="pinyin">Zhuōzi shàng fàng <em>zhe</em> yī běn shū .</span><span class="trans">There is a book on the desk.</span>
*在电影院的椅子上<em>坐着</em>几个人。<span class="pinyin">Zaì dìanyǐngyuàn de yǐzi shàng <em> zuò zhe </em> jǐ ge rén.</span><span class="trans"> Some people are sitting in the chairs in the movie theater.</span>
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*大厅 里 站 <em></em> 一些 警察 。<span class="pinyin">Dàtīng lǐ zhàn <em>zhe</em> yīxiē jǐngchá.</span><span class="trans">There are several policemen standing in the hall.</span>
*在柜子里<em>挂着</em>一些衣服。<span class="pinyin">Zaì guìzi lǐ <em>guà zhe</em> yī xiē yīfu.</span><span class="trans"> There are some clothes hanging inside the closet.</span>
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*教室 里 坐 <em>着</em> 两 百 多 个 学生 。<span class="pinyin">Jiàoshì lǐ zuò <em>zhe</em> liǎng bǎi duō gè xuéshēng.</span><span class="trans">There are more than two hundred students sitting in the classroom.</span>
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*地下室 里 堆 <em>着</em> 很 多 旧 东西 。<span class="pinyin">Dìxiàshì lǐ duī <em>zhe</em> hěn duō jiù dōngxi.</span><span class="trans">There is lots of old stuff piled up in the basement.</span>
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*楼下 停 <em></em> 几 辆 车 。<span class="pinyin">Lóuxià tíng <em>zhe</em> jǐ liàng chē.</span><span class="trans">A few cars are parked downstairs.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
Existential sentences have three kinds of verbs: 有 (yǒu), 是 (shì), and verbs that express bodily gestures or actions like 拿 ().
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Note that in English we sometimes use a verb in its "-ing" form, and sometimes use the passive "-ed" form of the verb.
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== Pattern with 是 ==
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The subject in the 是 sentence pattern indicates the location or area. The object that comes after 是 is the only thing (worth mentioning) in that area. It's worth noting that there's no real time indication for most sentences like this. It could be setting a scene in a story (in the past), or it could be describing the current state of things (in the present).
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=== Structure ===
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 +
<div class="jiegou">
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Place + 是 + [Noun Phrase]
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</div>
  
== Examples ==
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=== Examples ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*洗衣机里<em></em>一些衬衫。<span class="pinyin">xǐyījī lǐ <em>yǒu</em> yī xiē chènshān.</span><span class="trans">There are some shirts inside the washing machine.</span>
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*洗衣机 里 <em></em> 一些 脏 衣服 。<span class="expl">There is nothing in the washing machine other than the dirty clothes.</span><span class="pinyin">Xǐyījī lǐ <em>shì</em> yīxiē zāng yīfu.</span><span class="trans">There are dirty clothes inside the washing machine.</span>
*书桌上<em>是</em>一个手机。<span class="pinyin">shū zhūo shàng <em>shì</em> yī ge shǒujī.</span><span class="trans">On the desk is a cellphone.</span>
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*袋子 里 <em>是</em> 我 的 午饭 。<span class="expl">The only thing in the bag is my lunch.</span><span class="pinyin">Dàizi lǐ <em>shì</em> wǒ de wǔfàn.</span><span class="trans">My lunch is in the bag.</span>
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*墙 上 都 <em>是</em> 他 家人 的 照片 。<span class="expl">His family's photos are all over the wall, and nothing else is on he wall.</span><span class="pinyin">Qiáng shàng dōu <em>shì</em> tā jiārén de zhàopiàn.</span><span class="trans">His family's photos are hanging on the wall.</span>
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*盒子 里 <em>是</em> 你 的 礼物 。<span class="expl">Other than your gift, there is nothing else in the box.</span><span class="pinyin">Hézi lǐ <em>shì</em> nǐ de lǐwù.</span><span class="trans">Your gift is in the box.</span>
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*桌子 上 <em>是</em> 昨天 没 吃完 的 菜 。<span class="expl">The food that was left over from yesterday is the only thing on the table.</span><span class="pinyin">Zhuōzi shàng <em>shì</em> zuótiān méi chī wán de cài.</span><span class="trans">The food that was left over from yesterday is on the table.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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.
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Note that 是 is used to describe a singular object existing somewhere, while 有 can refer to multiple objects/people.
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== See also ==
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*[[Indicating location with "zai" before verbs]]
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*[[Special cases of "zai" following verbs]]
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*[[Expressing existence in a place with "zai"]]
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== Sources and Further Reading ==
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=== Books ===
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 3|23}}
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)|128}}
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1|191}}
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2|264, 325}}
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{{Source|New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)|40-1, 164-5, 185}}
  
{{Basic Grammar|Existential Sentences|着|了|B1|grammar point}}
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[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
{{Used for| Describing the existence of an object in a certain location or place}}
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{{HSK|HSK3}}
{{POS|Prepositional Phrase}}
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{{Basic Grammar|着|B1|Place + Verb + 着 + Noun Phrase|桌子 上 放 <em>着</em> 一 本 书 。|grammar point|ASGAC619}}
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{{Rel char|是}}
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{{Similar|Aspect particle "zhe"}}
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{{Similar|Using "zhe" when "verbing away"}}
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{{Similar|Expressing actions in progress (full form)}}
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{{Structure|Sentence Patterns}}
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{{Subprop|Basic/Simple Sentence Patterns}}
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{{Used for|Expressing existence}}

Latest revision as of 07:50, 4 March 2019

Expressing something's existence in a certain place or location is not just limited to 在 (zài) and 有 (yǒu). The word order may be a little different from what you are used to, but 着 (zhe) and 是 (shì) are also ways to make everyday statements such as, "There is a book lying on the desk."

Pattern with 着

Verbs that are paired with 着 are usually stative verbs. So unlike with action verbs, you're going to be describing an action that is kind of like just sitting there. It could be standing there, lying there, sitting there hanging there... the point is it isn't actively expending energy doing anything.

Structure

Place + Verb + 着 + [Noun Phrase]

Examples

  • 桌子 上 放 一 本 书 。Zhuōzi shàng fàng zhe yī běn shū .There is a book on the desk.
  • 大厅 里 站 一些 警察 。Dàtīng lǐ zhàn zhe yīxiē jǐngchá.There are several policemen standing in the hall.
  • 教室 里 坐 两 百 多 个 学生 。Jiàoshì lǐ zuò zhe liǎng bǎi duō gè xuéshēng.There are more than two hundred students sitting in the classroom.
  • 地下室 里 堆 很 多 旧 东西 。Dìxiàshì lǐ duī zhe hěn duō jiù dōngxi.There is lots of old stuff piled up in the basement.
  • 楼下 停 几 辆 车 。Lóuxià tíng zhe jǐ liàng chē.A few cars are parked downstairs.

Note that in English we sometimes use a verb in its "-ing" form, and sometimes use the passive "-ed" form of the verb.

Pattern with 是

The subject in the 是 sentence pattern indicates the location or area. The object that comes after 是 is the only thing (worth mentioning) in that area. It's worth noting that there's no real time indication for most sentences like this. It could be setting a scene in a story (in the past), or it could be describing the current state of things (in the present).

Structure

Place + 是 + [Noun Phrase]

Examples

  • 洗衣机 里 一些 脏 衣服 。There is nothing in the washing machine other than the dirty clothes.Xǐyījī lǐ shì yīxiē zāng yīfu.There are dirty clothes inside the washing machine.
  • 袋子 里 我 的 午饭 。The only thing in the bag is my lunch.Dàizi lǐ shì wǒ de wǔfàn.My lunch is in the bag.
  • 墙 上 都 他 家人 的 照片 。His family's photos are all over the wall, and nothing else is on he wall.Qiáng shàng dōu shì tā jiārén de zhàopiàn.His family's photos are hanging on the wall.
  • 盒子 里 你 的 礼物 。Other than your gift, there is nothing else in the box.Hézi lǐ shì nǐ de lǐwù.Your gift is in the box.
  • 桌子 上 昨天 没 吃完 的 菜 。The food that was left over from yesterday is the only thing on the table.Zhuōzi shàng shì zuótiān méi chī wán de cài.The food that was left over from yesterday is on the table.

Note that 是 is used to describe a singular object existing somewhere, while 有 can refer to multiple objects/people.

See also

Sources and Further Reading

Books