Difference between revisions of "Listing things with "a""

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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
When listing nouns belonging to a certain category, 啊 (a) can be added to the end of each noun to give an informal feeling a bit like saying "you know, that kind of thing" after a list of things.  
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When listing nouns belonging to a certain category, 啊 (a) can be added to the end of each noun to give an informal feeling a bit like saying "you know, that kind of thing" after a list of things. You're giving the sense that you're not listing ''every single thing'' that you could; it's a non-exhaustive list.
  
 
==Structure==
 
==Structure==
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
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A 啊, B 啊, C 啊 (+ 什么的)⋯⋯
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</div>
  
A 啊, B 啊, C 啊...
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The list can be followed by [[Ending a Non-Exhaustive List with "shenme de"|什么的]], but is not generally followed by [[Non-exhaustive lists with "dengdeng"|等等]] as this feels too formal.
 
 
</div class>
 
  
 
==Examples==
 
==Examples==
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 我们 什么 零食 都 有,花生 <em>啊</em>,瓜子 <em>啊</em>,薯片 <em>啊</em>,你 随便 吃 吧。<span class="trans">We have all sorts of snacks: peanuts, roasted seeds, chips, go ahead and eat whatever you want.</span>
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* 我们 什么 零食 都 有,花生 <em>啊</em>,瓜子 <em>啊</em>,薯片 <em>啊</em>,你 随便 吃 吧。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen shénme língshí dōu yǒu, huāshēng <em>a</em>, guāzǐ <em>a</em>, shǔpiàn <em>a</em>, nǐ suíbiàn chī ba.</span><span class="trans">We have all sorts of snacks: peanuts, roasted seeds, chips, go ahead and eat whatever you want.</span>
* 椅子 <em>啊</em>,桌子 <em>啊</em>,电脑 <em>啊</em> 什么的 都 买 好 了,现在 办公室 只 差 招 员工 了!<span class="trans">Chairs, tables, computers, and so one have all been bough. Now the office only needs to hire workers!</span>
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* 小王 <em>啊</em>,小李 <em>啊</em>,小张 <em>啊</em>,他们 都 在 公司,你 可以 找 他们。<span class="pinyin">Xiǎo Wáng <em>a</em>, Xiǎo Lǐ <em>a</em>, Xiǎo Zhāng <em>a</em>, tāmen dōu zài gōngsī, nǐ kěyǐ zhǎo tāmen.</span><span class="trans">Xiao Wang, Xiao Li, and Xiao Zhang all work for the same company, you can ask them.</span>
* 《发展 汉语》 <em>啊</em>, 《实用 汉语 课本》 <em>啊</em>,我 都 学 过,没 用!<span class="trans">"Developing Chinese" and "The Practical Chinese Reader", we've studied both of them, they won't help.</span>
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* 手机 有 很 多 功能,比如说 拍照 <em>啊</em>,看视频 <em>啊</em>,听歌 <em>啊</em>,都 可以。<span class="pinyin">Shǒujī yǒu hěn duō gōngnéng, bǐrú shuō pāizhào <em>a</em>, kàn shìpín <em>a</em>, tīng gē <em>a</em>, dōu kěyǐ.</span><span class="trans">Cell phones have many features like taking photos, watching videos, and listening to music. They can do it all.</span>
</div>  
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* 椅子 <em>啊</em>,桌子 <em>啊</em>,电脑 <em>啊 什么的</em> 都 买 好 了,现在 办公室 只 差 招 员工 了!<span class="pinyin">Yǐzi <em>a</em>, zhuōzi <em>a</em>, diànnǎo <em>a shénme de</em>, dōu mǎihǎo le, xiànzài bàngōngshì zhǐ chà zhāo yuángōng le!</span><span class="trans">Chairs, tables, computers, and so on have all been bought. Now the office only needs to hire staff!</span>
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* 春节 <em>啊</em>,中秋节 <em>啊</em>,端午节 <em>啊</em>,都 是 中国 重要 的 节日。<span class="pinyin">Chūnjié <em>a</em>, Zhōngqiū Jié <em>a</em>, Duānwǔ Jié <em>a</em>, dōu shì Zhōngguó zhòngyào de jiérì.</span><span class="trans">Spring Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, are all important Chinese holidays.</span>
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* 这 首 歌 太 火 了,路上 <em>啊</em>,车上 <em>啊</em>,电视上 <em>啊</em>,都 在 放 这 首 歌。<span class="pinyin">Zhè shǒu gē tài huǒ le, lùshang <em>a</em>, chē shang <em>a</em>, diànshì shang <em>a</em>, dōu zài fàng zhè shǒu gē.</span><span class="trans">This song is too popular! On the street, in the car, on TV, they are all playing this song.</span>
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* 《中文 听说读写》 <em>啊</em>,《发展 汉语》 <em>啊</em>, 《实用 汉语 课本》 <em>啊</em>,我 都 学 过!<span class="pinyin">“Zhōngwén Tīng Shuō Dú Xiě” <em>a</em>, “Fāzhǎn Hànyǔ” <em>a</em>, “Shíyòng Hànyǔ Kèběn” <em>a</em>, wǒ dōu xué guo!</span><span class="trans">"Integrated Chinese," "Developing Chinese," and "The Practical Chinese Reader"... I've studied them all!</span>
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* 你 去 上海 <em>啊</em>,杭州 <em>啊</em>,南京 <em>啊</em> , 都 很 方便 的。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ qù Shànghǎi <em>a</em>, Hángzhōu <em>a</em>, Nánjīng <em>a</em>, dōu hěn fāngbiàn de.</span><span class="trans">Going to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, are all very convenient.</span>
  
As in the first example, the list can be followed by [[Ending a Non-Exhaustive List with "shenme de"|什么的]], but is not generally followed by 等 as this feels too formal.
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</div>
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
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==Sources and Further Reading==
 
==Sources and Further Reading==
  
* [[现代汉语八百词]] (p.47) [http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001198GSW&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001198GSW →buy]
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{{Source|现代汉语八百词|47}}
  
 
[[Category: B2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category: B2 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|啊|B2|……啊,……啊|我们 店里 有 水饺 <em>啊</em>,盖浇饭 <em>啊</em> ……|grammar point|ASGGPG97}}
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{{Basic Grammar|啊|B2|⋯⋯啊,⋯⋯啊|我们 店里 有 水饺 <em>啊</em>,盖浇饭 <em>啊</em> ⋯⋯|grammar point|ASGGPG97}}
 
{{Similar|Ending a Non-Exhaustive List with "shenme de"}}
 
{{Similar|Ending a Non-Exhaustive List with "shenme de"}}
 
{{Similar|Non-exhaustive lists with "dengdeng"}}
 
{{Similar|Non-exhaustive lists with "dengdeng"}}

Latest revision as of 02:37, 29 December 2020

When listing nouns belonging to a certain category, 啊 (a) can be added to the end of each noun to give an informal feeling a bit like saying "you know, that kind of thing" after a list of things. You're giving the sense that you're not listing every single thing that you could; it's a non-exhaustive list.

Structure

A 啊, B 啊, C 啊 (+ 什么的)⋯⋯

The list can be followed by 什么的, but is not generally followed by 等等 as this feels too formal.

Examples

  • 我们 什么 零食 都 有,花生 ,瓜子 ,薯片 ,你 随便 吃 吧。Wǒmen shénme língshí dōu yǒu, huāshēng a, guāzǐ a, shǔpiàn a, nǐ suíbiàn chī ba.We have all sorts of snacks: peanuts, roasted seeds, chips, go ahead and eat whatever you want.
  • 小王 ,小李 ,小张 ,他们 都 在 公司,你 可以 找 他们。Xiǎo Wáng a, Xiǎo Lǐ a, Xiǎo Zhāng a, tāmen dōu zài gōngsī, nǐ kěyǐ zhǎo tāmen.Xiao Wang, Xiao Li, and Xiao Zhang all work for the same company, you can ask them.
  • 手机 有 很 多 功能,比如说 拍照 ,看视频 ,听歌 ,都 可以。Shǒujī yǒu hěn duō gōngnéng, bǐrú shuō pāizhào a, kàn shìpín a, tīng gē a, dōu kěyǐ.Cell phones have many features like taking photos, watching videos, and listening to music. They can do it all.
  • 椅子 ,桌子 ,电脑 啊 什么的 , 都 买 好 了,现在 办公室 只 差 招 员工 了!Yǐzi a, zhuōzi a, diànnǎo a shénme de, dōu mǎihǎo le, xiànzài bàngōngshì zhǐ chà zhāo yuángōng le!Chairs, tables, computers, and so on have all been bought. Now the office only needs to hire staff!
  • 春节 ,中秋节 ,端午节 ,都 是 中国 重要 的 节日。Chūnjié a, Zhōngqiū Jié a, Duānwǔ Jié a, dōu shì Zhōngguó zhòngyào de jiérì.Spring Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, are all important Chinese holidays.
  • 这 首 歌 太 火 了,路上 ,车上 ,电视上 ,都 在 放 这 首 歌。Zhè shǒu gē tài huǒ le, lùshang a, chē shang a, diànshì shang a, dōu zài fàng zhè shǒu gē.This song is too popular! On the street, in the car, on TV, they are all playing this song.
  • 《中文 听说读写》 ,《发展 汉语》 , 《实用 汉语 课本》 ,我 都 学 过!“Zhōngwén Tīng Shuō Dú Xiě” a, “Fāzhǎn Hànyǔ” a, “Shíyòng Hànyǔ Kèběn” a, wǒ dōu xué guo!"Integrated Chinese," "Developing Chinese," and "The Practical Chinese Reader"... I've studied them all!
  • 你 去 上海 ,杭州 ,南京 , 都 很 方便 的。Nǐ qù Shànghǎi a, Hángzhōu a, Nánjīng a, dōu hěn fāngbiàn de.Going to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, are all very convenient.

See also

Sources and Further Reading

HSK5