Difference between revisions of "Time words and word order"
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{{Grammar Box}}
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{{Grammar Box}}  
  
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Remembering where to put the time words, such as "yesterday", "tomorrow", "this week" etc., in a sentence is really important to speaking Chinese correctly. Luckily, it's similar to English, so it's easy to master.
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Remembering where to put the time words, such as "yesterday," "tomorrow," "this week," etc. in a sentence is really important in order to speak Chinese correctly. In Chinese you get two equally correct choices.
  
 
== Structure ==
 
== Structure ==
  
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In Chinese, time words can appear in one of two positions in the sentence: either at the beginning of the sentence (before the subject), or directly after the subject. The structures are:
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Time words can appear in one of two positions in the sentence in Chinese: either at the beginning of the sentence (before the subject), or directly after the subject. The structures are:
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
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'''Time''' + Subject + Verb + Object
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'''Time''' + Subj. + Verb + Obj.
  
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Subject + '''Time''' + Verb + Object
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</div>
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<div class="jiegou">
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Subj. + '''Time''' + Verb + Obj.
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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So this is one of the rare occasions where if you start speaking with English word order (time first), you can carry on and get away with it.
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So if you start speaking with "time first" English word order, you can carry on and get away with it.  If, however, you're saving the time word for the ''end'' of the sentence, you can be pretty sure that it doesn't sound at all natural to your Chinese audience.
  
 
== Examples ==
 
== Examples ==
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
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* <em>昨天</em> 我 去 了 酒吧。<span class="trans">I went to the bar yesterday.</span>
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* <em>昨天</em> <strong>我</strong> 去 了 酒吧 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>Zuótiān</em> <strong>wǒ</strong> qù le jiǔbā.</span><span class="trans">Yesterday I went to the bar.</span>
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* 我 <em>昨天</em> 去 了 酒吧。<span class="trans">I went to the bar yesterday.</span>
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* <strong>我</strong> <em>昨天</em> 去 了 酒吧 。 <span class="pinyin"><strong>Wǒ</strong> <em>zuótiān</em> qù le jiǔbā.</span><span class="trans">I went to the bar yesterday.</span>
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* <em>下 个 星期</em> 他 要 回国。<span class="trans">He is going back to his country next week.</span>
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</div>
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* 他 <em>下 个 星期</em> 要 回国。<span class="trans">He is going back to his country next week.</span>
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<div class="liju">
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* <em>下 个 星期</em> <strong>他</strong> 要 回 国 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>Xià gè xīngqī</em> <strong>tā</strong> yào huí guó.</span><span class="trans">Next week he is going back to his country.</span>
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* <strong>他</strong> <em>下 个 星期</em> 要 回 国 。 <span class="pinyin"><strong>Tā</strong> <em>xià gè xīngqī</em> yào huí guó.</span><span class="trans">He is going back to his country next week.</span>
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</div>
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<div class="liju">
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* <em>明年</em> <strong>我</strong> 要 开 一 个 公司 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>Míngnián</em> <strong>wǒ</strong> yào kāi yī gè gōngsī.</span><span class="trans">Next year I want to open a company.</span>
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* <strong>我</strong> <em>明年</em> 要 开 一 个 公司 。 <span class="pinyin"><strong>Wǒ</strong> <em>míngnián</em> yào kāi yī gè gōngsī.</span><span class="trans">I want to open a company next year.</span>
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</div>
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<div class="liju">
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* <em>下 个 月</em> <strong>我们</strong> 结婚 吧 ？ <span class="pinyin"><em>Xià gè yuè</em> <strong>wǒmen</strong> jiéhūn ba?</span><span class="trans">Next month shall we get married?</span>
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* <strong>我们</strong> <em>下 个 月</em> 结婚 吧 ？ <span class="pinyin"><strong>Wǒmen</strong> <em>xià gè yuè</em> jiéhūn ba?</span><span class="trans">Shall we get married next month?</span>
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</div>
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<div class="liju">
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* <em>现在</em> <strong>你</strong> 能 来 我 办公室 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin"><em>Xiànzài</em> <strong>nǐ</strong> néng lái wǒ bàngōngshì ma?</span><span class="trans">Now you can come to my office?</span>
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* <strong>你</strong> <em>现在</em> 能 来 我 办公室 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin"><strong>Nǐ</strong> <em>xiànzài</em> néng lái wǒ bàngōngshì ma?</span><span class="trans">Can you come to my office now?</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
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* [[Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition]] (pp. 75-7) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615 →buy]
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 1|84}}
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* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 205-6) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385 →buy]
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{{Source|Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition|75-7}}
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)|205-6}}
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{{Source|40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册）|98}}
  
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK1}}{{2021-HSK|HSK1}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing time and date}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing time and date}}
 
{{Used for|Sentence Patterns}}
 
{{Used for|Sentence Patterns}}
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{{Basic Grammar|none|A2|Subj. + Time… / Time + Subj….|我 <em>明天</em> 有 空。/ <em>明天</em> 我 有 空。|grammar point|ASG5RWKO}}
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{{Used for|Sequencing events in time}}
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{{Basic Grammar|none|A2|Subj. + Time⋯⋯ / Time + Subj.⋯⋯|我 <em>明天</em> 有 空。/ <em>明天</em> 我 有 空。|grammar point|ASG5RWKO}}
 
{{Similar|Word order}}
 
{{Similar|Word order}}
 
{{Similar|Using "zai" with verbs}}
 
{{Similar|Using "zai" with verbs}}

Latest revision as of 09:23, 20 April 2021

Remembering where to put the time words, such as "yesterday," "tomorrow," "this week," etc. in a sentence is really important in order to speak Chinese correctly. In Chinese you get two equally correct choices.

Structure

Time words can appear in one of two positions in the sentence in Chinese: either at the beginning of the sentence (before the subject), or directly after the subject. The structures are:

Time + Subj. + Verb + Obj.

Subj. + Time + Verb + Obj.

So if you start speaking with "time first" English word order, you can carry on and get away with it. If, however, you're saving the time word for the end of the sentence, you can be pretty sure that it doesn't sound at all natural to your Chinese audience.

Examples

  • 昨天 我 去 了 酒吧 。 Zuótiān wǒ qù le jiǔbā.Yesterday I went to the bar.
  • 我 昨天 去 了 酒吧 。 Wǒ zuótiān qù le jiǔbā.I went to the bar yesterday.
  • 下 个 星期 他 要 回 国 。 Xià gè xīngqī tā yào huí guó.Next week he is going back to his country.
  • 他 下 个 星期 要 回 国 。 Tā xià gè xīngqī yào huí guó.He is going back to his country next week.
  • 明年 我 要 开 一 个 公司 。 Míngnián wǒ yào kāi yī gè gōngsī.Next year I want to open a company.
  • 我 明年 要 开 一 个 公司 。 Wǒ míngnián yào kāi yī gè gōngsī.I want to open a company next year.
  • 下 个 月 我们 结婚 吧 ？ Xià gè yuè wǒmen jiéhūn ba?Next month shall we get married?
  • 我们 下 个 月 结婚 吧 ？ Wǒmen xià gè yuè jiéhūn ba?Shall we get married next month?
  • 现在 你 能 来 我 办公室 吗 ？ Xiànzài nǐ néng lái wǒ bàngōngshì ma?Now you can come to my office?
  • 你 现在 能 来 我 办公室 吗 ？ Nǐ xiànzài néng lái wǒ bàngōngshì ma?Can you come to my office now?

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

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