Difference between revisions of "The "shi... de" construction for indicating purpose"

(→‎Examples: 房子 is "house", not "room", but I ended up editing the Chinese version, because "This house is for putting all of our junk" is not too realistic.)
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There are many ways to explain why you are doing something or what's the use of things. This article will explain another way to do that, and it just happens to involve "是...的". This isn't to say that you can't make these sentences without using "是" and "的" but this can help emphasize why you are doing something or what's the use of thing, giving your sentence a little more kick.
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There are many ways to explain why you are doing something or what an object is used for. One of the more natural ways just happens to involve 是⋯⋯的. This is a different usage from the [[The "shi... de" construction for emphasizing details|"classic" 是⋯⋯的 pattern]].
  
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== Structure ==
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== A Person as Subject ==
  
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<div class="jiegou">
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=== Structure ===
  
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Subject + 是 + Reason/Purpose + 的
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If the subject is a person, there is often a 来 or 去 after the 是, indicating direction like "coming here" or "going there."
  
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<div class="jiegou">
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Person + 是 + 来 / 去 + Verb+ 的
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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If the subject is a person, there is often a "来" or "去" after the "是", indicating direction like "coming here" or "going there". If the subject is a thing, "用来" is often used. Look at the examples below for some more clarification.
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=== Examples ===
  
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<div class="jiegou">
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<div class="liju">
  
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Person + 是 + 来 + Reason/Purpose + 的
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*我 <em>是</em> <strong>来</strong> 玩 <em>的</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>shì</em> <strong>lái</strong> wán <em>de</em>.</span><span class="trans">I came for fun.</span>
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*我们 都 <em>是</em> <strong>去</strong> 出差 <em>的</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu <em>shì</em> <strong>qù</strong> chūchāi <em>de</em>.</span><span class="trans">We are all going on business trips.</span>
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*他们 都 <em>是</em> <strong>来</strong> 实习 <em>的</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen dōu <em>shì</em> <strong>lái</strong> shíxí <em>de</em>.</span><span class="trans">They all came here to do internships.</span>
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*你 真的 <em>是</em> <strong>来</strong> 帮 我们 <em>的</em> 吗 ？<span class="pinyin"> Nǐ zhēnde  <em>shì</em> <strong>lái</strong> bāng wǒmen <em>de</em> ma?</span><span class="trans">Are you really here to help us? </span>
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*我们 不 <em>是</em> <strong>去</strong> 玩 <em>的</em> ，<em>是</em> <strong>去</strong> 做 调查 <em>的</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen bù <em>shì</em> <strong>qù</strong> wán <em>de</em>, <em>shì</em> <strong>qù</strong> zuò diàochá <em>de</em>.</span><span class="trans">We're not going for fun. We're going to do research.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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== A Thing as Subject ==
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=== Structure ===
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If the subject is a thing, 用来 is often used. Look at the examples below for some more clarification.
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
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Thing + 是 + 用来 + Verb + 的
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</div>
  
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Thing + 是 + 用来 + Reason/Purpose + 的
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or
  
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<div class="jiegou">
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Thing + 是 + 给 + Person + Verb + 的
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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=== Examples ===
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<div class="liju">
  
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==Examples==
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*这 种 菜 <em>是</em> <strong>用来</strong> 做 汤 <em>的</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè zhǒng cài <em>shì</em> <strong>yònglái</strong> zuò tāng <em>de</em>.</span><span class="trans">This kind of vegetable is for making soup.</span>
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*这个 房间 <em>是</em> <strong>给</strong> 客人 住 <em>的</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Zhège fángjiān <em>shì</em> <strong>gěi</strong> kèrén zhù <em>de</em>.</span><span class="trans">This room is for our guest to stay in.</span>
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*这些 钱 <em>是</em> <strong>给</strong> 孩子 上 大学 <em>的</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Zhèxiē qián <em>shì</em> <strong>gěi</strong> háizi shàng dàxué <em>de</em>.</span><span class="trans">This money is for our child's college education.</span>
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*这些 礼物 <em>是</em> <strong>给</strong> 客户 准备 <em>的</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Zhèxiē lǐwù <em>shì</em> <strong>gěi</strong> kèhù zhǔnbèi <em>de</em>.</span><span class="trans">These presents have been prepared for the clients.</span>
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*钱 <em>是</em> <strong>用来</strong> 花 <em>的</em> ，不 <em>是</em> <strong>用来</strong> 省<em>的</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Qián <em>shì</em> <strong>yònglái</strong> huā <em>de</em>, bù <em>shì</em> <strong>yònglái</strong> shěng <em>de</em>.</span><span class="trans">Money is for spending, not for saving.</span>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
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*老王 <em>是</em> 来 （这里） 帮 我们<em>的</em>。<span class="trans">Old Wang is here to help us.</span>
 
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*我 <em>是</em> 来 上海 旅游 <em>的</em>。<span class="trans">I came to Shanghai to travel.</span>
 
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*你 要 记住，你 <em>是</em> 去 （学校） 学习 <em>的</em>，不 是 去 玩 <em>的</em>。<span class="trans">You need to remember, you went (to school) to study.</span>
 
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*这 个 男 孩子 <em>是</em> 来 这里 实习 <em>的</em>。<span class="trans">This boy is here to do an internship.</span>
 
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*钱 <em>是</em> 用来 花<em> 的</em>。<span class="trans">Money is for spending.</span>
 
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*这 间 房间 <em>是</em> 用来 放 杂物 <em>的</em>。<span class="trans">This room is for putting all of our junk.</span>
 
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*这 种 面包 <em>是</em> 用来 做 三明治<em>的</em>。<span class="trans">This kind of bread is for making sandwiches.</span>
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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==See Also==
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== See also ==
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*[[The "shi... de" patterns: an overview]]
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*[[The "shi... de" construction for emphasizing details]]
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== Sources and further reading ==
  
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*[[Uses of "shi... de"]]
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=== Books ===
  
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 2|28}}
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[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK2}}{{2021-HSK|HSK2}}
 
[[Category:Structures]]
 
[[Category:Structures]]
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{{Basic Grammar|是|B1|是⋯⋯ 的|我 <em>是</em> 来 上海 旅游 <em>的</em> 。|grammar point|ASG0UFR4}}
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{{Rel char|的}}
 
{{Similar|的 (modal particle)}}
 
{{Similar|的 (modal particle)}}
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{{Similar|The "shi... de" construction for emphasizing details}}
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{{Similar|The "shi... de" patterns: an overview}}
 
{{Used for|Emphasizing}}
 
{{Used for|Emphasizing}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing purpose}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing purpose}}
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{{Basic Grammar|是|B1|是… 的|我 <em>是</em> 来 上海 旅游 <em>的</em>。|grammar point|ASG0UFR4}}
 
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{{Rel char|的}}
 
 
{{Structure|Sentence Patterns}}
 
{{Structure|Sentence Patterns}}

Latest revision as of 08:55, 21 April 2021

There are many ways to explain why you are doing something or what an object is used for. One of the more natural ways just happens to involve 是⋯⋯的. This is a different usage from the "classic" 是⋯⋯的 pattern.

A Person as Subject

Structure

If the subject is a person, there is often a 来 or 去 after the 是, indicating direction like "coming here" or "going there."

Person + 是 + 来 / 去 + Verb+ 的

Examples

  • 我 是 来 玩 的 。Wǒ shì lái wán de.I came for fun.
  • 我们 都 是 去 出差 的 。Wǒmen dōu shì qù chūchāi de.We are all going on business trips.
  • 他们 都 是 来 实习 的 。Tāmen dōu shì lái shíxí de.They all came here to do internships.
  • 你 真的 是 来 帮 我们 的 吗 ？ Nǐ zhēnde shì lái bāng wǒmen de ma?Are you really here to help us?
  • 我们 不 是 去 玩 的 ，是 去 做 调查 的 。Wǒmen bù shì qù wán de, shì qù zuò diàochá de.We're not going for fun. We're going to do research.

A Thing as Subject

Structure

If the subject is a thing, 用来 is often used. Look at the examples below for some more clarification.

Thing + 是 + 用来 + Verb + 的

or

Thing + 是 + 给 + Person + Verb + 的

Examples

  • 这 种 菜 是 用来 做 汤 的 。Zhè zhǒng cài shì yònglái zuò tāng de.This kind of vegetable is for making soup.
  • 这个 房间 是 给 客人 住 的 。Zhège fángjiān shì gěi kèrén zhù de.This room is for our guest to stay in.
  • 这些 钱 是 给 孩子 上 大学 的 。Zhèxiē qián shì gěi háizi shàng dàxué de.This money is for our child's college education.
  • 这些 礼物 是 给 客户 准备 的 。Zhèxiē lǐwù shì gěi kèhù zhǔnbèi de.These presents have been prepared for the clients.
  • 钱 是 用来 花 的 ，不 是 用来 省的 。Qián shì yònglái huā de, bù shì yònglái shěng de.Money is for spending, not for saving.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

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