Alternative existential sentences

It's not just 在 and 有 that can be used to form existential sentences, expressing something's existence in a certain place or location. The word order may be a little different from what you are used to, but these are still fairly ways to make everyday statements such as, "there is a book lying on the desk."

Existential Sentences with 着

Structure

Location Word + Verb + 着／了+ [Noun Phrase]

Examples

• 桌子 上 放 着 一 本 书。Zhūozi shàng fàng zhe yī běn shū.There is a book lying on the table.
• 公园 的 椅子 上 坐 着几 个 人。Gōngyuán de yǐzi shàng zuò zhe jǐ gè rén.There are some people sitting on chairs in the park.
• 柜子 里 挂 着 一些 衣服。Guìzi lǐ guà zhe yīxiē yīfu.There are some clothes hanging inside the closet.
• 楼下 停 了 几 辆 车 。 Lóuxià tíng le jǐ liàng chē.A few cars are parked downstairs.
• 锅 里 煮 了 鸡汤 。Guō lǐ zhǔ le jītāng.I made chicken soup in the pot.

Existential Sentences with 是

表示对一种存在的判断，主语必须是表示方位或处所意义的词语。是字句对事物的判断具有排他性，"是"后面的宾语是这个处所范围内唯一的事物。

Structure

Location Word + Verb + 是 + [Noun Phrase]

Examples

• 洗衣机 里 是 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 是 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 是 他 家人 的 照片 。There is nothing on the wall other than his family's photos.Qiáng shàng dōu shì tā jiārén de zhàopiàn.His family's photos are hanging on the wall.
• 行李箱 里 是 我 给 朋友 买 的 礼物 。Other than the gifts, there is nothing else in the suitcase.Xínglixiāng lǐ shì wǒ gěi péngyou mǎi de lǐwù.The gifts that I bought for my friends are inside my suitcase.
• 桌子 上 是 孩子们 昨天 画 的 画 。The pictures that the kids drew yesterday are the only things on the desk.Zhuōzi shàng shì háizi men zuótiān huà de huà.The pictures that the kids drew yesterday are on the desk.

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

See Also

• Indicating location with "zai" before verbs
• Special cases of "zai" following verbs
• Expressing existence in a place with "zai"

Sources and Further Reading

Books

• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 128) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (p. 191) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 264, 325)→buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (pp. 40-1, 164-5, 185) →buy

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