Alternative existential sentences
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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 things, like "there is a book lying on the desk," and similar phrases.
Typically, Chinese sentences contain the SVO or STPVO word order, but existential sentences have their own order.
Structure
Place Word/Phrase + Verb + 了／着 + Numeral + Measure Word + Noun
Examples
- 桌子上着一本书。 There is a book lying on the table.
- 在电影院的椅子上坐着几个人。 Some people are sitting in the chairs in the movie theater.
- 在柜子里挂着一些衣服。 There are some clothes hanging inside the closet.
Existential sentences have three kinds of verbs: 有 (yǒu), 是 (shì), and verbs that express bodily gestures or actions like 拿 (ná).
Examples
- 洗衣机里有一些衬衫。There are some shirts inside the washing machine.
- 书桌上是一个手机。On the desk is a cellphone.
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.
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
