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

  • 桌子上一本书。Zhūo zi shàng zhe yī běn shū. There is a book lying on the table.
  • 在电影院的椅子上坐着几个人。Zaì dìanyǐngyuàn de yǐzi shàng zuò zhe jǐ ge rén. Some people are sitting in the chairs in the movie theater.
  • 在柜子里挂着一些衣服。Zaì guìzi lǐ guà zhe yī xiē yīfu. 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

  • 洗衣机里一些衬衫。Xǐyījī lǐ yǒu yī xiē chènshān.There are some shirts inside the washing machine.
  • 书桌上一个手机。Shū zhūo shàng shì yī ge shǒujī.On the desk is a cell phone.

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

Sources and Further Reading

Books