Alternative existential sentences

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。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

• 洗衣机里有一些衬衫。Xǐyījī lǐ yǒu yī xiē chènshān.There are some shirts inside the washing machine.
• 书桌上是一个手机。Shū zhūo shàng shì yī ge shǒujī.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