Difference between revisions of "Simple "noun + adjective" sentences"

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In English, [[nouns]] can be linked to [[adjectives]] and other nouns with the verb ''to be''. In Chinese, nouns are linked in different ways to adjectives and other nouns. Nouns are linked to [[Connecting nouns with "shi"|nouns with 是]]. Nouns are linked to adjectives with 很. The structure is:
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In English, nouns can be linked to adjectives and other nouns with the verb ''to be''. In Chinese, [[nouns]] are linked in different ways to [[adjectives]] and other nouns. Nouns are linked to [[Connecting nouns with "shi"|nouns with 是]]. Nouns are linked to adjectives with 很. The structure is:
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">

Revision as of 04:20, 15 August 2011

In English, nouns can be linked to adjectives and other nouns with the verb to be. In Chinese, nouns are linked in different ways to adjectives and other nouns. Nouns are linked to nouns with 是. Nouns are linked to adjectives with 很. The structure is:

Noun + 很 + Adjective

The noun in this structure is the subject of the sentence. Sometimes the 很 in this structure is translated as "very", but often it is just a way to link a noun to an adjective. In the following examples, 很 is just a link, and the sentences could be translated as "(Noun) is (adjective)".

Simple 很 sentences
Subject Adjective
高兴
好看
大象
老鼠

Remember that 是 is not used to link adjectives to nouns. This is a classic mistake that almost everyone makes when learning Chinese. Make sure you use 很 and not 是 to link adjectives to nouns, as shown below:

  • 高。
  • 高。