Difference between revisions of "Time words and word order"

Revision as of 08:47, 26 November 2013

Level

A2 / HSK1
Level

A2
Level

HSK1
Similar to
- Basic sentence order (A1)
- Wanting to do something with "yao" (A1)
Similar to
- Basic sentence order (HSK1)
- Wanting to do something with "yao" (HSK2)
Used for

Sentence Patterns, Sequencing events in time, Expressing time and date
Keywords

None

Remembering where to put the time words, such as "yesterday", "tomorrow", "this week" etc., in a sentence is really important to speaking Chinese correctly. Luckily, it's similar to English, so it's easy to master.

Structure

In Chinese, time words can appear in one of two positions in the sentence: either at the beginning of the sentence (before the subject), or directly after the subject. The structures are:

Time + Subject + Verb + Object

Subject + Time + Verb + Object

So if you start speaking with "time first" English word order, you can carry on and get away with it. If, however, you're saving the time word for the end of the sentence, you can be pretty sure that it doesn't sound at all natural to your Chinese audience.

Examples

昨天我去了酒吧。Yesterday I went to the bar.
我昨天去了酒吧。I went to the bar yesterday.
下个星期 他要回国。Next week he is going back to his country.
他 下个星期 要回国。He is going back to his country next week.
明年我要开一个公司。Next year I want to open a company.
我明年要开一个公司。I want to open a company next year.
下个月 我们结婚吧？Next month shall we get married?
我们 下个月 结婚吧？Shall we get married next month?
现在你能来我办公室吗？Now you can come to my office?
你现在能来我办公室吗？Can you come to my office now?

Sources and further reading

Books

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 75-7) →buy
Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 205-6) →buy
40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 98)→buy

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Grammar Box}} \r\nRemembering where to put the time words, such as "yesterday", "tomorrow", "this week" etc., in a sentence is really important to speaking Chinese correctly. Luckily, it's similar to English, so it's easy to master.\r\n== Structure ==\r\nIn Chinese, time words can appear in one of two positions in the sentence: either at the beginning of the sentence (before the subject), or directly after the subject. The structures are:\r\n<div class="jiegou">\r\n'''Time''' + Subject + Verb + Object\r\nSubject + '''Time''' + Verb + Object\r\n</div>\r\nSo if you start speaking with "time first" English word order, you can carry on and get away with it.  If, however, you're saving the time word for the ''end'' of the sentence, you can be pretty sure that it doesn't sound at all natural to your Chinese audience.\r\n== Examples ==\r\n<div class="liju">\r\n* <em>昨天</em> 我 去 了 酒吧。<span class="trans">Yesterday I went to the bar.</span>
+{{Grammar Box}}
+Remembering where to put the time words, such as "yesterday", "tomorrow", "this week" etc., in a sentence is really important to speaking Chinese correctly. Luckily, it's similar to English, so it's easy to master.
+== Structure ==
+In Chinese, time words can appear in one of two positions in the sentence: either at the beginning of the sentence (before the subject), or directly after the subject. The structures are:
+<div class="jiegou">
+'''Time''' + Subject + Verb + Object
+Subject + '''Time''' + Verb + Object
+</div>
+So if you start speaking with "time first" English word order, you can carry on and get away with it.  If, however, you're saving the time word for the ''end'' of the sentence, you can be pretty sure that it doesn't sound at all natural to your Chinese audience.
+== Examples ==
+<div class="liju">
+* <em>昨天</em> 我 去 了 酒吧。<span class="trans">Yesterday I went to the bar.</span>
 * 我 <em>昨天</em> 去 了 酒吧。<span class="trans">I went to the bar yesterday.</span>
 * <em>下 个 星期</em> 他 要 回国。<span class="trans">Next week he is going back to his country.</span>
@@ Line 9: / Line 31: @@
 *<em>现在</em> 你 能 来 我 办公室 吗？<span class="trans">Now you can come to my office?</span>
 *你 <em>现在</em> 能 来 我 办公室 吗？<span class="trans">Can you come to my office now?</span>
-</div>\r\n==See also==
+</div>
+==See also==
 *[[Word order]]
 *[[Using "zai" with verbs]]
 *[[Wanting to do something with yao]]
-*[[Expressing completion with le]]\r\n== Sources and further reading ==\r\n=== Books ===\r\n* [[Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition]] (pp. 75-7) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615 →buy]
+*[[Expressing completion with le]]
+== Sources and further reading ==
+=== Books ===
+* [[Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition]] (pp. 75-7) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615 →buy]
 * [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 205-6) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385 →buy]
-*[[40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册）]] (p. 98)[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FTL8D8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FTL8D8&linkCode=as2&tag=allset-20 →buy] \r\n[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
+*[[40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册）]] (p. 98)[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FTL8D8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FTL8D8&linkCode=as2&tag=allset-20 →buy]
+[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
 {{Used for|Expressing time and date}}
 {{Used for|Sentence Patterns}}