Difference between revisions of "Topic-comment sentences"
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*<em>这 台 电视</em> ，价格 不太 贵。<span class="expl">"this television" the topic that is emphasized.</span><span class="trans">The price of this television isn't too expensive.</span> | *<em>这 台 电视</em> ，价格 不太 贵。<span class="expl">"this television" the topic that is emphasized.</span><span class="trans">The price of this television isn't too expensive.</span> | ||
| − | *<em>上海 的 夏天</em> ，我 听说 每天 下 雨，也 很 潮湿。<span class="expl">"the summer in Shanghai" | + | *<em>上海 的 夏天</em> ，我 听说 每天 下 雨，也 很 潮湿。<span class="expl">"the summer in Shanghai" is emphasized.</span><span class="trans">I've heard that it rains every day and is very humid in the summer in Shanghai.</span> |
*<em>日语</em> ，我 怎么 说 也 说 得 不 好。<span class="expl">"Japanese" is the topic that is emphasized.</span> <span class="trans">The way I speak Japanese is very bad.</span> | *<em>日语</em> ，我 怎么 说 也 说 得 不 好。<span class="expl">"Japanese" is the topic that is emphasized.</span> <span class="trans">The way I speak Japanese is very bad.</span> | ||
Revision as of 04:50, 5 June 2013
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In a topic-comment sentence, the usual word order is rearranged a bit in order to emphasize a certain part of a sentence. The part that is to be emphasized becomes the topic, and moves to the beginning of the sentence, with the comment on the topic coming after the topic has been stated.
Examples
Just make sure to put a comma after the topic if you are writing the sentence down!
- 这 台 电视 ，价格 不太 贵。"this television" the topic that is emphasized.The price of this television isn't too expensive.
- 上海 的 夏天 ，我 听说 每天 下 雨，也 很 潮湿。"the summer in Shanghai" is emphasized.I've heard that it rains every day and is very humid in the summer in Shanghai.
- 日语 ，我 怎么 说 也 说 得 不 好。"Japanese" is the topic that is emphasized. The way I speak Japanese is very bad.
See Also
Sources and further reading
Books
- Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 149-50) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 260) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 83-4) →buy
- Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 353-4) →buy
