Using "lai" as a dummy verb

Revision as of 05:00, 22 December 2017 by ChenShishuang (talk | contribs)
Chinese-grammar-wiki-lai.jpg

The verb 来 (lái) can be used as a "dummy verb," similar to the way "do" is used in English.

A scenario: Imagine you are with your some friends making dinner. There is a bottle of Chinese pickles that you want to open, but can't because the lid is so tight. You start passing it around to see who can open it, and no one is able to, until your body-builder friend comes in and says, "我来!" He is saying, "Let me do it!"

Structure

The structure for using 来 as a dummy verb is very basic. Usually it is a very short phrase, kind of like "your turn!," "let me give it a shot!," or "you do it!" in English. Usually it is used with 你 or 我 as the subject, and it ends with the 来. Sometimes it can end with a 吧.

(让 +) Subj. + 来

Examples

  • lái !You do it!
  • 吧。lái ba.Let me do it.
  • 让 他 自己 Ràng tā zìjǐ lái.Let him do it himself.
  • 还是 你们 自己 吧 。It's better that you do it by yourselves.
  • 你 写 得 好看 ,你 吧 。Nǐ xiě de hǎokàn, nǐ lái ba.You write well. You write it.

A few example dialogues:

  • A: 谁 能 读 一 下 这 段 话 ?Teacher, let me read it.
  • B: 老师 ,我 B: Lāoshī, wǒ lái.Teacher, let me read it.
  • A: 你 怎么 做 得 这么 慢 ?How come you do it so slowly?
  • B: 你 觉得 我 慢 ?你 You think I'm slow? You do it!

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Academic Articles

HSK4