有 yǒu: showing existence

有 yǒu iterally means to have, which can show the possession. For example, 他有很多小狗。(He has lots of dogs.) It can be also used to indicate the existence of someone or something in particular place. For example, 

• 学校里有书店。Xuéxiào lǐ yǒu shūdiàn. There is a bookstore at school.
  
• 杯子里有什么？ Bēizi lǐ yǒu shénme? What is (there) in the cup?
• 房间里没有人 。Fángjiān lǐ méiyǒu rén. No one in the room.

In these sentences, verb 有 (yǒu), which means "to have", can also be used to express existence. This is similar to saying "there is" or "there are" in English, and is sometimes expressed in other ways as well. The structure is Place + 有 + Object.

Please correct the following sentences by using the correct structure.

1. 有几个中国学生在图书馆里。
   
2. 有几个美国女生在健身房里。
3. 有几本中文书在书包里。
4. 没有人教室里。
5. 什么有冰箱里？

Please rearrange the words and make sentences:

1. 我的     里      手机      号码    有       你的   (Your number is in my cell phone.)
2. 有       房间    人    里    吗 (Is there anyone in the room now?)
3. 教学楼   很多    自行车    有     前 (There are many bicycles in front of the teaching building.)
4. 桌子上有一个苹果。（There is an apple on the table.）
   
5. 我的    有     汤    一只     里      苍蝇 (There's a fly in my soup.)

http://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%9C%89

十多年 & 十年多

多 can be used to indicate a number in excess but 十多个 and 十个多 are different, because 多 means over a specified number, which can be an integer larger than 1 or a decimal between 0 and 1. 

• 十多个小时 means more than 10 hours, which could be 11, 12, 13 hours.
• 十个多小时 means more than 10 but less than 11 hours, which could be 10 hours and 10 minutes, 10 hours and 15 minutes, or 10 hours and 45 hours, etc. 

Please think about these two situations:

• If David has learned Chinese for 12 years, we can say: 他学中文十多年了。（In this case, we used the structure: Number + 多 + Measure word + noun.)
• If David has learned Chinese for 10 years and 2 months, we can say: 他学中文十年多了。 (In this case, we used the structure: Number  + Measure word + 多+ noun.)

Please fill in the blanks by using 多 structure based on the contexts: 

1. 她来中国____________了。（14 months）

• a. 十多个月 
• b. 十个月多

2. 这个蛋糕____________。（$ 8.5)

• a. 八块多
• b. 八多块

3. 我们班上有____________同学。（22 students)

• a. 20多个同学
• b. 20个多同学

Please rearrange the words and form new sentences:

1. 他的    五十     妈妈       岁      多      了 
• His mother is already more than fifty years old.
2. 块     这个     三千    包     多     钱 
• This bag is more than three thousand kuai.
3. 书     他的     写    两百  了  多 页    了 
• He has written already more than two hundred pages for his book.
4. 中国    历史    有    年     的     五千    多  
• China has more than five thousand years of history.

Two-Syllable Adjectives (AABB)

If an adjective have more than one character, then you can repeat each character individually (rather than the whole word). This is known as the "AABB" pattern. In the structure below, the original two-character adjective (such as 高兴, 漂亮) is "AB," where the first character of the adjective is represented by "A," and the second by "B." For example, 

• 高兴 → 高高兴兴Gāoxìng ￫ gāo gāoxìng xìng (happy/happily)
• 开心 → 开开心心kāixīn ￫ kāi kāixīn xīn (happy/happily)
• 热闹 → 热热闹闹rènào ￫ rè rènào nào (lively-bustling with noise and excitement)
• 干净 → 干干净净gānjìng ￫ gàn gānjìng jìng (clean)
• 漂亮 → 漂漂亮亮piàoliang ￫ piào piàoliang liàng (beautiful/beautifully)
• 安静 → 安安静静ānjìng ￫ ān ānjìng jìng (quiet/quietly)
• 健康 → 健健康康jiànkāng ￫ jiàn jiànkāng kāng (healthy/healthily)
• 清楚 → 清清楚楚 qīngchǔ ￫ qīng qīngchǔ chǔ (clear/clearly)
• 舒服 → 舒舒服服 Shūfú ￫ shū shūfú fú (comfortable/comfortably)

Not all adjectives can take AABB form. Here are some examples of common adjectives that don't work in AABB form.

• 好看 →  好好看看 [wrong]
• 好吃 →  好好吃吃 [wrong]
• 麻烦 →  麻麻烦烦 [wrong]

You can use this pattern in the following structures.

First, you can use it with 的 as an attributive to modify a noun: A A B B + 的 (+ Noun) .  For example, 

• 我们在干干净净的教室里上课。We have class in a clean classroom.
• 人人都希望过上健健康康的生活。Every one wants to lead a healthy life.
• 春节到了，北京到处都是热热闹闹的。It's Spring Festival and it's very lively everywhere in Beijing. 
• 清晨公园总是安安静静的。The park is always very quiet in the morning.

In addition, you can use A A B B + 地 + Verb structure.

• 她总是开开心心地学习，认认真真地工作。
• 每到春节，他会回老家，和家人热热闹闹地庆祝新年。Every time when it comes to Spring Festival, he will go back to his hometown to celebrate the New Year with his family. 

Please fill in the blanks by using AABB + 的  or 地  structure:

1. 我_____________看到他跟一个男人上车了。I clearly saw him get in the car with a fat man.
2. 他_____________睡了个午睡。He took a nap comfortably. 
3. 希望你_____________过好每一天。I hope you can spend every day happily. 
4. 他的字总是_____________。His writing is always beautiful. 
5. 你可以_____________再说一次吗？Can you speak clearly one more time?

死 sǐ Indicating an Extreme Degree

Literally, 死 sǐ means death but it can be placed after an adjective, 死 sǐ can served as a complement to indicate an extreme degree of the condition named by the adjective. For example,

• 打针疼死了。It's extremely painful to get a shot. 

• 我饿死了。 I'm starving. 
• 今天热死了。It's awfully hot today.

• 我吃了很多，撑死了。I ate a lot and I feel extremely full.

死 sǐ often follows an adjective with a pejorative meaning and therefore the combination carries a negative connotation, as shown in the examples above. Occasionally, however, it may also be sued in a positive contexts. For example, 

• 知道这件事，他高兴死了。

However, most complimentary adjectives can not be followed by 死 sǐ. People seldom say:

• 这件裙子漂亮死了。
• 今天天气好死了。

Please describe the pictures:

1.  渴kě

2. 冷

3. 烦 fán

4. 贵

5. 累lèi

Resultative Complement -- Part. 2

We learned the introduction of resultative complement in the previous blog. In this blog, we will have a more comprehensive summary about this grammar point by reviewing all the resultative complements that we have introduced so far and learned new ones that can be formed from the verbs and complements we already know.

1. 完 

• 看完 finish reading 
• 吃完 finish eating
• 喝完 finish drinking
• 考完 finish taking a test
• 买完 finish buying
• 卖完 sell out

2. 到

• 找到 find something or someone successfully 
• 看到 see something or someone
• 听到 hear something or someone
• 买到 buy something successfully 

3. 见 

• 看见 see something or someone (same as 看到)
• 听见 hear something or someone (same as 听到)

4. 好

• 做好 complete doing something, which is now ready
• 买好 complete buying something, which is now ready
• 准备好 prepare something, which is ready

5. 错

• 买错 buy the wrong one
• 找错 give the wrong change; find the wrong person or thing
• 写错 write (something) incorrectly 
• 说错 say (something) incorrectly 
• 走错 go the wrong way

6. 懂

• 听懂 comprehend what one hears 
• 看懂 comprehend that one reads or sees

7. 清楚

• 看清楚 see something clearly
• 听清楚 hear something clearly 

8. 会

• 学会 acquire the skills (for doing something that one was previous unable to do)

Please complete the following sentences by using the phases given: 

a.  看清楚      b. 做完     c.找错     d. 听懂    e. 学会

1. 我昨天去买东西，超市的服务员________钱了，她多找给了我十块钱。

2. 李老师说话说得太快了，我没有_____________。

3. 同学，你坐在教室的后面，黑板上的字你能_____________吗？

4. 这一课很简单，我已经____________了。

5. 今天的作业我_____________了。

a. 吃完     b. 看懂     c. 准备好   b. 看见    e. 听到

6. 明天的早饭我_____________了。

7. _____________晚饭，我们去个超市怎么样？

8. 喂！喂！您_____________了吗？

9. 哎呀，我找不到我的眼镜了。妈妈，您_____________了吗？

10. 虽然他写的字不是很清楚，但是我能_____________。

Please answer the questions according to the pictures:

1. 她做完作业了吗？

2. 他听清楚了吗？

3. 谁找到了两个彩蛋？谁还在找彩蛋？

4. 那辆红色的车怎么了？

5. 这个游戏机还有吗？

Resultative Complement -- Part.1

Following a verb, an adjective, or another verb can be used to denote the result of the action, hence the term resultative complement. For example,

• 这个菜卖完了。This dish has been sold out. 
• 您的钱找错了。You gave me the wrong change. 
• 这个问题的答案你想清楚了吗？Have you clearly figured out the answer to the question? 
• 太好了！你说对了！Great! You said correctly!

Generally, the negative form of a resultative complement is fired by placing 没 or 没有 before the verb.  For example,

• 这个菜还没(有)卖完。
• 您的钱没(有)找错。
• 这个问题我还没(有)想清楚。
• 糟糕，你没(有)说对。

Please change the sentences to the negative form:
1. 饭做好了。
2. 功课做好了。
3. 我今天的工作做完了。
4. 书我已经帮你买好了。
5. 我听懂了。
6. 我学会了。
7. 我看见了。
8. 我听到了。

Please rearrange the words and make sentences:
1. 清楚    听      没有      我
2. 糟糕    这本     买    书    错    了
3. 爸爸    完     看   报纸     了
4. 儿子     找     三      彩蛋      个      到    了
5. 准备    你    好    吗    了  （？）

美丽 (Měilì) and 漂亮 (Piàoliang)

美丽 is slightly more formal than 漂亮. 美丽 is usually used in writing; 漂亮 is informal, used in both writing and speaking. For example, 美丽 is better for sentences like "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess...", while 漂亮 is more appropriate for "Jane, you look so beautiful today!" So if you translate them into English, 美丽 should be "beautiful", while 漂亮 is more like "pretty", "good-looking", or "beautifully executed". 美丽 can be used to describe everything that is beautiful, including abstract things and concrete ones; 漂亮 is usually connected with concrete objects. 

• 西湖的春景十分美丽。
• 展览会里有一些美丽的油画。
  
• 王子爱上了一位美丽的少女。
• 这件外套很漂亮。
• 她不仅漂亮，而且善良。
• 干得漂亮(well done)
• 他说一口漂亮的英语(he speaks good English). 
• Note that in speaking, when you express that something is well done or somebody is really good at something, you can use 漂亮.

Please fill in the blanks by using 美丽 (Měilì) or 漂亮 (Piàoliang).

1. 他的足球踢得很________。
2. 水牛城是一个座________的城市
3. 这儿有一个风景________的公园。
4. 在月光下花园看上去很________。
5. 她有一个________的心灵。
6. 你的字真________。
7. 桂林是我去过的最________的地方。
8. 你的这条裙子真________。

从cóng and 离lí

Both 从 and 离 can be translated into english as "from" but their meaning and usages are different in Chinese.  从cóng refers to a "dynamic" distance - distance which is changing. For example, 我从北京来。In this sentence, 来 (come) is an action verb, which shows the change of the motion. 离lí on the opposite side expresses "static“ distance, which is not changing. Both can be used in defining the distance in space or time but people use 从cóng to indicate a starting point, which could be spacial, temporal, or categorical. 

从

From (time) - 从….开始，从….起，从…..以来

• 从明天开始，我不抽烟了。
• 从现在起，我要好好学中文。
• 从上大学以来，她变得越来越独立。

From (place) － 从….到….，从…..向…..，

• 从这儿向北走，你就可以到大瀑布了。
• 从学校到我家，开车大约要一刻钟。

From (category)－从….到….

• 从学生到老师都放假了。
• 阿里巴巴从一家小公司发展到一家上市公司。

From (change)

• 《从优秀到卓越》是一本很好的书。
• 他从最差的学生变成了最认真的学生。

离lí

From (distance)

• 我的学校离你家很远。
• 超市离学校很近。 
• so the pattern is location A + 离lí + location B + 很远 / 很近

From (time)

• 第一次世界大战离第二次世界大战不到50年。

Please fill in the blanks by using 从cóng or 离lí

• 你家_______工作的地方远不远？
• 图书馆_______健身中心很近，_______这儿往南走，只需要五分钟就到了。
• _______明天起，我要天天去健身中心锻炼。
• 现在_______他的生日还有一个月。

Write complete sentences expressing the distance between the two locations in each of the following items. For example, 大学，公园，5 miles: 大学离公园有5英里。

• 飞机场，火车站，5km
• 书店，公共汽车站，50m
• NYC, Boston, 180 miles.

Write complete sentences expressing the distance between the two locations in each of the following items. For example, 中国，美国，坐飞机，至少12个小时：从中国到美国，坐飞机至少要12个小时。

• 家，公司，开车，半个小时
• 超市，商场，走路，十分钟
• 学校，公园，骑自行车，五分钟

prefix 好hǎo- and 难nán-

好hǎo- and 难nán- can be used as prefixes but they have opposite meanings. 好hǎo means good and well; 难nán means hard and difficult. As prefixes, they both can be added to the same set of verbs to form adjectives. Here are some examples:

• 好看hǎokàn: good look = pretty 
• 难看nánkàn: hard look = ugly
  

• 好听hǎotīng: good listen = euphonious 
• 难听nántīng: hard listen = cacophonous 

• 好闻hǎo wén: good smell = fragrant 
• 难闻nán wén: hard smell = smelly

• 好吃hào chī: good eat = tasty
• 难吃nán chī: hard eat = unpalatable 

• 好用hǎo yòng: good use = easy to use
• 难用nán yòng: hard use = hard to use

• 好受hǎoshòu: good sustain = comfortable 
• 难受nánshòu: hard sustain = miserable 

Please use the words above to fill in the blanks:

1. 学校的电脑速度很快，很________。
2. 天啊！他唱歌真________！我都受不了了(shòu bùliǎole)。
3. 这种香水真________！
4. 你写的字怎么这么________呀？有没有什么好的方法(fāngfǎ)？
5. 他感冒了，很________。
6. 妈妈做的鱼又________又________。
7. 这个歌手长得又________，唱歌又________。
8. 这个演员长得不太________，可是她演戏很________，所以她不是偶像派（Ǒuxiàng pài, idol actress），而是一个实力派（Shílì pài，strength actress）。
9. 这种草莓小是小，不过很________。
10. 榴莲________是________，不过很________。

Conceding a point with 是 (shì) -- Adj. + 是 + Adj. + 但是……

When conceding a point, we often put emphasis on the point we are conceding, and in Chinese there is a way to do that with 是 (shì) and "...是..., 但是..." (...shì..., dànshì...) is a pattern often used in an argument or debate. It's usually indicating that the speaker is conceding a point, but they still have some reservations about the topic at hand. For example,

• 这种车快是快, 但是不安全。This car is fast, but it isn't safe.
• 这个东西好是好，但是太贵了。This thing is good, but it too expensive.

So, the structure is Adjective + 是 + Adjective + 但是……

Please fill in the blanks by using the given phrases:

A. 新是新

B. 好是好

C. 便宜是便宜

D. 好看是好看

E. 好用是好用

1. 这个手机_________，但是太贵了。
2. 这个电脑_________，但是质量太糟糕了。
3. 这个笔记本外观_________，但是软件有些旧。
4. 这个打印机_________，但是不太好用。
5. 这个扫描仪_________，就是太大了。

A. 好看
B. 好听
C. 好吃
D. 好喝
E. 好闻

1. 这种酒贵是贵，但是很_________。
2. 邓丽君的歌老是老，但是很_________。
3. 这种花_________是_________，但是不太_________。
4. 这种菜_________是_________，但是不太_________。

Radical礻shì：示字旁儿(shìzìpángér) or 示补儿(shìbǔér) -- ancestor, veneration, or spirit

The character 示 looks like an altar or offering table, the top stroke depicting the offered goods, meaning ancestor, veneration, or spirit.  Transformed from 示, 礻is used as a radical, which always appears in the left half of characters. For example, 神 "spirit" has radical 礻 plus 申 shēn as a phonetic marker. Similarly, 祖 "ancestor" on the other hand has radical 礻 plus 且, a pictograph of a stand with shelves for offerings to ancestors. Here are more examples, 

Radical map

Radical衤yī：衣字旁儿(yīzìpángér) -- clothes

Radical衤yī is called 衣字旁儿(yīzìpángér) or 衣补儿(yībǔr) in Chinese, which means clothes. You can find it in lots of characters relating to clothing. For example, 衬衫 (chènshān, shirts), 裤子(kùzi, pants), and 裙子(qúnzi, dress/skirts).

Please find the characters with 衤yī：衣字旁儿(yīzìpángér) and tell the meaning of them.
1) 他的袜子破了，要补一补。
       Tā de wàzi pòle, yào bǔ yī bǔ.


2) 这件衬衫的袖子有点儿长。
        Zhè jiàn chènshān de xiùzi yǒudiǎnr cháng.


3) 他买了棉袄和被子。
       Tā mǎile mián'ǎo hé bèizi.


4) 她的浴袍是白色的。
       Tā de yù páo shì báisè de.



Download the Radical map.

时间, 时刻, and 时候

时间, 时刻, and 时候 are all associated with time but they are different in terms of meaning and usages. Today, we are going to distinguish the nuances among them. 

• 时间 has more to do with concept of time 
• 时间不够＝not enough time
• 看你有没有时间＝see if you have time or not
• 时候 refers to a time period. It can refer to an unspecified period of time, e.g. 小时候 -> when I was little.
• 你什么时候要走？= when are you leaving?
• 你几点要走？ = What time will you leave? （几点 is asking more at a specific time.)
• 我小的时候＝when i was young
• 时刻 also either means a point of time, "the time (of the day)", e.g. 5pm. "constantly" (typically as 时时刻刻).

Please fill in the blank by using 时间, 时刻, or 时候:

1. 他住在中国的_________常常来这家饭馆儿吃饭。

2. 你什么_________去学校？

3. 我_________都在想着这个问题。

4. 今天我很忙，恐怕没有_________和你去买东西了。

5. 哎呀，快一点儿，我们没有_________了。

6. 小_________，我和姥爷住在一起。

7. 现在是关键_________，你要坚持住呀。

8. 请你查查火车_________表，上海到重庆的列车什么_________开？

Please fill in the blank by using 几点 or 什么时候:

“现在_________？”“10点钟。”
"What's the time?" "It's ten o'clock."

你_________完成工作？
What time do you finish work?

“我们_________送桌子最合适？”“哦，_________都行。”
"What would be the best time of day for us to deliver the table?" "Oh, any time will be OK."