How to Pause in a Sentence

Speaking with the right rhythm in a sentence really matters, which enables your Mandarin to sound more natural and authentic. If you want to speak Chinese smoothly and effectively, you should pause at the right position within a sentence other than saying all the sounds and tones correctly. 

Pause is a brief stop between two independent words or phrases within one sentence. Pausing at the wrong place might cause confusion in your communication. Also, using the same pause between characters within a sentence may make you sound like a robot. Within a word or phrase, you need to speak each character without any pauses. People might skip the full sound of some characters by changing it to a neutral tone to make the word or phrase sound as a whole. 

The question is when to pause.  If you have listened to enough native communications, you might get this skill naturally but  still here are some tips for you to master it. 

Tip 1: don't make pauses within a word or phrase. 

For example, “我妈妈在医院工作。” should be spoken with proper pauses like this "我妈妈／在医院／工作。”
In this sentence, 我妈妈， 在医院， 工作 are words that should be spoken with connecting sound. We only pause between each chunk of them.

Tip 2: Character with neutral tone (fifth tone, light, quick, and obscure) needs to be spoken together with its previous word. 

Some function words, such as 的，了，着，吗，吧 are usually pronounced as neutral tone, for example，
小王的哥哥／去美国了吗？
躺着看书／不好，你／最好／坐着看吧。

When reading characters out loud, Chinese learners tend to give syllables their full tones. Thus, some syllables that are neutral tone in conversation are pronounced with full tones instead. For example, 朋友 may be read off as péngyǒu instead of péngyou. To pronounce them correctly and naturally, you'd better follow the pronunciation of your teacher, mentor, or audios. 

Tip 3: verb and single-character object should be connected 
他／开车／开了／很多年，很会／挑选车。
他可以／帮助你。

Tip 4: If you want to emphasize a word in a sentence, you can say that word slower and louder.
我的眼镜 (slower and louder) ／在哪儿？
他今年夏天没去中国。(It is him rather than other ppl.)
他今年夏天没去中国。(Talking about this year rather than last year.)
他今年夏天没去中国。(Emphasizing this summer rather spring or other seasons.)

他今年夏天没去中国。(Emphasizing he DID NOT go.)

他今年夏天没去中国。(Emphasizing China rather than other countries.)

------

We want to speak

• Clearly
• Accurately 
• Relevantly 
• Completely 
• Smoothly
• Effectively 
• Authentically 
• interjections 
• pause fillers
• final particles

歇后语 Xiēhòuyǔ

歇后语 Xiēhòuyǔ  is a two-part allegorical saying, which starts off with a basic descriptive statement and finishes with a twist, sometimes unstated and clinching the point. The first part of a xiehouyu acts as a metaphor or primer for the latter part that carries the message. A pause separates the two parts, giving the listener time to guess the “answer.” You might think of it as a game of riddles!

Here are some examples:

井底看书 － 学问不浅

Jǐng dǐ kàn shū – xué wèn bù qiǎn

Reading a book at the bottom of a well — very deep knowledge (lit. knowledge not shallow)
Meaning: Wells are deep and books represent knowledge. Used to praise someone who is knowledgable.

叫花子打了碗 － 倾家荡产

Jiào huā zi dǎ le wǎn – qīng jiā dàng chǎn

A beggar breaks his bowl — bankrupted
Meaning: A beggar’s bowl is his only means of earning money, so he’s in trouble if it breaks. Used when someone loses everything he has.

猪八戒穿红袍 － 不伦不类

Zhū bā jiè chuān hóng páo – bù lún bú lèi

A pig wearing a red robe — he’s still a pig (lit. neither fish nor fowl)
Meaning:  Even if Zhubajie (pig character in the story Journey to the West) wears a red robe, it will not make him a human. It suggests we should follow convention.

八十老翁吹喇叭 － 有气无力

Bā shí lǎo wēng chuī lǎ bā – yǒu qì wú lì

An 80-year-old man playing the trumpet — so weakly (lit. breath but no power)
Meaning: An old man may have the will but not the energy for something. Used to describe someone who does not put any spirit or effort into a particular task.

吊死鬼瞪眼 － 死不瞑目

Diào sǐ guǐ dèng yǎn – sǐ bù míng mù

Hanged-ghosts stare at something — die with everlasting regret (lit. die with eyes open)
Meaning: A person who dies with his/her eyes open is said to have not died in peace, perhaps wronged or clinging to unfulfilled wishes.

警察蹲监狱 － 以身试法

Jǐng chá dūn jiān yù – yǐ shēn shì fǎ

A policeman in prision — defying the law (lit. personally testing the law)
Meaning: A policeman who ends up in prison shows that the law is fair.

Here are more examples:

瞎子点灯--白费蜡。 It is as useless as a blind man lighting a candle. 

黄鼠狼给鸡拜年--不怀好意。 A weasel wishing Happy New Year to a chicken-harboring no good intention. 

肉包子打狗--有去无回。 Chasing a dog by throwing meat dumplings at it-gone, never to return. 

竹篮打水--一场空。 Like ladling water with a wicker basket-all is empty (nothing). 

八仙过海--各显其能。 (Like) the Eight Immortals crossing the sea-each showing his or her special prowess. ( Each of them shows their true worth.) 

隔着门缝看人--把人瞧扁了。 If you peer at a person through a crack-he looks flat. 

兔子尾巴长不了。 The tail of a rabbit-cannot be long; won't last long.

Sometimes the second part of a xiehouyu is omitted altogether, much like these English sayings: a stitch in time (saves nine) and speak of the devil (and he will appear).

reference:

http://language.chinadaily.com.cn/trans/2009-09/15/content_8695423.htm

改病句

1. 王经理签订了合同已经。

2. 我不让牙医吃糖。

3. 功课把我做完了。

4. 我的想法把王教授精彩的演讲改变了。

5. 大使馆反映了这个问题向游客。

read more about 让：
http://ichinesematters.blogspot.com/2015/06/causative-verb-rang.html

read more about 把 and 被 structures:
http://ichinesematters.blogspot.com/2015/06/structure.html
http://ichinesematters.blogspot.com/2015/06/structure_15.html
http://ichinesematters.blogspot.com/2015/06/review.html

着 zhe， zhāo， zháo，zhuó

着 zhe is used as the aspect particle indicating action in progress. However, it is a 多音字 (a heteronym, aka heterophone), which is a word that is written identically but has a different pronunciation and meaning.  Here are three other ways to pronounce this character depending on their meanings.

1. 着 [zhuó] 2. 着 [zháo] 3. 着 [zhāo] 4. 着 [zhe]

1. 着 [zhuó] <动词 v.>

to wear (clothes) / to contact / to use / to apply

• 着力
• zhuólì
• to put effort into sth / to try really hard

• 着想
• zhuóxiǎng
• to give thought (to others) / to consider (other people's needs) / also pr. [zhao2 xiang3]

• 着眼
• zhuóyǎn
• to have one's eyes on (a goal) / having sth in mind / to concentrate

• 着手
• zhuóshǒu
• to put one's hand to it / to start out on a task / to set out

• 着落
• zhuóluò
• whereabouts / place to settle / reliable source (of funds etc) / (of responsibility for a matter) to rest with sb / settlement / solution

• 着重
• zhuózhòng
• to put emphasis on / to stress

• 着色
• zhuósè
• to paint / to apply color

• 着墨
• zhuómò
• to describe (in writing, applying ink)

• 着笔
• zhuóbǐ
• to put pen to paper

• 着装
• zhuózhuāng
• to dress / dress / clothes / outfit

• 着实
• zhuóshí
• truly / indeed / severely / harshly

• 着陆
• zhuólù
• landing / touchdown / to land / to touch down

•  着衣
• zhuóyī
• to get dressed

A: 穿（衣）wear clothes：穿着，着装  
Eg.他着装随便。He is dressed casually.                                                                                                 
B: 接触，挨上 land：着陆Eg. 飞机安全着陆。 The aircraft landed safely.

2. 着 [zháo] <动词 v.>

to touch / to come in contact with / to feel / to be affected by / to catch fire / to burn / (coll.) to fall asleep / (after a verb) hitting the mark / succeeding in

• 着急
• zháojí
• to worry / to feel anxious / Taiwan pr. [zhao1 ji2]

• 着凉
• zháoliáng
• to catch cold / Taiwan pr. [zhao1 liang2]

• 着迷
• zháomí
• to be fascinated / to be captivated

• 着魔
• zháomó
• obsessed / bewitched / enchanted / as if possessed

• 着慌
• zháohuāng
• alarmed / panicking

• 着火
• zháohuǒ
• ignite 

感受，受到 be affected (by sth)：着凉，着急，着迷。
别着急，慢慢来! Take your time!

3. 着 [zhāo] <名词 n.>

(chess) move / trick / all right! / (dialect) to add
下棋时下一子或走一步 move in chess: 着数

• 着数
• zhāo shù
• a move in martial art/ a strategy 

• 高招
• gāozhāo
• good strategy 

4 着 [zhe] <助词 auxiliary word>
正在进行 used after a v. or adj. to indicate the continuation of an action or a state.
Eg. 他们正谈着话呢。They are having a talk now.

Practice

Please write the correct pronunciation of 着 in the underlined words:
1. 他着凉了。
2. 那个房子着火了。
3. 他着装非常正式。
4. 别着急，我们一起解决这个问题。
5. 他对音乐非常着迷。
6. 我们要着眼大局。
7. 对于这个问题，我要着重说明一下。
8. 对于这个问题，他没有着了。


reference:
http://www.zdic.net/z/1f/js/7740.htm

了 le and liǎo

了

 le 助

1(表示动作或变化已完成)
▷ 他买了这本书。 Tā mǎile zhè běn shū. He's bought this book.

2(表示对未来的假设已完成)
▷ 下个月我考完了试回家。 Xià gè yuè wǒ kǎowánle shì huíjiā.I'll go home next month once my exams are over.

3(在句尾，表示出现变化)
▷ 下雨了。 Xiàyǔ le. It's raining.

4(在句尾，表示提醒、劝告或催促)
▷ 该回家了。 Gāi huíjiā le. It's time to go home.
▷ 别喊了！ Bié hǎn le! Stop shouting!see also lia3o

The usage of 了(le) is one of the most complex parts of Chinese grammar, partly because it has two completely different functions.

It can indicate completion of an action, e.g. 他喝了三杯啤酒(tā hēle sān bēi píjiǔ) (he drank three glasses of beer). Sometimes, when placed at the end of a clause or a sentence, it usually indicates a change of some kind, e.g. 天黑了(tiān hēi le) (it's gone dark).

了

 liǎo

I 动

1(=完毕) finish不了了之  bù liǎo liǎo zhī finish without any concrete results
▷ 了账 liǎozhàng settle a debt

2(放在动词之后表示可能)
▷ 办不了 bànbuliǎo not be able to handle
▷ 受得了 shòu de liǎo be able to bear

3(=明白) understand; to know clearly
(pt, pp understood) ▼ 明了 míngliǎo understand

II 副 (书)
▷ 了无惧色 liǎowú jùsè without a trace of fear
▷ 了无长进 liǎowú zhǎngjìn no progress at all
Please tell of the meaning of 了liǎo in the following phrases:

1. 一目了然Yīmùliǎorán obvious at a glance
2. 直截了当zhíjiéliǎodāng direct and plainspoken (idiom); blunt  / straightforward
3. 了不起liǎo bù qǐ amazing / terrific / extraordinary
4. 了不得liǎo bùdé amazing / terrific / extraordinary 
5. 了解liǎojiě to know
6. 了断liǎoduàn  to break off (a relationship etc)

Other usages of 也

也 (also, in addition) is usually used to introduce a second verb phrase that adds additional information about the subject. For example, 小王学中文，也学日文。It can also use to indicate two different subjects sharing similar characteristics or perform the same action. For example, 王朋学中文，李友也学中文。

However there are some other usages of this adverb. For example,

• 谁也不想去。No one wants to go.
• 他什么也不会。He can not do anything. 
• 红色，蓝色，他哪个都不喜欢。Red or blue, he doesn't like any of them. 
• 他什么时候也没空儿。He doesn't have time no matter when. 
• 他是新来的，哪儿都不认识。He is a newcomer and doesn't know any place. 

In these cases, 也 is used with question words to convey the meaning of "not any" and the structure is "question words + 也 + negation". 

• 这个字，我怎么写，也写不好。This character, no matter how I write it, I write it incorrectly. （怎么+verb+也+verb+negation -- no matter how）

Please fill in the blanks by using the words given:

什么时候，哪儿，哪里，谁，什么，怎么

1. 他去买东西，可是_______也没买。
2. 奶奶做的菜太多了，________吃也吃不完。
3. 弟弟只喜欢吃肉，_______菜也不喜欢吃。
4. 天气这么热，我______也不想去。
5. 这个题太难了，________做也做不出来。

In addition, 也 can be used in two special structures:

也 is used to emphasize， for example:

• 他一口饭也不想吃。He doesn't want to eat anything. 
• 这个电影一点儿意思也没有。This movie is not interesting at all. 

即使...也 is used to show contrast， for example:

• 即使他心里不高兴，也没说什么。Even though he is not happy, he didn't say anything. 
• 即使他来了，他也帮不上忙。Even if he comes, he can not help with anything. 

除了...以外 marking exception: "except for noun phrase"， for example:

• 除了爷爷以外，奶奶也去中国旅游。Besides grandpa, grandma will also go to China to travel. 
• 除了中文以外，西班牙语他也会说。Besides Chinese, he can also speak Spanish.

连 + noun phrase + 也 + verb phrase, indicating that a noun phrases is included in the situation described by the verb phrase. For example, 

• 我们全家去旅游，连爷爷也去。Our whole family is going to China. Even grandpa will go. 
• 他每天都很忙，连周末也都很忙。He is busy very day, even the weekend. 
• 哥哥什么都吃，连苦瓜也吃。The older brother eats everything, even the bitter melon. 

Please tell the functions of 也 in the following sentences: 

• 我也不是故意的。
• 中文，我怎么说也说得不好。
• 我也没说你笨啊。
• 今天我打得一点儿也不好。