Lesson 2 Dialogue 2

Grammar

University of Michigan Flint

Yan

Zhong,

 (ji)
In

Chinese, (ji) can refer to ones

family as well as ones home.
So one can point to his or her family
picture and say (W ji
yu s ku rn; There are four people in
my family)
one can also point to his or her house
and say (Zh sh w ji; This
is my home).

 (yu) in the Sense of to

Exist

W

ji yu w ge rn.
There are five people in my family.

There are two college students in

Little Gaos family.

Xio

Go ji yu ling ge dxushng.

(ku) is the idiomatic measure word

in northern China for the number of
family members.
In the south, people say (g /ge)
instead.

The numeral (y, one)

The

numeral (y, one) is

pronounced in the first tone (y) when it
stands alone or comes at the end of a
phrase or sentence.
Otherwise, its pronunciation changes
according to the following rules:

 (a)

Before a fourth-tone syllable, it

becomes second tone: (y g).
(b) Before a first-, second- or third-tone
syllable, it is pronounced in the fourth
tone
(y zhng, a sheet),
(y pn, one plate),
(y bn, one volume).

The Usage of (r) and

(ling)
(r) and (ling) both mean two,
but they differ in usage.

In compound numerals, (r) is

always used for the 2 on the last two
digits

22

rshr

125

ybi rshw

Unlike and, (h) cannot link

two clauses or two sentences:
My

father is a teacher , and my mother

is a physician.
*
W bba sh losh, *h w mma sh
ysheng.

Unlike and, (h) cannot link

two clauses or two sentences:
My father is a teacher , and my
mother is a physician.
*

W bba sh losh, *h w mma

sh ysheng.

The Adverb (du, both; all)

The word (du) indicates inclusiveness.

As it always occurs in front of a verb, it is
classified as an adverb.
However, because it refers to something that
has been mentioned earlier in the sentence,
or in a preceding sentence, it also has a
pronoun-like flavor and it must be used at the
end of an enumeration.


Wng

Png, L Yu h Go Wnzhng
du sh xusheng.
Wang Peng, Li You, and Gao Wenzhong
are all students.
lit. Wang Peng, Li You, and Gao
Wenzhong all are students.
(du) refers back to Wang Peng, Li
You and Gao Wenzhong and therefore
appears after they are mentioned.


Wng

Png h L Yu du b sh lsh.
Neither Wang Peng nor Li You is a
lawyer.

 Both

Wang Peng and Bai Yingai have

younger sisters. (lit. Wang Peng and
Bai Yingai both have younger sisters.)

Wng Png h Bi Yngi du yu
mimei.

Neither Gao Wenzhong nor Li

You has any younger brothers.

Go

ddi.

Wnzhng h L Yu du mi yu

The pause mark, or series comma,

is often used to link two, three or even
more parallel words or phrases

bba, mma, ling ge mimei h w
dad, mom, two younger sisters and I

not all of ... have: (b

du yu)

None of them are

Chinese.

Tmen du b sh
Zhnggu rn.

Not all of them are

Chinese. ( :
tmen, they)

Tmen b du sh
Zhnggu rn.

None of them have

any younger
brothers.

Tmen du mi yu
ddi.

Not all of them have

younger brothers.

Tmen b du yu
ddi.

University of Michigan Flint

Yan

Zhong,