A2 Grammar Flashcards
Expressing “when”
phrase + 的时候 = when phrase
的时候 = basically translates to “that time”
-you read it “backwards”-
我 (I)上 大学 (attend college) 的时候 (time + that)… = time that I attended college… = when I attended college…
以前 yǐqián
“before/in the past/previously…”
Nǐ yǐqián zhù zài nǎr?
You + before + live + at where?
Where did you live before?
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can also be used to reference a specific time.
Chīfàn yǐqián, nǐ xǐ shǒu le ma?
eating + before, you + washed?
Before eating, did you wash (your hands)?
以后 yǐhòu
“after”
Xiàwǔ sāndiǎn yǐhòu, wǒ bù zài jiā.
Afternoon + 3 oclock + after, I not at home.
After 3pm, I won’t be at home.
有的 (yǒude)
Can come before or after subject to mean “some”. As in “some people are like this…” Often used in comparisons.
外国人 有的 很 有钱， 有的 没钱。
Wàiguó rén yǒude hěn yǒuqián, yǒude méi qián.
Foreigners + some rich, some not rich.
完 (wán)
This indicates that an action is finished or
completed. Goes after verb.
你 能 吃 完 吗 ？
Nǐ néng chī wán ma?
You can eat finish?
You can finish eating?
When talking about something more in the past tense, add 了.
我 说 完 了 。
Wǒ shuō wán le.
i am done talking.
我 看 完 了 。
Wǒ kàn wán le.
I am done watching (it).
The OBJECT will go after verb + wan, and before le if adding it.
Subj. + Verb + 完 + Obj. + 了
我 做 完 作业 了 。
Wǒ zuò wán zuòyè le.
I am done doing homework.
到 (dào) and 见 (jiàn)
到 can attach to a lot of verbs, but 见 is usually only used with verbs related to the five senses (touch/hear/taste/smell/see). They both indicate that a verb has been done to completion or they indicate result. For example, in Chinese, 看 on it’s own means “to look” but not to actually see something (as in your brain registering it). For that, you add 到. 看到 = to see/to notice.
你 看 见 那 个 帅哥 了 吗 ？
Nǐ kànjiàn nàge shuàigē le ma?
你 看到 那 个 帅哥 了 吗 ？
Nǐ kàndào nàge shuàigē le ma?
Both these sentences mean “Did you see that handsome guy?”
To negate = use 没 (méi) or 没有 (méiyǒu). This is because if there is a result, then it already happened. And you need to use 没 (méi) to negate past events.
你 没 看 到 那 个 帅哥 吗 ？
Nǐ méi kàndào nàge shuàigē ma?
你 没 看 见 那 个 帅哥 吗 ？
Nǐ méi kànjiàn nàge shuàigē ma?
“You didn’t see that handsome guy?”
!!!
应该 (yīnggāi)
“should/ought to”
Subj. + 应该 + Verb + Obj.
我 应该 给 你 多少 钱？
Wǒ yīnggāi gěi nǐ duōshao qián?
(I should + give you + hou much money?)
明天 你 应该 八 点 半 来 公司。
Míngtiān nǐ yīnggāi bādiǎn bàn lái gōngsī.
(Tomorrow you should + half past 8 + come to office)
Negated using 不.
你 不 应该 告诉 他。
Nǐ bù yīnggāi gàosu tā.
You not should tell him.
到 (to/to arrive)
到 can also mean “to” or “to arrive” - as in coming or going “to” a place. Can also be used to mean coming or going to a place to do an action/verb.
明天 我 要 到 南京 路 买 衣服。
Míngtiān wǒ yào dào Nánjīng Lù mǎi yīfu.
(tomorrow I will to Nanjing Road, buy clothes).
[Sometimes to go/to come isn’t even needed in speech].
走 (zǒu) = leaving/walking/going away
去 (qù) = to go
来 (lái) = to come
好 (hǎo) meaning “easy to verb”
EASY to VERB Subj. + (很) 好 + Verb 这 个 词 的 意思 很 好懂。 Zhège cí de yìsi hěn hǎo dǒng. This word's meaning is [easy to understand].
一下 (yīxià)
一下 (yīxià) (verb "briefly/a little bit") 你 看 一下. Nǐ kàn yīxià Take a look (quickly)./Take a little look.
难 (nán) “difficult to verb”
Subj. + (很) 难 + Verb
汉语 很 难 学。
Hànyǔ hěn nán xué.
Mandarin is hard to study/learn.
Can also come before sense verbs to indicate that something is difficult to see/taste…
这里 的 咖啡 很 难喝。
Zhè lǐ de kāfēi hěn nánhē.
This place’s coffee is difficult to drink (meaning “it tastes bad”) !If you actually mean it’s difficult to literally drink it, don’t use this!
All About LE
别 + Verb = don’t verb.
BUT, if someone is already VERB-ing -
别VERB了 = stop VERB-ing.
别 说 了 ， 我 不 想 听 。
Bié shuō le, wǒ bù xiǎng tīng.
Stop talking, I not want listen.
HOWEVER, this structure CAN be used with verbs that haven’t happened yet when they are still technically in the process of happening - FOR EXAMPLE, to try to change someone’s idea or suggestion.
别 买 了 ，太 贵 了 !
Don’t buy it, too expensive!
You can ask questions about COMPLETED actions with 了吗?
你 吃饭 了 吗 ？
Nǐ chīfàn le ma?
You eat?/Did you eat?
晚饭 你 吃 了 吗 ？
Wǎnfàn nǐ chī le ma?
Expressing “soon”/”will…soon”
快(要) + Verb + 了
我们 快 到 了。
Wǒmen kuài dào le.
We + soon to/We (will) soon be there.
快 要 过年 了
Kuài yào guònián le
Will soon Chinese New Year/It will soon be Chinese New Year
我 快 好 了。
Wǒ kuài hǎo le.
I soon ready.
要 + Verb / Adj. + 了 = going to become/going to get/going to be
我 要 生气 了！
Wǒ yào shēngqì le!
I soon become angry!/I am going to get angry!
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Talking about “how long” - duration with LE
Subj. + Verb + 了 + Duration (+的) + Obj.
(Le basically translates to “for” here)
了 (le) is placed after the verb (to indicate that the action is completed), followed by the duration.
他 学 了 一 年 中文 。
Tā xué le yī nián Zhōngwén.
[He studied + le] + DURATION + OBJECT
He studied for + one year + Chinese.
TALKING ABOUT DURATION WHEN IT’S DEFINITELY STILL ON-GOING:
Subj. + Verb + 了 + Duration + 了
The first 了 (le) is placed after the verb (to indicate that the action is completed), followed by the duration, followed by an additional 了 (le) which tells us that the action has not concluded and is ongoing. You can think of the second 了 (le) as communicating the meaning of “up until now.”
他 在 北京 住 了 两 年 了。
Tā zài Běijīng zhù le liǎng nián le.
He at Beijing living LE + 2 years LE.
He has been living in Beijing for two years.
[Note that in the examples above, the verbs have no objects. When the verb has an object, the verb is often repeated:]
我 学 中文 学 了 一 年 了。
Wǒ xué Zhōngwén xué le yī nián le.
I study chinese study LE one year LE.
I have been studying Chinese for one year.
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Since LE at the end of the sentence indicates that the verb has been completed/sentence is in past tense - it often means “already”.
他 走 了。
Tā zǒu le.
He left/He left already.
“ALREADY” with 已经 and LE
已经 + [Verb Phrase] + 了
他们 已经 走 了。
Tāmen yǐjīng zǒu le.
They already GO + LE/LEFT.
我 已经 有 男朋友 了
Wǒ yǐjīng yǒu nánpéngyou le.
I already have boyfriend LE.
爸爸 妈妈 已经 老 了。
Bàba māma yǐjīng lǎo le.
Dad Mom already old LE.
爷爷 已经 八十五 岁 了 。
Yéye yǐjīng bāshí-wǔ suì le.
Grandpa already 85 years old LE.
NEGATED WITH BU. and when it’s negated, it takes on the meaning of “not anymore”
我 已经 不 喜欢 你 了 。 Wǒ yǐjīng bù xǐhuan nǐ le. I anymore not like you LE. ----------------------------------------------------------------- PAST ASPECT with LE Verb + 了 Verb + 了 + Obj.
SOMETIMES LE comes after the object when indicating past tense, especially with short sentences or else it sounds unnatural. Basically, when the sentence is short or medium - you can add le after the verb or after the object. But when the sentence is long, put it after the VERB, not the object.
他们 到 了 。
Tāmen dào le.
They arrived.
我 今天 吃 了 早饭 。
Wǒ jīntiān chī le zǎofàn.
I this morning ate breakfast.
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了 (le) is placed at the end of the sentence to indicate a change of state.
我 饿 了 。
Wǒ è le.
I am hungry. (Like, I just became hungry. It IS A CHANGE TO MY STATE. lol)
下雨 了 。It wasn’t raining, but now it is.
Xià yǔ le.
我 不 买 了 。(I had previously decided to buy it.)
Wǒ bù mǎi le.
I am not buying it (now).
有 + Adjective/Verb/Noun
Can turn the word after it into an adjective.
So, 有 to have + 帮助 to help = helpFUL
有 + 压力 (pressure) = stressFUL
有钱 = wealthy
Basisally, 有 means “to have/has/had” but also “with”. So “with money/with pressure/with help” or “has money/has pressure/has help” turns into an adjective.
感觉 VS 感情
gǎnjué VS gǎnqíng
Feeling vs Emotion
见
Jiàn
To catch sight of/to meet
4 Tones
1 = ā, 2 = á, 3 = ǎ, 4 = à, 5 = ·
