Grammar A1

Question 1

How do you negate ownership? I have cats. 我有猫。Wǒ yǒu māo.

Answer 1

With the méi (没) adverb. I don’t have cats. 我没有猫。Wǒ méi yǒu māo.

Question 2

What does 我没有车 mean?

Answer 2

Wǒ méi yǒu chē. I do not have cars.

Question 3

Is there a grammatical mistake in “我没有问题。”?

Answer 3

No. The grammar is correct.

Question 4

Is there a grammatical mistake in “我不有问题。”?

Answer 4

Yes. The bù (不) character cannot be used with yǒu(有). Méi (没) must be used instead of bù (不) or in place of bùyǒu 不有.

Question 5

What is 都(dōu) used for?

Answer 5

It used to express all/both of something. Subject + 都(dōu) + Verb Phrase. 他们都吃苹果。Tāmen dōu chī píngguǒ. They all/both eat apples.

Question 6

How do I say “You are all good looking?”

Answer 6

你们都很好看。Nǐmen dōu hěn hǎokàn.

Question 7

Where are adverbs placed?

Answer 7

After the subject, before the verb or verb phrase.

Question 8

How do you indicate inclusion in something? Like “He isn’t either.”

Answer 8

With the yě(也) adverb. It must be placed before the verb or verb phrase.

Question 9

What does 我也不是 mean?

Answer 9

I’m not either. Wǒ yě bù shì.

Question 10

What does 有 mean?

Answer 10

有(yǒu) is a verb denoting existence or ownership. 我有猫。Wǒ yǒu māo. I have cat(s). It is cancelled by 没(méi). 我没有猫。Wǒ méi yǒu māo. I do not have cats.

Question 11

Write the following in 中文. Wǒ yǒu māo. I have cats.

Answer 11

我有猫。

Question 12

What is the symbolism in 有?

Answer 12

Two slashes over the moon 月.

Question 13

What does 都 mean?

Answer 13

都(dōu) is an adverb indicating all of something. It is placed after the subject, before the verb/verb phrase.

Question 14

What is the symbolism in 都?

Answer 14

Old(耂) day(日) beside the place(阝).

Question 15

Write the following in 中文. Wǒmen dōu yǒu māo. We all have cats.

Answer 15

我们都有猫。

Question 16

What does 也 mean?

Answer 16

也(yě) is an adverb indicating “too” or “also”. It must always come before the verb of adjective. It can never end a sentence.

Question 17

Write the following in 中文. Tā yě méi yǒu. He doesn’t have it either.

Answer 17

他也没有。

Question 18

Write the following in 中文. Wǒ yě shì. I am too. / Me too.

Answer 18

我也是。

Question 19

What is the symbolism in 也?

Answer 19

One(丨) squint (乜).

Question 20

How do you join nouns?

Translate: You and I.

Answer 20

With 和 (hé). It is used only to join two nouns.

Translation: 你和我。Nǐ hé wǒ.

Question 21

What does 和(hé) mean?

Answer 21

It means “and” when joining two nouns.

The boss likes coffee and tea.

老板喜欢咖啡和茶。

Lǎobǎn xǐhuan kāfēi hé chá.

Question 22

Write the following in 中文:

Today and Tomorrow.

Jīntiān hé míngtiān.

Answer 22

今天和明天。

Question 23

What is the symbolism in 和?

Answer 23

Grain 禾 beside mouth 口.

Question 24

What is hé(和)?

Answer 24

和 is a conjunction.

Question 25

What are conjunctions?

Answer 25

They connect words, phrases, clauses, and even sentences.

Question 26

How do you offer a choice in Chinese?

Translate: Me or him?

Answer 26

With 还是 (háishì). It is used to indicate a binary choice between two options in a question only.

Translation:

Wǒ háishì tā?

我还是他？

Question 27

What does 还是 (háishì) mean?

Answer 27

It means Or. It is used only in questions to indicate a choice between two options.

Question 28

How do you say:

Do you want to drink tea or coffee?

Answer 28

你要和茶还是咖啡?

Nǐ yào hē chá háishì kāfēi?

Question 29

What is the symbolism in 还是 (háishì)?

Answer 29

Hái 还 is not (不) walking (辶).

Shi 是 is the day (日) over foot (足).

Question 30

How do you indicate possession?

Translate: My teacher.

Answer 30

With 的(de).

Syntax: Noun 1 + 的 + Noun 2.

It indicates that the preceding noun has possession/relationship with the succeeding noun.

Translation:

我的老师。

Wǒ de lǎoshī.

Question 31

What does 的 (de) mean?

Answer 31

It means possession/relationship of the precending noun over the succeeding noun.

My car.

我的车。

Wǒ de chē.

Question 32

What is the symbolism in 的(de)?

Answer 32

White (白) ladle/spoon (勺).

Question 33

What are the rules around using 的 (de)?

Answer 33

It should be used whenever possession is being expressed, unless there is either a:

• Close personal relationship (family, close friends)
• Institutional or organizational relationship.

It creates a sense of distance.

So her mom (她妈妈) should not have 的, but her car 她车 is not grammatically correct. It should be 她的车.

Question 34

How do you bounce a question back?

Answer 34

With 呢 (ne).

Example:

你好吗？

我很好。你呢？

我也很好。

How are you?

I’m good. How are you?

I’m also good!

Question 35

What does 呢 (ne) mean?

Answer 35

Use 1:

It is used to indicate a redirect/bounce back of a question.

Syntax: Statement. Followed by subject + 呢?

Use 2:

It is used to ask where something is.

Syntax: Subject + 呢？

Example: Where’s your mom?

你妈妈呢？

Nǐ māma ne?

Question 36

Translate:

I’m at home. What about you?

Answer 36

我在家。你呢？

Wǒ zài jiā. Nǐ ne?

Question 37

What is the symbolism in 呢？

Answer 37

There’s a mouth (口) eating a corpse (尸) with a spoon (匕).

Or someone going down (口) on a Buddhist nun (尼).