Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

42 expressing sequence 42.1 Expressing the relationship ‘before’ 42.1.1 the structure of the 以前 yHqián ‘before’ sentence 以前 yǐqi ...

expressing the relationship ‘after’ in a single sentence 42.2 In Mandarin, the clause that ends with 以前 yǐqián must come first ...

exPreSSiNG SeqUeNCe 42.2 If the verb takes a one-syllable object, 了 le may also follow the object. 他吃了饭以后就看电视了。 他吃了飯以後就看電視了。 Tā ...

expressing the relationship ‘after’ in a single sentence 42.2 The following two sentences, one with 就 jiù and the other with 以后/ ...

exPreSSiNG SeqUeNCe 42.2 42.2.2.3 便 biàn 便 biàn, like 就 jiù, is used to reinforce a relationship of sequence between two events. ...

indicating that one event happens first and another event happens afterwards 42.3 42.3 indicating that one event happens first a ...

exPreSSiNG SeqUeNCe 42.5 42.3.3 indicating the relationship ‘as soon as... then.. .’ To indicate that some event occurs ‘as soon ...

Comparing 以前 yHqián ‘before’ with 以后/以後 yHhòu ‘after’ 42.5 Say this Not this 我去中国以前学了两年的中文。 *我去了中国以前学了两年的中文。 我去中國以前學了兩年的中文。 我去了中 ...

43 expressing simultaneous situations 43.1 indicating that one situation is the background for another situation To indicate tha ...

describing a subject in terms of two qualities that exist at the same time 43.4 43.2 Indicating that two actions occur at the sa ...

exPreSSiNG SimUltaNeoUS SitUatioNS 43.6 43.5 Indicating that a situation is reached at a specific point in time 到 dào + time phr ...

44 expressing cause and effect or reason and result 44.1 expressing cause and effect or reason and result in a single sentence M ...

exPreSSiNG CaUSe aNd eFFeCt or reaSoN aNd reSUlt 44.2 However, the 因为/因為 yīnwei clause may occur either first or second in the s ...

introducing the cause or reason 44.2 我之所以不去美国，是因为身体不好。 我之所以不去美國，是因為身體不好。 Wǒ zhī suǒyǐ bù qù Měiguó, shì yīnwei shēntǐ bù hǎo. Th ...

exPreSSiNG CaUSe aNd eFFeCt or reaSoN aNd reSUlt 44.4 为了/為了 wéi le can be used to identify some noun phrase as the reason for pe ...

inquiring about cause or reason 44.4 什么理由？/ 甚麼理由？shénme lǐyóu? ‘what is the reason?’ 什么理由/甚麼理由 shénme lǐyóu is used to inquire a ...

45 expressing conditions 45.1 ‘If then’ conditional sentences Mandarin uses the following words to express ‘if’ in conditional s ...

‘if... then’ conditional sentences 45.1 假如 jiǎrú 这篇文章写得不错，假如再短一点儿那就更好了。 這篇文章寫得不錯，假如再短一點兒那就更好了。 Zhè piān wénzhāng xiě de bù cuò, ...

exPreSSiNG CoNditioNS 45.5 如果不是你帮助他的话，他是不会成功的。 如果不是你幫助他的話，他是不會成功的。 Rúguǒ bù shì nǐ bāngzhù tā de huà, tā shì bù huì chénggōng de ...

‘otherwise’ 45.5 要不然 yàoburán ‘otherwise’ 快一点走吧，要不然上课又要迟到了。 快一點走吧，要不然上課又要遲到了。 Kuài yīdiǎn zǒu ba, yàobùrán shàng kè yòu yào chíd ...