Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

iNVitatioNS, reqUeStS, aNd reFUSalS

62.2

• Expressions that indicate the location of the event:
  在 zài (location of event)
  or
  地点/地點 (location of event)
  dìdiǎn
  place


• Expressions that indicate the date and time of the event:
  谨订于(2012年7月14日)
  谨訂於(2012年7月14日)
  jǐndìng yǔ (2012 nián qī yuè shísì rì)
  respectfully reserve the date of (July 14, 2012)
  晚上六点举行
  晚上六點舉行
  wǎnshang liù diǎn jǔxíng
  begin at (6 p m.)
  or (less formal)
  时间/時間 (the time)
  shíjiān
  time

晚上九点散会 or 晚上九点散会闭幕

晚上九點散會 晚上九點散會閉幕

Wǎnshang jiǔ diǎn sàn huì Wǎnshang jiǔ diǎn sàn huì bì mù

the event concludes at 9 p m. the curtain falls at 9 p.m.

(the event concludes at 9 p.m.)

C 49

62.2 Requests

62.2.1 making requests of close relatives and close friends

Close relatives and close friends have an obligation to help you. Therefore, requests to close

relatives and close friends are often indistinguishable from commands.

给我那本字典。

給我那本字典。

Gěi wǒ nà běn zìdiǎn.

Give me that dictionary.

我借用一下你的笔。

我借用一下你的筆。

Wǒ jiè yòng yī xià nǐ de bǐ.

Let me borrow your pen for a minute.

给我笔用一下。

給我筆用一下。

Gěi wǒ bǐ yòng yī xià.

Lend me a pen for a minute.

To make a request more polite, you may preface it with 请/請 qǐng ‘please.’

请给我笔用一下。

請給我筆用一下。

Qǐng gěi wǒ bǐ yòng yī xià.

Please lend me a pen for a minute.