In this lesson, Lucky covers proper Chinese word order in sentences and phrases. Find-out more at http://HowToChinese.com! Proper Chinese Word Order: Video #19 Transcript Xiawu hao, my good students.In the last three lessons, we learned some difficult sounds, I hope they can help you to improve your pronounciation. I got many comments from my students writing Chinese using characters or pinyin. I have to say I am so pround of you! You really did a good job. Language is grasped only when you try to practice it as much as possible. Here are some comments from you. Show the comments from the students: 1.Wǒ xué Zhōngwén zài Zhōngguó wǔnián qián. 我学中文在中国五年前。 2.Nǐ jiāo hěnhǎo Zhōngwén,kěyǐ wǒ zuò péngyǒu ma hé nǐ? 你教很好中文，可以我坐朋友吗和你？ 3.Wǒ yǒu xǔduō Zhōngguó péngyǒu zài Běijīng. 我有许多中国朋友在北京。 Do you see any problems in these comments? The main problem is the word order. Why does this exist? Because you make the sentences based on your mother tongue not Chinese. Today our focus is on word order in Chinese. Word order plays an important role in Chinese Mandarin. The basic word order in the sentence is: subject followed by the verb. The modifier, be it attributive or adverbial ,must be placed before the modified words, while the complement is placed after the main word. Let's go to the blackboard to see the basic phrase patterns. ①Modifier(attributive)+ modified word Examples: péngyǒude dìdi,friend's young brother,朋友的弟弟 dìdide péngyǒu,young brother's friend,弟弟的朋友 ②Modifier(adverbial) + modified word Examples: kuài pǎo,run fast 快跑 ānjìngde tīng,listen silently,安静地听 ③main word + complement Examples: kàn qīngchǔ ,look clearly,看清楚 kuài wǔfēnzhōng，five minutes fast，快五分钟 Now that you know the correct word order in a phrase, let's move-on to sentence patterns. We have two kinds of different sentence patterns.The first one is for simple sentences and the second one is for complicated sentences. The first kind of pattern: Chinese pattern = English pattern(for simple sentences) (1) Subject+Verbs Tā qǐchuáng le. He got up. 他起床了。 (2) Subject+ Verbs + Object Tā xǐhuān nǐ. He likes you. 他喜欢你。 It's very easy for you, right. This is why it's not very difficult for English-speaking people to learn Mandarin Chinese. The second pattern is on complicated sentences. Here is an example: In English, we say "We will meet at the airport at five o'clock". So the English pattern is subject+verbs+where+when In Chinese, subject also comes first,then when is put after subject or can be put before subject.And then can you tell me, go to the airport and meet them, which one should happen first? Of course, we need to be at the airport first, then we can meet them. Is it right? So remember in Chinese, what happens before, what should be put in the front. So where comes before verbs.Now can you tell me the second Chinese sentence pattern now? The second kind: Chinese pattern≠English pattern(for complicated sentences) (1) Subject+When+ Where+Verbs Wǒmen wǔdiǎnzhōng zài jīchǎng jiànmiàn. (subject) (when) (where) (verbs) We will meet at the airport at five o'clock 我们 五点钟 在机场 见面。 "When" can be moved to the front of the sentence, then it goes like this: (2) When+Subject+ Where + Verbs Wǔdiǎnzhōng wǒmen zài jīchǎng jiànmiàn. (when) (subject) (where) (verbs) We will meet at the airport at five o'clock 五点钟 我们 在机场 见面。 Remember:when can be put before or after subject, then followed by where and then verb at last. Can you translate this sentence into Chinese? They will see a film at Baihua cinema tomorrow. In this sentence: when:míngtiān 明天 subject: tāmen 他们 where: zài Bǎihuā diànyǐngyuàn 在百花电影院 verb: kàn diànyǐng 看电影 So the Chinese sentence should be : Míngtiān tāmen zài Bǎihuā diànyǐngyuàn kàn diànyǐng. (when) (subject) (where) (verb). 明天 他们 在百花电影院 看电影。 or Tāmen míngtiān zài Bǎihuā diànyǐngyuàn kàn diànyǐng. (subject) (when) (where) (verb). 他们 明天 在百花电影院 看电影。 The Chinese have been drilling for natural gas for over 2 000 years, primarily as a heating source. Ok, my good class, remember these sentence patterns, and use them to translate more sentences into Chinese. Your comments are always welcome .Don't forget to subscrible to my channel. Jiāyóu!

• published: 08 May 2011
• views: 5556