文法c

句子︱文法a︱文法b

你好嗎﹖我很好。你也很好嗎﹖

How are you? I am fine. Are you fine, as well? Note 1: 你好嗎﹖is a standard Cantonese greeting. The end-particle 嗎 indicates that the speaker is seeking information from the listener. Note 2: Here the term 也 is translated to mean "as well". The sentence 你也很好嗎﹖is of the base form Ａ也Ｂ嗎﹖Ｂis a predicate adjective describing Ａ's possible condition.

那個鋪子裡的外國人都是美國人。

The foreigners in that store are all USAmerican. / That foreigner in the store is also a USAmerican. Note 1: Only if the counter for 鋪子were different from that of 人 would the meaning of the sentence be clear. Certainly 個 is the correct counter for 人. What is it for 鋪子? Is it not also 個? Note 2: The base pattern of the sentence is Ａ都是Ｂ. As this construction can mean "All A are B" or "A is B too" it is difficult to know what the sentence means without knowing the number of people. Note 3: We know that there is only one store, because 那個 either refers to"that store" or "that person". Since one person cannot be in two stores simultaneously, the number of stores is unambiguous. Note 4: The location indicator 在 is conspicuously absent. Is this because there is no reference to an activity that takes place at the location? Or does it mean that the foreigner in the store has a special relationship to the store that goes beyond his being inside it? Is he the owner or an employee, for example?

那個鋪子賣的書都很貴，這個鋪子賣的書貴不貴﹖

All the books sold in that store are expensive. Are the books sold in this store expensive? Note 1: The base pattern of the sentence is Ａ都Ｃ，ＢＣ不Ｃ﹖The speakers wants to know whether Ｂshares the same attribute Ｃ that characterizes Ａ. In this case both Ａ and Ｂ are stores that sell books. Only their location is different. We know this because the words 那個 and 這個 must refer to the stores where the books are sold -- not the books themselves. Otherwise, we would have seen the words 那本 and 這本. Note 2: There can be little doubt that the stores under comparison are those mentioned in either of the two clauses. This suggests that the word 都 should be translated to mean "all", rather than "too". If the speaker already knew that the books in second store were expensive, there would be know need to ask the question, unless of course it were rhetorical.

高小姐不在二樓，也不在三樓，她在樓下看書。

Miss Goh is not on the second floor, neither is she on the third floor. She is downstairs (reading / reading a book). Note 1: The base pattern for the entire sentence is Ａ不在Ｂ，也不在Ｃ，Ａ在ＤＥ, where Ｂ and Ｃ are the locations where Ａis not, and Ｄ is the location where Ａis. There she is performing activity Ｅ. Note 2: The construction Ａ在ＤＥ is notably different from that of Ａ去ＢＣ. In the first instance Ｄ is the location where activity Ｅis being performed. In the second Ｂis the location where Ｃ will be performed once Ａhas arrived at Ｂ. In the clause Ａ去ＢＣ the word 去 clearly functions as the verb meaning "to go". Whether 在 functions as a verb in the pattern Ａ在ＤＥ is not so obvious, however. Note 3: It appears from the example sentence that 在 can stand alone as a verb meaning "is located at". Thus, the verbs of the patterns Ａ不在Ｂ and Ａ不在Ｃ in the first and second clauses, and Ａ在Ｄ in the third clause, mean "is not located" and "is located", respectively. In the third clause, however, the pattern 在Ｄ appears to function more as temporal adverb describing the place of reading. Note 4: Once again 也, like its spoken equivalent 都, is placed before the location verb 在 in the second clause.

學校前頭的鋪子都很大，學校後頭的鋪子都很小。

All the stores in front of the school are very large, and all the stores behind the school are very small. Note 1: The base pattern is Ｂ的Ａ都Ｃ，Ｄ的Ａ都Ｅ. In both clauses the adverb 都 indicates that all of Ａ are meant -- those with the attribute Ｂin the first instance and those with the attribute Ｄ in the second. Note 2: Once again we see the constructions Ａ前頭 and Ｂ後頭 where 前頭 and 後頭 are adverbial modifiers placed after the locations Ａ and Ｂ, respectively. Note 3: The location indicator 在 is not required in the constructions ＢＣ頭的Ａ and ＢＤ頭的Ａwhere Ｃ頭 and Ｄ頭 indicate some aspect of Ｂwhere Ａ is located. Is this because there is no corresponding activity which takes place at either of the two locations? Is it beccause the construction ＢＣ頭 makes the use of 在 unnecessary? Or is it that ＢＣ頭的 and ＢＤ頭的 are empoyed here as adjectival phrases, rather than relative clauses, and no verb is required?

船上人太多，我們明日坐船去，今日不去，好不好﹖

There are too many people on the boat. Let's go by boat tomorrow, not today. OK? Note 1: As so many times before there are many ways to express the same Chinese thought in English and still remain true to the original meaning in translation. Note 2: The base pattern is Ｂ，Ａ明日Ｃ，今日不Ｃ，好不好﹖where Ｂ is the condition 船上人太多, Ａ is the subject 我們, and Ｃis the activity which Ａ wishes to put off until tomorrow. Note 3: The verb Ｃ is repeated with the contrasting temporal adverbs 明日 and 今日. We observe 今日不去 not simply 不今日. Note 4: In this case the construction 我們去，好不好﹖seems to translate well into English as "Let's go, OK?" Once again, the speaker is looking for approval from the listener. Note 5: One says 船上 to indicate on the boat and 上船 to indicate board the boat. Note 6: The clause 船上人太多 is of the form ＣＡＢ, where Ｂ is a predicate adjective describing Ａ, and Ｃ is employed as a location adverb indicating where Ａ is located. This use of 上 is also common in Japanese.

英先生，文小姐兩個是很好的朋友，他們都在樓下吃飯。

Mr. Ying and Miss Man are two very good friends. Both of them are eating downstairs. Note 1: The base pattern for the first clause is Ａ，Ｂ兩個是Ｃ. It means that both Ａ and Ｂare Ｃ. In this case Ａ is 英先生 and Ｂ is 文小姐. Ｃ is what they both are -- namely 很好的朋友. The term 兩個 appears to function in much the same way as might 都 when placed in the same location. Simply 兩個 is a direct reference to the two friends and reinforces their relationship. Note 2: The base pattern for the second clause is Ａ都在ＢＣ. This not new. 都 emphasizes that all of Ａ, in this case the two friends, are downstairs eating. Once again, the phrase 在Ｂappears as an adverbial phrase indicating where the two are eating. The word 都 appears before the entire verb phrase. Note 3: 吃飯 serves as a single verb phrase, in very much the same way as would 教書 (teach), 做事 (be busy, work), or may even 看書 (read). The verb and its direct object are combined to form a new verb that is different from the original

高先生有四個兒子，兩個女兒，他們都在外國做事。

Mr Goh has four sons and two daughters. They are both working overseas. Note 1: The base pattern for the first clause is Ａ有Ｂ，Ｃ. Ｂ and Ｃ are two things to which Ａlays a claim. In this case 高先生 (Mr. Goh) lays claim to his 四個兒 (four sons) and his 兩個女兒 (two daughters). The comma between the Ｂand Ｃ serves as the "and" conjuction. Note 2: The second clause is now very well known. Its base pattern is Ａ都在ＢＣ. It is not certain whether 都 refers to both Mr. Goh and his children, or only his children. Note 3: 在外國 means overseas -- some place in a foreign country.

英先生是在一九六八年三月十日坐船去美國的。

Mr. Ying is the one who took a boat to the United States on March 10, 1968. Note 1: The base pattern for the entire sentence is Ａ是Ｂ的, where Ｂ的 is a predicate nominative telling who Ａ is. Ａis understood as the modified noun of Ｂ的. Note 2: Here the term 在 does not appear to function as an indicator of place, rather one of time. The phrase 在一九六八年三月十日 appears to mean "on March 10, 1968". Notice that it appears before both the verb phrase 去美國 and the adverbial phrase 坐船.

我們都有外國朋友：我有四個，他有五個，你有沒有﹖

We both have foreign friends; I have four, and he has five. Do you have any? Note 1: Once again, punctuation takes the place of conjunctions between the phrases 我有四個，他有五個，你有沒有﹖ Note 2: The base pattern of the first phrase is Ａ都有Ｂ, which means that all of Ａhave Ｂ. Ａ applies to both 我 and 他. Apparently the speaker is knowledgeable about the friends of the person to whom he refers as 他. Note 3: The verb is repeated in the two phrases: 我有四個 and 他有五個. What is not written is 我有四個，他五個. Grammatical rigour is upheld by the repitition of the verb 有. Note 4: In the same way that one writes 中國人 and 外國人, so too does one write 外國朋友. The relationship between 外國 and 朋友 does not require 的. Note 5: The last clause of the sentence is of the base form Ａ有沒有﹖The direct object 朋友 is understood. Neither the noun is repeated, nor is there a pronoun to take its place. Understood direct objects appear to be a very common phenomenon. in Cantonese. Transitive verbs often stand alone.

他們昨日坐船去英國買書，不是去賣書。

They took a boat to England yesterday where they will buy books, not sell them. Note 1: The base pattern of the sentence is Ａ，不是Ｂ, where Ａ is given by 他們昨日坐船去英國買書 and Ｂ is given by 去賣書. Although the second clause negates the first, only the verb 去 is necessary to provide the sentence with needed continuity. As the destination, mode of transportation, and time of transport do not change, these parts of the sentence are not repeated. Only the verb, which expresses the different activity, is expressed. Note 2: The temporal adverb 昨日 appears before the verb phrase 坐船去英國買書.

日本車，美國車都不貴，英國車貴不貴﹖

Neither Japanese nor USAmerican cars are expensive. Are English cars expensive? Note 1: The base pattern of this sentence is Ａ，Ｂ都不Ｄ，ＣＤ不Ｄ﹖ Note 2: The phrase 都不Ｄ could be translated as "all are not Ｄ" or alternatively "none are Ｄ". Because Ａ and Ｂ are enumerated separately, the "neither ... nor..." sentence pattern seems more appropriate. Note 3: Once again, the comma serves the role of a conjunction.

他前日不來，昨日不來，今日也不來，明日來不來呢﹖

He did not come yesterday or the day before. He has not come today either. Will he come tomorrow? Note 1: The base pattern is ＡＣ不Ｂ，Ｄ不Ｂ，Ｅ也不Ｂ，ＦＢ不Ｂ呢﹖where Ｃ, Ｄ, Ｅ, and Ｆ are temporal adverbs that determine the time at which activity Ｂwas or is expected to be performed, but was either not, or has yet to be, performed. Note 2: The question marker 呢 indicates both continuity and expectation with regard to future action.

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