文法a

目的全字聲母韻母聲調 句子 ︱文法b

從這裡坐火車去香港,十分鐘就到了,不是很快嗎﹖

One boards the train for Hong Kong here. It takes only 10 minutes. Isn't it fast?

Note 1: The base pattern of the first sentence part is 從這裡坐A去B,C分鐘就到了where Bis the destination to which one travels in C minutes. The starting point is where one is at.

Note 2: The pattern of the second sentence part is 不是D嗎﹖It appears to mean the same as 是不是D嗎.

Note 3: The phrase 從這裡 means "from here".

Note 4: 到了 apparently means to arrive. It is not clear whether it is a compound verb, or a special use of 了 used in combination with 到 to express finality. It is obviously not an indicator of past tense.

他們在外頭等了半天了,你還不去,他們會生氣的。

They have been waiting outside for a very long time. If you do not go now, they could become angry.

Note 1: The base pattern of the first sentence part is A在B等了C了 where A has waited at B for some length of time C.

Note 2: The base pattern for the second sentence part is A還不C,B會生氣的 where C is something that A has yet to do that could cause B to become angry.

Note 3: 等了could mean either "have waited" or "have been waiting". The latter appears to be more correct in this instance, because the listener has yet to go -- namely, 還不去. This suggests that the others are still waiting.

還不去 means "yet to go" or "still have not gone". In effect the speaker is telling the listener, "You still have not gone" or "You are still here". I have captured this meaning with the word "now", meaning that the listener has probably overextended a reasonable waiting time.

Note 4: In the phrase 他們會生氣的 the word 會 suggests that those waiting may or may not be angry, but could certainly become angry, if the listener does not go right away.

Note 5: In this context the word 的 is probably best ignored.

他回來了,我想明天請他吃飯,好不子﹖

He has returned, and I intend to invite him for dinner tomorrow. What do you think?

Note 1: The base pattern of the first sentence is AB了 where B is some completed action that A has performed. In this case the completed action is composed of the compound verb 回來 and the past tense indicator 了.

Note 2: The base pattern of the second sentence is A想請BC,好不好﹖where Aintends (is thinking about inviting) to invite Bto do C and seeks the approval of the listener.

Note 3: 明天 (tomorrow) is the time when the speaker plans to invite the person who has returned. It is placed before the verb that it modifies.

他甚麼時候回家呢﹖要是他回來了,告訴我吧。

What time is he coming home? Let me know if he returns.

Note 1: The base pattern for the question is A葚麼時候B呢﹖where Bis some action that A expects to occur, but does not know when.

Note 2: The base pattern of the second phrase is 要是AB了,告訴C吧 where C wants the listener to notify him, when A has completed B. A more simpler rendering of the base pattern would be 要是A,告訴Bwhere Bwants to know whether Aoccurs, and tells the listener to notify him.

Note 3: 吧 indicate that either a request or command has been made.

前幾天我寫了信給你,你為甚麼還不回信﹖

I wrote a letter to you a few days ago. Why have you still not replied?

Note 1: The base pattern for the first sentence part is 前幾天AC了D給Bwhere Aperforms some action C了D for B.

Note 2: The base pattern for the second sentence part is A為甚麼還不B﹖in which the speaker asks why A still has not performed B.

Note 3: 前幾天 means "several days before" or more correctly in this context "several days ago". This phrasing appears particular to Chinese, as a Japanese would normally place the word 前 after the words that it modifies.

Note 4: The word order is especially important in the phrase 我寫了信給你 for two reasons: one, we learn that 寫信 is separable; and two, the phrase 給A occurs after the direct object of the verb. 了 indicates that the verb 寫 is a completed action.

現在是甚麼時候了﹖是不是晚上十一點﹖

What time is it now? Is it not past 11:00 PM?

Note 1: The sentences 現在是甚麼時候了﹖and 是不是晚上十一點﹖are closely related, but each can stand alone. The first asks how late it has become by asking for the exact time, and the second asks, if it is not 11:00 PM. Together the speaker wants to know, if it is past 11:00 PM.

Note 2: The base pattern of the first appears to be A是甚麼B了﹖In other words B is a kind of A about which the speaker wants to know more -- in this case the time at present. The 了 appears to indicate a certain finality in the speaker's attitude towards A. It gives the impression that the speaker has been thinking for sometime about A and has finally decided to ask.

Note 3: The base pattern of the second sentence is 是不是A點﹖, where A is the time that the speaker believes it to be and about which he asks for confirmation. The word order 晚上十一 is both crucial and typical - general time (evening) occurs before exact time (11:00). More simply 11:00 PM.

我小的時候,天天都跟朋友去火車站看火車。

When I was little, I went to the station everyday with my friends and watched the trains.

Note 1: The base patternA去BC where Ais the subject 我 and B is the place to where A goes to perform C -- namely, 我去火車站看火車.

Note 2: The phrase 小的時候 clearly indicates that the action took place in the past; thus, the verbs 去 and 看 must be translated as went and watched. 小的時候 must refer to the time when the speaker was very young.

Note 3: The order of the adverbial phrases is probably worth noting: time of action 小的時候, frequency of action 天天都, persons with whom the subject acts 跟朋友. The comma between 小的時候 and 天天都 does not appear necessary. All three phrases occur between the subject 我 and the verb phrase 去火車站看火車.

Caution: Another interpretation of 我小的時候 might be 我的小的時候 where 的 is understood, and the entire phrase is used as an introductory statement to the clause which follows. With this interpretation 我 becomes an understood subject of the second clause 夭夭都跟朋友去火車站看火車.

Note 4: The 都 in the phrase 天天都 emphasizes the notion of 天天, and can be interpreted to mean everyday without exception. This apparently follows a more common pattern XX都.

明天你可以跟我一塊兒送張太太的孩子回家嗎﹖

Can you spend some time with me tomorrow taking Mrs. Cheung's child home.

Note 1: The base pattern of the sentence is A可以送B回家嗎﹖where A is 你 and Bis 張太太 的孩子. 嗎 is the usual question marker when asking for someone's consent about something.

Note 2: Important here is the placement of the temporal adverbs 明天 and 一塊兒. 明天 tells when the action will take place, and occurs at the very beginning of the sentence before the subject. 一塊兒 tells for how long the action will take place and occurs just before the verb.

Note 3: Once again, it is a temporal Chinese adverb that indicates the English tense of the verb. In this case 明天 employed with 送B回家 means "will take B home tomorrow". Thus, the Chinese simple past can indicate the future and past in addition to the present.

Note 4: The placement of the adverbial phrase 跟我 and 一塊兒 appears somewhat arbitrary, but may have more to do with tonal harmony than meaning.

他拿了我的新衣服賣給他的朋友,我真生他的氣。

I am really angry at him for having taken my new clothes and sold them to his friends.

Note 1: The base pattern of the first phrase is A拿了B賣給C。Where 了indicates that 拿B賣給C is a past action performed by A. Bis what Atook -- namely, the speaker's new clothes 我的新衣服. C are the people 他的朋友 to whom Alater sold the speaker's clothes -- his friends.

Note 2: The base pattern of the second phrase is A生B的氣, which means that Abecomes angry with B. The word 生 in this context apparently means to "cause", "bring about", or "give rise to". B的氣 is the "air" of another. When one becomes angry surely the air of the other becomes heated.

Note 3: The word 真 in this context indicates emphasis.

我不知道香港現在有多少英國人會說中國話。

I do not know how many Englanders in Hong Kong today can speak Chinese .

Note 1: The base pattern is A不知道B, where Bis something that A does not know.

Note 2: The base pattern of what is not known is given by A有多少Bwhere Bis something that A has, and the speaker wants to know how many of Bthere are. In this case Bis 英國人會說中國話 -- namely, English people who can speak Chinese.

Note 3: 現在 indicates the present.

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