Chinese Language Learning Program Lesson 101 – Chinese grammar section 1

Chinese Language Learning Program

Lesson 101 – Chinese grammar section 1

Hello, everyone. Welcome back. This is Baixue’s Chinese Language Learning Program. Last time we talked about Idioms related to 100 in Chinese. Today, we will talk about some Chinese grammar.

Today, we will talk about Nouns.

What is a noun?

“a word (other than a pronoun) used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things common noun, or to name a particular one of these proper noun.”

Usually a noun can be used as a subject, an object or an attributive in a sentence.

For example:

1.   as a subject.

bái xuě zài xiě zì

 白   雪   在  写 字 (Bai Xue is writing something.)

2.   as an object.

wǒ xǐ huan zhè běn shū.

 我 喜    欢     这   本    书。

(I like this book.)

3.   as an attributive

huì yì shì

 会 议  室 (meeting room)

huǒ chē zhàn

  火    车    站 (train station)

nǚ yī shēng

女  医    生 (women doctor)

cháng tú diàn huà

     长   途   电    话 (a long-distance call)

4.   as an adverbial

Time nouns (nouns indicating date, times of the clock, seasons, etc.) and nouns of locality (nouns showing direction an location) can be used as adverbial, but other nouns cannot.

For example:

děng yī huǐ'er

  等   一  会 儿 (Wait a moment.)

xīng qí liù jiàn

  星  期  六  见 (See you Saturday.)

cháng chéng wén míng yú shì jiè.

    长        城       闻     名    于  世  界。

(The Great Wall is world famous)

wǒ yě qù nà gè fāng xiàng.

我  也  去  那  个   方     向。

(I am going that way too.)

Ok, there are some monosyllabic nouns I need to talk about more. These monosyllabic nouns can be repeated to express the meaning of "every". For example, "个个" (gè gè, each and every one) , "人人" (rén rén, every one), "天天" (tiān tiān, every day) and so on.

wǒ tiān tiān duàn liàn shēn tǐ.

 我   天   天      锻    炼     身   体。

(I exercise every day.)

rén rén dōu nà me xiàn mù tā.

 人   人    都   那  么   羡     慕 她。

(Everyone is so envious of her.)

There is an easy way to make single personal noun to the plural one.  Just add the suffix “men们” after the noun. For example,

tóng xué                                    tóng xué men

  同    学 (classmate)                  同    学    们 (classmates)

huì yuán                                    huì yuán men   

  会   员 (member)                      会    员     们 (members)

But if there are some measure words before the noun, the suffix "们" can't be added to the noun. For example:

jīn tiān yǒu shí gè huì yuán lái le.

今   天    有   十  个   会   员    来 了。

(There are ten members here today.)

Ok, that is all for today.

xiè  xiè!

 谢   谢 ! (Thanks!)

xià  cì  jiàn 

 下  次  见!  (See you next time!)