Chinese Language Learning Program Lesson 123 – Chinese Negatives

Chinese Language Learning Program

Lesson 123 – Chinese Negatives

Hello, everyone. Welcome back. This is Baixue’s Chinese Language Learning Program. Last time we talked about the difference between “zì gě ér” and “zì jǐ”. Today, we will talk about

Chinese Negatives.

Chinese Negatives are used in the Chinese Negative Sentences to express that something is not true or incorrect.

fǒu dìng cí

 否    定   词 (Negative word)

fǒu dìng jù

 否    定   句 (Negative Sentence)

Chinese Negatives can be very easily formed by simply add the particle 不 (bù) in front of the verb in the sentence. The particle bù can be used for almost all verbs except 有 (yǒu - to have), which uses 沒 (méi) for its negative form and 别 (bié-do not; had better not) which is used more in the imperative Sentences.

1.   bù

不

wǒ bù xiǎng wán’er.

 我  不    想      玩  儿。(I do not want to play.)

wǒ zhōu mò bù qù xué xiào.

 我    周    末  不  去   学    校 。

(I do not go to school on weekends.)

wǒ bù shì xué shēng.

 我  不  是   学      生。 (I am not a student.)

tā bù qù dòng wù yuán.

他 不  去    动    物    园。(He is not going to the zoo.)

From above sentences, we can see the negative form is:

Subject + 不 + Verb  OR

Subject + 不 + Verb + Object

Let’s see some negative sentences which use不 + Adj to express the negative meanings.

jīn tiān bù rè.

今   天   不 热。(Today is not hot.)

tā bù gāo xìng.

他 不   高    兴。(He is not happy.)

nà gè yán sè bù hǎo kàn.

 那 个   颜  色  不   好   看。(That color does not look good.)

Sometimes, we use Subject + Verb + 不 + Verb + Object to form question sentences or tag questions.

nǐ xiǎng bù xiǎng chī bīng jī líng?

你    想    不     想    吃    冰  激  凌？

(Do you want to eat ice cream or not?)

nǐ shì ài wǒ de, duì bù duì?

你  是 爱 我  的，对  不   对？(You love me, right?)

2.   méi yǒu / méi

 没    有 /    没

tā méi yǒu / méi ná wǒ de shū.

他  没   有   /   没  拿  我  的   书。(He did not take my book.)

nǐ zuó tiān méi yǒu / méi lái wǒ jiā.

你   昨  天    没    有  /   没  来  我  家。

(You did not come to my house yesterday.)

From the above example sentences, we can see that 没 and 没有 can be used to express negative actions that happened in the past.

More example:

wǒ méi yǒu hē jiǔ.

我    没    有   喝 酒。(I did not drink.)

wǒ bù hē jiǔ.

 我  不  喝 酒。(I do not drink.)

wǒ bù huì hē jiǔ.

我   不   会  喝 酒。(I do not drink.)

We also use  yǒu + méi + yǒu to form question sentences.

nǐ yǒu méi yǒu xiǎng wǒ?

你  有    没    有     想    我？(Have you ever miss me?)

3.   bié

别

别  is used more in the imperative Sentences to express the negative meanings.

bié pèng wǒ

 别    碰    我 (Do not touch me.)

bié shuō huà le.

 别     说    话  了。(Please do not talk any more.)

bié ràng tā pǎo le.

别     让  他   跑 了。(Please do not let him run away.)

Ok, that is all for today.

xiè  xiè!

 谢   谢 ! (Thanks!)

xià  cì  jiàn

 下  次  见!  (See you next time!)

Chinese Language Learning Program Lesson 122– The difference between “zì gě ér” and “zì jǐ”

Chinese Language Learning Program

Lesson 122 – The difference between “zì gě ér” and “zì jǐ”

Hello, everyone. Welcome back. This is Baixue’s Chinese Language Learning Program. Last time we talked about Chinese adjectives. Today, we will talk about the difference between “zì gě ér” and “zì jǐ”.

zì gě ér                                     zì jǐ

自个儿 (oneself)                     自己(oneself)

zì gě ér (自个儿) is spoken language;

zì  jǐ (自己) is used more in formal language or official language.

Examples:

zhè shì béng zhī bié rén le, nǐ zì gě er qù ba.

  这   事    甭    支  别   人  了,你 自 个儿  去  吧。

(Don't send anyone else; you had better go yourself.)

bié bī tā, ràng tā zì gě er xiǎng míng bái le.

 别 逼 他,   让   他自 个 儿    想      明     白 了。

(Do not push him. Let himself figure it out.)

mén zěn me zì jǐ kāi le?

  门    怎   么 自己 开 了？

(How did the door open by itself?)

zì  jǐ de yī fú zì jǐ xǐ.

自己的 衣 服自己洗。(Everybody washes his own clothes.)

Today’s idiom is:

zì  lì gēng shēng

自力   更       生 (rely [depend; count] on one's own efforts)

nǐ bì xū yào zì lì gēng shēng.

你必 需   要  自力   更      生。(You have to on your own.)

Ok, that is all for today.

xiè  xiè!

 谢   谢 ! (Thanks!)

xià  cì  jiàn

 下  次  见!  (See you next time!)

Chinese Language Learning Program Lesson 121– Chinese grammar: Chinese adjectives

Chinese Language Learning Program

Lesson 121 –  Chinese grammar: Chinese adjectives

Hello, everyone. Welcome back. This is Baixue’s Chinese Language Learning Program. Last time we talked about Chinese measure words. Today, we will talk about Chinese adjectives.

xíng róng cí

  形     容   词 (adjective)

Learning the Chinese Adjectives is very important because its structure is used in every day conversation. Chinese Adjectives are words that describe or modify another person or thing in the sentence.

1.   Chinese adjectives are used before nouns

Sometimes we add the particle 的 (de) after adjectives to describe the noun, but sometimes we don’t. So you may ask me that if there is a rule for whether or not you should put 的 after an adjective? (This question was asked by Gold the one who is a very wonderful student studying Chinese.)

I will give you some examples:

hóng sè de huā                             dà de fáng zi

   红    色 的   花 (red flower)          大  的   房  子 (big house)

hǎo de gōng zuò                           piào liang de yī fú

  好  的    工     作 (good job)           漂      亮   的 衣 服 (pretty dress)

Sometimes we also say:

hóng huā                              dà fáng zi

   红     花 (red flower)           大   房  子 (big house)

hǎo gōng zuò                       piào liang yī fú

 好     工      作 (good job)       漂     亮   衣 服 (pretty dress)

Some people say that in general, you need to put 的 (de) after a two-syllable adjective, and should not put it after a single-syllable adjective.  But this rule is not 100% right. Even though you can use this “rule” for most situation. This rule is only for “Chinese adjectives are used before nouns”

More example:

hǎo rén                                      xiǎo píng guǒ

  好  人 (good person)                小     苹     果 (small apple)

hēi yǎn jīng                                

 黑   眼   睛 (black eyes)   

If you put adverbs ( 很 (hěn, very); 非常(fēi cháng, extremely, ); etc.) in front of the adjective to emphasis it, the adjective will change into two or more syllables and you should put 的 after it.         

hēi sè de yǎn jīng

黑  色  的  眼    睛 (black eyes)

fēi cháng xiǎo de píng guǒ

 非    常       小  的    苹    果 (very small apple)

hěn hǎo de rén

  很    好  的  人 (very good person)

kě ài de hái zi                           cōng míng de rén

可 爱 的  孩 子 (cute kid)             聪      明    的  人 (smart person)

cōng míng rén                            

   聪      明    人 (smart person)    

hěn cōng míng de rén

  很    聪      明     的  人 (very smart person)

hěn guì de shǒu shì

  很   贵  的    首    饰 (very expensive jewelry)

2.   Chinese adjectives are linked with subjects by degree adverbs

In English, there is usually a copula (be, seem, appear) connecting subjects and predicative adjectives. But in a Chinese sentence, the subjects and predicative adjectives are sometimes linked by some degree adverbs, such as 很 hěn "very," 好 hǎo "highly," 真 zhēn "really," and 非常 fēi cháng "extremely."

In this case, please do not add 的 (de) after the adjectives and the degree adverb hěn often functions as linking adverb and does not necessarily carry any meaning.

For example,

 nǐ de yǎn jīng hěn piào liang

 你 的   眼   睛    很    漂     亮

(Your eyes are beautiful. / You eyes are very beautiful.)

nǐ de yǎn jīng hǎo piào liang

你 的   眼   睛    好    漂     亮

(You eyes are very beautiful.)

nǐ de yǎn jīng zhēn piào liang

你 的   眼   睛    真      漂     亮

(You eyes are very beautiful.)

nǐ de yǎn jīng fēi cháng piào liang

你 的   眼   睛   非     常      漂     亮

(You eyes are extremely beautiful.)

3.   Chinese adjectives are used as predicative adjectives

This sentence structure is :

Noun + 是(shì) + Adj + 的

This sentence structure is used to state or emphasize a fact or a perceived fact.

For example:

tā de jū shì xīn de.

他 的 车  是  新  的。(His car is new.)

wǒ de tóu fǎ shì zōng sè de.

 我  的  头  发 是     棕   色  的。

(My hair is brown.)

nǐ kàn shàng qù guài guài de.

你  看      上     去   怪     怪   的。

(You looks wired.)

Ok, that is all for today.

xiè  xiè!

 谢   谢 ! (Thanks!)

xià  cì  jiàn

 下  次  见!  (See you next time!)