Basic Chinese: A Grammar and Workbook (Grammar Workbooks)

379 Pages·2009·4.1 MB·English

by  Don Rimmington, Zhang Xiaoming, Rachel Henson

BASIC CHINESE:
A GRAMMAR AND WORKBOOK

Praise for the first edition:

‘Very well structured and clearly explained’
Dr Qian Kan, Cambridge University

Basic Chinese introduces the essentials of Chinese syntax. Each of
the 25 units deals with a particular grammatical point and provides
associated exercises. Features include:

•
clear, accessible format
•
many useful language examples
•
jargon-free explanations of grammar
•
ample drills and exercises
•
full key to exercises

All Chinese entries are presented in both pinyin romanization and
Chinese characters, and are accompanied, in most cases, by English
translations to facilitate self-tuition as well as classroom teaching in
both spoken and written Chinese.

Basic Chinese is designed for students new to the language. Together
with its sister volume, Intermediate Chinese, it forms a compendium
of the essentials of Chinese syntax.

Yip Po-Ching was formerly Lecturer in Chinese Studies at the
University of Leeds and Don Rimmington is Emeritus Professor
of East Asian Studies and former head of the East Asian Studies
Department at the University of Leeds. They are the authors
of Chinese: An Essential Grammar (1996; 2nd edition, 2006),
Intermediate Chinese: A Grammar and Workbook (1998; 2nd edition
forthcoming), and Chinese: A Comprehensive Grammar (2004).

Titles of related interest published by Routledge:

Intermediate Chinese: A Grammar and Workbook
by Yip Po-Ching and Don Rimmington

Chinese: An Essential Grammar
by Yip Po-Ching and Don Rimmington

Chinese: A Comprehensive Grammar
by Yip Po-Ching and Don Rimmington

Colloquial Chinese: A Complete Language Course
by Kan Qian

Colloquial Chinese CD-ROM
by Kan Qian

Colloquial Chinese (Reprint of the first edition)
by Ping-Cheng T’ung and David E. Pollard

The Chinese Lexicon
by Yip Po-Ching

Basic Cantonese: A Grammar and Workbook
by Virginia Yip and Stephen Matthews

Intermediate Cantonese: A Grammar and Workbook
by Virginia Yip and Stephen Matthews

Cantonese: A Comprehensive Grammar
by Stephen Matthews and Virginia Yip

Colloquial Cantonese: A Complete Language Course
by Keith S. T. Tong and Gregory James

Other titles available in the Grammar Workbooks series are:

Basic Cantonese
Intermediate Cantonese

Basic Dutch
Intermediate Dutch

Basic German
Intermediate German

Basic Irish
Intermediate Irish

Basic Italian

Basic Korean
Intermediate Korean (forthcoming)

Basic Polish
Intermediate Polish

Basic Russian
Intermediate Russian

Basic Spanish
Intermediate Spanish

Basic Welsh
Intermediate Welsh

BASIC CHINESE:
A GRAMMAR AND
WORKBOOK

2nd edition

Yip Po-Ching and Don Rimmington
with Zhang Xiaoming, Rachel Henson and
Yip Li Quzhen

First published 1998
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016

Second edition published 2009

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

© 1998, 2009 Yip Po-Ching and Don Rimmington

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized
in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or
hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data
Yip, Po-ching, 1935–
Basic Chinese : a grammar and workbook / Yip Po-Ching and Don Rimmington.
p. cm.
Includes index.
1. Chinese language—Grammar.
2. Chinese language—Syntax.
3. Chinese
language—Textbooks for foreign speakers—English.
I. Rimmington, Don.
II. Title.
PL1111.Y56 2009
495.1′82421—dc22
2008031535

ISBN10: 0–415–47216–4 (hbk)
ISBN10: 0–415–47215–6 (pbk)
ISBN10: 0–203–88340–3 (ebk)

ISBN13: 978–0–415–47216–6 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–415–47215–9 (pbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–203–88340–2 (ebk)

This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2009.

“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.”

ISBN 0-203-88340-3 Master e-book ISBN

CONTENTS

Introduction
vii

1
Nouns: singular and plural
1

2
Definite and indefinite reference and demonstratives
8

3
Personal pronouns
17

4
Interrogative pronouns
28

5
Numbers
38

6
Measure words
49

7
Indefinite plurals
63

8
Times and dates
73

9
More interrogative expressions
84

10
Adjectives: attributive and predicative
93

11
shì and
yiu
103

12
Comparisons
113

13
Verbs and location expressions
127

14
Verbs and time expressions
139

15
Verbs and aspect markers
154

16
Modal verbs
165
v

Contents

vi

17
Negators:
bù and
(
) méi(yiu)
174

18
Types of question (1)
185

19
Types of question (2)
196

20
Imperatives and exclamations
206

21
Complements of direction and location (or destination)
214

22
Complements of result and manner
225

23
Potential complements
234

24
Coverbal phrases
242

25
Disyllabic prepositions
255

Key to exercises
264

Vocabulary list: Chinese to English
320

Vocabulary list: English to Chinese
340

Glossary of grammatical terms
359

Index
364

vii

INTRODUCTION

This book is designed to assist learners of Mandarin or Modern
Standard Chinese, which is the language spoken by close on 70 per cent
of the people of China. It presents the essential features of Chinese
syntax in an easily accessible reference-and-practice format. We hope
that it will be helpful to students of the language at all levels, though
some initial knowledge will be an advantage, and we envisage that it
will be suitable for classroom use, as well as for individual study and
reference.
The book sets forth most of the basic elements of Chinese syntax,
dealing with simple sentences and the main grammatical categories. The
material is laid out over 25 units, and is introduced on a graded basis
with more elementary items in the early units and more complex
patterns in the later sections.
Each unit deals with an individual language category or structure.
In the early stages, of necessity, grammatical items beyond those intro-
duced in a unit are used in the illustrative sentences, but explanatory
notes are added for them with cross-referencing to the later units, in
which they themselves appear.
Each unit also provides follow-up exercises, which are designed for
immediate reinforcement and readers are encouraged to make full
use of them. A key to the exercises is given at the end of the book.
Readers may wish to consult the units separately or work pro-
gressively through the book, but we suggest that, when going through
a particular unit, they attempt all the exercises in it, before consulting
the key.
In this second edition extra drills have been provided for each unit,
which draw on the additional illustrative material mentioned above and
which give an opportunity for the reader to extend and explore his
or her learning experience of the language. They of course in many
cases anticipate material that is to appear later in the book, but the
intention is to encourage from the start practice in the rhythms of the
basic structures of the language. It is an advantage when learning any
language, and particularly Chinese, if you can develop good speech habits

Introduc-
tion

viii

as soon as possible as well as learning grammatical rules. If the
exercises are there to help you with the grammatical rules, the drills
will help you develop good speech habits. Keys to these drills are
provided with the exercise keys at the end of the book.
Practical, functional vocabulary is used in the grammatical explana-
tions and in the exercises and drills, and it is introduced as far as possible
on a cumulative basis. A complete vocabulary list is appended to
facilitate easy reference.
The use of grammatical terms is kept to a minimum and explana-
tions of them are given as they occur. In addition a glossary of these
terms is included as an appendix. An index is also provided to help
locate particular grammatical structures or explanations.
All illustrative examples throughout the book are given in Chinese
script and pinyin romanization, with colloquial English translations and
where necessary with additional literal translations (marked lit.).
Students interested in pursuing their practical study of the Chinese
language to a higher level should consult the companion volume to this
book, Intermediate Chinese: A Grammar and Workbook, where more
syntactic patterns peculiar to the Chinese language are explained and
the important grammatical items covered in Basic Chinese are sum-
marized. Furthermore, exercises and drills in Intermediate Chinese
not only cover specific grammar points but also compare them with
English language usage.
The preparation of this second edition is based on the first edition
of the book, which received financial assistance from the University of
Leeds Academic Development Fund. Two Research Assistants, Ms
Zhang Xiaoming and Ms Rachel Henson carried out much of the
important work of assembling the illustrative material. The present
revision, however, could not have been completed without help and
contribution from Mrs Yip Li Quzhen, who closely monitored the
vocabulary progression, partially revamped the exercises and compiled
the vocabulary list.
Any errors or omissions are, of course, the fault of the authors.

Note: We have used ‘a’ rather than ‘ɑ’, which is the standard form
in pinyin romanization.

UNIT ONE
Nouns: singular and plural

1

A
In Chinese, as in other languages, nouns may be differentiated into
a number of categories. The largest category is the common noun, which
covers tangible, discrete entities, e.g.
dàren adult,
shù tree,
etc. The common noun is the main focus of this unit, but other noun
categories are:

(i) proper noun (for one individual entity):
e.g.
zhdngguó China,
lh míng Li Ming (name of a person)
(ii) material noun (for non-discrete entities):
e.g.
zhh paper,
chá tea
(iii) abstract noun (for non-tangible entities):
e.g.
wénhuà culture,
jcngjì economy

B
Chinese common nouns, unlike English ones, make no distinction
in form between singular and plural:

pínggui
apple/apples

háizi
child/children

yc gè pínggui
an/one apple

lifng gè pínggui
two apples

yc gè háizi
a/one child

lifng gè háizi
two children

C
Another important feature of the common noun in Chinese is
that when it is used with a numeral, the numeral has to have a
measure word between it and the noun (see also Unit 6).
gè
(usually unstressed as ge in actual speech) is by far the most common
measure word and it can occur with a wide range of nouns:

yc gè rén
a/one person

lifng gè xuésheng
two students

san gè miànbao
three bread rolls/three buns

sì gè chéngzi
four oranges

wj gè jcdàn
five eggs

liù gè chéngshì
six cities

qc gè guójia
seven countries

ba gè shangdiàn
eight shops

jij gè nán háizi
nine boys

shí gè ns háizi
ten girls

jh gè péngyou
a few friends

A considerable number of nouns or sets of nouns are linked with par-
ticular measure words:

yc bgn she
a/one book

yc zhc bh
a/one pen

yc bf yáshua
a/one toothbrush

yc kb shù
a/one tree

Some Chinese measure words that indicate portion or partition, for
example, are similar to English measures:

lifng piàn miànbao
two slices of bread

yc kuài dàngao
a piece of cake

yc bbi kafbi
a cup of coffee

yc bbi píjij
a glass of beer

Measure words are also used with abstract and material nouns:

yc gè jiànyì
a suggestion
(abstract)

yc gè jièkiu
an excuse
(abstract)

yc gè lhxifng
an ambition/ideal
(abstract)

yc zhang zhh
a piece of paper
(material)

yc kuài bù
a piece of cloth
(material)

Note 1: Notice that with
yc you distinguish between ‘a/an’ and
‘one’ in speech by the degree of emphasis given to it. The phrase

yc gè bbizi, for example, may mean ‘one mug’ if
yc is
stressed and ‘a mug’ if
yc is not stressed. In the latter meaning

yc can be omitted altogether if it comes directly after a mono-
syllabic verb.

(
)
wi xifng qù shangdiàn mfi (yc) gè bbizi
(
yc is unstressed and optional)
I’m going to the shop to buy a mug.

wi zhh yào mfi yc gè bbizi (
yc is stressed)
I only want to buy one mug.

1
Nouns:
singular
and plural

2

Note 2: In Chinese
bbizi may mean ‘cup’ or even ‘glass’ as well
as ‘mug’.

Note 3:
xifng and
yào are both modal verbs, i.e. verbs which
precede main verbs to indicate the mood or attitude of the subject
(see Unit 17). While
xifng emphasizes ‘plan’ or ‘inclination’,

yào indicates ‘wish’ or ‘will’. They may generally be used
interchangeably.

D
It is possible to pluralize human nouns by adding the suffix
men
but only when the people concerned are seen or addressed as a group.
A collectivized noun like this undergoes two changes:

(i) A noun with
men suffix becomes definite in reference. Being
of definite reference, this form may be used to address a particu-
lar audience:

. . .
xianshengmen,
Ladies and gentlemen
nsshìmen . . .
. . .

. . .
péngyoumen
Friends . . .
. . .

(ii) A collectivized noun with
men suffix is incompatible with a
‘numeral + measure word’ phrase:

One cannot say:

*
san gè gdngchéngshcmen (lit. three engineers)
*
jij gè dàrenmen
(lit. nine adults)

However, it is not possible to collectivize non-human nouns with
the suffix
men:

*
giumen
(lit. dogs)
*
bbizimen
(lit. cups/glasses/mugs)

E
Nouns or noun phrases (e.g. ‘numeral + measure word + noun’)
may be linked together by the conjunction
hé ‘and’:

bh hé zhh
pens and paper

nán háizi hé ns háizi
boys and girls

1
Nouns:
singular
and plural

3

san gè dàngao hé sì gè miànbao
three cakes and four bread rolls

zhdngguó jcngjì hé wénhuà
China’s economy and culture

ta yiu lifng bgn she hé yc zhc bh
He has two books and one pen.

wi yào chc lifng piàn miànbao | yc gè jcdàn hé yc kuài dàngao
I want to eat two slices of bread, an egg and a piece of cake.

Note: Observe that a Chinese full-stop is a hollow dot, not a solid
one as in English; and the ‘
’ dun-comma, seen in this last example,
is peculiar to Chinese punctuation and is used for listing items in
a series:

ta xifng mfi sì gè pínggui | san gè chéngzi | lifng gè miànbao hé
yc dá jcdàn
She would like to buy four apples, three oranges, two loaves of
bread and a dozen eggs.

Exercise 1.1

Translate the following phrases into Chinese:

1 a child
16 one mug
2 one child
17 two pens
3 two children
18 ten cups
4 three oranges
19 two cups of tea
5 a dozen eggs
20 three books
6 four bread rolls
21 four adults
7 five slices of bread
22 six pieces of paper
8 a city
23 a cake
9 two suggestions
24 a piece of cake
10 six countries
25 an excuse
11 eight shops
26 five boys
12 nine students
27 six girls
13 seven engineers
28 two pieces of cloth
14 a friend
29 a few trees
15 a person
30 two Chinese

1
Nouns:
singular
and plural

4

Exercise 1.2

Decide on the emphasis given to
yc in the sentences below by putting
brackets round the
where it may be omitted:

1

wi xifng jiao (yc) gè zhdngguó péngyou
I would like to have a Chinese friend. (
jiao ‘to make friends with’)

2

wi xifng mfi yc dá jcdàn
I want to buy a dozen eggs.

3

ta zhh shì yc gè xuésheng
He is only a student.

4

wi xifng chc yc gè chéngzi
I want to eat an orange.

5

wimen yiu yc gè jiànyì
We have a suggestion.

6

wi zhh xifng qù yc gè guójia
I only want to go to one country.

7

wi yào qù mfi yc bf yáshua
I want to go and buy a toothbrush.

8

ta zhh yiu yc gè háizi
She only has one child.

Exercise 1.3

Decide which of the following sentences are incorrect and make the
necessary corrections:

1
wi pèngjiàn lifng gè péngyoumen
(
pèngjiàn ‘to bump into’)
I bumped into two friends.

2
ta xifng zhfo yc jièkiu (
zhfo ‘to find’)
He wanted to find an excuse.

1
Nouns:
singular
and plural

5

3
háizimen yào chc píngguimen
The children wanted to eat apples.

4
tamen xifng qù san guójia
They would like to visit three countries.

5
wi xifng hb bbi chá (
hb ‘to drink’)
I would like to have a cup of tea.

6
ta yiu zhdngguó péngyoumen
She has Chinese friends.

7
nh yào chc jh miànbao
How many slices of bread would you like to eat?

8
shuí/shéi yào mfi jcdàn
Who wants to buy eggs?

Exercise 1.4

Translate the sentences below into English:

1
wi yào mfi jh gè miànbao
2
ta xifng chc lifng kuài dàngad
3
wi pèngjiàn san gè zhdngguó rén
4
wi yào hb bbi kafbi
5
wi xifng qù wj gè guójia
6
ta shì yc gè gdngchéngshc
7
wi yiu lifng gè háizi
8
wi zhh xifng qù yc gè chéngshì
9
shuí/shéi xifng mfi she
10
wi yiu gè jiànyì

Exercise 1.5

Translate the following phrases and sentences into Chinese. Don’t
forget to use the dun-comma where necessary.

1 apples and oranges
2 adults and children
3 three slices of bread, a cup of coffee and a piece of cake
4 four books and six pens
5 I would like to visit three countries.
6 I would like to have a cup of tea.
7 She only wants to go to two shops.

1
Nouns:
singular
and plural

6