- 1. Adverbs: Adjective + 地
You can easily convert Chinese adjectives to adverbs with the particle 地 (de). 地 is very similar to the English suffix -ly. It is pronounced de when used as a particle and pronounced dì when used as a noun, meaning "earth/soil/ground/region". - 2.【的地得】 地 vs. 的: Word Order
的，地，得 are the three most commonly used structural particles in modern Chinese. 的 (de), most often used to modify nouns; 地 (de), most often used with adverbial phrases. In Chinese adverbs always occur before the verb and adjective always comes before the noun or pronoun in the sentence. - 3.【的地得】 地 vs.得: Word order
的，地，得 are distinguished in writing. 得 (de), most often used with complements, 地 (de), most often used with adverbial phrases. In Chinese, adverbs always appear before the verb, and adjective complements appear after the verb, following the particle 得. - 4. 地 - 在，地 are used to describe an action in progress.
- 5. 很 + adj. + 地
很 can be added before an adjective. Sometimes 很 is translated as "very" but most often it is a fixed expressions without any actual meaning. - 6. Reduplicated adj.+ 地
A monosyllabic adjective can be reduplicated. If the adjective has more than one character, then each character has to be repeated following itself, known as the "AABB" pattern. 地 becomes optional. - 7. Reduplicated verb + 地
Not only adjectives can be reduplicated. Some Chinese verbs also can be used in this way. - 8. 地 + Prepositional Phrase + verb
Prepositional Phrase can be used between 地 and a verb. - 9. 地 - Sequential/individual action
To describe an action being performed sequentially or individually, 一 plus a measure word must be reduplicated. In this case, 地 becomes optional. - 10. 地 - Four-Character Expressions
Another type of adverbials is four-syllable "elaborate expressions". These adverbials are numerous. Some of them are used more often in literature and some are commonly used. - 11. 地 - Onomatopoeia
Chinese sound-symbolic words also appear in the adverbial position. These may be reduplicated or elaborated. - 12. 地 - If an action keeps happening and won't stop, we say "不断/不停 地" in Chinese.
- 13. 地 - 地 can turn some verbs into adverbs.
- 14. 地 - 地 in the 被 sentences
When used with 被 to express the passive voice in Chinese, 地 should be placed after 被 and its agents.
14 Chinese Grammar Points about the Particle 地
Learn 12 Chinese Characters with Radical Metal 钅 (HSK 1-4)
The radical [钅] means "gold" or "metal". Chinese characters with this radical are usually related to metal or metal products. E.g., 钟, clock; 铁, iron; 银,silver.
针 钟 钢 钥 钱 铁 铅 银 错 键 锻 镜
针 钟 钢 钥 钱 铁 铅 银 错 键 锻 镜
14 Chinese Grammar Points about the Particle 的
- 1. The Possessive Particle 的
The Possessive Particle 的 is used after the first pronoun/noun to demonstrate ownership. - 2. Adjectives:The Descriptive Particle 的
Chinese adjective always comes before the noun or pronoun in the sentence. It is usually followed by The Descriptive Particle 的. If there are several 的 in one sentence, some of them can be omitted. - 3. Adjectives: Comparative and superlative adjectives + 的
A Comparative adjective is used to compare two nouns. A superlative adjective compares three or more nouns. - 4. 的 - Adjectives: Reduplication
A monosyllabic adjective can be reduplicated. When it used as a predicate or a complement, 的 should follow it. This is also known as Chinese AA Pattern. - 5. 的 - Verbal equivalents
In Chinese, Verbal equivalents + 的 can be used as adjective before the noun it modifies. The word orders are different between English and Chinese. - 6. Certainty：会/一定会 ... 的
的 can be used as a modal particle to emphasize 'certainty' of a future event. It is used in a sentence with 会/一定会 to reassure the listener. - 7. "If":...的话
的话 can be put at the end of a phrase to express the meaning of "if". It can be used independently, or with 如果, both meaning "if". - 8. "things like"：之类的
之类的 can be translated as "things like that". - 9. "As if"：像...似的
像...似的 can be translated as "like/ as if". 似的 is an auxiliary word, and is used after noun, pronoun, or verb. This character can be pronounced shì or sì. - 10. "rather":挺/满...(的)
挺/满 can be used to mean "quite", "rather" or "pretty much". An optional modal particle 的 can be used in this structure. - 11. Adverbial clauses: 的时候
The adverbial clause 的时候 always occurs before the main clause. - 12. Situational 的：本来是...的
本来是...的 means "originally". Situational 的 appears in this emphatic construction, There is no other word after 的. - 13. 的 - Relative clauses
In English, relative clauses are clauses starting with the relative pronouns such as who, that, which, whose, where, when.
Unlike English, Chinese has no relative pronouns. Instead, the particle 的 is used to connect the relative clause with the noun. In Chinese, a relative clause appears before the noun. In English, a relative clause follows the noun. - 14. 的 - "of":A of B = B的A
In English, the word "of" means 的 in Chinese. but the word orders are different. A of B = B的A
12 Chinese Grammar Points about Nouns, Pronouns, Verbs etc.
- 1. Nouns - Gender
Chinese nouns do not have gender, but some given words can be used to indicate masculinity or femininity. 男女 are used only for humans. 公母 are normally used on animals. 雄雌 are more academic. usually 雄 / 雌 can be used for Biology Terms. - 2. Nouns - Case
In English, Case is the grammatical function of a noun or pronoun. There are only three cases in modern English, they are subjective, objective and possessive. - 3. Numbers - Number
Number: no separate singular and plural forms Chinese nouns are neutral with respect to number and have no separate singular and plural forms. Common Nouns can generally be preceded by a number-measure word combination. Personal nouns can be made plural with 们. - 4. Nouns - Proper Nouns
A proper noun is specific person, place or thing. English Proper nouns must be capitalized, but it is not the case with Chinese. - 5. Nouns - Reduplication
A common type of Chinese noun is formed by reduplication. For example, nouns referring to family members are formed in this way. 爸爸，妈妈，哥哥，弟弟，姐姐，妹妹，舅舅，姥姥，姨姨，爷爷，奶奶，叔叔，姑姑。 - 6. Case - Chinese words do not have case
Chinese words do not have case. The same words are used for subjective, objective and possessive. After a pronoun, 的 can be used to indicate possession. - 7. Pronouns - Gender: Only in the third person pronoun
Chinese personal pronouns have gender only in the third person pronoun in the contemporary written language. Pronouns are neutral in their spoken form. 他，她，它 are different only in the written forms. - 8. Pronouns - Pronoun + 们
Chinese pronouns have singular and plural forms. The suffix 们 is added to the singular form to make it the plural form. - 9. Pronouns - Reflexive pronoun: 自己 self
Mandarin has a single reflexive pronoun, 自己self, which is unmarked for person or gender. It can follow a personal pronoun for emphasis. - 10. Pronouns - 咱们，我们
The inclusive pronoun 咱们(we) is used in northern dialects of Mandarin. 我们 can have either inclusive or exclusive meaning. It is much more commonly used than 咱们. In the exclusive sense, 我们 doesn't refer to the addressee. - 11. Verbs - Inflection: Chinese verbs are not inflected
Chinese verbs are not inflected. A single verb form is used regardless of the tense, aspect, and regardless of the number or gender of the subject. The number of the subject doesn't inflect the verb 想. - 12. Category shifts - A Chinese word may belong to more than one category
A very important feature of Chinese is that a word may belong to more than one category depending on the way it is used in a sentence. For example, some words may serve as both a noun and a verb.
Learn 13 Chinese Characters with Radical Shell 贝 (HSK 1-4)
Radical [贝] means "shell". In ancient China, people used shells as currency for the exchange of goods. Most characters with [贝] are related to money. E.g., 贵, expensive; 赚, make a profit; 购, to buy.
负 责 败 货 质 购 贵 费 贺 资 赚 赛 赢
负 责 败 货 质 购 贵 费 贺 资 赚 赛 赢
Learn 13 Chinese Characters with Radical Woman 女 (HSK 1-4)
Radical [女] means "woman". Most characters with [女] are related to female. E.g. 姓，invented in matriarchal period (a family name inherited from one's mother); 她, she; 妈, mother.
女 她 姓 婚 奶 妈 妹 姐 姨 妻 好 始 如
女 她 姓 婚 奶 妈 妹 姐 姨 妻 好 始 如
Learn 14 Chinese Characters with Radical Knife 刂 (HSK 1-4)
Radical [刂] is originated from the character "刀"(knife). Most characters under this radical are knife related. E.g., 刮, to scrape; 划, to mark off; 利, sharp.
划 列 则 刚 判 利 别 刮 到 刷 刻 前 剧 剩
划 列 则 刚 判 利 别 刮 到 刷 刻 前 剧 剩
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