Learn Chinese for Free—Lesson 30

Sentence Structure 21
Adverbial Adjuncts

An adverbial adjunct is used to modify a verb or an adjective. Adverbs, adjectives, time words and prepositional constructions can all be used as an adverbial adjunct. They usually precede the part which is being modified.

Examples of adverbs used as an adverbial adjunct

他们word: 他们
pinyin: tāmen
details都character: 都
pinyin: dōu
details来character: 来
pinyin: lái
details。

我character: 我
pinyin: wǒ
details很character: 很
pinyin: hěn
details好character: 好
pinyin: hǎo
details。

Example of time word used as an adverbial adjunct

他们word: 他们
pinyin: tāmen
details今天word: 今天
pinyin: jīntiān
details来character: 来
pinyin: lái
details。

Sentence Structure 22
Time Words used as adverbial adjuncts

Time words are nouns or numeral-measure compounds indicating time.

They may be used as subjects, objects, predicates, modifiers, headwords in a "的character: 的
pinyin: de
details" structure, complements, or adverbial adjuncts. Here we pay special attention to their use as adverbial adjuncts.

When used as an adverbial adjunct, time words generally come before the main element of the predicate.

Example

他们word: 他们
pinyin: tāmen
details今天word: 今天
pinyin: jīntiān
details来character: 来
pinyin: lái
details。

Anyway, when special emphasis is laid on the time words, they may be shifted before the subject to the beginning of the sentence.

Example

今天word: 今天
pinyin: jīntiān
details他们word: 他们
pinyin: tāmen
details来character: 来
pinyin: lái
details。
(emphasis on 今天word: 今天
pinyin: jīntiān
details)

Sentence Structure 23
Nominal Predicate Sentence—Part 1

The sentence with a nominal predicate is a sentence in which the main element of the predicate is a noun, a nominal construction or a compound consisting of a numeral and a measure word.

In the affirmative sentence, 是character: 是
pinyin: shì
details is not used (是character: 是
pinyin: shì
details is used in the sentence with a verbal predicate).

This type of sentence is mainly used to show time, age, one's birthplace, and quantity.

Example

今年word: 今年
pinyin: jīnnián
details2001年character: 年
pinyin: nián
details。

The meaning of: 明早见！

再见word: 再见
pinyin: zàijiàn
details (literally: again-see) means "see you again". Similarly, 明早word: 明早
pinyin: míngzǎo
details见character: 见
pinyin: jiàn
details (literally: tomorrow morning-see) means "see you tomorrow morning".

Sentence Structure 24
Time Words used as subjects

Time words may be used as subjects, objects, predicates, modifiers, headwords in a "的character: 的
pinyin: de
details" structure, complements, or adverbial adjuncts. Here we pay special attention to their use as subjects.

Example

今天word: 今天
pinyin: jīntiān
details三月word: 三月
pinyin: sānyuè
details一character: 一
pinyin: yí
details号character: 号
pinyin: hào
details。

Sentence Structure 25
Time Words used as predicates

Here we pay special attention to the use of time words as predicates.

Example

今天word: 今天
pinyin: jīntiān
details三月word: 三月
pinyin: sānyuè
details一character: 一
pinyin: yí
details号character: 号
pinyin: hào
details。

Sentence Structure 26
Time Words used as modifiers

Time words may be used as subjects, objects, predicates, modifiers, headwords in a "的character: 的
pinyin: de
details" structure, complements, or adverbial adjuncts. Here we pay special attention to their use as modifiers.

Example

明年word: 明年
pinyin: míngnián
details的character: 的
pinyin: de
details今天word: 今天
pinyin: jīntiān
details。

Sentence Structure 27
Time Words used as headwords in a "的" structure

Time words may be used as subjects, objects, predicates, modifiers, headwords in a "的character: 的
pinyin: de
details" structure, complements, or adverbial adjuncts. Here we pay special attention to their use as headwords in a "的character: 的
pinyin: de
details" structure.

Example

明年word: 明年
pinyin: míngnián
details的character: 的
pinyin: de
details今天word: 今天
pinyin: jīntiān
details。

Sentence Structure 28
Nominal Predicate Sentence—Part 2

The negative form of a nominal predicate sentence is made by using 不character: 不
pinyin: bú
details是character: 是
pinyin: shì
details between the subject and the predicate, resulting in a sentence with a verbal predicate at the same time.

Examples

十二月word: 十二月
pinyin: shíèryuè
details六character: 六
pinyin: liù
details号character: 号
pinyin: hào
details不character: 不
pinyin: bú
details是character: 是
pinyin: shì
details星期五word: 星期五
pinyin: xīngqīwǔ
details。
今天word: 今天
pinyin: jīntiān
details不character: 不
pinyin: bú
details是character: 是
pinyin: shì
details三character: 三
pinyin: sān
details十character: 十
pinyin: shí
details一character: 一
pinyin: yī
details日character: 日
pinyin: rì
details。

Sentence Structure 29
Time Words used as objects

Time words may be used as subjects, objects, predicates, modifiers, headwords in a "的character: 的
pinyin: de
details" structure, complements, or adverbial adjuncts. Here we pay special attention to their use as objects.

Example

今天word: 今天
pinyin: jīntiān
details是character: 是
pinyin: shì
details星期天word: 星期天
pinyin: xīngqītiān
details。