Language/Yue-chinese/Grammar/Comprehensive-Review

Yue Chinese → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Comprehensive Review

Welcome to the comprehensive review of Yue Chinese grammar! This lesson is an essential part of our "Complete 0 to A1 Yue Chinese Course." As you embark on your journey to learn Yue Chinese, understanding the grammar is like laying a solid foundation for a house. It’s crucial because grammar helps you construct sentences, express your thoughts, and communicate effectively.

In this lesson, we will revisit the key grammar concepts covered throughout the course, ensuring you have a thorough understanding of how to use them in practical contexts. We will break down each concept, provide numerous examples to illustrate clarity, and offer exercises to reinforce your learning.

The structure of this lesson is as follows:

Basic Sentence Structure

Understanding the basic sentence structure is crucial as it forms the backbone of communication in Yue Chinese. The typical structure follows the Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) format.

Subject-Verb-Object

The Subject-Verb-Object structure is the most common way to form sentences in Yue Chinese. Here’s how it works:

• Subject: The person or thing performing the action.

• Verb: The action being performed.

• Object: The person or thing receiving the action.

Here are 20 examples illustrating this structure:

Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
我吃苹果	Ngóh chīng pìnggwó	I eat an apple
他看书	Tā hon syū	He reads a book
她喝水	Tā hōk seoi	She drinks water
我们学习中文	Ngóhdeih hok jaang jūngmán	We study Chinese
你打篮球	Néih dáa làahnchàuh	You play basketball
他们听音乐	Tāmdou tīng yīngyuk	They listen to music
我做饭	Ngóh joh faan	I cook rice
她看电视	Tā hon dinseih	She watches TV
他写信	Tā séh seun	He writes a letter
我们一起跳舞	Ngóhdeih yātchīh tiuh móuh	We dance together
你买东西	Néih máai dōngxī	You buy things
她教中文	Tā gaau jūngmán	She teaches Chinese
我们去商店	Ngóhdeih heoi sēungdim	We go to the store
他喜欢音乐	Tā hei fūn yīngyuk	He likes music
她吃晚饭	Tā chīng māan faan	She eats dinner
我读书	Ngóh duk syū	I read a book
你看电影	Néih hon dinjeng	You watch a movie
他们走路	Tāmdou jáu louh	They walk
我跑步	Ngóh páau bouh	I run
她唱歌	Tā cheung gō	She sings

Questions and Negations

Questions and negations are essential for effective communication. Let’s explore how to form questions and negate statements.

Questions can be formed in several ways:

1. Using a question particle: Add the particle "吗" (ma) at the end of a statement.

2. Question words: Use specific words like "什么" (sam1mo1, what), "哪里" (naai5lei5, where), etc.

Negations are typically formed using the words "不" (bat1, no/not) or "没" (mòuh, not have).

Here are examples of questions and negations:

Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
你好吗？	Néih hóu ma?	How are you?
他在吗？	Tā joi ma?	Is he here?
她是谁？	Tā si shéi?	Who is she?
你喜欢什么？	Néih hei fūn sam1mo1?	What do you like?
我可以去吗？	Ngóh hóyíh heoi ma?	Can I go?
你不吃苹果	Néih bāt chīng pìnggwó	You do not eat apples
他没有钱	Tā mòuh chín	He does not have money
她不在家	Tā bāt joi gā	She is not at home
我不喜欢这个	Ngóh bāt hei fūn jīgo	I do not like this
他们没来	Tāmdou mòuh lài	They did not come

Pronouns and Possessives

Pronouns and possessives are vital for indicating ownership and referring to people or things without repeating their names.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns in Yue Chinese can be categorized into singular and plural forms.

Here are the personal pronouns:

Pronoun Type	Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
1st Person Singular	我	Ngóh	I
1st Person Plural	我们	Ngóhdeih	We
2nd Person Singular	你	Néih	You
2nd Person Plural	你们	Néihdeih	You (plural)
3rd Person Singular (male)	他	Tā	He
3rd Person Singular (female)	她	Tā	She
3rd Person Plural	他们	Tāmdou	They

Possessive Pronouns

To express possession, we use possessive pronouns. In Yue Chinese, we add "的" (dī) after the personal pronoun.

Here are some examples of possessive pronouns:

Possessive Pronoun	Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
My	我的	Ngóh dī	My
Your	你的	Néih dī	Your
His	他的	Tā dī	His
Her	她的	Tā dī	Her
Our	我们的	Ngóhdeih dī	Our
Their	他们的	Tāmdou dī	Their

Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives and adverbs enrich our language, allowing us to give more detail and express emotions.

Describing People and Things

Adjectives are used to describe nouns. In Yue Chinese, adjectives typically precede the noun.

Examples of adjectives describing people and things:

Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
漂亮的女孩	Piūliuh dī neoi5haai2	Beautiful girl
高的建筑	Gōu dī gin3zuk1	Tall building
聪明的学生	Cūngmíng dī hoksaang	Smart student
可爱的狗	Hóuoi dī gáu	Cute dog
有趣的书	Yáuhcyù dī syū	Interesting book
幸福的家庭	Hahngfuk dī gāting	Happy family
新的车	Sān dī chē	New car
旧的桌子	Gau dī coek3zí	Old table
漂亮的衣服	Piūliuh dī jīfuk	Beautiful clothes
快的火车	Faai dī fóche	Fast train

Describing Actions

Adverbs modify verbs, providing context about how an action is performed. In Yue Chinese, adverbs usually precede the verb.

Here are examples of adverbs:

Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
她跑得快	Tā páau dāk faai	She runs fast
我说得好	Ngóh syut dāk hóu	I speak well
他走得慢	Tā jáu dāk maan	He walks slowly
她唱得好听	Tā cheung dāk hóutīng	She sings beautifully
我们一起工作	Ngóhdeih yātchīh gungzok	We work together
他们玩得开心	Tāmdou wán dāk hōisām	They play happily
我写得快	Ngóh séh dāk faai	I write quickly
她看得仔细	Tā hon dāk zísai	She looks carefully
他跳得高	Tā tiuh dāk gōu	He jumps high
我们学习得认真	Ngóhdeih hokjaah dāk yīngjan	We study seriously

Prepositions and Conjunctions

Prepositions and conjunctions are essential for connecting ideas and providing context in sentences.

Location and Direction

Prepositions indicate the relationship between nouns. Here are some common prepositions used in Yue Chinese:

Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
在	Joi	At/In
从	Cùng	From
到	Dou	To
在…上	Joi…seung	On
在…下	Joi…ha	Under
在…旁边	Joi…pòhngbīn	Next to
在…前面	Joi…chìhnmin	In front of
在…后面	Joi…hauhmin	Behind
往	Wóng	Towards
经过	Gīnggwo	Through

Connecting Ideas

Conjunctions link words and phrases. Here are some common conjunctions:

Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
和	Wòh	And
或者	Wòhje	Or
但是	Dānsī	But
如果	Yùhgō	If
因为	Yānwèi	Because
所以	Sóyí	So

Comparatives and Superlatives

Comparatives and superlatives allow us to express differences and extremes.

Making Comparisons

To make comparisons, we use “比” (béi) followed by the adjective.

Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
他比我高	Tā béi ngóh gōu	He is taller than me
这本书比那本书贵	Jē bun syū béi nā bun syū gwai	This book is more expensive than that one
她比他聪明	Tā béi tā cūngmíng	She is smarter than him
这个房子比那个便宜	Jīgo fòngzi béi nāgo piàhnjì	This house is cheaper than that one
我的包比你的包大	Ngóh dī bāau béi néih dī bāau daaih	My bag is bigger than your bag

Expressing the Best and the Worst

To express the best or worst, we use the structure “最” (jeui) before the adjective.

Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
她是最聪明的学生	Tā si jeui cūngmíng dī hoksaang	She is the smartest student
这个城市是最美的	Jīgo chéngsih si jeui méi dī	This city is the most beautiful
他是最好的朋友	Tā si jeui hóu dī pàngyáuh	He is the best friend
这条河是最长的	Jē tiu hòh si jeui chòhng dī	This river is the longest
她的歌是最好听的	Tā dī gō si jeui hóutīng dī	Her song is the most beautiful

Exercises and Practice Scenarios

Now, let’s put your understanding to the test! Here are some exercises designed to help you practice the grammar concepts we've covered.

Exercise 1: Forming Sentences

Convert the following subjects and verbs into complete sentences using the SVO structure.

1. 我 / 吃 / 水果

2. 她 / 看 / 电影

3. 他们 / 玩 / 游戏

4. 你 / 写 / 信

5. 我们 / 学习 / 英语

Answers

1. 我吃水果。 (Ngóh chīng seoi2gwó.)

2. 她看电影。 (Tā hon dinjeng.)

3. 他们玩游戏。 (Tāmdou wán yáuhsih.)

4. 你写信。 (Néih séh seun.)

5. 我们学习英语。 (Ngóhdeih hok jaang yīngjyu.)

Exercise 2: Formulating Questions

Convert the following statements into questions.

1. 你喜欢苹果。

2. 他在家。

3. 她是老师。

4. 我有钱。

5. 他们来。

Answers

1. 你喜欢苹果吗？ (Néih hei fūn pìnggwó ma?)

2. 他在家吗？ (Tā joi gā ma?)

3. 她是老师吗？ (Tā si lóuhsī ma?)

4. 我有钱吗？ (Ngóh yáuh chín ma?)

5. 他们来吗？ (Tāmdou lài ma?)

Exercise 3: Negation Practice

Negate the following sentences.

1. 我吃米饭。

2. 她喝水。

3. 他看书。

4. 我们去旅行。

5. 你喜欢这个。

Answers

1. 我不吃米饭。 (Ngóh bāt chīng máifàn.)

2. 她不喝水。 (Tā bāt hōk seoi.)

3. 他不看书。 (Tā bāt hon syū.)

4. 我们不去旅行。 (Ngóhdeih bāt heoi leuihng.)

5. 你不喜欢这个。 (Néih bāt hei fūn jīgo.)

Exercise 4: Using Pronouns

Rewrite the following sentences using the correct pronouns.

1. John and I are friends.

2. Lisa is a teacher.

3. The book belongs to Mary.

4. Tom and Jerry are here.

5. The car is mine.

Answers

1. 我和John是朋友。 (Ngóh wòh John si pàngyáuh.)

2. Lisa是老师。 (Lisa si lóuhsī.)

3. 这本书是Mary的。 (Jē bun syū si Mary dī.)

4. Tom和Jerry在这里。 (Tom wòh Jerry joi jēleih.)

5. 这辆车是我的。 (Jē leuhng chē si ngóh dī.)

Exercise 5: Adjective and Adverb Placement

Fill in the blanks with appropriate adjectives or adverbs.

1. 这只狗很____(可爱)。

2. 她跑得____(快)。

3. 这个城市非常____(美)。

4. 他唱歌唱得____(好听)。

5. 这件衣服很____(新)。

Answers

1. 这只狗很可爱。(Jē jī gāu hén hóuoi.)

2. 她跑得快。(Tā páau dāk faai.)

3. 这个城市非常美。(Jīgo chéngsih fēichèng méi.)

4. 他唱歌唱得好听。(Tā cheung gō cheung dāk hóutīng.)

5. 这件衣服很新。(Jē gin jīfuk hén sān.)

Exercise 6: Prepositions Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct prepositions.

1. 我在学校____学习。(joi)

2. 他往____商店走。(wóng)

3. 书在桌子____。(joi)

4. 她从家____来。(cùng)

5. 我们在公园____玩。(joi)

Answers

1. 我在学校学习。(Ngóh joi hokhaau hokjaah.)

2. 他往商店走。(Tā wóng sēungdim jáu.)

3. 书在桌子上。(Syū joi coek3zí seung.)

4. 她从家来。(Tā cùng gā lái.)

5. 我们在公园玩。(Ngóhdeih joi gūngyun wán.)

Exercise 7: Comparatives

Rewrite the following sentences using comparatives.

1. 这本书比那本书贵。

2. 她比我高。

3. 我的车比你的车快。

4. 这个城市比那个城市大。

5. 我的狗比你的狗聪明。

Answers

1. 这本书比那本书贵。(Jē bun syū béi nā bun syū gwai.)

2. 她比我高。(Tā béi ngóh gōu.)

3. 我的车比你的车快。(Ngóh dī chē béi néih dī chē faai.)

4. 这个城市比那个城市大。(Jīgo chéngsih béi nāgo chéngsih daaih.)

5. 我的狗比你的狗聪明。(Ngóh dī gāu béi néih dī gāu cūngmíng.)

Exercise 8: Superlatives

Construct sentences using superlatives.

1. 这是我最喜欢的书。

2. 她是最聪明的学生。

3. 这个城市是最美的。

4. 他的车是最快的。

5. 她是最好的朋友。

Answers

1. 这是我最喜欢的书。(Jē si ngóh jeui hei fūn dī syū.)

2. 她是最聪明的学生。(Tā si jeui cūngmíng dī hoksaang.)

3. 这个城市是最美的。(Jīgo chéngsih si jeui méi dī.)

4. 他的车是最快的。(Tā dī chē si jeui faai dī.)

5. 她是最好的朋友。(Tā si jeui hóu dī pàngyáuh.)

Exercise 9: Combining Sentences

Combine the following sentences using conjunctions.

1. 我喜欢苹果。你喜欢香蕉。

2. 他是老师。她是医生。

3. 我们去商店。我们还要去公园。

4. 你喜欢运动。你也喜欢看电影。

5. 她很聪明。她很努力。

Answers

1. 我喜欢苹果和你喜欢香蕉。(Ngóh hei fūn pìnggwó wòh néih hei fūn bāanā.)

2. 他是老师但是她是医生。(Tā si lóuhsī dānsī tā si yīsgē.)

3. 我们去商店和我们还要去公园。(Ngóhdeih heoi sēungdim wòh ngóhdeih hái yiu heoi gūngyun.)

4. 你喜欢运动或者你也喜欢看电影。(Néih hei fūn wàhnduhng wòh néih yéuh hei fūn hon dinjeng.)

5. 她很聪明而且她很努力。(Tā hén cūngmíng yìhchíh tā hén nǔlì.)

Exercise 10: Translation Practice

Translate the following sentences into Yue Chinese.

1. He eats rice.

2. They are my friends.

3. We are going to the market.

4. She sings beautifully.

5. This book is interesting.

Answers

1. 他吃米饭。(Tā chīng máifàn.)

2. 他们是我的朋友。(Tāmdou si ngóh dī pàngyáuh.)

3. 我们要去市场。(Ngóhdeih yiu heoi síhcháng.)

4. 她唱得好听。(Tā cheung dāk hóutīng.)

5. 这本书很有趣。(Jē bun syū hén yáuhcyù.)

Congratulations on completing this comprehensive review of Yue Chinese grammar! Keep practicing these concepts, and soon you will communicate with confidence and clarity. Remember, language learning is a journey, and with each step, you’re getting closer to fluency!

Table of Contents - Yue Chinese Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Subject-Verb-Object
• Questions and Negations

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Pronouns and Possessives

• Personal Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Describing People and Things
• Describing Actions

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods
• Eating Out

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Location and Direction
• Connecting Ideas

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Essentials

  ---

Verb Tenses and Aspects

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

  ---

Yue Chinese Customs and Traditions

• Festivals and Holidays
• Etiquette and Manners

  ---

Shopping and Services

• At the Market
• Public Services

  ---

Comparatives and Superlatives

• Making Comparisons
• Expressing the Best and the Worst

  ---

Yue Chinese Art and Literature

• Traditional Art Forms
• Famous Yue Chinese Literature

Other Lessons

• Nouns
• Verb Tense
• How to Use Have
• Plurals
• How to Use Be
• Sentence Pattern Changes
• Questions
• Give your Opinion
• Future Tense
• Possibility and Certainty