Difference between revisions of "Language/Mandarin-chinese/Grammar/Separable-verbs"

From Polyglot Club WIKI
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit
Line 15: Line 15:
<blockquote>I speak Chinese.</blockquote>
<blockquote>I speak Chinese.</blockquote>


But if we simply mean “talk”, we must add a “standard complement”: <span class="notranslate">話/话 (huà)</span>.  
But if we simply mean “speak”, we must add a “standard complement”: <span class="notranslate">話/话 (huà)</span>.  


To say “He speaks”, we have to use <span class="notranslate">他說話。/他说话。 (Tā shuō huà.)</span> and not simply <span class="notranslate">他說。/他说。 (Tā shuō.)</span>.
To say “He speaks”, we have to use <span class="notranslate">他說話。/他说话。 (Tā shuō huà.)</span> and not simply <span class="notranslate">他說。/他说。 (Tā shuō.)</span>.

Revision as of 09:09, 18 November 2018

Verb-object-chinese.jpg
What are verb-object phrases?

Hello everybody!

In today's lesson, we will teach you how to use certain kinds of verbs that still need a complement.

“Separable words”(离合詞/离合词, líhécí) or “separable verbs”(离合動詞/离合动词, líhédòngcí) get their name from their ability to "separate" into two parts (mainly a verb part and an object part), with other words in between. In fact, you could also simply call separable verbs "verb-object phrases". Some linguistics consider a “verb-object phrase” as two words, some consider it as a phrase, the other consider in both ways.

Feel free to edit this wiki page, if you think it can be improved.

Rules

If the verb 說/说 (shuō) "to speak" is followed by a complement, it is used alone:

  • 我說漢語。/我说汉语。 (Wǒ shuō hànyǔ.)

I speak Chinese.

But if we simply mean “speak”, we must add a “standard complement”: 話/话 (huà).

To say “He speaks”, we have to use 他說話。/他说话。 (Tā shuō huà.) and not simply 他說。/他说。 (Tā shuō.).

We also have already seen “write” 寫/写 (xiě) which requires the standard complement 字 (zì):

  • 她寫字。/她写字。 (Tā xiě zì.)

She writes.

Attention, it is absolutely necessary to remove the standard complement when another complement is specified.

The following sentence is therefore false: 他說話漢語/他说话汉语。 (Tā shuō huà hànyǔ.)

A verb-object may be heard alone, but in this case the complement is implied:

  • (漢語)我會說,不會寫。/(汉语)我会说,不会写。 [(Hànyǔ) wǒ huì shuō, bú huì xiě]

(Chinese) I can speak it, but not write it.

Words between verb and complement

We can add special words between the verb and the complement.

Let's see how it works:

Words can be inserted between separable words are:

  1. 了 (le);
  2. 著/着 (zhe);
  3. 過/过 (guò);
  4. 不 (bù);
  5. 得 (de);
  6. result complement (e.g. 好, 起);
  7. classifier (e.g. 個/个, 節/节).

3 categories

Separable words can be classified into 3 categories:

  1. verb and object, e.g. 上課/上课, 開車/开车, only 了, 著/着, 過/过, result complement, classifier, + classifier, 著/着 + classifier (rare) can be inserted, leaving alone attributes of the object;
  2. verb and result complement, e.g. 看見/看见, 撥動/拨动, only 不, 得 can be inserted;
  3. verb and directional verb, e.g. 出來/出来, 分開/分开, only 不, 得, can be inserted.

Examples

  • 了節。/我了节。 (Wǒ shàng le jié kè.)

I went to class.

  • 了節有趣的。/我了节有趣的。 (Wǒ shàng le jié yǒuqùde kè.)

I went to an interesting class.

  • 來。/我来。 (Wǒ kāi qǐ chē lái.)

I started driving.

  • 。/我。 (Wǒ kàn de jiàn.)

I can see it.

  • 。/我。 (Wǒ chū bù lái.)

I can't get out.

Some Common Separable Words

In dictionaries, separable words are noted with “//” between their pinyin.

Chinese Pinyin (dictionary form) Translation
上課/上课 shàng//kè to have a class
住院 zhù//yuàn to be hospitalised
發燒/发烧 fā//shāo to get a fever
吃飯/吃饭 chī//fàn to eat
開學/开学 kāi//xué to start a new term of school
開車/开车 kāi//chē to drive
打的 dǎ//dī to get a taxi
游泳 yóu//yǒng to swim
看病 kàn//bìng to see a doctor
睡覺/睡觉 shuì//jiào to sleep
聊天 liáo//tiān to chat
說話/说话 shuō//huà to speak
起床 qǐ//chuáng to get up

Sources

https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Separable_verb

http://www.chine-culture.com/chinois/cours-de-chinois-6-grammaire.php

https://mandarinfriend.wordpress.com/2015/02/12/separable-verbs-a-misleading-concept-for-chinese-learners/