General Grammar Rules

Question 1

Three ways of saying “week” and the days of the week

Answer 1

1. 星期 -
2. 禮拜 -
   3 周 -

Question 2

how to say:
to sleep –> to have a good sleep
to sing –> to sing an English song
to dance –> to do a Chinese dance

Answer 2

睡觉 –> 睡一个好觉
唱歌 –> 唱英文歌
跳舞 –> 跳中國舞

Question 3

how can you use 就 to connect two verbs or verb phrases?

Answer 3

to indicate that the second action happens as soon as the first one is completed:
我写了信以后就去睡觉了 = I went to bed right after I had finished writing the letter.

Question 4

how to use 多 to as questions?
1, how large?
2. how tall/high?
3. how far?

Answer 4

多 + adj

1. 多大
2. 多高
3. 多元

Question 5

what is the difference between 又 and 再？

Answer 5

又 indicates both actions occur in the past

再 indicates an anticipated repetition of an action in general

Question 6

what do you say when you agree with someone/thing, but want to clarify?

Answer 6

adj/V 是 adj/V, 可是/但是…
你喜歡這張照片嗎？
喜歡是喜歡，但是這張照片太小了
note: this pattern can only be used when the adj/V has already been mentioned.

Question 7

what is the difference between 剛 and 剛才?

Answer 7

剛
- Denotes that the action or change in situation took place in the most recent past
- Can be followed by an expression that indicates the duration of time
- Cannot be followed by negation words
- Cannot have a 了 in the same sentence
剛才
- A noun that refers to the time shortly before the act of speaking
- Can be followed by 不 or 沒
- Will often have 了 in the same sentence

Question 8

how do you use 沒有 to make a comparative sentence?

Answer 8

Besides 比, you can also use 沒有 in comparative sentences. It is therefore used as an alternative to 不比, but there are differences. 沒有 is used to say that one thing is of a lesser degree than another, while 不比 means that the first thing is no more than the second thing:
今天不比昨天热 = today is not hotter than yesterday –> A A < B

Question 9

how can you use 到 and 去 to denote the purpose of going somewhere?

Answer 9

到 place 去 action:
他到朋友的宿舍去聊天儿了 = he went to his friends dorm to chat.
我们到飞机场去送李小姐 = we went to the airport to see Miss Li off.

Question 10

two ways of indicating an ongoing action

Answer 10

1. 在 before the verb
你在写什么 = what are you writing?
2. 呢 at the end of the sentence?
你写什么呢 = what are you writing?
these can be used in the same sentence to strengthen the effect:
你在写什么呢

Question 11

how to denote that something does not have the capacity to hold something?

Answer 11

Verb 不下 X = Verb cannot hold X:
这张纸写不下八百个字 = this piece of paper is not big enough to write 800 characters on.
这个冰箱放不下兩个西瓜 = this fridge won’t fit two watermelons.

Question 12

how to use 多 indicating approximate numbers?

Answer 12

if the noun is not divisible into smaller units and it is ten or a multiple of it:
二十多个人 = more than 20 people.
三十多个学生 = more than 30 people.
一百多张纸 = more than 100 pieces of paper.
If it can be divided into smaller units (like a week consists of 7 days –> 一個星期 = 七天) there are two possibilities:
1. The number is not ten or a multiple of ten, 多 should be placed after the measure word:
七塊多钱 = more than 7 dollars but less than 8.
一個多星期 = more than one week but less than two.
2. If the number is ten or a multiple of ten it can be used both before or after the MW:
十多塊钱 = more than 10 dollars but less than 20.
十塊多钱 = more than 10 dollars but less than 11.
so if the 多 is placed before the measure word the approximation is multiplied (10 becomes 20) and if it is placed after the measure word the approximation is changed slightly (7 becomes 8)

Question 13

how to express the duration of time in an affirmative and a non-action sentence?

Answer 13

When expressing the duration of time, the place of the time is depended on whether or not the sentence is affirming or is denoting a non-action:
我学了兩年中文了 = I have been studying Chinese for two years.
我兩年沒学中文了 = I haven’t studied Chinese for two years.

Question 14

how to denote a continuation of an action?

Answer 14

Verb + 下去 can be used to indicate the continuation of an action that is already in progress:
説下去 = go on speaking.
我想学下去 = I want to continue learning it.

Question 15

what are the two main structures of denoting the duration of time with a verb-object?

Answer 15

1. V + O + V + duration
   她每天听绿音听一个小时 = she listens to recordings for an hour every day.
   他每天下午游泳游四十分鐘 = he swims for forty minutes every afternoon.
2. V + duration (的) + O
   她每天聼一個小時(的)錄音 = she listens to recordings for an hour every day.
   他每天下午游十分鐘(的)泳 = he swims for forty minutes every afternoon.

Question 16

difference between 的，得，地

Answer 16

Attributive + 的 + noun –> 哥哥的公司 = older brother’s company.
adverbial + 地 + verb –> 慢慢兒地吃 = to eat slowly.
verb/adj + 得 + adj/verb –> 做菜做得很好 = to cook well.
when using a verb with 得, it needs to be attached to verb and therefore when using VO, you need to repeat the verb.

Question 17

how to denote a brief casual action?

Answer 17

When you want to show a brief casual action you can repeat a verb, but also add an 一 between the two verbs to express the same idea:
你可以幫我拿一拿行李嗎 = could you help me take my luggage for a moment?

Question 18

how to denote one is doing an action ‘out loud’ or taking something out?

Answer 18

Verb + 出來
你可以讀出來嗎 = can you read it out loud?
我不想説出來 = I don’t want to say it out loud.
You can also express that you are taking something out and whatever is taken out is placed in between the two.
Verb 出 object 來：
請你拿出地圖來 = please take the map out.

Question 19

what is the difference between 经历 and 经验?

Answer 19

经历 and 经验 both mean experience, but 经历 can be used as a verb:
我经历过很多事 = I have experienced many things.
both of them can be used as a noun, but 经历 refers to the experience you have; once you have done something you immediately have that experience, whereas 经验 is used to describe the knowledge gained from an experience.
So when you experience something, 经历 describes the story of that experience, but 经验 describes the knowledge gained from that experience:
快告诉我你在欧洲的经历 = quickly tell me your experience in Europe.
快告诉我你在欧洲的经验 = means the same thing, but the first sentence is asking you to explain how your experience in Europe was, whereas the second sentence is asking you to explain what kind of knowledge you have gained from the experience of traveling to Europe.

Question 20

what is the difference between 经历 and 经验?

Answer 20

经历 and 经验 both mean experience, but 经历 can be used as a verb:
我经历过很多事 = I have experienced many things.
both of them can be used as a noun, but 经历 refers to the experience you have; once you have done something you immediately have that experience, whereas 经验 is used to describe the knowledge gained from an experience.
So when you experience something, 经历 describes the story of that experience, but 经验 describes the knowledge gained from that experience:
快告诉我你在欧洲的经历 = quickly tell me your experience in Europe.
快告诉我你在欧洲的经验 = means the same thing, but the first sentence is asking you to explain how your experience in Europe was, whereas the second sentence is asking you to explain what kind of knowledge you have gained from the experience of traveling to Europe.

Question 21

The two words used to say ‘express’

Answer 21

表示 and 表达 both mean to express, 表达 is usually followed by emotions or thought:
我常常对父母表达我的爱 = I often express my love to my parents.
表示 is followed by attitudes of something:
他对我表示了好感 = he expresses his good feelings to me. –> he is confessing his attitude towards something.

Question 22

three words to say ‘to become’

Answer 22

变成，成为 and 变得 all mean to become but there are differences in how they are used.
变成 is used before a noun and therefore means ‘to change into’, the change generally is something relatively quick:
她生气的时候就会变成另一个人 = he will become another person when he gets mad.
成为 is also used before a noun, but it can be better translated as ‘to grow into’, unlike 变成 the appearance won’t change, but it will take a longer time:
长大以后，你想成为什么样的人 = what kind of person do you want to be after you grow up.
变得 is followed by an adjective, means that the subject is becoming more adj:
她变得越来越帅了 = he’s getting more and more handsome.

Question 23

Two words to say ‘to understand’

Answer 23

了解 and 理解 both mean ‘to understand’ in a general sense but more specifically:
了解 means ‘to know somebody/something well’:
我很了解中国历史 = I know a lot about Chinese history. –> the person who said this would be able to answer most questions relating to Chinese historical facts.
理解 means that you know how a specific event or something happened, I know how and I understand why.
我也失恋过，我理解你的心情 = I’ve broke up with someone before, I understand how you feel.