Particles

Question 1

What is the function of:

What is a (grammatical) particle?

Answer 1

A particle is a word that serves a grammatical function and has no intrinsic meaning or definition. In English, words such as “the”, “and”, “because” are particles. In Chinese, there are particles with no English equivalents, so it is important for a person studying Chinese to understand the context in which Chinese particles are used.

Question 2

What is the function of:

了
le

Answer 2

1. To indicate an action occured in the past (and has been completed).
   我吃了饭。
   wǒ chī le fàn
   I ate.
2. To indicate a change of state
   天气不冷了。
   tiān qì bù lěng le
   The weather is not cold anymore.

Question 3

What is the function of:

我吃饭。
wǒ chī fàn
I eat.

Answer 3

我吃了饭。
wǒ chī le fàn
I ate.

Remember: adding le after a verb indicates a completed action that occured in the past.

Question 4

What is the function of:

天气很冷。
tiān qì hěn lěng
The weather is cold.

Answer 4

天气不冷了。
tiān qì bù lěng le
The weather is not cold anymore.

Remember: adding le after a statement indicates a change of state.

Question 5

What is the function of:

的
de

Answer 5

1. To indicate possession
   我的手机
   wǒ de shǒu jī
   I (de) cellphone
   my cellphone
2. To describe objects or people when it follows the adjective
   橙色的衬衫
   chéng sè de chèn shān
   orange (de) shirt
   orange shirt

Question 6

What is the function of:

his cellphone

Answer 6

他的手机
tā de shǒu jī
his cellphone

Remember: 的 precedes the noun that is possessed.

Question 7

What is the function of:

blue jeans

Answer 7

蓝色的牛仔裤
lán sè de niú zǎi kù
blue jeans

Remember: 的 follows the adjective describing the noun.

Question 8

What is the function of:

吗
ma

Answer 8

To turn a statement into a question

你吃饭了吗？
nǐ chī fàn le ma?
Have you eaten?

Question 9

What is the function of:

你喜欢他。
nǐ xǐ huān tā
You like him.

Answer 9

你喜欢他吗？
nǐ xǐ huān tā ma?
Do you like him?

Remember: adding ma at the end of a statement turns it into a question.

Question 10

What is the function of:

和
hé

Answer 10

Conjunction, “and”

我和他是同学。
wǒ hé tā shì tóng xué
He and I are classmates.

Question 11

What is the function of:

apples and oranges

Answer 11

苹果和橙子
píng guǒ hé chéng zi
apples and oranges

Remember: hé functions as the word “and”.

Question 12

What is the function of:

也
yě

Answer 12

Functions as the word “also”

我喜欢吃饼干。我也喜欢吃蛋糕。
Wǒ xǐ huan chī bǐng gān. Wǒ yě xǐ huan chī dàn gāo.
I like to eat cookies. I also like to eat cake.

Question 13

What is the function of:

Person A:

我喜欢吃饼干。
Wǒ xǐ huan chī bǐng gān.
I like to eat cookies.

Person B:

___________________。
I also like to eat cookies.

Answer 13

我也喜欢吃饼干。
Wǒ yě xǐ huan chī bǐng gān.
I also like to eat cookies.

Remember: yě precedes the verb to mean “also”.

Question 14

What is the function of:

还
hái

Answer 14

Functions as the word “still”

我还住在加州。
Wǒ hái zhù zài jiā zhōu.
I still live in California.

Question 15

What is the function of:

Person A:

他喜欢Lady Gaga。
Tā xǐ huan Lady Gaga.
He likes Lady Gaga.

Person B:

__________________？
He still likes Lady Gaga?

Answer 15

他还喜欢Lady Gaga?
Tā hái xǐ huan Lady Gaga?
He still likes Lady Gaga?

Remember: hái is used before a verb and functions like the word “still” does in English.

Question 16

What is the function of:

只
zhǐ

Answer 16

Functions as the word “only”

我只有一辆车。
Wǒ zhǐ yǒu yī liàng chē.
I only have one car.

Question 17

What is the function of:

Person A:

我有一条裤子。
Wǒ yǒu yī tiáo kù zi.
I have one pair of pants.

Person B:

________________？
You only have one pair of pants?

Answer 17

你只有一条裤子？
Nǐ zhǐ yǒu yī tiáo kù zi?
You only have one pair of pants?

Remember: zhǐ is used before a verb and functions like the word “only” in English.

Question 18

What is the function of:

得
de

Answer 18

It is a potential complement that is used to show the outcome of an action. The word(s) that follow de describe the result of the action before de.

她画得很好。
tā huà de hěn hǎo
She paints very well.

作业我做得完。
zuò yè wǒ zuò de wán
Homework, I finished.
I finished the homework assignment.

Question 19

What is the function of:

Do you understand what I am saying?

Answer 19

你听得懂我说的话吗？
nǐ tīng de dǒng wǒ shuō de huà ma
Do you understand what I am saying?

Remember: 得 is used as a potential complement to show the outcome of an action. In this case, the outcome of the verb listen (听) is understand (懂).

Question 20

What is the function of:

吧
ba

Answer 20

When added at the end of a sentence, it indicates a suggestion; similar to the tag question “aren’t you?”; can also mean “let’s”.

我们走吧。
wǒ men zǒu ba
Let’s go.

吃饭吧。
chī fàn ba
(You) should eat.

Question 21

What is the function of:

我们回家。
wǒ men huí jiā
We return home.

Answer 21

我们回家吧。
wǒ men huí jiā ba
Let’s go back home.
We should go back home.

Remember: Adding ba at the end of a statement turns it into a suggestion.

Question 22

What is the function of:

过
guò

Answer 22

To indicate one has already experienced something.

我去过中国。
wǒ qù guò zhōng guó
I have been to China.

Question 23

What is the function of:

我看了这部电影。
wǒ kàn le zhè bù diàn yǐng
I watched this movie.

Answer 23

我看过这部电影。
wǒ kàn guò zhè bù diàn yǐng
I have seen this movie.

Remember: When guò is used after the verb, it indicates one has already experienced the action.

Question 24

What is the function of:

地
de

Answer 24

It is an adverbial particle that is used after an adjective to change it into an adverb.

他慢慢地跑步。
tā màn man de pǎo bù
He slow (adverbial particle) run.
He slowly runs.

Question 25

What is the function of:

He studied intently.

Answer 25

他认真地学习。
tā rèn zhēn de xué xí
He studied intently.

Remember: 地 is used after an adjective to change it into an adverb, similar to how the suffix -ly can be added to adjectives in English.

Question 26

What is the function of:

着
zhe

Answer 26

To indicate a continued action or state when placed after a verb or adjective.

那个小孩看着你。
nà gè xiǎo hái kàn zhe nǐ
That child is watching you.

Question 27

What is the function of:

她穿新的衣服。
tā chuān xīn de yī fú
She wears new clothes.

Answer 27

她穿着新的衣服。
tā chuān zhe xīn de yī fú
She is wearing new clothes.

Remember: zhe is added after a verb or adjective to indicate a continuous state. It can be seen as the equivalent to the English suffix -ing.

Question 28

What is the function of:

比
bǐ

Answer 28

To compare two different objects or people.

我比你高。
wǒ bǐ nǐ gāo
I (more) you tall.
I am taller than you.

你比我高。
nǐ bǐ wǒ gāo
You (more) me tall.
You are taller than me.

Question 29

What is the function of:

I am younger than her.

Answer 29

我比她年轻。
wǒ bǐ tā nián qīng
I (more) her young.
I am younger than her.

Remember: bǐ is used to compare two different objects or people. You can interpret it to mean “more”, but there is no actual meaning to the word because it is a particle.