Particles Flashcards
1
Q
既 - ji4
A
aspect:
- gives a certain kind of completion to a sentence; can be translated as ‘already’
- sentences with this particle usually have a second sub-sentence; can be translated as ‘if…,then…’
2
Q
未 - wei4
A
aspect:
- denotes that the completion hasn’t been reached yet
- is always placed directly behind the verb - 未 verb
3
Q
哉 - zai1
A
modality:
- expresses exclamation
- is placed in both proposed sentences or question sentences
- usually placed at the beginning of a sentence with a unique kind of verb that denotes a certain feature
4
Q
將 - jiang1
欲 - yu4
A
aspect:
- function both very similarly
- denotes that a certain action will take place in the nearby future
- can often be translated as ‘just’ or ‘about’
- can be placed together in a sentence to strengthen the above mentioned effects even more
5
Q
也 - ye3
A
modality:
- final particle of a sentence
- confirms the general correctness of a statement
- the subject of the sentence will usually be translated in plural
- it can also function as a classical Chinese version of the comma ‘,’
6
Q
矣 - yi3
A
aspect:
- denotes completion in the sentence
- is always placed at the end of a sentence
- can be placed together with 已, but has the same meaning
modality:
- can be seen as the 文言 version of ‘!’
7
Q
已 - yi3
A
aspect:
- denotes completion in the sentence
- is placed behind the verb - ‘已 verb’
- usually ‘already’ is a good translation
modality:
- denotes a shift in perspective from the speaker
- can be translated as ‘really’ or ‘indeed’
8
Q
而已 - er2yi3
耳 - er3
A
modality:
- the second one is a contraction of the first one
- means something like ‘‘and that is all’’
9
Q
不 - bu4
A
- corresponds to the English ‘not’, but it only negates verbs
10
Q
非 - fei1
A
- used to negate nouns
11
Q
抑 - yi4
A
- expresses a possible alternative to what was just mentioned, and can therefore be translated as ‘or’, ‘rather’
