Mandarin Chinese - An ExplanatoryGuide to Key Language Issues

1. Grammatical particle, basic words
and complements
的，得，地，了，呢，吧
出，来，去，到，住，下，上，就，给，掉，所，
可，并，却，而，行，约，算，断，尽，吃，过，偏，
干嘛，下来，下去，出来，过来

2. • Auxiliary particle
1. Connects between adj and the noun.
聪明的孩子 (cōng míng de hái zi) a smart boy
2. After adj to make a noun.
我爱吃辣的 (wo ài chī là de )I like peppery food
3. After a verb object (to emphasize the doing the action, time, place, etc
是在北京买的表 (shì zài Běi jīng mǎi de biǎo ) it was in Beijing I bought the watch
4. On the end on declaration statement .expresses tone of certainty
屋子里静悄悄的 (wū zi lǐ jìng xiāo xiāo de) it was very quite in the room
的（de）

3. 5. After Words adjacent, expresses:
音乐，绘画，文化什么的，我们都谈到了.(yìn yuè, huì huà, wén huà shén me de, wǒ men dōu
tán dào le)
We spoke about things like music, paintings, culture etc.
6. Between a name of a person or object and a certain role or
identity.expresses that someone fulfill a certain role or has a
certain identity
这部电影的主角是我的姐姐。(zhè bù diàn yǐng de zhǔ jué shìwǒ jiě jie)
My sister plays a main role in this movie
7. After a verb.expresses that someone accepts the action.
开她的玩笑 (kāi tā de wán xiào ) play a joke on her
8.between two numbers.express relation of multiply or add
between them
这间屋子长五米宽三米，合十五平房米 (zhè jiān wū zicháng wǔ mǐkuān sān mǐ ，hé shí wǔ píng
fāng mǐ)
This room is five meters by three meters, 15 square meters

4. 来（lái）
1. Put after a verb to indicate that the action is toward the
speaker's direction verb ＋来 (verb + lái )
过来 (guò lái) come over her
请把那本书拿来 (qǐng bǎ nà běn shū nǎ lái) Bring me the book ,please
2. Put after the verb to indicate the result of the action, verb ＋来
(verb + lái )
一觉醒来 （yī jiào xǐng lái） wake up after a sound sleep
说来话长 (shuō lái huà cháng) it's a long story ("the result of the telling is a
long story")

5. 却（què）
• VERB
1. Step back
退却 (tuì què) go back; retreat
却步 (què bù) To step back
2. Make sb. step back: drive back; repulse.
却敌（què dí） repulse the enemy
却病 (què bìng) To prevent or treat a disease
3. Decline; refuse; reject.
推却 ( tuī què ) decline; refuse
却之不恭 (què zhī bù gong) To refuse would be impolite
4. Used after certain verbs to express to completion of the action
冷却 (lěng què) cool off; cooling
忘却 (wàng què) forget (especialy in writing)

6. • ADVERB
Expresses Shift in the trend of events ,but; yet; however; while
他很同情她, 却又不知说什么好。
(tā hěn tóng qíng tā,què yòu bù zhī shuō shén me hǎo)
He was full of sympathy for her, yet he didn't know what to say.
她有许多话要说, 一时却什么也说不出来。
(tā yǒu xǔ duō huà yào shuō,yì shí què shén me yě shuō bù chū lái)
She had a lot to say, but at the time she was unable to utter a word.
铝看起来重，实际上却很轻
(lǚ kàn qǐ lái zhóng shí jì shàng què hěn qīng)
Aluminum looks heavy but actually it is very light.
可以坐车，他却走路。
(kě yǐ zuò chē ，tā què zǒu lù)
He walks when he might ride.

7. 下来（xià lái）
1. used after a verb to indicate motion from above to below or from far
place to close place
从自行车上摔下来（cóng zì xíng chē shàng shuāi xià lái) tumble off a bicycle;
把树上的苹果都摘下来（bǎ shù shàng de píng guǒ dōu zhāi xià lái) pick all the apples off
the tree
溪水从山上流下来 (xī shuǐ cóng shān shàng liú xià lái ) the stream flows down from the
mountain
2. Used after a verb to indicate that the action continues from the past till
now to from the beginning to the end
古代流传下来寓言(gǔ dài liú chuán xià lái de yù yán) fables handed down from ancient
times
所有上夜校的人都坚持下来了(suǒ yǒu shàng yè xiào de rén dōu jiān chí xià lái le ) All those
who joined the evening classes went on with them to the end

8. 3. Used after a verb to indicate that the action was completed or to
indicate its result
剩下来的就这么些了
(shèng xià lái de jiù zhè me xiē le)
This is all that's left.
风突然停了下来.
( fēng tū rán tíng le xià lái )
The wind dropped all of a sudden.
4. Used after an adjective to indicate increasing in the extent of the
adjective
看来天气还会冷下来。
(kàn lái tiān qì hái huì lěng xià lái )
It seems it will get even colder.
他的声音慢慢 低了下来。( tā de shēng yīn màn màn dī Le xia lai )
His voice trailed off.