Mandarin · Chapter 19 · Lesson 9 · Grammar primer

Existential and presentative sentences

新东西 go AFTER the verb in Mandarin: 有, 出现, 发生 introduce something into the scene rather than comment on a known thing (桌上有一本书, 发生了一件事). Why indefinite new information lands at the end, and how this differs from a topic the listener already knows.

The lesson is a long-form read rather than a flashcard session. Open the primer below, work through it once, then come back and continue with the next lesson.

Read the primer