Ch 22 · Lesson 9Mandarin · Chapter 22 · Lesson 9 · Grammar primer
北京冬天很冷: more topics, and 把
The topic can be a whole the comment picks a part of (, ), two things side by side (，), and it is not : vs .
The short version
The topic can be a whole, the comment a part
。Běijīng dōngtiān hěn lěng.
Why?Hide
A topic does not have to be the object. (Běijīng dōngtiān hěn lěng) puts Beijing first and then says its winters are cold; (tā gèzi hěn gāo), he's tall, works the same way. English needs a possessive, Beijing's winters; Mandarin puts the whole first.
The topic does not have to be the object
The topic can be a place, or a whole of which the comment picks out a part. Then it is not the object of anything, just what the sentence is about:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
。 | Běijīng dōngtiān hěn lěng. | Winters in Beijing are cold |
。 | Tā gèzi hěn gāo. | He's tall |
。 | Zhège cài wèidào hěn hǎo. | This dish tastes good |
。 | Wǒ tóu téng. | I've got a headache |
English needs a possessive or a preposition: Beijing's winters, his height. Mandarin puts the whole first and lets the part follow.
Two topics can stack, and both orders are natural:
。(Zhōngwén wǒ shuō de bù hǎo.) - My Chinese isn't good.。(Wǒ Zhōngwén shuō de bù hǎo.) - My Chinese isn't good.
Two things side by side
Fronting is also how Mandarin sets two things against each other:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Mǐfàn wǒ chī, miàntiáo wǒ bù chī. | Rice I'll eat; noodles I won't |
，。 | Zhège wǒ yào, nàge wǒ bú yào. | I'll take this one, not that one |
，。 | Kāfēi wǒ hē, chá wǒ bù hē. | Coffee yes, tea no |
Plain order is still correct, ，。 (Wǒ chī mǐfàn, bù chī miàntiáo.), but the fronted version lines the two up.
Topic or 把 (bǎ)?
Both put the object before the verb. A topic usually opens the sentence, before the subject, and needs no result. (bǎ) comes after the subject, and the verb must end in a result:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
。 | Zhè běn shū wǒ kànwán le. | This book, I've finished |
。 | Wǒ bǎ zhè běn shū kànwán le. | I've finished this book |
。 | Mǐfàn wǒ chī. | Rice, I'll eat |
The last one has no result, so it cannot become a (bǎ) sentence: (wǒ bǎ mǐfàn chī) is not one. The rest is on the 把 (bǎ) construction.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
。 | 。 | the topic named it: no (tā) |
。 | 。 | for "I've read a book": news stays after the verb |
。 | 。 | (bǎ) needs a result; a topic does not |
。 | 。 | (bǎ) goes straight before its object |
Going further: The whole system on one screen and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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