Using Chinese: A Guide to Contemporary Usage

Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 4
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
1.1 Introduction......Page 11
1.2.1 Modern Chinese......Page 12
1.2.3 Regional differences – within Mandarin......Page 13
1.2.4 The spoken language......Page 14
1.2.5 The written language and writing system......Page 16
1.3 Overview of register in Chinese......Page 17
1.3.1 Illustrations of register......Page 18
2.1 Parts of speech......Page 20
2.2.1 Compounding......Page 21
2.2.3 Suffixes......Page 22
2.2.4 New words......Page 23
2.3 Homonyms......Page 24
2.4 Homophones......Page 26
2.5 Homographs......Page 29
2.6 New and recent words......Page 35
2.7.1 Terms for things......Page 54
2.7.2 Terms for actions......Page 55
2.8 Quotable quotes from the classics......Page 56
2.9 Idioms......Page 62
2.10 Four-character set phrases......Page 65
2.11 Proverbs and common sayings......Page 110
2.12 Punning allusion......Page 143
2.13 Metaphorical allusion......Page 145
2.14.2 Human, inanimate, and mechanical sounds......Page 149
2.15 Mimetopoeia......Page 150
2.16 Riddles......Page 152
2.17 Tongue twisters......Page 154
2.18 Colors......Page 155
2.19 Opposites......Page 158
2.20 Figurative expressions......Page 160
2.21 Vulgar sayings and insulting words......Page 166
2.22 Issues in translation......Page 168
2.23 Transliteration vs. translation......Page 169
3.1.1 Surnames......Page 171
3.1.2 Personal names......Page 173
3.1.4 Highest peaks in the world......Page 174
3.1.6 Oceans......Page 175
3.1.7 Seas......Page 176
3.1.8 Major rivers in the world......Page 177
3.1.9 Rivers in China......Page 178
3.1.10 Major lakes in the world......Page 179
3.1.11 Lakes in China......Page 180
3.1.12 Countries and their capitals......Page 181
3.1.13 Administrative divisions in China: municipalities, autonomous regions, provinces and their capitals, and special administrative regions......Page 188
3.2 Festivals......Page 190
3.4 Family relationships......Page 191
3.5 Forms of address......Page 195
3.6.1 Greetings......Page 197
3.6.2 Introductions......Page 198
3.6.4 Apologies......Page 199
3.6.5 Requests......Page 200
3.6.6 Refusals......Page 201
3.6.8 Compliments......Page 202
3.6.10 Regrets......Page 203
3.6.12 Polite expressions......Page 204
3.6.13 Emergency expressions......Page 205
3.8 Measurements......Page 206
3.8.2 Area......Page 207
3.8.4 Weight......Page 208
3.10 Calendar......Page 209
3.10.2 Month......Page 213
3.10.4 Time of day......Page 214
3.11 Currency......Page 215
3.12.1 Numerals......Page 216
3.12.2 Ordinals......Page 217
3.12.7 Approximate numbers......Page 218
4.1 Addressing an envelope......Page 219
4.3 Informal letters......Page 220
4.4 Formal letters......Page 223
5.1.1 Absence of morphological change......Page 225
5.1.2 Frequent ellipsis......Page 226
5.1.4 Differences between spoken and written forms......Page 227
5.2 Word order and syntax......Page 229
5.3 Topic-comment sentences......Page 231
5.4.1 Personal pronouns......Page 232
5.4.3 Interrogative pronouns......Page 233
5.5 Location......Page 234
5.6 Measure words......Page 235
5.7 Ways of asking questions......Page 238
5.8.2 Possibility…......Page 241
5.8.4 Perceived obligation or likelihood…......Page 242
5.9 Negation......Page 243
5.10 Particles......Page 244
5.10.1 Structural particles: the three de......Page 245
5.10.2 Aspect particles: le, ne, zhe, guo......Page 248
5.10.3 Modal particles: a, ba, de, le, ma, ne......Page 253
5.10.4 Other frequently used modal particles......Page 257
5.11 Object inversion…......Page 258
5.12 Commands and suggestions......Page 259
5.13.1 Comparison of equality......Page 261
5.13.3 Comparison of inequality......Page 262
5.13.5 Degrees of inequality by comparison......Page 263
5.14.1 Complement of degree......Page 264
5.14.2 Directional complement......Page 266
5.14.3 Complement of time......Page 269
5.14.5 Resultative complement......Page 270
5.14.6 Potential complement......Page 271
5.14.7 List of commonly used verbs with potential complements......Page 272
5.15 Expressing whoever, whatever, wherever, however, and whenever......Page 273
5.17 Connecting words......Page 274
5.18 Emphasis using the “shì ... de” pattern......Page 277
5.19 Interjections......Page 279
5.20.1 Structural passive......Page 280
5.21.1 Reduplication of verbs......Page 281
5.21.2 Reduplication of nouns......Page 283
5.21.3 Reduplication of adjectives......Page 284
5.21.4 Reduplication of measure words......Page 285
5.22 Prepositions......Page 286
5.23 Subjunctive mood......Page 289
5.24 Sentences without subjects......Page 290
6 Body language......Page 293
Bibliography......Page 296
Index......Page 299