Questions tagged [grammar]
Questions about the grammatical rules governing Chinese structure and composition.
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Why is there a preference for the word order 看上去总是 over 总是看上去?
A HSK5 past exam (source) says:
……，海水越深，被散射和反射的蓝光就越多，所以，大海看上去总是蓝色的。
(The question seems adapted from here, which instead writes 大海看上去总是碧蓝碧蓝的.)
I'm surprised by the placement of the 总是 here. If it ...
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Why is 每天到深夜都忙 wrong?
This is a faulty sentence from the HSK6 Standard Course (page 71; photo of original):
她不是看书就是写文章，每天到深夜都忙。
The corrected version is the following (and there's no further explanation):
她不是看书就是写文章，...
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Can 他给它吃掉 mean both "he ate it" and "it ate him"?
他给它吃掉。 (男人给苹果吃掉。）
Normally, we'd interpret this as meaning "he ate it". However, 给 can also be equivalent to the passive 被:
CC-CEDICT 给 (gěi) to / for / for the benefit of / to give / ...
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How is 有在 different from just 在?
I recently came across this phrase.
我平時有在運動。
Although this may be basic, I can’t seem to find any explanation for how this combination of 有 and 在 works grammatically. Most of the search results ...
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Why is 他边走边想，非常投入，突然路旁的河里有人喊“救命！” considered a faulty sentence?
This is a faulty wording (病句) exercise from the HSK6 Standard Course textbook page 51 (photo of original):
他边走边想，非常投入，突然路旁的河里有人喊“救命！”
The corrected sentence (on page 7 of the answers downloadable ...
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How should I understand the wording 常有……配合 within 常有“可是、但是、却、然而”等词配合?
This is part of the grammar explanation for 固然 from the HSK6 Standard Course textbook page 46 (photo of original).
（1）下文转折，提出对立的另一事实。后一分句中常有“可是、但是、却、然而”等词配合。例如……
It seems like in this sentence 常有 + ...
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Is 好好简练一番 grammatical?
现在的规定有点儿太复杂了吧，真应该好好简练一番。
This sentence is from the HSK6 Standard Course textbook (上册 p.36; photo of original). I have an issue with:
CC-CEDICT: 简练 (jiǎnliàn) terse / succinct
This seems to be an ...
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Why does my textbook consider 空气很清凉 incorrect, and change 清凉 to 清新?
This is a faulty-wording grammar exercise from the HSK6 Standard Course textbook page 30 (photo of original) in the part titled 词语误用 = "word misuse":
因为是冬天，没有什么人到山上来玩儿。我站在山顶上，空气很清凉。
The ...
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What objects can 眼红 take when used as a verb?
CC-CEDICT 眼红 (yǎnhóng) to covet / envious / jealous / green with envy / infuriated / furious
The motivation for this question is the following 语病 in the HSK6 Standard Course textbook (page 30; ...
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What am I supposed to learn from my textbook saying 无论来自很有名的大学 is faulty wording?
大企业招聘主要看实力，没有实力的话，无论来自很有名的大学，人家也不要你。
This is considered a 病句 in the HSK6 Standard Course textbook page 30 (photo of original). The explanation is:
带关联词的固定搭配误用。“无论/不管……多/多么……”是固定格式，“多么”表示任何一种程度。“无论”...
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how to best express ’always' in Chinese
I struggle to differentiate 从来都，一直，总，and总是 since according to their definitions they all mean 'always'.Can they all fill this:她（）在图书馆学习。and mean ,she always studies in the library?
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How should I understand this teacher's objection to filling in the blank 阑尾不_____任何生理功能 with 拥有?
长期以来，人们总认为阑尾不_____任何生理功能，是人体_____的器官。近年来，医学研究_____，阑尾是人体一个重要的免疫器官，对_____人体正常的免疫功能起着重要作用。
A. 拥有 额外 显示 保证
B. 具有 多余 证实 维持
C. 具备 附属 解释 保护
D. 享有 无效 论证 维护
This is a fill-in-the-blanks HSK6 past exam ...
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Help understand this 却少了抬头看路，少了思考、总结这一重要的步骤？
“那是为了让我们的灵魂，能够追得上我们赶了三天路的疲劳的身体。”
多么富有哲理的话！在这个提倡和鼓励竞争的时代，我们常常只顾低头拉车，却少了抬头看路，少了思考、总结这一重要的步骤。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, section 26. I need your help for understanding this 却少了抬头看路，...
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Meaning of 提頓 outside 書法
I know that 提頓 has a certain meaning in calligraphy. Besides that, however, it appears in the definition of a few classical grammatical particles. For example, the Hanyu Da Cidian remarks on 耶：
助词。...
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What is the function of 可 here: 他可不敢得罪?
二来，会因为费用增加而让投资人不高兴，至于这部影片的投资人，可是一位大人物，他可不敢得罪。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 26. What is the function (and the meaning) of 可 here: 他可不敢得罪? I ask because for me the sentence ...
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