Lesson Eleven Talking about the Weather Dï shíyī kë 第十一課 談天氣 Tán tiànqï GRAMMAR 1. Comparative Sentences with 比 (bî) A comparison is usually expressed with this basic pattern: A 比 (bî) B + Adj. 李友比她姐姐高 Lǐ yǒu bǐ tā jiě jie gāo. (Li You is taller than her older sister.) 今天比昨天冷 Jīn tiān bǐ zuó tiān lěng. (It s colder today than yesterday.) 這本書比那本書有意思 Zhè běn shū bǐ nà běn shū yǒu yìsī. (This book is more interesting than that one.) Note: There are two easy ways in which the basic comparative construction may be further modified: 1) by adding a modifying expression after the adjective: A+ 比 +B +Adj + 一點兒 / 得多 / 多了 今天比昨天冷一點兒 Jīn tiān bǐ zuó tiān lěng yī diǎn ér. (It s a bit colder today than yesterday.)
明天會比今天冷得多 Míng tiān huì bǐ jīn tiān lěng dé duō. (It will be much colder tomorrow than today.) 紐約比這兒冷多了 Niǔyuē bǐ zhè ér lěng duō le (New York is much colder than here.) 2) by adding the adverb 更 or the adverb 還 in front of the adjective. A+ 比 +B + 更 / 還 + Adj 昨天冷, 今天比昨天更冷 / 今天比昨天還冷 Zuótiān lěng,jīntiān bǐ zuótiān gèng lěng /jīntiān bǐ zuótiān hái lěng. (It was cold yesterday. Today is even colder than yesterday.) The following sentences are incorrect: * 今天比昨天很冷 Jīntiān bǐ zuótiān hěn lěng. * 今天比昨天一點冷 Jīntiān bǐ zuótiān yī diǎn lěng. A 跟 / 和 B ( 不 ) 一樣 + Adj indicates ehsther two things or persons exhibit the same degree of an attribute, without specifying which of the two exhibits it to a greater or lesser degree. 這個教室和那個教室一樣大 This classroom and that classroom are the same size. 這個教室和那個教室不一樣大 This classroom and that classroom are not the same size. 這個教室比那個教室大 This classroom is larger than that classroom. 這個教室比那個教室大得多 This classroom is much larger than that classroom.
2. 了 (le): 了 as a Sentence-Final Particle When 了 (le) occurs at the end of a sentence, it often indicates a change of status or the realization of a new situation. 下雨了 xià yǔ le. (It s raining now.) 妹妹的衣服小了 Mèimei de yī fú xiǎo le. (My sister s clothes have become small [i.e., too small for her].) 我昨天沒有空兒, 今天有空兒了 wǒ zuótiān méi yǒu kōng ér,jīntiān yǒu kōng ér le. (I didn t have time yesterday, but I do today.) 你看, 老師來了 Nǐ kàn,lǎoshī lái le. (Look, the teacher has come.) When used in this sense, 了 can still be used at the end of a sentence even if the sentence is in the negative. 我沒有錢了, 不買了 Wǒ méiyǒu qián le,bú mǎi le. (I don t have any money [left]. I won t buy it anymore.) [Indicating that I intended to buy it originally, but I changed my mind.] Note: To negate 有 (yôu, to have), use 沒 (méi). Do not use 不 (bú). Try: 1. I am too nervous ( 緊張 ). I won t drive. 2. Taking the bus is too slow ( 慢 ). I am not going to the airport by bus.
3. The Auxiliary Verb 會 (huì) 會 (huì) indicates an anticipated event or action in the future. 白老師現在不在辦公室, 可是他明天會在 Bái lǎoshī xiànzài bú zài bàngōngshì, kě shì tā míngtiān huì zài. (Teacher Bai is not in the office now, but he will be tomorrow.) A: 你明年做什麼? Nǐ míngnián zuò shén me? (What will you do next year?) B: 我明年會去中國學中文 Wǒ míngnián huì qù zhōngguó xué zhōngwén. (I ll go to China to learn Chinese next year.) 他說他晚上會給你打電話 Tā shuō tā wǎnshàng huì gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà. (He said he will call you this evening.) The negative form of 會 (huï) is 不會 小王覺得不舒服, 今天不會來滑冰了 xiǎowáng júedé bú shūfú,jīntiān búhuì lái huábīng le. (Xiao Wang is not feeling well. He won t come ice skating today afterall.) 她這幾天特別忙, 晚上不會去聽音樂會 Tā zhè jǐtiān tèbié máng,wǎnshàng búhuì qù tīng yīnyùe huì. (She is very busy these days. She won t be going to the concert tonight.)
4. Adj + ( 一 ) 點兒 The expression ( 一 ) 點兒 can be placed after an adjective to indicate slight qualification. 一 is optional. 前幾天我很不高興, 昨天考試考得很好, 我高興點兒了 Qián jǐtiān wǒ hěn bú gāoxìng, zuótiān kǎoshì kǎo dé hěn hǎo,wǒ gāoxìng diǎn ér le. (I was very unhappy a few days ago. I did very well on the exam yesterday. I am a little bit happier now.) 我妹妹比我姐姐高一點兒 wǒ mèimei bǐ wǒ jiějie gāo yī diǎn ér 你得快點兒, 看電影要晚了 Nǐ dé kuài diǎn ér,kàn diànyǐng yào wǎn le. 今天比昨天冷點兒 Jīntiān bǐ zuótiān lěng diǎn ér. 老師, 請您說話說得慢一點兒 Lǎoshī,qǐng nín shuōhuà shuō dé màn yī diǎn ér Note: 一點兒 does not precede adjective. * 我妹妹比我姐姐一點兒高 * 今天比昨天一點兒冷 * 老師, 請您說話一點兒慢
5. The Adverb 又 (yòu, again) 又 (yòu, again) indicates repetition of an action. 昨天早上下雪, 今天早上又下雪了 Zuó iān zǎoshàng xiàxuě, jīntiān zǎoshàng yòu xiàxuě le. (It snowed yesterday morning. It snowed again this morning. ) 媽媽上個星期給我打電話, 這個星期又給我打電話了 Māma shànggè xīngqī gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà, zhègè xīngqī yòu gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà le. (My mom called me last week. She called me again this week.) Try: I went ice-skating last week. I went ice-skating again this week. Note: Both 又 (yõu, again) and 再 (zãi, again) can indicate repetition of an action, but in a sentence with 又 (yõu, again), both the original action and the repetition usually occurred in the past whereas 再 (zãi, again) denotes an anticipated repetition of an action in general. 我上個週末去跳舞了, 昨天我又去跳舞了 Wǒ shàng gè zhōumò qù tiàowǔ le,zuótiān wǒ yòu qù tiàowǔ le. (I danced last weekend. Yesterday I went dancing again.) 我昨天去跳舞了, 我想明天晚上再去跳舞 Wǒ zuótiān qù tiàowǔ le,wǒ xiǎng míngtiān wǎnshàng zài qù tiàowǔ. (I danced yesterday. I m thinking of going dancing again tomorrow night.)
6. Adj/V + 是 + Adj/V, + 可是 / 但是 Sentences in this pattern usually imply that the speaker accepts the validity of a certain point of view but wishes to offer an alternative perspective or emphasize a different aspect of matter. A: 滑冰難不難? Huábīng nán bú nán? (Is ice-skaing difficult?) B: 滑冰難是難, 可是很有意思 Huábīng nán shì nán,kěshì hěn yǒu yìsī. (It is difficult, but it is very interesting.) A: 在高速公路上開車, 你緊張嗎? Zài gāosù gōnglù shàng kāichē,nǐ jǐnzhāng ma (Do you get nervous driving on the highway?) B: 緊張是緊張, 可是也很好玩兒 Jǐnzhāng shì jǐnzhāng,kěshì yě hěn hǎo wán ér (I do get nervous, but I found it a lot of fun, too.) A: 明天學校開會, 你去不去? Míngtiān xuéxiào kāihuì, nǐ qù bú qù? (There is a meeting at school tomorrow, will you go?) B: 我去是去, 可是會晚一點兒 Wǒ qù shì qù, kěshì huì wǎn yī diǎn ér (I ll go, but I ll be a little bit late.) A: 你喜歡這張照片嗎? Nǐ xǐhuān zhèzhāng zhàopiàn ma? (Do you like this picture?) B: 喜歡是喜歡, 可是這張照片太小了 Xǐ huān shì xǐ huān,kěshì zhè hāng zhàopiàn tài xiǎo le. (I like it, but this picture is too small.) This pattern can be used only when the adjective or verb in it has already been mentioned. 看一看 : 中國中央電視台天氣預 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juu0s5mpyw8&feature=related