{"id":10996,"date":"2018-11-26T15:25:28","date_gmt":"2018-11-26T15:25:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/?p=10996"},"modified":"2023-05-31T00:57:57","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T00:57:57","slug":"the-use-of-shi-de-sentence-structure-in-chinese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/the-use-of-shi-de-sentence-structure-in-chinese.html","title":{"rendered":"Exploring Emphasis: Understanding the ‘\u662f…\u7684’ Structure in Chinese Grammar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re a beginner Chinese learner looking to delve beyond the basics and start creating more dynamic sentences, look no further! In our Chinese Made Simple Level 1 Course<\/a>, we recently introduced the \u662f…\u7684 (sh\u00ec…de) sentence structure, which is used to add emphasis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll take an even closer look at this construction and provide some useful examples to help you incorporate it into your daily Chinese speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s start with a brief overview of the \u662f…\u7684 (sh\u00ec…de) structure.<\/p>\n\n\n

Structure 1: Main topic + \u662f+ emphasized information+ \u7684<\/h2>\n\n\n

The \u662f…\u7684 (sh\u00ec…de) structure is formed by combining the main topic, \u662f (sh\u00ec) to emphasize a piece of information, and \u7684 (de) at the end of the sentence. This structure serves to highlight the content between \u662f (sh\u00ec) and \u7684 (de) and is equivalent to the English phrase \u201dit is\u2026 (that).\u201d It is commonly used to indicate facts or past events. The main topic can refer to any other elements in the sentence, such as subjects or objects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u6211\u662f\u4e94\u5e74\u524d\u8ba4\u8bc6\u4e3d\u4e3d\u7684\u3002
(w\u01d2 sh\u00ec w\u01d4 ni\u00e1n qi\u00e1n r\u00e8nsh L\u00ecli de.)
It was 5 years ago that I knew Lily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u4f60\u6628\u5929\u662f\u600e\u4e48\u6765\u673a\u573a\u7684\uff1f
(N\u01d0 zu\u00f3ti\u0101n sh\u00ec z\u011bnme l\u00e1i j\u012bch\u01ceng de?)
\u00a0How is it that you came to the airport yesterday?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u6211\u662f\u5728\u7f8e\u56fd\u5ff5\u5927\u5b66\u7684\u3002
(W\u01d2 sh\u00ec z\u00e0i M\u011bigu\u00f3 ni\u00e0n d\u00e0xu\u00e9 de.)
It\u2019s in the U.S. that I studied university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u8fd9\u5757\u624b\u8868\u662f300\u5feb\u4e70\u7684\u3002
(Zh\u00e8 ku\u00e0i sh\u01d2ubi\u01ceo sh\u00ec s\u0101n b\u01cei ku\u00e0i m\u01cei de.)
This watch was bought at 300 RMB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u8fd9\u4e9b\u82f9\u679c\u662f\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u4e70\u7684\uff1f
(Zh\u00e8xi\u0113 p\u00ednggu\u01d2 sh\u00ec z\u00e0i n\u01celi m\u01cei de?)
At what place were these apples bought?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u83dc\u662f\u5988\u5988\u505a\u7684\u3002
(C\u00e0i sh\u00ec m\u0101ma zu\u00f2 de.)
Mom made that dish.<\/p>\n\n\n

Structure 2: Main topic + emphasized information + \u7684<\/h2>\n\n\n

Sometimes, you can omit \u662f (sh\u00ec) from the structure\u00a0without changing the sentence’s meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u6211\u548c\u5927\u5c71(\u662f)\u6628\u5929\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u7684\u3002
(W\u01d2 h\u00e9 D\u00e0sh\u0101n (sh\u00ec) zu\u00f3ti\u0101n y\u00ecq\u01d0 q\u00f9 de.)
It was yesterday that Dashan and I went together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u8fd9\u676f\u7ea2\u8336(\u662f)\u6211\u7279\u610f\u4e70\u7ed9\u4f60\u7684\u3002
(Zh\u00e8 b\u0113i h\u00f3ngch\u00e1 (sh\u00ec) w\u01d2 t\u00e8y\u00ec m\u01cei g\u011bi n\u01d0 de.)
I bought this red tea specially for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if the sentence contains a lot of content, leaving out \u662f (sh\u00ec) can create confusion between the main topic and the emphasized information. So, in such cases, it is advisable to use \u662f (sh\u00ec) to clearly distinguish between the main topic and the information being emphasized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, consider the ambiguity in the following example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u6211\u548c\u5c0f\u7ea2\u4e0a\u5468\u5728\u5496\u5561\u5385\u89c1\u9762\u7684\u3002
(W\u01d2 h\u00e9 Xi\u01ceoh\u00f3ng sh\u00e0ng zh\u014du z\u00e0i k\u0101f\u0113it\u012bng ji\u00e0nmi\u00e0n de.)
Me and Xiaohong met in a cafe last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This sentence could have various interpretations without specifying which piece of information is being emphasized. It could mean:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u6211\u662f<\/u><\/span>\u548c\u5c0f\u7ea2\u4e0a\u5468\u5728\u5496\u5561\u5385\u89c1\u9762\u7684\u3002
(W\u01d2 sh\u00ec<\/span> h\u00e9 Xi\u01ceoh\u00f3ng sh\u00e0ng zh\u014du z\u00e0i k\u0101f\u0113it\u012bng ji\u00e0nmi\u00e0n de.)
It was Xiaohong that I met last week in a cafe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u6211\u548c\u5c0f\u7ea2\u662f<\/u><\/span>\u4e0a\u5468\u5728\u5496\u5561\u5385\u89c1\u9762\u7684\u3002
(W\u01d2 h\u00e9 Xi\u01ceoh\u00f3ng sh\u00ec<\/span> sh\u00e0ng zh\u014du z\u00e0i k\u0101f\u0113it\u012bng ji\u00e0nmi\u00e0n de.)
It was last week that me and Xiaohong met in a cafe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u6211\u548c\u5c0f\u7ea2\u4e0a\u5468\u662f<\/u><\/span>\u5728\u5496\u5561\u5385\u89c1\u9762\u7684\u3002
(W\u01d2 h\u00e9 xi\u01ceo h\u00f3ng sh\u00e0ng zh\u014du sh\u00ec<\/span> z\u00e0i k\u0101 f\u0113i t\u012bng ji\u00e0n mi\u00e0n d\u00ed.)
It was at a cafe that me and Xiaohong met last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To ensure clarity, it is essential to use \u662f (sh\u00ec) in these situations. By employing the \u662f…\u7684 (sh\u00ec…de) structure, you can precisely convey the intended emphasis and avoid ambiguity in your Chinese sentences.<\/p>\n\n\n

Structure 3: Main topic + \u4e0d\u662f + emphasized information + \u7684<\/h2>\n\n\n

To create the negative form of the \u662f…\u7684(sh\u00ec…de) structure, simply add \u4e0d (b\u00f9) before \u662f (sh\u00ec), forming the structure \u4e0d\u662f… \u7684(b\u00fash\u00ec…de).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u6211\u4eec\u6628\u5929\u4e0d\u662f\u5750\u5730\u94c1\u56de\u516c\u53f8\u7684\u3002
(W\u01d2men zu\u00f3ti\u0101n b\u00fa sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 d\u00ecti\u011b hu\u00ed g\u014dngs\u012b de.)
It was not by taking the subway that we came to office yesterday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u8fd9\u4e2a\u793c\u7269\u4e0d\u662f\u9001\u7ed9\u8001\u5e08\u7684\u3002
(Zh\u00e8 ge l\u01d0w\u00f9 b\u00fa sh\u00ec s\u00f2ng g\u011bi l\u01ceosh\u012b de.)
This gift is not for the teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, the grammar structure \u662f…\u7684 (sh\u00ec…de) may appear perplexing, particularly the option to omit \u662f(sh\u00ec) in certain situations. However, mastering this structure empowers you to convey emphasis more effectively in your sentences. By doing so, you can improve\u00a0your clarity in Chinese and embark on a journey towards sounding like a native speaker. Tackling new and difficult grammar structures is an essential aspect of the learning process, so embrace it and watch as your Chinese fluency flourishes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re a beginner Chinese learner looking to delve beyond the basics and start creating more dynamic sentences, look no further! In our Chinese Made Simple Level 1 Course, we recently introduced the \u662f…\u7684 (sh\u00ec…de) sentence structure, which is used to add emphasis. In this article, we\u2019ll take an even closer look at this construction…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133,"featured_media":10999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,176],"tags":[77,7,93,80],"post_series":[],"class_list":["post-10996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learn-mandarin-online","category-usage","tag-beginner","tag-grammar","tag-how-to-use","tag-self-study","entry","has-media"],"yoast_head":"\nExploring Emphasis: Understanding the '\u662f...\u7684' Structure in Chinese Grammar<\/title>\n <meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=index-1396.html \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Exploring Emphasis: Understanding the '\u662f...\u7684' Structure in Chinese Grammar\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you\u2019re a beginner Chinese learner looking to delve beyond the basics and start creating more dynamic sentences, look no further! 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