ADJECTIVAL VERBS
10
Adjectival verbs
Adjectival verbs translate into adjectives in English. They include gpo ‘to be tall,’/ guì ‘to be expensive,’ xiko ‘to be small,’ dà ‘to be big,’ hko ‘to be good,’ etc.
Mandarin adjectival verbs, unlike English adjectives, are not preceded by a linking verb such as the verb shì be.
Say this |
Not this |
|
G ! |
Tp gpo. |
Tp shì gpo. |
He is tall. |
|
!" |
G !"# |
! |
!" |
Nà bln sht guì. |
Nà bln sht shì guì. |
That book is expensive. |
|
!"# |
G !"#$ |
!" |
!"# |
Nàge xuéxiào dà. |
Nàge xuéxiào shì dà. |
That school is big. |
|
The properties of adjectival verbs are discussed below.
10.1Negation of adjectival verbs
Adjectival verbs are negated by bù. They are never negated by méi.
! |
G |
! |
Tp bù gpo. |
Tp méi gpo. |
|
He is not tall. |
|
|
!"# |
G |
!"# |
!" |
!" |
|
Nà bln sht bù guì. |
Nà bln sht méi guì. |
|
That book is not expensive. |
|
|
!"# |
G !"# |
|
!" |
!" |
|
Nàge rén bù hko. |
Nàge rén méi hko. |
|
That person is not good. |
|
|
56
Modification by intensifiers |
10.3 |
10.2Yes–no questions with adjectival verbs
Adjectival verbs can occur in yes–no questions formed by / ma or the verb-not- verb structure.
!"#$!"#
Nàge xuéxiào dà ma?
Is that school big?
!"#"$!"#"
Nàge xuéxiào dà bù dà?
Is that school big?
Í24.1
10.3Modification by intensifiers
Adjectival verbs can be modified by intensifiers. Most intensifiers precede the adjectival verb.
Intensifier |
|
Intensifier + adjectival verb |
|
|
very |
|
to be very good |
hln |
|
hln hko |
|
|
really |
|
to be really good |
zhqn |
|
zhqn hko |
|
/ |
rather |
/ |
to be rather good |
bmjiào |
|
bmjiào hko |
|
/ |
quite |
/ |
to be quite good |
xipngdpng |
|
xipngdpng hko |
|
|
especially |
|
to be especially good |
tèbié |
|
tèbié hko |
|
|
extremely |
|
to be extremely good |
fqicháng |
|
fqicháng hko |
|
|
especially |
|
to be especially good |
yóuqí |
|
yóuqí hko |
|
/ |
extremely |
/ |
to be extremely good |
jíqí |
|
jíqí hko |
|
|
too |
|
to be too good |
tài |
|
tài hko |
|
|
more |
|
to be even better |
gèng |
|
gèng hko |
|
|
most |
|
to be best |
zuì |
|
zuì hko |
|
57
ADJECTIVAL VERBS |
10.5 |
The intensifiers de hln ‘very,’ / jíle ‘extremely,’ and de bùdéliko ‘extremely’ follow the adjectival verb:
hko de hln
to be very good
hkojíle
to be terrific
! hko de bùdéliko to be terrific
Stative verbs and the modal verbs / huì and néng can also be modified by intensifiers.
Í11.2, 12.6.3
10.4Two syllable preference
Adjectival verbs generally occur in two syllable phrases. In affirmative form, when no special emphasis is intended, one syllable adjectival verbs are usually preceded by hln. When negated, bù provides the second syllable.
! |
! |
Tp hln gpo. |
Tp bù gpo. |
He is tall. |
He is not tall. |
!"# |
!"# |
!" |
!" |
Nà bln sht hln guì. |
Nà bln sht bù guì. |
That book is expensive. |
That book is not expensive. |
10.5Comparative meaning
Adjectival verbs do not have a distinct comparative form. However, in certain contexts they have comparative meaning.
They have comparative meaning when the context implies a comparison:
Q: |
A: |
Shéi gpo? |
Tp gpo. |
Who is tall? |
He is tall. |
or |
or |
Who is taller? |
He is taller. |
They have comparative meaning when they occur in comparison structures:
!"
Tp bm nm gpo.
He is taller than you.
58
Linking adjectival verbs |
10.8 |
Í26.6, 29.3
They also have comparative meaning when they occur in structures that indicate change.
Í10.9
To explicitly express comparative meaning, precede the adjectival verb with the intensifier gèng or the expression ( )/ ( ) hái (yào).
! |
( ) |
|
( ) |
Tp gèng gpo. |
Tp hái (yào) gpo. |
He is (even) taller. |
He is (even) taller. |
Í29.5
10.6Superlative meaning
Adjectival verbs do not have a distinct superlative form. To express the superlative meaning, precede the adjectival verb with the intensifier zuì ‘most.’
! |
!"# |
|
!" |
Tp zuì gpo. |
Nà bln sht zuì guì. |
He is the tallest. |
That book is the most expensive. |
Í29.6
10.7Adjectival verbs and comparison structures
Adjectival verbs are used in comparison structures.
Comparison structures involving bm ‘more than’ and méi ynu ‘less than’ typically end with an adjectival verb or a modified adjectival verb.
!"
Wn bm nm gpo.
I am taller than you.
!"#
Wn méi ynu nm gpo.
I am not as tall as you.
Í29
10.8Linking adjectival verbs
The adverb yòu can be used to link adjectival verbs as follows. The structure is used to convey the meaning ‘both . . . and . . .’
59
ADJECTIVAL VERBS |
10.10 |
!"#"$%!"#"$
Nàge nán de yòu gPo yòu dà.
That guy is both big and tall.
!"#$%&'%()$!"# !"
Nà shupng xiézi hln hko. Yòu piányi yòu shTfu.
That pair of shoes is really good. They are both cheap and comfortable.
Í36.9
10.9Adjectival verbs and expressions that indicate change over time
10.9.1yuè lái yuè adjectival verb ‘more and more’ adjectival verb
! "#! "
Dsngxi yuè lái yuè guì.
Things are more and more expensive.
10.9.2yuè action verb yuè adjectival verb ‘the more’ (action),
‘the more’ (adjectival verb)
!"!
Tp yuè shus yuè kuài.
The more he speaks, the faster he speaks.
Í34.3
10.10 Adjectival verbs and sentence final - le
Sentence final - le may occur at the end of a sentence with an adjectival verb to indicate change.
!
Nm gpo le.
You have gotten taller.
Í34.1
60