35

Talking about duration and frequency

When we talk about duration, we can specify the length of an action (‘we walked for an hour’), or we can focus on the ongoing duration of the action without reference to its length (‘while we were walking, it started to rain’). When we talk about frequency we indicate how often an action occurs. This chapter will show you how to express both duration and frequency in Mandarin.

35.1 Specifying the length of an action with a duration phrase

Duration phrases can be used to indicate how long an action occurs. To indicate the duration of an action, follow the verb with a time phrase:

subject + verb + duration

Only open-ended actions have duration. Open-ended actions include / mki ‘to shop,’ / xué ‘to study,’ kàn ‘to look at,’ ‘to watch,’ ‘to read,’ chr ‘to eat,’shuì ‘to sleep,’ chàng ‘to sing,’ xm ‘to wash,’ etc.

Í 13.4

35.1.1 Indicating duration when there is no object noun phrase

When the action verb does not have an object noun phrase, the duration phrase simply follows the verb. If the verb is suffixed with le, the duration phrase follows verb - le.

!"#$%&!"#$%&

Wn xikng zài Zhsngguó zhù yrnián.

I plan to live in China for a year.

!"#

Tp bìng le spntipn.

He was sick for three days.

243

35.1.2Indicating duration when the verb takes an object

When the verb takes an object noun phrase, duration may be indicated using the following sentence patterns. In all of these patterns, the verb is followed by its object or by a duration phrase. A single verb is never followed directly by both an object and a duration phrase, with one exception. If the object is a pronoun, the pronoun may occur after the verb and before the duration phrase.

!"#$% &!"#$% &

Wn dlng le tp spn gè xikoshí le.

I’ve been waiting for him for three hours.

Pattern 1: verb + object verb + duration

The verb occurs twice in the verb phrase. First it is followed by the object, then it is followed by the duration phrase.

If the sentence refers to a past event, the second occurrence of the verb is followed by le.

!"#$%&!"#$%&

Wn shuì jiào shuì le bp gè zhsngtóu.

I slept for eight hours.

!"#$%&!"#$%&

Wn dlng tp dLng le spn gè xikoshí.

I waited for him for three hours.

Í33.1

Pattern 2: verb + object yNu + duration

The verb and its object are stated first, followed by ynu and the duration phase.ynu is not directly followed by le, though sentence final - le may occur at the end of the sentence.

!"#$%&'(!"#$%&'(

Wn dLng Wáng Míng yNu spn gè xikoshí le.

I have been waiting for Wang Ming for three hours.

Pattern 3: verb + duration de object noun phrase

The duration phrase plus de occurs immediately before the object noun phrase. This pattern cannot be used when the object noun phrase is a pronoun.

244

!"#$%&!"#$%&

Wn xué le likng nián de Zhsngwén.

I studied Chinese for two years.

!"#$%&'!"#$%&'

Wn shuì le bp gè zhsngtóu de jiào.

I slept for eight hours.

de is sometimes omitted.

!"# $%&( ) !!"# $%&( ) !

Nàge xuésheng ymjing xué le likng nián (de) Zhsngwén le.

That student has been studying Chinese for two years already.

Pattern 4: object noun phrase, verb + duration

The object noun phrase may occur at the beginning of the sentence, before the subject, as a topic. The verb is then directly followed by the duration phrase. This pattern cannot be used when the object noun phrase is a pronoun or a default object.

!"#$%&'()'*!"#$%&'()'*

Zhège wèntí, wn ymjing xikng le hln jio le.

This problem, I have already thought about (it) for a long time.

!"#$%&'%(!"#$%&'%(

Zhsngwén, wn ymjing xué le sìnián le.

Chinese, I’ve already studied (it) for four years.

!"#$%&'(!"#$%&'(

Zhsngwén, wn zhìshko huì xué likng nián.

Chinese, at the very least I will study (it) for two years.

Í53.1.2.1

35.1.3Duration vs. time when

Note the difference between phrases that indicate duration and those that indicate time when.

Time phrases that indicate the duration of a situation always occur after the verb.

!"#$ %!"#$ %

Wn xué le likng gè xikoshí le.

I studied for two hours.

Time phrases that indicate the time when a situation takes place always occur before the verb:

245

!"#$%!"#$%

Wn zuótipn xué le Zhsngwén.

I studied Chinese yesterday.

A sentence may include a ‘time when’ phrase and a duration phrase.

!"#$%&'!"#$%&'

Wn zuótipn xué le likng gè xikoshí.

Yesterday I studied for two hours.

35.1.4Indicating how long it has been that something has not occurred

In Mandarin, only situations that occur can be described in terms of their duration. If a situation does not occur, the duration pattern cannot be used to describe it. To indicate the length of time that something has not occurred, put the time phrase before the [prepositional phrase +] verb or verb phrase.

!"#$!"#$

Wn likng tipn méi shuì jiào.

I haven’t slept for two days.

!"#$%!"#$%

Tp spn nián méi ynu chsu ypn.

He hasn’t smoked for three years.

35.2Emphasizing ongoing duration

35.2.1Emphasizing the ongoing duration of an action

To emphasize the ongoing duration of an action without specifying the length of the duration, follow the verb with the suffix D/ zhe. To indicate that an action is ongoing at the moment of speaking, zài or zhèngzài may also precede the verb. ne may occur at the end of the sentence.

D!"#$

Tp zài shuszhe huà ne.

He is speaking.

!D !!"#$%&

Tp zhèngzài chrzhe zkofàn ne.

She is eating breakfast right now.

zài before the verb may also mark duration without the verb suffix D/ zhe.

!"#!"#

Tp zài shus huà ne.

He is speaking.

246

!"#$!"#$

Wnmen zài chr fàn ne.

We are eating right now. (We are right in the middle of eating.)

Í13.4, 30.2, 30.3

The duration suffix D/ zhe is often used with verbs that refer to the placement or location of an object.

D !!"#$%

Jiqshàng zhànzhe hln dus rén.

There are a lot of people standing in the street.

!"#D !!"#$%&'(

Gsnggòng qìchq shàng zuòzhe hln dus rén.

There are a lot of people sitting on the bus.

Í30.4

This use of D/ zhe is similar to the use of the present progressive verb suffix ‘-ing’ in English in its focus on ongoing actions. However, D/ zhe and ‘-ing’ are not always equivalent. For example, D/ zhe can be used in Mandarin to emphasize the duration of an adjectival verb. The English equivalent does not typically use ‘-ing.’

!D (AV)

!"#$

Tp de likn hóngzhe ne.

Her face is red. (Not ‘Her face is being red.’)

D (AV)

!"

Tpng rèzhe ne.

The soup is hot. (Not ‘The soup is being hot.’)

In Mandarin, D/ zhe may also be suffixed to certain verbs in commands. The English equivalent does not ordinarily involve verb ‘-ing.’

247

!"#!"#

Tp hái zài Zhsngguó.

He is still in China.

!"#$!"#$

Nm hái xmhuan tp ma?

Do you still like him?

In negative sentences, this use of / hái can often be translated into English with the phrase ‘not yet.’

!"#!"#

Tp hái méi jiéhtn.

He has not yet gotten married. (He still hasn’t gotten married.)

!"#$%&!"#$%&

Wn hái méi kàn nàge diànymng.

I have not yet seen that movie. (I still haven’t seen that movie.)

Í15.2.3, 36.2

35.3Indicating the ongoing duration of a background event

When two events occur at the same time, we sometimes consider one event to be the main event and the other to be the background event. To signal that a background event is ongoing as the main event occurs, follow the verb of the background event with the verb suffix D/ zhe.

D !"!"#$%&

Wnmen hqzhe kpfqi tán huà.

We talked while drinking coffee. (‘drinking coffee’ is the background event.)

D !"#!"#$%&

Tp kànzhe diànshì chr zkofàn.

He eats breakfast while watching television. (‘watching television’ is the background event.)

To indicate that an event is a background event without focusing on its duration, use/ de shíhou ‘when, while.’

!"#$%&'()!"#$%&'()

Wn zài Zhsngguó de shíhou rènshi tp le.

While I was in China I met him.

Í39.1

248

35.4Indicating frequency

35.4.1Words used to indicate frequency

The classifiers cì ‘number of times’ and biàn ‘a time’ are used to indicate frequency. They are always preceded by a number or the question words / jm ordusshko ‘how many.’ cì can be used to refer to the frequency of any kind of action. biàn is more restricted in its use and refers only to actions that have been performed from beginning to end.

35.4.2The grammar of the frequency expression

To indicate the frequency of an action, follow the action verb with the phrase number + cì ‘number of times.’ If the verb is suffixed with suffix le or / guo, the frequency phrase occurs after the verb suffix.

!"#$%&'()*+,!"#$%&'()*+,

Wn ymjing shus le spn cì, nm zlnme hái bù dnng?

I’ve already said it three times, how can you still not understand? ( biàn can be used instead of cì in this sentence.)

A verb may be followed by both a frequency expression and an object. The frequency expression always precedes the object.

There are several ways to indicate frequency.

Pattern 1: verb + object, verb + frequency

If the verb takes an object, the verb may be repeated, once followed by the object, and once followed by the frequency expression.

!"#!$%&'!"#!$%&'

Wn qùnián zuò fqijr zuò le sPn cì.

Last year I rode airplanes three times. ( biàn cannot be used here.)

Pattern 2: verb + frequency + object noun phrase

The frequency expression can occur between the verb and its object.

!"#$%( biàn cannot be used here.)

!"#$%

Tp zuòguo yr cì fqijr.

She’s ridden on a plane once.

!"#$%&'( biàn cannot be used here.)

!"#$%&'

Wn gli tp dk le likng cì diànhuà.

I called him on the phone twice.

Pattern 3: object noun phrase, verb + frequency

If the verb takes an object, the object may be topicalized, and presented first in the sentence:

249

!"#$%&'(!"#$%&'(

Nàge diànymng, wn kànguo liKng cì.

That movie, I have seen it twice.

!"#$%&( biàn can be used here)

!"#$%&

Xr’pn, wn qùguo yrcì.

Xi’an, I’ve been there once.

Í53.1.2.1

250