9

Noun phrases

A noun phrase consists of a noun and any words that describe or ‘modify’ the noun. Here is an example of a noun phrase with the noun emphasized.

!"!" spn gè dà láohO three big tigers

Additional examples of noun phrases are presented below.

In this chapter, we refer to the noun that is being described or modified as the head noun and to the words or phrases that describe or modify the head noun as the modifier.

In Mandarin Chinese, the relative position of modifier and noun is constant:

In Chinese, all noun modifiers occur before the head noun.

9.1Modifying a noun with a specifier and/or number

Nouns can be modified by

a specifier (‘this,’ ‘that,’ ‘which?’) or a number (‘four,’ ‘twenty’),

or a specifier and number together (‘these four,’ ‘those twenty,’ ‘which two?’)

In Mandarin, the classifier associated with the noun being modified must be included in the modifying phrase. The entire phrase precedes the head noun as follows:

specifier + classifier + noun

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Í6, 7, 8

9.2Modifying a noun with all other modifiers: modification with de

Noun modifiers may also be nouns, pronouns, verbs, or phrases that include a verb. These kinds of modifiers are typically followed by the particle de, and the noun phrase has the following form:

modifier + de + head noun

Í5

NOTE In English, when a modifier includes a verb, the modifier occurs after the head noun as a relative clause introduced by a relative pronoun (‘who,’ ‘whom,’ ‘which’) or a complementizer (‘that’). In these examples, the modifier of the noun is presented in square brackets.

that book [that I bought]

the people [who spoke to you]

In Mandarin, all modifiers precede the head noun. In addition, Mandarin has no words that correspond to relative pronouns or complementizers. Do not attempt to translate them into Chinese.

9.2.1Examples of noun phrases with different types of modifiers

9.2.1.1Modifiers that are nouns

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!"

9.2.1.2Modifiers that are pronouns

Notice that pronoun + de serves the same function as a possessive pronoun in English and other languages. There are no possessive pronouns in Mandarin.

See Chapter 5 for a table showing the Mandarin equivalent of English possessive pronouns.

Í5.2.4, 25.2.2

9.2.1.3Modifiers that are adjectival verbs

!

Í10

9.2.1.4Modifiers that are stative verbs

!"

Í11

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9.2.1.5Modifiers that are action verbs

Í13

9.2.1.6Modifiers that are verb + object

!

9.2.1.7Modifiers that are prepositional phrase + verb

Í14

9.2.1.8Modifiers that are subject + verb sequences

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9.2.1.9Modifiers that are question words

Í24.6, 26.4.2

9.3Omission of the particle de

The particle de is sometimes omitted from the modifier.

de may be omitted:

• when the modifier is an unmodified one syllable adjectival verb.

/ guì de chq → / guì chq expensive car

but not

!/ ! hln guì de chq → * /* hln guì chq

•when the modifier is closely associated with the noun, describing, for example, nationality:

!/ ! Mliguó de rén → / Mliguó rén

American person

or a close personal relationship in which the modifier is a pronoun:

wn de bàba → wn bàba my father

9.4Noun modifiers in a series

In Mandarin Chinese, a noun may be modified by any number of modifiers.

•The modifiers occur in a series before the head noun.

•A modifier that is a specifier and/or a number ends with a classifier. All other modifiers may end in the particle de.

•The head noun occurs only once, at the end of the series of modifiers.

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Here are examples of noun phrases in which the head noun is modified by a series of modifiers. Each modifying phrase is included in [square brackets].

=[ !]=[ !]=[ ]==[ !]=[ !]=[ ]=

wnmen [zuótipn kàn de] [gpng chtlái de] [Zhsngguo de] diànymng

the Chinese movie that just came out that we saw yesterday

[ !"#]=[ ]=[ !]= [ !"#]=[ ]=[ !]=

[nm gli wn jièshào de] [nà likng gè] [hln csngming de] liúxuéshqng

[you introduced to me] [those two] [very smart] exchange students those two very smart exchange students who you introduced me to

Modifiers may occur in any order. However, modifiers involving inherent personal characteristics often occur closer to the head noun.

[ !]=[ !]= [ !]= [ !]=

[chupn máoyr de] [hln kl’ài de] xiko háizi the very cute child who is wearing a sweater

Noun modifiers involving specifiers and numbers often occur first in a sequence of modifiers, though they may also occur closer to the head noun for emphasis or contrast.

[ ]=[ !]=[ ]= [ ]=[ !]=[ ]=

[nàge] [dài yknjìng de] [hln gpo de] rén

[that] [wear glasses] [very tall] person that very tall person who wears glasses

[ ]=[ !]=[ ]= [ ]=[ !]=[ ]=

[hln gpo de] [dài yknjìng de] [nàge] rén that very tall person who wears glasses

9.5Omission of the head noun

When the head noun is predictable from the context, it may be omitted. The presence of de or a classifier at the end of a phrase identifies the phrase as a noun phrase modifier. When the head noun is omitted, de cannot be omitted.

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9.6Modification with zhR

zhr is the marker of noun modification in literary Chinese, and it is used for this purpose in certain literary expressions in modern Chinese, including the following. These instances of zhr are not interchangeable with de.

Percentages and fractions

! spn fqn zhr yr

one-third (1/3)

!

bki fqn zhr shí

10%

Í6.6.1, 6.6.2

Time phrases and sequence

/ zhRhòu ‘after’ ( / yMhòu)

!!

spn nián zhrhòu

three years afterward/after three years

zhRqián ‘before, previous’ ( yMqián)

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

dì èrcì shìjiè zhànzhqng zhrqián before the Second World War

Í38.1, 38.2

zhRnèi ‘within, including’ (cf. yMnèi)

!"#$%&'(

wn spntipn zhrnèi yrdìng zuòdewán.

I will definitely be able to finish within three days.

Í6.5

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