Chinese Language Stack Exchange
Chinese Language Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [particles]

A tag for discussing the nuances of particles. Including 的, 了, 吗, 过, 吧, 着, etc.

Particles are words that have a grammatical function.

In chinese, the main particles are:

  • 的 for modifying nouns, often to express possessives; for expressing certainty
  • 地 (de) for modifying verbs
  • 得 for expressing grade complements; for expressing potentiality
  • 了 for expressing completion (aspectual); for expressing change (modal)
  • 吗 for asking questions
  • 吧 for asking questions to which you expect an affirmative answer; for expressing commands
  • 过 for expressing experience, or past occurrences
  • 着 for expressing continuous aspect
  • (正)在 for expressing actions in progress (similar to 着)
145 questions
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Why use 了 in saying I'm hungry?

Why do you use 了 after 我饿？ I thought it was used to denote completion or the past tense of something, but isn't being hungry present tense?
user3558
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What is the function of 了 in the sentence 我最怕去西单了?

Received this in a text from a Chinese friend. I want to say that "了" here is not part of the verb phrase but instead just an emphatic particle, same as if you said something like "我最怕蜘蛛了"。Then again, that's not something I would ever think to…
Gus
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What's the role of 了 in this sentence: 你要是喜欢我就给你买了

Is it an aspect marker? Is it a specific grammatical construction with 就 or 要是? Is it there just for emphasis? I can't work it out...
Huilin
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啊，诶，喔，哦：compare and contrast

The characters in the title are, FWIK, all exclamatory sentence-final particles, though I'm not too sure about ei. So I was wondering what the difference was between the three. Is there a difference in the first place? And if so, what is it?
MickG
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Confused by 的 and 地 in 掉的那么地刺耳

I'm perplexed by the line 掉的那么地刺耳 of the song 过不去. Doesn't the 的 demand a noun to go after it? Is the 刺耳 a verb or a noun? And what's the meaning of the entire line? My highly insecure guess would be "falling so shrill" (???).
user22495
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Is there a difference between 他这是 and 他就是?

A graded reader (for foreigners learning to read Chinese) has this sentence: 他们这是在做坏拿！ I think this means the same as: 他们就是在做坏拿！And I think both are just emphatic ways of saying 他们是在做坏拿. Google Translate treats all these sentences alike. But I…
Colin McLarty
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Why is 地 in 慢慢地走?

I just read about all the three "de" in Chinese (的，得，地) here in this website : https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Structural_particle_%22de%22 In the 地's section, it's said that if you use a "straight-up" adverb, you don't need to…
Agnes
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Particle to express pride or accomplishment / 自豪感的助词

What is the way to emphasize personal pride or accomplishment in Chinese without sounding arrogant -- is there are a particle for this to put at the end of the sentence? For example: I just had a child! I just bought a house!
rxmnnxfpvg
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了 as "perfect" aspect vs 了 as "actual" aspect theory

Couple of times in my research on Verb+了aspect, I've stumbled across really interesting nonstandard ideas about what this particle really means. Only one theory strikes some notes in my mind. Namely it is a theory that 了 is not a perfect aspect…
coobit
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了 in the “小王不能参加这次招待会了”

That's the mean have 了 here? I've heard it can be index for changing, like before he could came bit now he can't, but I'm not sure. Does it work here? Have it any other meaning(exept the index of past time)?
Atsve
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Change- and unchange-of-state 了: During which time in a person's life is it correct for them to say 我三岁了 (I am 3 years old)?

我三岁了 I [am] three years of age This breaks apart as follows: 我 (wǒ) = me 三 (sān) = three 岁 = years of age 了: I understand 了 here is the change-of-state 了: prior to turning 3, I was not 3, so that state has changed. I have two points of…
Becky 李蓓
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translations and 了

I was practicing translating the following sentences: Relax, this problem has already been solved! 放輕鬆吧，這個問題已經解決了。 That foreigner hasn’t taken a bus for a long time. 那個外國人很久沒有搭巴士了。 I feel I added 了 at the end of each sentence based on feel but am…
Huey
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Is it possible to write "I'm hungry and tired" (我饿了，我也累了) with a single change-of-state 了?

我饿了，我也累了。 As I understand, both 了s are the change-of-state 了. I cannot think of a way to write this using only one change-of-state 了, which makes me think it's not possible. I'm fairly sure "我饿也累了" and "我饿和累了" are both ungrammatical (perhaps a…
Becky 李蓓
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了 particle usage

I've been taught that 了 particle is not used in a negative sentence, but I'm confused with this one. “我以前很忙，但是现在不忙了。” Is this right? I would say this. 我以前很忙，但是现在有空了。 Help please
读凯多
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Can 奉 be attached to verbs I want to use?

When 奉 is used as the sense of "politely", as the words 奉托, 奉告, which are usually used, can I attach 奉 to every verb that influences the other person? For example, what about 奉给 or 奉按摩?
Haruto Nagasaki
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