LEARN + CHINESE / 134 of 300 HSK 4
The Letter Grandma Sent 主语
“Will he make it to dinner?” Your friend asks. You can make the whole question “whether he can come today” the subject of your answer. Chinese can also put the affected thing first, or stack details before a noun to help the listener pick out exactly which one you mean.
他今天能不能来，谁也不知道。
tā jīntiān néng bu néng lái, shéi yě bù zhīdào.
Whether he can come today, nobody knows.
这本书已经翻译成英文了。
zhè běn shū yǐjīng fānyì chéng Yīngwén le.
This book has already been translated into English.
奶奶昨天寄来的那封信已经被我读完了。
nǎinai zuótiān jì lái de nà fēng xìn yǐjīng bèi wǒ dú wán le.
The letter Grandma sent yesterday has already been read by me.
我刚买的那件红色外套已经洗好了。
wǒ gāng mǎi de nà jiàn hóngsè wàitào yǐjīng xǐ hǎo le.
The red coat I just bought has already been washed.
Hint · 힌트
A full idea can serve as the subject, as in 他今天能不能来. With a patient subject, the thing affected by the action comes first, as with 这本书. Before a noun, each detail narrows down which item you mean: 我刚买的那件红色外套.
Vocabulary
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
néng bu néng lái | whether (someone) can come |
shéi yě bù zhīdào | nobody knows |
zhè běn shū | this book |
fānyì | to translate |
chéng | into; to become |
Yīngwén | English language |
nǎinai | grandmother |
zuótiān | yesterday |
jì lái | to send over; mail here |
nà fēng xìn | that letter |
dú wán | to finish reading |
gāng | just; a moment ago |
mǎi | to buy |
hóngsè | red |
wàitào | coat |
xǐ hǎo | to finish washing |
yǐjīng | already |
nà jiàn | that (item of clothing) |
yánsè | color |
xǐyījī | washing machine |
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