A comparative study between western language and Chinese-Grammar

 A comparative study between western language and Chinese-Grammar

 

Learning language is interesting which is not only for we could use it to communicate with people from other country but also to understand what the different way we think when we are using different language. A lot of my students always asking me for questions such as why they express like that? Why there is measured word in Chinese but we don’t need it in English? Thus I will like to express and summarize the key difference between Chinese and Englihs/Spanish, this is importance, so listen up. Today we are talking about grammar firstly.

 

n   Single &Plural

In English, we can add -s or -es if the noun is plural and an -a or -an in the front of a single noun.

In Chinese, it isn’t so complicated to change a noun from singular to plural but we add a word before the noun which is called ‘’ measured word’’. For example, instead of saying “a lot of wines”, we say “a lot of ‘bottles’ of wime”.

One things, we have to learn which is every noun has its own measured word for itself.  I know it is confusing but notmally I always emphasize it to my student in our class. 

n   Tense

In English, you spell a verb differently because of the time in which the situation happened. There are differences between past, present, and future. In Chinese, the verb stays the same even though the tenses are different.

For example, in English, we make verb conjugation to express the different tense such as go, going went, gone. But in Chinese, we only add different vocabulary in sentence instead of conjugate the verb such as今天Jīntiān today/明天míngtiān tomorrow/昨天zuótiān yesterday.

 

我今天去學校

Wǒ jīntiān qù xuéxiào

I go to school today

 

我昨天去學校

Wǒ zuótiān qù xuéxiào

I went to school yesterday

 

我明天去學校

Wǒ míngtiān qù xuéxiào

I will go to school tomorrow

 

n   Concise or abstract.

In English we prefer to express themselves precisely, systemically and concisely.

But in Chinese, we tend to be express ourselves abstract but to be insightful with hint.

 

For example, if I say他來了 我走Tā láile wǒ zǒu, that mean if he come, I will go.

But translate into English, that could be in many ways.

 

If he come I will go.

Since he comes, I will go

When he comes, I will go

As he has come, I must go now.

 

That mean even Chinese sentence express what it look like, but it could be with many implication.

In contrary, such as English or other language that will go for bullet point. They just speak out what they think.

 

For example, if I say他來了 我走Tā láile wǒ zǒu, that mean if he come, I will go.

But translate into English, that could be in many ways.

 

If he come I will go.

Since he comes, I will go

When he comes, I will go

As he has come, I must go now.

 

That mean even Chinese sentence express what it look like, but it could be with many implication.

In contrary, such as English or other language that will go for bullet point. They just speak out what they think.