Difference between revisions of "SVC in Mandarin Chinese (Li 1986, Yeh & Lee 1992, Zheng 1994)"

(4)RVC in which arg. of V1=arg. of V2
Zhangsan ku xing le.
Zhangsan cry awake LE.
'Zhangsan was awake from crying.'

(5)RVC in which arg. of V1 ≠ arg. of V2
Zhangsan ku xing le Lisi.
Zhangsan cry awake LE Lisi.
'Lisi was awake from Zhangsan's crying.'

(12)Verb-copying construction
Zhangsan he jiu he zui le.
Zhangsan drink wine drink drunk LE
'Zhangsan was drunk from drinking wine.'

(14) RVC with no identical arguments
Zhangsan chang ge chang ya le sangzi
Zhangsan sing song sing hoarse LE throat
'Zhangsan sang songs and his throat became hoarse as a result.'

(39) SVC in which 1st arg. of V1= 1st arg. of V2; 2nd arg. of V1 =2nd arg. of V2
Ta dao jiu gei women he.
he pour wine GEI women drink
'He poured wine for us to drink.'

(40) SVC in which 1st arg. of V1 = 1st arg. of V2; 1st arg. of V1 ≠ 1st arg. of V2
Ta tuo wazi xi jiao.
he take off socks wash feet
'He took off his socks to wash his feet.'

(41) SVC with no idetical arguments
Ta tuo wazi gei women xi jiao.
he take off socks GEI we wash feet
'He took off his socks for us to wash his feet.'

Deeng i.hoel chiuh! (P 326)
'Wait a while (before you) go!'

Chiuh deeng i.hoel! (P 326)
'Go and wait a while!'

na-bii shiee-tzyh (P 326)
'take pen write characters, -write characters with a pen'

Woo mae fell lii song ren. (P 327)
'I buy a gift to give to someone.'

Ta kai-che tzoou le. (P 327)
'He drove the car and left.'

Tā dă diànhuà jiào chē
3SG beat phone call car

wŏmen kāi-huì tăolùn nèi-gè wèntí
we hold-meeting consier that-CL problem
We'll hold a meeting to consider that problem.

tā tiān-tiān chàng-gē xiĕ-xìn
3sg day-day sing-sing write-letter
Everyday s/he sings songs and writes letters

tā fŏurèn tā zuò-cuò le
3sg deny 3sg do-wrong CRS
S/He denies that s/he was wrong.

tā gàosù wŏ nĭ tóu téng
3sg tell I you head ache
S/He told me that you has a headache.

dà shēng niàn kèwén kĕyĭ bāngzhù fāyīn
big voice read lesson can help pronunciation
Reading the lesson aloud can help one's pronunciation.

wŏ quàn tā niàn yī
I advise 3sg study medicine
I advise him/her to study medicine.

wŏ pèng-dào-le yī-gè wàiguó-rén huì shuō zhōngguó-huà
I meet-arrive-PFV one-CL foreign-person know:how speak China-speech
I met a foreigner who can speak Chinese.

Wŏmen i [vP [adjunct clause PRO i kāi huì ] [vP tăolùn -le nèi -ge wèntí ]].
1PL hold meeting discuss-PERF that-CL problem
'We have discussed that problem holding a meeting'

Wŏmeni [vP kāi -le san-ci huì [CP PROi tăolùn nèi -ge wèntí ]].
1PL hold-PERF 3 -time meeting discuss that-CL problem
‘We held three meetings to discuss that problem.’

Tā [vP [adjunct clause PROi dă diànhuà ] [vP jiào-le chē ]] yĭhòu
3SG strike phone call-PERF car after
hái dĕng-le èrshí-fēnzhōng
still wait-PERF 20 - minute
‘After she had called a taxi by phone, she still waited for twenty minutes.’

Tāi [vP dă -le yī-cì diànhuà ] [CP PROi jiào chē ]]
3SG beat-PERF 1-time phone call car
‘He made a phone call to order a taxi.’

Wŏmen [vP [vP kāi huì ] , [vP tăolùn nèi -ge wèntí ]]
1PL hold meeting discuss that-CL problem
‘We hold a meeting and discuss that problem.'

Tā yī -miàn pāi shŏu yī-miàn xiào
3SG one-side clap hand one-side laugh
‘He is clapping hands and laughing simultaneously.’

• Tā [vP [vP pāi shŏu ] [vP xiào]]
  

3SG clap hand laugh
(Intended meaning: ‘He claps his hands and laughs.’)

Tāi [vP [adjunct clause PROi pāi (-zhe) shŏu ] [vP xiào ]]
3SG clap -DUR hand laugh
‘He laughs (while) clapping his hands.’

Wŏ méi dă diànhua zhēngqiú Lĭsì de yìjiàn.
1SG NEG strike phone solicit Lisi SUB opinion
‘I haven’t solicited Lisi’s opinion by phone.’

[Dàshēng niàn kèwén] kĕyĭ bù kĕyĭ bāngzhù fāyīn ?
loud read lesson can NEG can help pronunciation
‘Can reading the lesson aloud help one's pronunciation?’

• [Dàshēng niàn bù niàn kèwén] kĕyĭ bāngzhù fāyīn ?
  

loud read NEG read lesson can help pronunciation

Tā [vP fŏurèn [TP tā zuò-cuò-le zhèi-jiàn shì]
3SG deny 3SG do -err -PERF this-CL matter
‘S/he denied that s/he handled this matter wrongly.’

• Tā [vP fŏurèn -le [TP tā zuò-cuò-le zhèi-jiàn shì]
  

3SG deny -PERF 3SG do -err -PERF this-CL matter
‘S/he denied that s/he handled this matter wrongly.’

Tā fŏurèn -le [DP zhèi-ge cuòwù ]
3SG deny -PERF this-CL mistake
‘S/he denied this error.’

Tā méi gàosu wŏ [ nĭ yĕ cānjiā huìyì]
3SG NEG tell 1SG 2SG also attend meeting
‘He didn’t tell me that you, too, attended the meeting.’

Tā gàosu wŏ [ nĭ méi cānjiā huìyì]
3SG tell 1SG 2SG NEG attend meeting
‘He told me that you didn’t attend the meeting.’

Tā méi gàosu wŏ [ nĭ yĕ méi cānjiā huìyì]
3SG NEG tell 1SG 2SG also NEG attend meeting
‘He didn’t tell me that you, too, didn’t attend the meeting.’

• Wŏ quàn tāi [nĭ xué yīxué]
  

1SG advise 3SG 2SG study medicine
‘I advised her that you should study medicine.’

• Wŏ quàn -le tāi [ PROi xué yīxué ]
  

1SG advise -PERF 3SG study medicine
‘I advised her to study medicine.’

Wŏ quàn tā bù yào xī dú
1SG advise 3SG NEG want inhale drug
‘I advised her not to take drugs.’

Wŏ dāying Lĭsì bù bă mìmì gàosu biérén
1SG promise Lisi NEG BA secret tell somebody
‘I promised Lisi not to divulge his secret.’

• Wŏ dă diànhuà bù zhēngqiú Lĭsì de yìjiàn
  

1SG strike phone NEG solicit Lisi SUB opinion
(intended meaning: ‘I phoned, but not in order to solicit Lisi’s opinion.’)

Wŏ jiāo -guo jĭ -ge xuéshēng hĕn yònggōng
1SG teach-EXP several-CL student very diligent
‘I have taught several students who are very diligent.’

• Wŏ zài jiāo jĭ -ge xuéshēng hĕn yònggōng
  

1SG DUR teach several-CL student very diligent
(I’m teaching several students who are very diligent.’)

Wŏ jiāo -guo / zai jiāo [DP (jĭ -ge) hĕn yònggōng de xuéshēng]
1SG teach-EXP / DUR teach several-CL very diligent SUB student
‘I taught/am teaching several students who are very diligent.’

• Tā xiăng chăo yī-ge cài tèbié hăochī.
  

1SG want fry 1 -CL dish especially delicious
(‘He wants to prepare a dish which is particularly delicious.’)

Tā xiăng chăo/ chăo-le [DP yī-ge tèbié hăochī de cài ]
1SG want fry / fry -PERF 1 -CL dish especially SUB delicious
(‘He wants to prepare/prepared a particularly delicious dish.’)

Tā guìxiàlái qiú wŏ
3SG kneel:down beg 1SG
(i) 'He knelt down in order to beg me.'
(ii) 'He knelt down and then begged me.'
(iii) 'He knelt down begging me.'
(iv) 'He knelt down and he begged me.'

Tā zuì hăo bă [vP[vP Ākiū jièshào gĕi Lĭsì] [vP Wángwŭ jièshào gĕi Lăolĭ]]
1SG most good BA Akiu introduce to Lisi Wangwu introduce to Laoli
‘He’d better introduce Zhangsan to Lisi and Wangwu to Laoli.’

Nĭ bă zhèi-bĕn cídiăn [vP zài [vP jiègĕi wŏ sān-tiān ]]
2SG BA this-CL dictionary again lend 1SG 3 -day
‘Lend me this dictionary for another three days.’

He has a book which is very interesting.

He wen t to school to play basketball.

I begged him/her to represent me.

He has a book which I like very much.

He said he want to go to Taipei.

It is very dangerous that five people ride on a motorcycle.

He went to school to find classmates to play basketball.

purposive SVCs
qu chifan
'go eat'

causative SVCs
Wo shi ta xiao.
I make him laugh
'I made him laugh.'

perceptive SVCs
Wo kan ta youyong.
I see he swim
'I saw him swim.'

Ta na dao sha yizhi zhu.
S/he take knife kill one pig
'S/he took a knife to kill a pig.'

Ta sha si le yizhi zhu.
S/he kill die PERF one pig
'S/he killed a pig (the pig actually died.)

Ta na dao sha si le yizhi zhu.
S/he take knife kill die PERF one pig
'S/he took a knife and killed a pig.'

Wo sha le zhu (keshi mei sha si)
I kill PERF pig (but not kill die)

• 'I killed the pig but didn't die.'
  

Wo sha si le zhu.
I kill die PERF pig
'I killed the pig.'

Wo ba kuaizi zhe duan le.
I OBJ chopstick break broken PERF
'I broke the chopstick.'

Wo ba kuaizi zhe wan le.
I OBJ chopstick break bend PERF
'I broke the chopstick bent.' (I squeezed in on the chopstick to break it, but only managed to bend it.)

Wo ba kuaizi wan zhe le.
I OBJ chopstick bend broken PERF
'I bent the chopstick broken.' (I squeezed in on the chopstick to bend it, but wound up breaking it.)

Wo ba yifu xi zang le.
I OBJ clothes wash dirty PERF
'I washed the clothes dirty.' (I washed the clothes [e.g., in a lake] but it turned out dirtier than before.)

Laoshi ling -lai -le yi ge xin tongxue
teacher lead-come-Asp one CL new student
(The teacher brought along a new student.)

Ta he -zui -le jiu.
(He drank so much that he was drunk.)