CIRCUMSTANCES of the event

 
 
_THIS IS A TESTING BETA VERSION OF THE SITE_
 

When we want to bring up the information that something happened or has happened, we use the “past tences” with  了 /le/ or 过 /guo/

EXAMPLES

I have been to China.
我 去 过 中国。
<Wǒ qù guo Zhōngguó.>
EXPERIENCE
I have bought a book.
我 买 了 一本 书。
<Wǒ mǎi le yī běn shū.>
Yesterday I bought a book in a bookstore.
我 昨天 在 书店 买 了 一本 书。
<Wǒ zuótiān zài shūdiàn mǎi le yī běn shū.>

 

When we already know that something happened or has happened, and we want to ask for more informations or add more informations, we use this special construction  

The construction is 是。。。的 /shì…de/

The construction is the same for questions

 

EXAMPLES

We got to know each other in 2010.
我们 是 2010 年 认识 的。
<Wǒmen shì 2010 nián rènshi de.>
YEARS
Where was it bought?
这 是 在 哪里 买 的？
<Zhè shì zài nǎli mǎi de?>
Where were you born?
你 是 在 哪里 出生 的？
Nǐ shì zài nǎli chūshēng de?
WORDS 生
Did you buy it? (was it bought by you?)
是 你 买 的 吗？
Shì nǐ mǎi de ma?
(it) was bought in a bookstore.
是 在 书店 买 的。
<Shì zài shūdiàn mǎi de.>
I didn't buy it, my friend bought it.
不是 我 买 的，是 我 朋友 买 的。
Bùshì wǒ mǎi de, shì wǒ péngyǒu mǎi de.
On which date did you go there?
你们 是 几 号 去 的？
Nǐmen shì jǐ hào qù de?
Libai was born in 701 and died in 762.
李白 是 701 年 出生 的，762 年 去世 的。
Lǐbái shì 701 nián chūshēng de, 762 nián qùshì de.

 

了 / FINISHED ACTION
过 / EXPERIENCE IN THE PAST
BACK TO GRAMMAR
TALK TO FRED