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

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.
Did you buy it? (was it bought by you?)
是 你 买 的 吗？
Shì nǐ mǎi de ma?
On which date did you go there?
你们 是 几 号 去 的？
Nǐmen shì jǐ hào qù de?
Where were you born?
你 是 在 哪里 出生 的？
Nǐ shì zài nǎli chūshēng de?
WORDS 生
We got to know each other in Beijing.
我们 是 在 北京 认识 的。
<Wǒmen shì zài Běijīng rènshi de.>
In what year did you get to know each other?
你们 是 哪一年 认识 的？
<Nǐmen shì nǎ yī nián rènshi de?>
那个 / WHICH? YEARS
It was bought in a bookstore.
是 在 商店 买 的。
<Shì zài shāngdiàn 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.

 

了 / FINISHED ACTION
过 / EXPERIENCE IN THE PAST
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