Mandarin Chinese

Charles N. Li is Professor of Linguistics and Chairperson, Linguistics Department, University of California, Santa Barbara. Sandra A. Thompson is Professor of Linguistics, University of California, Santa Barbara.

• Preface to the Paperback EditionPrefaceConventiom Used in ExamplesAbbreviations1 Introductionl. l The Chinese Language Family1.2 The Phonology of Mandarin1.2.1 Initials1.2.2 Finals1.2.3 Tones1.2.4 Phonetic Effects of the Retroflex Suffix2 Typological Description2.1 The Structural Complexity of Words: Mandarin asan Isolating Language2.1.1 Morphemes Occurring with Nouns2. l. 2 Morphemes Occurring with Verbs2.2 Monosyllabicity: The Number of Syllables per Word2.3 Topic Prominence2.4 Word Order2.4.1 The Word Order Typology2.4.2 Word Order in Mandarin3 Word Structure 3.1 Morphological Processes 3. 1. 1 Reduplication 3.1.2 Affixation 3.2 Compounds 3.2.1 The Meaning of Compounds 3.2.2 Nominal Compounds 3.2.3 Verbal Compounds 3.2.4 Subject-Predicate Compounds 3.2.5 Verb-Object Compounds 3.2.6 Antonymous Adjectives Forming Nominal Compounds 3.2.7 Minor Types of Compounds 4 Simple Declarative Sentences 4.1 Topic and Subject 4.1.1 Characterization of Topic 4.1.2 Characterization of Subject 4.1.3 Comparison of Topic and Subject 4.1.4 Double-Subject Sentences 4.1.5 Comparison with Chao's Analysis 4.1.6 Time and Locative Phrases 4.1.7 Further Examples 4.1.8 Topic as a Discourse Element 4.1. 9 Topic and Coreference in Discourse 4.2 The Noun Phrase 4.2.1 Classifier Phrases/Measure Phrases 4.2.2 Associative Phrases 4.2.3 Modifying Phrases 4.2.4 The Order of Elements in a Noun Phrase 4.2.5 Definiteness and Referentiality 4.2.6 Pronouns 4.2.7 Reflexives 4. 3 The Verb Phrase 4.3.1 Types of Verb Phrases 5 Auxiliary Verbs5.1 Auxiliary Verb versus Verb5.2 Auxiliary Verb versus Adverb5.3 List of Auxiliary Verbs6 Aspect6.1 The Perfective Aspect6.1.1 Where to Use -le: A Bounded Event6.1.2 Where Not to Use -le6.1.3 -le in Imperatives6.1.4 -le Does Not Mean Past Tense6.1.5 -le Does Not Mean Completion6.1.6 Summary6.2 The Durative Aspect6.2.1 Semantic Types of Verbs and the Durative AspectMarkers -me and zai6.2.2 Complex Sentences with the Durative AspectMarker -zhe6.3 The Experiential Aspect6.4 The Delimitative Aspect6.5 Summary7 Sentence-Final Particles7.1 le7. 1. 1 The Communicative Function of le7 .1.2 Where Not to Use le7. l. 3 Perfective -le versus CRS le7.2 ne7.3 ba7.4 ou7.5 a/ya7.6 Conclusion8 Adverbs 8. 1 Movable Adverbs 8.1.1 Movable Adverbs of Time 8. l. 2 Movable Adverbs of Attitude 8.2 Nonmovable Adverbs 8.2.1 Manner Adverbs 8.2.2 Nonmanner Adverbs 8.3 Negation and Adverbs 8.3.1 Negation and Movable Adverbs 8.3.2 Negation and Nonmovable Adverbs 8.4 Adverbs and the bii Construction 8.5 Quantity Adverbial Phrases 9 Coverbs/Prepositions 9. l The Function of Coverbs 9. l. 1 Occurrence with Aspect Markers 9.1.2 Coverbs That Can Function as Verbs 9. 2 Representative List of Co verbs 10 Indirect Objects and Benefactives 10. 1 gei Obligatory 10.2 gei Optional 10.3 gei Forbidden 10.4 Apparent Indirect Objects 10.5 Explanation for the Indirect Object Facts 10.6 Benefactive Noun Phrases, and Preverbal Indirect Object 10.7 Other Functions of gei 11 Locative and Directional Phrases 11. l Locative Phrases 11. l. l The Structure of Locative Phrases 11.1.2 The Position of the Locative Phrase in the Sentence 11.2 Directional Phrases with dao 'to' 12 Negation 12.1 The Position and Scope of Negative Particles 12.2 The Functions of bu and mei(you) 12.2. 1 Variation in the Meaning of Sentences with bu 12.2.2 Types of Verb Phrases 12.2.3 Resultative Verb Compounds 12.3 mei(you) Is Not a Past Tense Negative Particle 12.4 Negation and Aspect 12.5 Negating Some Element other than a Simple Verb Phrase 12.6 Summary 13 Verb Copying 13.1 Where Verb Copying Occurs 13.2 Grammatical Properties of the Verb-Copying Construction 14 The Imperative 15 The bii Construction 15.1 The bd Noun Phrase 15.2 Disposal 15.3 bii Sentences without a Subject 15.4 bii . .. gei 15.5 When to Use the bii Construction 16 The bei Construction 16.1 Use and Function 16.1.1 Adversity 16. l. 2 Disposal 16.2 Structural Properties16.2.1 Indirect Object Adversely Affected16.2.2 The bei Noun Phrase Can Be Inanimate16.3 bii and bei16.4 Variant Forms17 Presentative Sentences 17.1 Existential and Positional Verbs 17.2 Verbs of Motion 18 Questions 18.1 The Four Types of Questions 18.2 Question-Word Questions 18.2. 1 Question Words in Questions 18.2.2 Question Words as Indefinite Pronouns 18.3 Disjunctive Questions 18.3. I Questions with Constituents Connected by haishi 18.3.2 A-not-A Questions 18.4 Tag Questions 18.5 Particle Questions 18.6 Differences between A-Not-A Questions andParticle Questions 18.7 Questions Serving as Subjects or Direct Objects of a Verb 18.8 Answers to Questions 19 Comparison 19.1 Comparative Constructions 19.1.1 Dimension 19.1.2 Subject/Topic and the Standardof Comparison 19.2 Superlatives 20 Nominalization 20.1 A Nominalization Functioning as a Noun Phrase 20.2 Nominalizations Modifying a Head Noun 20.2.1 Relative Clause Constructions 20.2.2 A Nominalization Serving as the Complementto an Abstract Head Noun 20.3 The shi . . . de Construction 21 Serial Verb Constructions21. I Two or More Separate Events21.2 One Verb Phrase/Clause Is the Subject or Direct Objectof Another21.2. I The Second Verb Phrase/Clause Is the Direct Object21.2.2 The First Verb Phrase/Clause Is the Subject of theSecond Verb 21.2.3 The Clause That Is a Subject or Direct Objectis a Question21.3 Pivotal Constructions21.4 Descriptive Clauses21.4.1 Realis Descriptive Clauses21.4.2 lrrealis Descriptive Clauses21.5 Summary22 The Complex Stative Construction22. I Inferred meanings22. I . I Manner Inferred22.1.2 Extent Inferred22. I. 3 Either Manner or Extent Inferred22.2 General Structural Properties23 Sentence Linking23. I Forward Linking23. I. I Forward Linking with a Linking Element23. I. 2 Forward Linking without a Linking Element23. I. 3 The Semantics of Conditionals23.2 Backward Linking23.2.1 Adverbial Backward-Linking Elements inClause-Initial Position23.2.2 Nonmovable Adverbs as BackwardLinkingElements24 Pronouns in Discourse24.1 Zero Pronouns24.2 Pronouns24.3 Syntactic Constraints on Zero PronounsReferencesIndex