Level 2 Lesson 25.1 – Her Hair Is Black

GRAMMAR

Grammar 1: Colors in Chinese · HSK 2

In today's lesson we'll start with three basic colors in Chinese: white, red and black. Each color has an adjective version and a noun version:

There are situations where we can use both the adjective or the noun version, while there are also situations where we can only say the one-character adjective words, or only the two-character noun words.

(1) If we’re saying phrases like red clothes, black hair, white car, meaning that the colors are used as the Attributives, we can use both the one-character Adjective version and the two-character Noun version.

For example,

• hóng yīfu / hóngsè de yīfu
  红衣服 / 红色的衣服
  red clothes
• bái xiàofú / báisè de xiàofú
  白校服 / 白色的校服
  white school uniform
• hēi tóufa / hēisè de tóufa
  黑头发 / 黑色的头发
  black hair / black hair

(2) If we want to describe and identify the color of something, we need to follow this structure:

Something + 是 + [Some Color] + 的。

And here for "some color" we can use both the one-character Adjective version and also the two-color character noun version. For example,

• tā de yǎnjing shì hēisè de
  她的眼睛是黑色的。
  Her eyes are (something that are of) black color.
• tā de yǎnjing shì hēi de
  她的眼睛是黑的。
  Her eyes are (something that are of the color) black.

• zhè ge zúqiú shì báisè de
  这个足球是白色的。
  This soccer ball is (something that is of) white color.
• zhè ge zúqiú shì bái de
  这个足球是白的。
  This soccer ball is (something that is of the color) white.

And to ask questions, we can say:

• nǐ de zìxíngchē shì shénme yánsè de
  你的自行车是什么颜色的？
  Your bicycle is what color?
• nà tiáo chuán shì shénme yánsè de
  那条船是什么颜色的？
  That "tiao" (of) boat is what color?

(3) When the color is used as the Subject or Object of the sentence, we usually go with the noun, two-character version. For example,

• hóngsè zhēnde hěn hǎokàn
  红色真的很好看。
  (The) Red color (is) really good-looking.
• wǒ zuì bù xǐhuan báisè
  我最不喜欢白色。
  I (do) not like (the) white color (the) most.

(4) When the color is used as the Predicate of the sentence to describe something, we usually go with the adjective, one-character version.

• háizi de liǎn hóng le
  孩子的脸红了。
  (The) kid's face (became) red.
• wàimiàn tiān zhēn hēi
  外面天真黑。
  Outside (the) sky (is) really black(/dark).

(5) When it’s already a set word, where the color is part of the word itself, instead of an attribute to modify it, we usually just use the one-character adjective version. For example,

• bái tóufa
  白头发
  white(/gray) hair
• hēimǐ
  黑米
  black rice
• hóngchá
  红茶
  red(/black) tea
• hóngduì
  红队
  red team

Grammar 2: Reduplication of Adjectives in Chinese · HSK 2

We have learned Reduplication of Verbs before, Adjectives can also be reduplicated. Reduplication of Adjectives are usually expressing a positive attitude on the speaker’s side, it’s usually approving or appreciative. For example,

Grammar 3: Topic-Comment Sentences in Chinese (II) · HSK 2

We have learned Topic-Comment Sentences in Chinese  before. In Chinese when we want to describe a person's look, we usually put what we want to describe at the beginning of the sentence, as the Topic of the sentence, and then make the comment. For example,

And while the following sentences are grammatically correct in Chinese, native speakers usually don't say them:

• Māma yǒu chángcháng de tóufa.
  *妈妈有长长的头发。
  Mom has long-long hair.
• Háizi yǒu hěn xiǎo de liǎn.
  *孩子有很小的脸。
  (The) kid has very small face.