Level 3 Lesson 18.2 – 墙上一共只挂着一副画。

GRAMMAR

Grammar 1. 存在句

Cúnzài Jù▸Existential Sentences

We have learned Existential Sentences with 有 before, in Existential Sentences with 有, we follow this structure:

Somewhere + 有 + Something/Someone

Here "有" means "to exist", so Existential Sentences with 有 tell us that: something or someone "exists" in/on/at some place.

In today's lesson we'll learn another type of Existential Sentence, we follow this structure:

Somewhere + v. + Something/Someone

This type of Existential Sentences also indicate that someone or something "exists" in/on/at some place.  But we use a specific verb to tells us more information about in what way or in what manner the item or person exist in that place.

For example,

Chuán shang kěyǐ zuò liù ge rén.
船上可以坐六个人。
(There) can (be) six “ge” (of) people “sit” (on the) boat-surface.

Usually the verbs are followed by Particles 着, 了, 过 indicates the Aspect of the Verb:

Somewhere + v.着 / v.了 / v.过 + Something/Someone

For example,

• Bīngxiāng li fàng zhe yì bēi pútaozhī.
  冰箱里放着一杯葡萄汁。
  (There is) one cup (of) grape-juice “being putting” (in the) inside (of the) refrigerator. [ ㊟ the juice is being put there at the moment, because 着 indicates “in progress and continuing”]
• Nàbiān zhàn le yí wèi niánqīng de ’āyí.
  那边站了一位年轻的阿姨。
  (There is) one “wei” (of) young auntie “having been standing” (over) there. [ ㊟ as opposed to no one sitting there, because 了 indicates the completion of an action/event]
• Zhè miàn qiáng shang guà guo yì fú huà.
  这面墙上挂过一幅画。
  (There used to be) one “fu” (of) painting “(once) was hung” (on) this “mian ”(/surface) (of the) wall-surface. [㊟ the painting is not hanging there anymore, because 过 indicates “something ever happened before”]