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Introducing Forms of Existential with“有”

In this video, Dr Li will introduce Forms of Existential with“有”
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Hello. Welcome to my Chinese class. Look, what’s in the handbag? Oh, many things. Bāoli yǒu bǐ shū shǒujī.
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This is the grammar we are going to learn using sentences with Yǒu to show existence. Put simply, it expresses something is present in a specific location. We can say Zhuōzi shang yǒu píngguǒ.
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Píngguǒ pángbiān yǒu xiāngjiāo.
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Xuéxiào lǐbiān yǒu túshūguǎn.
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Túshūguǎn lǐ yǒu xuésheng.
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Have you noticed the structure of this kind of sentence? The subject that shows the location of the sentence object. We usually use the word Yǒu as the main variable of the predicate to indicate something exists or is present in a certain place. In Chinese, it’s called Yǒu zì jù. Now, let’s do some exercises. Please make sentences with Yǒu. Jiàoshì lǐ yǒu shénme Jiàoshì lǐ yǒu hēibǎn.
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Hēibǎn pángbiān yǒu shūjià.
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Shūjià shàng yǒu shū.
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If we want to express that something is not present in a certain place, we can simply add méi before Yǒu For example, Jiàoshì lǐ méiyǒu xuésheng.
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Let’s do some more practise. Please write the negative form of the following sentences. Xuéxiào lǐ yǒu lǎoshī
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Xuéxiào lǐ méiyǒu lǎoshī.
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Gōngyuán lǐ yǒu xióngmāo Gōngyuán lǐ méiyǒu xióngmāo .
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This is the sentence structure. yǒu zì jù location plus yǒu or méi yǒu plus object. Now, let’s listen to our dialogue to end the lesson. XixiZhè shì wǒ de jiàoshì . Ò nǐmen de jiàoshì yǒu zhuōzi yǒu yǐzi. Duìzhuōzi shang yǒu diànnǎo diànnǎo pángbiān yǒu shū . Wāwǒ kěyǐ kànkàn ma Kěyǐ Xièxiè .

In this video we learn to use sentences with “有yǒu” to show existence. Put simply, it expresses “something is present in a specific location”。

This kind of sentence is similar to the sentence structure “There is/are …” in English.

We use the word “有yǒu” as the main verb of the predicate to indicate “something exists or is present in a certain place”.

The structure is: location+有+object.

Some examples:

桌子上有苹果。Zhuōzi shang yǒu píngguǒ. There are apples on the table.

苹果旁边有香蕉。Píngguǒ pángbiān yǒu xiāngjiāo. There are bananas next to the apples.

学校里边有图书馆。Xuéxiào lǐbian yǒu túshūguǎn. There is a library in the school.

图书馆里有学生。Túshūguǎn lǐ yǒu xuésheng. There are students in the library.

The negative form of the “有字句”(sentences with “有”)is:

location+没+有+object

For example:

教室里没有学生. Jiàoshì lǐ méi yǒu xuésheng. There are no students in the classroom.

Can you try to use “有字句”(sentences with “有”)to answer the question“教室里有什么?Are there anything in our classroom?”

The following is Chinese and English Version of Situational Dialogue in the Video:

王小宝:西西,这是我的教室。

西西:哦,你们的教室有桌子、有椅子。

王小宝:对,桌子上有电脑,电脑旁边有书。

西西:哇,我可以看看吗?

王小宝:可以。

西西:谢谢。

Wáng xiǎo bǎo: Xixi , this is my classroom.

Xīxī: Oh, there are desks and chairs in your classroom.

Wáng xiǎo bǎo:Yes, there’s a computer on the desk and books are next to it.

Xīxī: Wow, can I have a look?

Wáng xiǎo bǎo:Sure.

Xīxī:Thanks.

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