3 ms·
Is not the "grammar" you refer the largely loose particles because of the lack of formal grammar, rather than the reverse? If so, I standby my original statemen
by Jd 16y ago
Is not the "grammar" you refer the largely loose particles because of the lack of formal grammar, rather than the reverse? If so, I standby my original statement that the grammar (meaning formal grammar) is trivial.
Why not give an example of a grammar point that you think I am missing?
- tokenadult 16y agoI've already cited books in this thread, and they list dozens of features of Modern Standard Chinese grammar that are confusing even to speakers of other Sinitic languages. An example I often bring up to English speakers who are learning Chinese is that they have to learn that the Chinese verbal system is based on aspect http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatical_aspect http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatical_aspect rather than on tense. Many native English speakers misspeak Chinese as a second language because they struggle to impose their sense of tense on a tenseless language, and meanwhile get Chinese aspect marking all wrong. That can lead to misunderstandings in either direction, as my extensive acquaintance with persons who speak both languages often shows.
- Jd 16y agoAspect is trivial.