Sentence Structures

Question 1

Nǐ chúle hēisè de xié, hái yǒu shénme xié?
你除了黑色的鞋，还有什么鞋？
Wǒ chúle bái chènshān yǐwài, hái yǒu hěn duō yánsè de chènshān.
我除了白衬衫以外，还有很多颜色的衬衫
除了 英语 ，我 也 会 说 法语 和 西班牙语 。
Chúle Yīngyǔ, wǒ yě huì shuō Fǎyǔ hé Xībānyáyǔ.

Answer 1

Used as “in Addition”
除了⋯⋯ (以外), 也/还⋯⋯ is used to express “in addition.” Make a special note of the 也 or 还!

Structure
除了 ⋯⋯ (+ 以外) ，Subj. + 也 / 还 ⋯⋯
In addition to black shoes, what other shoes do you have?
In addition to white shirts, I also have shirts in many colors.
In addition to English, I can also speak French and Spanish.

Question 2

The 是⋯⋯的 (shì… de) construction
While not strictly tied to any “tense,” the 是⋯⋯的 construction is frequently used when asking or telling details about the past.

Answer 2

The 是⋯⋯的 (shì… de) construction is used to draw attention to certain information in a sentence. It’s often used to ask questions that seek specific information, or to explain a situation by emphasizing a particular detail.

Question 3

(Subj.) + Verb / Adj. + 的 时候, ….
你 不 在 的时候，我 会 想 你。
Nǐ bù zài de shíhou, wǒ huì xiǎng nǐ.
我 上 大学 的时候，有 很 多 朋友。
Wǒ shàng dàxué de shíhou, yǒu hěn duō péngyou.

Answer 3

de shihou 的时候 structure

When you are not here, I’ll miss you.
When I was in college, I had a lot of friends.

Question 4

上课 的时候 不要 吃 东西。
Shàngkè de shíhou bùyào chī dōngxi.
老板 工作 的时候 喜欢 喝 咖啡。
Lǎobǎn gōngzuò de shíhou xǐhuan hē kāfēi.
我 生气 的时候，请 你 不要 笑。
Wǒ shēngqì de shíhou, qǐng nǐ bùyào xiào.

Answer 4

Don’t eat when you are in class.
When the boss works, he likes to drink coffee.
Please don’t laugh when I’m angry.

Question 5

妈妈 不 在 家 的时候，我 自己 做饭。
Māma bù zài jiā de shíhou, wǒ zìjǐ zuòfàn.
开会 的时候 不要 聊天。
Kāihuì de shíhou bùyào liáotiān.
吃 东西 的时候 不要 说话。
Chī dōngxi de shíhou bùyào shuōhuà.

Answer 5

When mom is not home, I cook for myself.
Don’t chat when you are in a meeting.
Don’t talk when eating.

Question 6

你 开车 的时候 会 打 电话 吗？
Nǐ kāichē de shíhou huì dǎ diànhuà ma?
走路 的时候 不要 玩手机。
Zǒulù de shíhou bùyào wán shǒujī.

Answer 6

Do you talk on the phone when you’re driving?
Don’t play with your phone while walking.

Question 7

的时候 (de shíhou)

(Subj.) + Verb / Adj. + 的 时候, ….

Answer 7

To talk about events that happened at or during a particular time, 的时候 (de shíhou) is often used. This is simply attached to the word or phrase indicating the time:

Question 8

是⋯⋯的 construction can pick out any detail that’s related to a past event.
昨天 我 去 杭州 了。
Zuótiān wǒ qù Hángzhōu le.
你 是 怎么 去 的 ？
Nǐ shì zěnme qù de?
我 是 坐 火车 去 的 。
Wǒ shì zuò huǒchē qù de.

Whatever comes immediately after 是 is emphasized.

Answer 8

I went to Hangzhou yesterday.
How did you get there?
I took the train there.

Question 9

你 昨天 是 几点 到 的 ？
Nǐ zuótiān shì jǐ diǎn dào de?
你 是 跟 谁 去 的 ？
Nǐ shì gēn shéi qù de?

Answer 9

What time did you arrive yesterday?

Who did you go with?

Question 10

他 是 用 什么 打 你 的 ？
Tā shì yòng shénme dǎ nǐ de?

Answer 10

What did he use to hit you?

Question 11

Subj. + 是 + [Information to be Emphasized] + Verb + 的
你们 是 什么 时候 到 的 ？”
Nǐmen shì shénme shíhou dào de?
我们 是 昨天 到 的 。
Wǒmen shì zuótiān dào de.

Answer 11

We arrived yesterday.
When did you guys arrive?

Question 12

Completed Action
It’s important to note that while the 是⋯⋯的 construction also indicates that an action has been completed, this is not the purpose of a 是⋯⋯的 construction. The completed action part is more like a prerequisite for using 是⋯⋯的.

Question 13

那次 我们 是 用 Skype 开 会 的 。
Nà cì wǒmen shì yòng Skype kāi huì de.
我们 平时 是 用 Skype 开 会 的 。
Wǒmen píngshí shì yòng Skype kāi huì de.

Answer 13

That time we had the meeting by Skype.
We usually have meetings by Skype.

Question 14

你 是 在 哪儿 出生 的 ？
Nǐ shì zài nǎr chūshēng de?
我 是 在 香港 出生 的
Wǒ shì zài Xiānggǎng chūshēng de.
你 骑 自行车 来 的 吗 ？
Nǐ qí zìxíngchē lái de ma?
我 走 来 的 。
Wǒ zǒu lái de.
谁 告诉 你 的 ？
Shéi gàosu nǐ de?

Answer 14

Where were you born?
I was born in Hong Kong.
Did you come by bike?
I came by foot.
Who told you?

Question 15

他们 不是 在 网上 认识 的
Tāmen bù shì zài wǎngshàng rènshi de.
他 不是 跟 我们 一起 去 的
Tā bù shì gēn wǒmen yīqǐ qù de.
我 不 坐 地铁 来 的 。
Wǒ bù zuò dìtiě lái de.
我 不 在 中国 出生 的 。
Wǒ bù zài Zhōngguó chūshēng de.

Answer 15

Negative Form
是⋯⋯的 sentences can only be negated with 不, as 没 can not be used to negate 是. Remember that you need both the 不 and the 是 together to make the correct negative form.
They didn’t meet online.
He didn’t go with us.
I didn’t come by metro.
I wasn’t born in China.

Question 16

一 个 同事 告诉 我 的 。
Yī gè tóngshì gàosu wǒ de.
她 用 邮件 回复 的 吗 ？
Tā yòng yóujiàn huífù de ma?
你们 是 不 是 去年 认识 的 ？
Nǐmen shì bu shì qùnián rènshi de?
这个 东西 多少钱 买 的 ？多少
Zhège dōngxi duōshao qián mǎi de?

Answer 16

A colleague told me.
Did she reply by email?
Did you meet each other last year?
How much did you buy this thing for?

Question 17

除了 他 ，我们 都 去 过 。
Chúle tā , wǒmen dōu qù guo.
除了 白酒 ，别的 酒 他 都 喝 。
Chúle báijiǔ, biéde jiǔ tā dōu hē.
除了 周末 ，老板 每天 都 加班 。
Chúle zhōumò, lǎobǎn měi tiān dōu jiābān.

Answer 17

Used as “Except”
除了⋯⋯ (以外), 都⋯⋯ is a pattern used to express “except.” Make a special note of the 都 (dōu)!

Structure
除了 ⋯⋯ (+ 以外) ，Subj. + 都 ⋯⋯

以外 can be omitted from the pattern without changing its meaning.

Except for him, we’ve all been there.
He drinks all kinds of alcohol except baijiu.
Except for weekends, the boss works overtime every day.