RealHSK

HSK 2Lesson 10 of 13 · 5 grammar points

Choice, commands and presented states

Use 还是 when genuinely offering a choice. Distinguish commands from statements, identification from measurement, and a state presented at a location from a straightforward action report. These constructions organize both meaning and information flow.

Learning goals (5)
  • Choice questions.
  • Negative commands.
  • Descriptive identity with 是.
  • Reaching a measure with 有.
  • Existence of a maintained state.

还是

Choice questions

Use 还是 to offer alternatives in a direct choice question.

你喝茶还是喝咖啡？

Nǐ hē chá hái shì hē kā fēi?

Will you have tea or coffee?

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Pitfall: An ordinary choice question does not also need 吗.

别

Negative commands

别 introduces a prohibition or request to stop. Add a reason or 请 when appropriate to the relationship.

别说话。

Bié shuō huà.

Don't talk.

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Pitfall: 别说话 is a command; 没说话 reports that speaking did not occur.

表示说明或特征

Descriptive identity with 是

是 can identify defining properties through a noun-like phrase, including a 的 phrase describing material or color.

这件衣服是红色的。

Zhè jiàn yī fu shì hóng sè de.

This item of clothing is red.

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Pitfall: This does not license inserting 是 before every bare adjective.

表示达到

Reaching a measure with 有

有 can state that something reaches an amount or extent, often with an adjective or measurement expression.

这条鱼有两斤重。

Zhè tiáo yú yǒu liǎng jīn zhòng.

This fish weighs two jin.

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Pitfall: This 有 measures extent rather than possession of two separate objects.

挂着

Existence of a maintained state

Place+verb+着+noun presents something at a location in a particular state.

墙上挂着一张照片。

Qiáng shàng guà zhe yī zhāng zhào piān.

A photograph hangs on the wall.

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Pitfall: The location comes first; the introduced object follows the state predicate.

Source details (official syllabus)

  • Choice questions

    Syllabus item
    用“还是”连接的选择问句
    Category
    疑问句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L2-056
    PDF page
    390 (printed 387)

  • Negative commands

    Syllabus item
    用“别”的祈使句
    Category
    祈使句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L2-057
    PDF page
    390 (printed 387)

  • Descriptive identity with 是

    Syllabus item
    表示说明或特征
    Category
    “是”字句2
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L2-058
    PDF page
    390 (printed 387)

  • Reaching a measure with 有

    Syllabus item
    表示达到
    Category
    “有”字句2
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L2-059
    PDF page
    390 (printed 387)

  • Existence of a maintained state

    Syllabus item
    处所+动词+着(+数量短语)+名词
    Category
    存现句2
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L2-060
    PDF page
    390 (printed 387)