HSK 2Lesson 1 of 13 · 5 grammar points
Word forms and short actions
Location suffixes, reduplication and activity compounds show that word structure influences grammar. A brief action can be softened by reduplication, but this does not license doubling every verb. Possibility with 可能 concerns likelihood, not a learned skill.
Learning goals (5)
- Location suffix 面.
- Left and right.
- Verb reduplication.
- Possibility with 可能.
- Separable activities.
面
Location suffix 面
面 joins position words to form locations such as 前面、后面 and 里面. The reference object can precede the resulting location phrase.
学校前面有一家商店。
There is a shop in front of the school.
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Pitfall: 面 is not added to every noun indiscriminately.
左、右
Left and right
左 and 右 identify relative directions, often with 边 or 面. Specify a reference point when directions would otherwise be ambiguous.
银行在学校左边。
The bank is on the left of the school.
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Pitfall: Left depends on the viewpoint; grammar alone cannot establish that viewpoint.
看看
Verb reduplication
AA and A一A soften or delimit a short action; A了A presents a brief realized action. Suitable disyllabic verbs can use ABAB.
你看看这本书。
Take a look at this book.
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看→看看/看一看; 想→想了想; 讨论→讨论讨论. A了A usually locates a brief realized action, while the other patterns often soften an invitation or request. Do not reduplicate a completed-result compound as though it were an ordinary activity verb.
Pitfall: Not every verb permits reduplication; avoid mechanically doubling states or result compounds.
可能
Possibility with 可能
可能 presents a possibility rather than a learned ability. It can qualify a whole prediction.
他今天可能不来。
He may not come today.
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Pitfall: 可能不来 means possibly not coming; 不可能来 means coming is impossible.
帮忙、游泳、跳舞、跑步
Separable activities
Activity words such as 帮忙、游泳、跳舞 and 跑步 contain internal structure. Add participants using appropriate phrases rather than attaching an extra object blindly.
请帮我一个忙。
Please do me a favor.
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Pitfall: 帮忙我 is not the normal way to say help me.
Source details (official syllabus)
Location suffix 面
- Syllabus item
- 面
- Grammar ID
- grammar-L2-001
- PDF page
- 389 (printed 386)
Left and right
- Syllabus item
- 左、右
- Category
- 方位名词
- Grammar ID
- grammar-L2-002
- PDF page
- 389 (printed 386)
Verb reduplication
- Syllabus item
- AA、A一A、A了A、ABAB
- Category
- 动词重叠
- Grammar ID
- grammar-L2-003
- PDF page
- 389 (printed 386)
Possibility with 可能
- Syllabus item
- 可能
- Category
- 能愿动词
- Grammar ID
- grammar-L2-004
- PDF page
- 389 (printed 386)
Separable activities
- Syllabus item
- 帮忙、游泳、跳舞、跑步
- Category
- 离合词
- Grammar ID
- grammar-L2-005
- PDF page
- 389 (printed 386)
- 1FILL BLANK
学校有一家商店。
Choose the expression that completes the sentence.
“There is a shop in front of the school.”
- 2FILL BLANK
请。
Choose the expression that completes the sentence.
“Please do me a favor.”
- 3MATCH
Tap a sentence, then tap its meaning.
Tap a sentence, then tap its meaning.
- 4CHOOSE
Choose a softened request to take a look.
- 5CHOOSE
A：这本书怎么样？ B：你先看看吧。What does 看看 contribute?
- 6ORDER
Tap the chunks to build the sentence.
“There is a shop in front of the school.”
Tap the chunks in order. - 7ORDER
Tap the chunks to build the sentence.
“The bank is on the left of the school.”
Tap the chunks in order.
0 of 7 tasks answered.
Next lesson: Reasons, reference and vivid description →面Location suffix 面
- 晚上，我读到一个女人上火车的地方，想不起来她前面说过什么，又去看前面几页。 The Borrowed Book · HSK 3
- 服务员检查了一下，在门后面找到了我的伞。 Looking for an Umbrella at the Train Station · HSK 3
- 我说：“我和你一起找。那是操场，前面是办公室。” A New Classmate Looks for the Classroom · HSK 2
左、右Left and right
- 服务员说：“在左边，那里有很多孩子的书。” The New Library · HSK 2
看看Verb reduplication
- 弟弟进来，看了看，笑着说：“这个房间比以前那个房间更亮，也更舒服。” A New Room on the Third Floor · HSK 3
- 我想了想，对他说：“今天不去了，对不起。” Skipping a Swim Today · HSK 3
- 老师看了看电脑，说可以，又告诉我下次在手机上也能办，不用再跑过来。 The Borrowed Book · HSK 3
帮忙、游泳、跳舞、跑步Separable activities
- 我们一起唱歌、跳舞。 My Birthday · HSK 2
- 我们在操场上跑步，也做运动。 Morning Exercises at School · HSK 2
- 我早上跑步。 I Like Running · HSK 2