Nouns

Original teaching practice. Read one pattern, cover its model and try the questions before checking the separate answer section. Examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA) retain the course-reference provenance.

root本běn + Noun (this / our / one's own)

This shop, our school

• A notice at a shop door announces new opening hours.
• 本店běn diàntime of business营业时间yíng yè shí jiānfor为wèiearly morning早上zǎo shàng九点jiǔ diǎnto / arrive到dàoevening晚上wǎn shàng十点shí diǎn。 – "This shop's opening hours are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m."

root本běn + noun = this / our (formal)

• root本běn refers to the speaker's own place or organisation in formal notices: 本店běn diàn (this shop), 本校běn xiào (this school), root本běncompany公司gōng sī (our company).
• With time words it means "this, the current": 本周běn zhōu (this week), this month本月běn yuè, 本次běn cì.

this week本周běn zhōuFriday五wǔpower cut停电tíng diàn。

One's own

• I本人běn rén = I myself, the person concerned: to need需要xū yàoI本人běn rénto sign (one's name)签字qiān zì – "Requires the signature of the person themselves."
• local本地běn dì = local: native person (of a country)本地人běn dì rén, local本地běn dìvegetable菜cài.

requires需要xū yàothe person themself本人běn rénto sign签字qiān zì。

Formal register

• 本店běn diàn / 本校běn xiào belong to notices and announcements; in conversation, say we / us我们wǒ meninn店diàn / we / us我们wǒ menschool学校xué xiào.
• root本běn + noun needs no (modifier / structural particle)的de or measure word: root本běncompany公司gōng sī, not 本个běn gècompany公司gōng sī.

root本běn the measure word

• root本běn is also the measure word for books: one / a一yī本书běn shū.
• Before an organisation or time word, it means "this / our".

I我wǒbought买mǎi了lea一本yì běnbook书shū。

Recap

• root本běn + noun = this / our / one's own (formal): 本店běn diàn, 本校běn xiào, 本周běn zhōu, I本人běn rén, local本地běn dì.
• Speech prefers we / us我们wǒ men…; root本běn is also the book measure word.

Practise this pattern step by step.

Word + nature性xìng (-ness / -ity)

How safe is it?

• A report compares two electric cars on several qualities.
• this这zhèsection款kuǎnwar chariot (archaic)车chē(modifier / structural particle)的desecurity安全性ān quán xìngdegree / adjective linker很hěnhigh高gāo。 – "This car's safety is very high."

Word + nature性xìng = -ness, -ity

• nature性xìng turns a word into an abstract quality noun: safe安全ān quán → security安全性ān quán xìng (safety), important重要zhòng yào → importance重要性zhòng yào xìng (importance), maybe / possible可能kě néng → possibility可能性kě néng xìng (possibility).
• It is common in formal writing, reports and science.

this matter's这件事zhè jiàn shì的deimportance重要性zhòng yào xìng。

Describing and comparing qualities

• to rain下雨xià yǔ(modifier / structural particle)的depossibility可能性kě néng xìng很大hěn dà。 – "The chance of rain is high."
• this这个zhè geto work工作gōng zuò(modifier / structural particle)的deflexibility灵活性líng huó xìngfairly / rather比较bǐ jiàovariant of 强强qiáng。 – "This job is fairly flexible."

rain下雨xià yǔ的depossibility可能性kě néng xìngvery很hěnbig大dà。

A noun, not an adjective

• Word + nature性xìng is a noun: describe it with high高gāo / see 大夫大dà / variant of 强强qiáng: security安全性ān quán xìngdegree / adjective linker很hěnhigh高gāo, not degree / adjective linker很hěnsecurity安全性ān quán xìng.
• Not every word takes nature性xìng; learn the common ones: zeal积极性jī jí xìng, importance重要性zhòng yào xìng, necessity必要性bì yào xìng, possibility可能性kě néng xìng.

nature性xìng versus to estimate度dù

• to estimate度dù also forms quality nouns, often measurable: speed速度sù dù (speed), degree of difficulty难度nán dù (difficulty), temperature温度wēn dù (temperature).
• nature性xìng is for abstract properties: security安全性ān quán xìng, necessity必要性bì yào xìng.

this这zhè(measure word)道dàoquestion题tí的dedifficulty难度nán dùvery很hěnhigh大dà。

Recap

• Word + nature性xìng = an abstract quality noun (security安全性ān quán xìng, importance重要性zhòng yào xìng, possibility可能性kě néng xìng); describe it with high高gāo / see 大夫大dà / variant of 强强qiáng.
• to estimate度dù forms measurable qualities (speed速度sù dù, degree of difficulty难度nán dù).

Practise this pattern step by step.

Practice without the models

Choose a pattern, cover its teaching examples, and attempt its questions. Use the labels to find feedback in the separate key.

root本běn + Noun (this / our / one's own)

0401.1 Complete the notice: “This shop is closed on Mondays.” …………inn店diànMonday周一zhōu yīrest休息xiū xī。

0401.2 Which suits casual conversation?

• A. we / us我们wǒ menschool学校xué xiào(modifier / structural particle)的deteacher老师lǎo shīdegree / adjective linker很hěngood好hǎo。
• B. 本个běn gèschool学校xué xiào(modifier / structural particle)的deteacher老师lǎo shīdegree / adjective linker很hěngood好hǎo。
• C. 本校běn xiào(modifier / structural particle)的deteacher老师lǎo shīdegree / adjective linker很hěngood好hǎo。
• D. root本běn(modifier / structural particle)的deschool学校xué xiàoteacher老师lǎo shīdegree / adjective linker很hěngood好hǎo。

0401.3 Match each word to its meaning.

• 1. 本周běn zhōu
• 2. I本人běn rén
• 3. local本地běn dì
• 4. root本běncompany公司gōng sī

• A. this week

• B. local

• C. our company

• D. the person themself

0401.4 In one / a一yī本书běn shū, root本běn means “this”.

True or false? Explain or repair the statement.

0401.5 A notice at a shop door announces new opening hours. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

Word + nature性xìng (-ness / -ity)

0402.1 Complete: “the importance of this matter” 这件zhè jiànmatter事shì(modifier / structural particle)的deimportant重要zhòng yào…………

0402.2 Which is correct?

• A. this这zhèsection款kuǎnwar chariot (archaic)车chēdegree / adjective linker很hěnsecurity安全性ān quán xìng。
• B. this这zhèsection款kuǎnwar chariot (archaic)车chē(modifier / structural particle)的desecurity安全性ān quán xìngdegree / adjective linker很hěnhigh高gāo。
• C. this这zhèsection款kuǎnwar chariot (archaic)车chēsecurity安全性ān quán xìng(modifier / structural particle)的dedegree / adjective linker很hěn。
• D. this这zhèsection款kuǎnwar chariot (archaic)车chē(modifier / structural particle)的desafe安全ān quán很性hěn xìng。

0402.3 Match each word to its meaning.

• 1. possibility可能性kě néng xìng
• 2. necessity必要性bì yào xìng
• 3. degree of difficulty难度nán dù
• 4. speed速度sù dù

• A. speed

• B. difficulty

• C. possibility

• D. necessity

0402.4 to rain下雨xià yǔ(modifier / structural particle)的depossibility可能性kě néng xìng很大hěn dà means “rain is very likely”.

True or false? Explain or repair the statement.

0402.5 A report compares two electric cars on several qualities. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

A fresh situation

R1. Interpret and repair. A learner sees 本校běn xiào and thinks root本běn must be a measure word for books. Explain the contextual role.

R2. Use it yourself. Write a formal notice using root本běn and describe the importance of a quality using nature性xìng.

Write your responses before opening the key. Compare meaning as well as form; a different valid answer need not copy the model.