Auxiliary Words

• 2 Auxiliary Words

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  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.

  Sentence + to come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe (recalling the recent past)

  What was his name again?

  • You met someone at a party last week and can't recall his name.
  • he / him他tāvariant of 叫叫jiàowhat什么shén mename (of a person or thing)名字míng zìto come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe？ — "What was his name again?"

  Question + to come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe = what was it again?

  • to come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe at the end of a sentence asks someone to remind you of something you knew: you你nǐjust now (variant of 刚才)刚才gāng cáivariant of 说说shuōwhat什么shén meto come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe？
  • It refers to the recent past and is very colloquial.

  you你nǐjust now刚才gāng cáisaid说shuōwhat什么shén me(again)来着lái zhe？

  

  Statements too

  • I / me我wǒyesterday昨天zuó tiānstill / also还háito see看见kàn jiàn他来tā lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe。 — "I saw him only yesterday, I'm sure."
  • In statements it recalls a recent event as a reminder or confirmation.

  I我wǒyesterday昨天zuó tiāneven还háisaw看见kàn jiànhim他tā(I recall)来着lái zhe。

  Recent past, spoken only

  • to come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe is for things in the recent past; it cannot describe the future.
  • Do not use it in writing or with (completed / change)了le in the same clause: he / him他tāvariant of 说说shuōwhat什么shén meto come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe, not he / him他tāvariant of 说说shuō(completed / change)了lewhat什么shén meto come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe.

  Versus a plain question

  • he / him他tāvariant of 叫叫jiàowhat什么shén mename (of a person or thing)名字míng zì？ asks for new information.
  • he / him他tāvariant of 叫叫jiàowhat什么shén mename (of a person or thing)名字míng zìto come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe？ admits you knew it and have forgotten.

  he他tāis called叫jiàowhat什么shén mename名字míng zi？

  Recap

  • Question + to come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe = what was it again? (asking to be reminded).
  • Colloquial recollection of an earlier situation. Whether (completed / change)了le also appears depends on the complete sentence; do not use a blanket ban.

  Practise this pattern step by step.

  Practice without the models

  Sentence + to come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe (recalling the recent past)

  0201.1 Complete: “What did you say just now?” you你nǐjust now (variant of 刚才)刚才gāng cáivariant of 说说shuōwhat什么shén me…………？

  0201.2 What does he / him他tāvariant of 叫叫jiàowhat什么shén mename (of a person or thing)名字míng zìto come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe？ suggest?

  • A. The speaker is being formal.
  • B. The speaker never knew the name.
  • C. The speaker knew it but has forgotten.
  • D. The speaker is asking about the future.

  0201.3 Build: “I saw him only yesterday.”

  Arrange all chunks: still / also还háito see看见kàn jiànhe / him他tā / to come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe。 / I / me我wǒyesterday昨天zuó tiān

  0201.4 to come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe suits formal writing.

  True or false? Explain or repair the statement.

  0201.5 You met someone at a party last week and can't recall his name. 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.

  Answers and explanations

  Sentence + to come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe (recalling the recent past)

  0201.1 to come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe

  to come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe = what was it again?

  0201.2 C. The speaker knew it but has forgotten.

  to come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe at the end of a question shows that the speaker once knew the answer but has forgotten it: he / him他tāvariant of 叫叫jiàowhat什么shén mename (of a person or thing)名字míng zìto come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe？ “What was his name again?”

  0201.3 I / me我wǒyesterday昨天zuó tiānstill / also还háito see看见kàn jiàn他来tā lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe。

  Statement + to come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe recalls the recent past.

  0201.4 False.

  False. to come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe is colloquial and belongs in conversation. In formal writing you would simply ask he / him他tāvariant of 叫叫jiàowhat什么shén mename (of a person or thing)名字míng zì？ or restate the information.

  0201.5 One possible response: he / him他tāvariant of 叫叫jiàowhat什么shén mename (of a person or thing)名字míng zìto come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe？

  Check meaning and form:

  • My response conveys a message that fits the opening situation.
  • I can explain the meaning of the pattern, rather than only naming it.
  • to come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe is for things in the recent past; it cannot describe the future.
  • Do not use it in writing or with (completed / change)了le in the same clause: he / him他tāvariant of 说说shuōwhat什么shén meto come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe, not he / him他tāvariant of 说说shuō(completed / change)了lewhat什么shén meto come来lái(ongoing -ing)着zhe.
  • I tried a second response with a name, time, place, or description changed.

  This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.

All topics · HSK 6 Grammar