Mandarin relative clauses 2 (Specific Languages) Language Learning Forum

Mandarin relative clauses 2
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Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages

12 messages over 2 pages: 1 2

neverending
Newbie
United Kingdom
Joined 4636 days ago
2 posts - 8 votes
Speaks: English*
Studies: Mandarin

Message 9 of 12

17 March 2012 at 11:25pm | IP Logged

MäcØSŸ wrote:

Kevin Hsu wrote:

I'm not so sure about how a main-lander might say
it, but as a Taiwanese I find these
three:

"他用來吃飯的筷子在桌(子)上"
"他吃飯用的筷子在桌(子)上"
"他剛才用的筷子在桌(子)上"

the most natural.

*Use 飯 instead of 米, because 米 means uncooked rice rather than cooked rice(which I
assume is your intended meaning?)
**子 is optional

I wonder, what’s the function of 来 in the first sentence?

According to my dictionary 用来 is a disyllabic verb - "to be used for".
3 persons have voted this message useful

viedums
Hexaglot
Senior Member
Thailand
Joined 4667 days ago
327 posts - 528 votes

Speaks: Latvian, English*, German, Mandarin, Thai, French
Studies: Vietnamese

Message 10 of 12

18 March 2012 at 3:15am | IP Logged

Perhaps 來 in the first sentence is a verb complement giving the meaning "the chopsticks he had (just) been using", the equivalent of 剛才 in sentence three. It may also sound better to have two syllables there. Another possibility is that it's a Taiwan Mandarin idiosyncrasy, seeing that Kevin made these suggestions "as a Taiwanese". That is not to imply that it's in any way sub-standard, though.

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vermillon
Triglot
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United Kingdom
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Speaks: French*, English^C2, Mandarin
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Message 11 of 12

18 March 2012 at 6:45am | IP Logged

I can't explain my use of 来, but I also suggested it (though not in conjunction with 用) and I've never studied in Taiwan. I think it's quite common, but as too many things in Mandarin for me, it's more a feel than a rule I've learnt.
1 person has voted this message useful

Ari
Heptaglot
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Norway
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Speaks: Swedish*, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese
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Message 12 of 12

18 March 2012 at 7:46am | IP Logged

用x來y is simply how you say "to use x to do y". Or one can put them together, in which case it behaves like a
disyllabic verb, as neverending said.

I you're learning Mandarin and travel to China or Taiwan, you're gonna need the phrase "這是用來幹/做甚麼
的?", meaning "What's this used for?".

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