Chinese Phrases

This book examines phrases in Mandarin Chinese as the core components of its grammar, providing a clear framework to resolve long-standing ambiguities in syntactic analysis and deepen understanding of how Chinese sentences function. It systematically explores major phrase structures, including subject-predicate, predicate-object, attributive-head, adverbial-head, predicate-complement, coordinate, pivotal, sequential, reduplicative, and appositive constructions, as well as derived forms. Each chapter details how these phrases are formed, their functions, and their role in creating meaning. Special attention is given to pivotal and sequential phrases, offering practical strategies to distinguish between commonly confused patterns. Additional sections address prepositional phrases, classifier phrases, and de phrases, providing comprehensive coverage of key structures. Combining rigorous linguistic theory with practical insights, the book offers clear structural criteria essential for teaching and advanced study. Illustrative examples and summary tables in each chapter make complex concepts accessible and easy to apply. Designed for Chinese language educators, students, linguists, and general readers, this book requires no prior background in linguistics. Whether for coursework or self-study, it serves as a reliable and practical guide to Chinese grammar.