Shanghainese/Grammar

Parts of Speech

Tag	Part of Speech	Example
<n>	Noun	家<n> ↔ 家
<prn>	Pronoun	我<prn><pers><p1><sg> ↔ 我
<v>	Verb	吃<v> ↔ 吃
<vaux>	Auxiliary Verb	要<vaux> ↔ 要
<adj>	Adjective	黄<adj> ↔ 黄
<adv>	Adverb	很<adv> ↔ 很
<cls>	Classifier	个<cls> ↔ 个
<part>	Particle	吧<part> ↔ 吧
<pr>	Adposition	在<pr> ↔ 在
<cnjcoo>	Conjunction	和<cnjcoo> ↔ 和
<det>	Determiner	搿<det> ↔ 搿

Pronouns

Personal pronouns are distinguished by person (1st, 2nd, 3rd) and number (singular, plural).

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	我<prn><pers><p1><sg> ↔ 我	吾拉<prn><pers><p1><pl> ↔ 吾拉
2nd	侬<prn><pers><p2><sg> ↔ 侬	侬拉<prn><pers><p2><pl> ↔ 侬拉
3rd	其<prn><pers><p3><sg> ↔ 其	其拉<prn><pers><p3><pl> ↔ 其拉

Reflexive pronouns are formed by adding 自家 to a pronoun. 自家 is also itself a reflexive pronoun (自家<prn><ref> ↔ 自家).

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	我<prn><pers><p1><sg><ref> ↔ 我自家	吾拉<prn><pers><p1><pl><ref> ↔ 吾拉自家
2nd	侬<prn><pers><p2><sg><ref> ↔ 侬自家	侬拉<prn><pers><p2><pl><ref> ↔ 侬拉自家
3rd	其<prn><pers><p3><sg><ref> ↔ 其自家	其拉<prn><pers><p3><pl><ref> ↔ 其拉自家

Possessive pronouns are formed by adding the suffix 个 to a pronoun.

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	我<prn><pers><p1><sg><pos> ↔ 我个	吾拉<prn><pers><p1><pl><pos> ↔ 吾拉个
2nd	侬<prn><pers><p2><sg><pos> ↔ 侬个	侬拉<prn><pers><p2><pl><pos> ↔ 侬拉个
3rd	其<prn><pers><p3><sg><pos> ↔ 其个	其拉<prn><pers><p3><pl><pos> ↔ 其拉个

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	我<prn><pers><p1><sg><ref><pos> ↔ 我自家个	吾拉<prn><pers><p1><pl><ref><pos> ↔ 吾拉自家个
2nd	侬<prn><pers><p2><sg><ref><pos> ↔ 侬自家个	侬拉<prn><pers><p2><pl><ref><pos> ↔ 侬拉自家个
3rd	其<prn><pers><p3><sg><ref><pos> ↔ 其自家个	其拉<prn><pers><p3><pl><ref><pos> ↔ 其拉自家个

Reduplication

Noun Reduplication

Nouns are reduplicated to form diminutives, which may be used to express endearment or for "baby talk".

• 虫<n><dim> ↔ 虫虫 ("bug")
• 花<n><dim> ↔ 花花 ("flower")
• 粥<n><dim> ↔ 粥粥 ("porridge")

Certain nouns can also be reduplicated to form the meaning of "every":

• 天<n><all> ↔ 天天 ("day" → "everyday")
• 人<n><all> ↔ 人人 ("person" → "everyone")
• 家<n><all> ↔ 家家 ("family" → "every family")

Classifier Reduplication

Similar to the certain nouns that are reduplicated, classifiers can be reduplicated to mean "all/every":

• 本<cls><all> ↔ 本本
• 只<cls><all> ↔ 只只

Classifiers can also be reduplicated using the compound 'one-<cls>', as 'one-<cls>-one-<cls>' to express the meaning "one by one":

• 一个<cls><all> ↔ 一个一个 ("one" → "one by one")
• 一碗<cls><all> ↔ 一碗一碗 ("bowl" → "one bowl after another")

Verb Reduplication

The purpose of verb reduplication is to lessen the tension of an action, express temptation for an action, or make a softer tone for a request. This is usually the case for transitive verbs. If the object of the reduplicated verb is indefinite, the construction can also express a continual or repeated action.

• 帮<v><casual> ↔ 帮帮 ("help" → "help a little")
• 做<v><casual> ↔ 做做 ("do" → "do some")
• 揩<v><casual> ↔ 揩揩 ("wipe")
• 扫<v><casual> ↔ 扫扫 ("sweep")
• 咪<v><casual> ↔ 咪咪 ("sip")

Disyllabic verbs 'XY' are reduplicated in the form 'XYXY':

• 体验<v><casual> ↔ 体验体验 ("experience")
• 帮助<v><casual> ↔ 帮助帮助 ("help")

Adjective Reduplication

Monosyllabic adjectives can be reduplicated to carry the meaning of intensified degree:

• 好<adj><intense> ↔ 好好 ("good" → "very good")
• 明<adj><intense> ↔ 明明 ("clear" → "apparently")
• 轻<adj><intense> ↔ 轻轻 ("light" → "gently/softly")
• 毛<adj><intense> ↔ 毛毛 ("rough" → "roughly")
• 慢<adj><intense> ↔ 慢慢 ("slow" → "slowly/don't hurry")

Most (though not all) disyllabic adjectives can also reduplicated to carry the meaning of intensified degree. A disyllabic adjective may be a monosyllabic adjective combined with a modifier, for example, 漆黑 "pitch black", which is a combination of 漆 "pitch" and 黑 "black". A disyllabic adjective may also be a singular morpheme.

Disyllabic adjectival compounds of Modifier-Adjective structure can be reduplicated in the form ABAB (fully reduplicated) or AAB (partially reduplicated).

• ABAB
  • 锃亮<adj><intense> ↔ 锃亮锃亮 ("shining bright")
  • 煞齐<adj><intense> ↔ 煞齐煞齐 ("in alignment")
  • 煞清<adj><intense> ↔ 煞清煞清 ("clear")
  • 漆黑<adj><intense> ↔ 漆黑漆黑 ("pitch black")
  • 蜡黄<adj><intense> ↔ 蜡黄蜡黄 ("wax-yellow")

• AAB
  • 锃亮<adj><intense> ↔ 锃锃亮 ("shining bright")
  • 煞齐<adj><intense> ↔ 煞煞齐 ("in alignment")
  • 煞清<adj><intense> ↔ 煞煞清 ("clear")
  • 漆黑<adj><intense> ↔ 漆漆黑 ("pitch black")
  • 蜡黄<adj><intense> ↔ 蜡蜡黄 ("wax-yellow")

Most disyllabic adjectives which are singular morphemes can be reduplicated in the form AABB (fully reduplicated) or ABB (partially reduplicated). Some, such as 实惠 "affordable" and 交关 "many" can only be fully reduplicated; and some, such as 老茄 "arrogant" and 油腻 "greasy", cannot be reduplicated in either way.

• AABB
  • 实惠<adj><intense> ↔ 实实惠惠 ("affordable")
  • 交关<adj><intense> ↔ 交交关关 ("many")
  • 空荡<adj><intense> ↔ 空空荡荡 ("empty")
  • 甜蜜<adj><intense> ↔ 甜甜蜜蜜 ("sweet")

• ABB
  • 空荡<adj><intense> ↔ 空荡荡 ("empty")
  • 甜蜜<adj><intense> ↔ 甜蜜蜜 ("sweet")

There are also some adjectives such as 慢吞吞 "slow" and 软冬冬 "soft" which look like reduplicated forms. However, 慢吞 and 软冬 are not acceptable words. So, these words are better analysed as trisyllabic.

There are also some special forms of reduplication:

Derogatory adjectives can undergo the A里AB reduplication form. This is the process of reduplicating the first syllable and adding an infix -里-:

• 郁塞<adj><intense> ↔ 郁里郁塞 ("depressed")
• 尴尬<adj><intense> ↔ 尴里尴尬 ("embarrassed")

Other derogatory adjectives may take the ABAC form, mixing reduplication and syntactic compounding. A is a monosyllabic adjective and BC usually consists of a co-ordinating noun; B and C are usually a pair of synonyms or parallel morphemes:

• 快手快脚<adj> ↔ 快手快脚 ("fast")
• 老三老四<adj> ↔ 老三老四 ("snobbish")
• 怪头怪脑<adj> ↔ 怪头怪脑 ("weird")
• 大头大脑<adj> ↔ 大头大脑 ("big head")