Difference between revisions of "Latin and Mandarin Chinese/Contrastive Grammar"

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===Use of the verb 'to be'===
 
===Use of the verb 'to be'===
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Latin and Mandarin Chinese both have a verb 'to be' but use it in different contexts. Latin uses this verb in more situations than Chinese; for instance, forms of the Latin verb ''esse'' can be used to link a noun to an adjective, a predicate noun, and even helps form certain definite verbs from its present tense forms and a participle (acting as a copula). Chinese uses its form of this verb, XXX, only to link a noun to a predicate noun (with some exceptions); otherwise a verb is not necessary to link nouns to adjectives.
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Example sentences:
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Jamus et Maria in horto sunt.
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小明和小红在花园里面。
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James and Mary are in the garden.
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Jamus puer parvus est.
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小明是一个小男孩。
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James is a small boy.
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Tempestas pulchra est hodie, admodum calda est.
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今天天气好，很暖。
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The weather is nice today, and it is very warm.
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===Word order===
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Latin generally follows a subject-object-verb word order, with exceptions for most poetry, and is a highly inflected language (hence the flexible word order). Chinese has a subject-verb-object word order and is highly uninflected (hence the inflexible word order).
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Maria matrem suam post fenestram adspicit, mater sua ridet.
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小红看着在屋子里面的妈妈。妈妈正在笑
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Mary sees her mother behind the window, and her mother laughs.
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Tum etiam manus parvus videt et cum appropinquat etiam caput suum videt!
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她看到了一只手， 走近了一点儿，看到了他！
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Then she saw a little hand and when she came closer even his own head!
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===Possession===
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Latin forms possessive relationships between nouns with a genitive form of the possessing noun; Chinese forms possessive relationships between nouns with a particle, XXX, that connects the possession to the possessing noun.
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===Adverbs===
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While both Latin and Chinese have adverbs that describe the performance of a verb, Chinese can also form its adverbs through the complement: the use of a particle, XXXX, with a following adjective. Latin can form an adverb from an adjective using inflection, which it does with most regular adjectives.
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Nunc id bene audire potest.
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她现在听得很清楚了。
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Now she is able to hear it clearly.
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Auscultat diligenter.
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她仔细地听。
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She listens carefully.
  
 
==lat-zho-tests==
 
==lat-zho-tests==
  
 
==zho-lat-tests==
 
==zho-lat-tests==

Revision as of 22:46, 26 March 2018

Differences between Latin and Mandarin Chinese

Use of the verb 'to be'

Latin and Mandarin Chinese both have a verb 'to be' but use it in different contexts. Latin uses this verb in more situations than Chinese; for instance, forms of the Latin verb esse can be used to link a noun to an adjective, a predicate noun, and even helps form certain definite verbs from its present tense forms and a participle (acting as a copula). Chinese uses its form of this verb, XXX, only to link a noun to a predicate noun (with some exceptions); otherwise a verb is not necessary to link nouns to adjectives.

Example sentences: 

Jamus et Maria in horto sunt. 
小明和小红在花园里面。
James and Mary are in the garden.

Jamus puer parvus est.
小明是一个小男孩。
James is a small boy.

Tempestas pulchra est hodie, admodum calda est.
今天天气好，很暖。
The weather is nice today, and it is very warm.

Word order

Latin generally follows a subject-object-verb word order, with exceptions for most poetry, and is a highly inflected language (hence the flexible word order). Chinese has a subject-verb-object word order and is highly uninflected (hence the inflexible word order). 

Maria matrem suam post fenestram adspicit, mater sua ridet.
小红看着在屋子里面的妈妈。妈妈正在笑
Mary sees her mother behind the window, and her mother laughs.

Tum etiam manus parvus videt et cum appropinquat etiam caput suum videt!
她看到了一只手， 走近了一点儿，看到了他！
Then she saw a little hand and when she came closer even his own head!

Possession

Latin forms possessive relationships between nouns with a genitive form of the possessing noun; Chinese forms possessive relationships between nouns with a particle, XXX, that connects the possession to the possessing noun.


Adverbs

While both Latin and Chinese have adverbs that describe the performance of a verb, Chinese can also form its adverbs through the complement: the use of a particle, XXXX, with a following adjective. Latin can form an adverb from an adjective using inflection, which it does with most regular adjectives. 

Nunc id bene audire potest.
她现在听得很清楚了。
Now she is able to hear it clearly.

Auscultat diligenter.
她仔细地听。
She listens carefully.

lat-zho-tests

zho-lat-tests

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