duǎnyǔ: 短语 - Phrase, Short Phrase

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• Summary: In Mandarin Chinese, 短语 (duǎnyǔ) is the essential term for a “phrase”—a group of words that functions as a single grammatical unit. Understanding what a `duǎnyǔ` is and how it works is fundamental to mastering Chinese grammar and building sentences that sound natural. This page breaks down the meaning of `duǎnyǔ`, how it differs from words and full sentences, and how you'll encounter it in your studies, providing clear examples to help you grasp this core concept of the Chinese language.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): duǎnyǔ
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: N/A (Grammatical Term)
• Concise Definition: A group of two or more words that functions as a grammatical unit within a sentence but does not express a complete thought.
• In a Nutshell: `短语` is the Chinese word for “phrase.” It's a building block of language, bigger than a single word (词) but smaller than a complete sentence (句子). Think of phrases as pre-built components for your sentences. For example, “a very tall person” (一个很高的人) is a `短语`. Learning to recognize and use different types of `短语` is a key step to moving beyond simple, choppy sentences and into more complex, fluent expression.

• 短 (duǎn): This character means “short,” “brief,” or “lacking.” It's the opposite of 长 (cháng), which means “long.”
• 语 (yǔ): This character relates to “language,” “speech,” or “words.” You see it in common words like 语言 (yǔyán - language) and 汉语 (hànyǔ - the Chinese language).
• Together, 短语 (duǎnyǔ) literally translates to “short words” or “short speech.” This perfectly captures the concept of a phrase: a short, incomplete segment of language that is used to build a longer, complete sentence.

While `短语` is a linguistic term rather than a cultural one, its role in the Chinese language highlights a key aspect of how the language is structured and taught. Chinese grammar, like English, is hierarchical: `汉字 (hànzì) → 词 (cí) → 短语 (duǎnyǔ) → 句子 (jùzi)` (Characters → Words → Phrases → Sentences) For learners, understanding `短语` is crucial because Chinese sentence structure can be quite different from English. Word order within phrases is often very rigid. For example, in Chinese, all descriptive information (adjectives, other phrases) comes before the noun it describes.

• English: The book on the table.
• Chinese: 在桌子上的书 (zài zhuōzi shàng de shū) - Literally: “on the table's book”

Recognizing “在桌子上” (on the table) as a prepositional `短语` that must precede the noun “书” (book) is a fundamental skill. In Western language learning, we talk about noun phrases, verb phrases, etc., and the concept is identical in Chinese. Mastering `短语` is the gateway to understanding and producing correct Chinese syntax.

You will encounter the word `短语` almost exclusively in a language-learning or academic context.

• In the Classroom: Your teacher will use this word constantly. They might say, “请用这个短语造句” (qǐng yòng zhège duǎnyǔ zàojù), meaning “Please use this phrase to make a sentence.” Or, “这是一个固定短语” (zhè shì yí ge gùdìng duǎnyǔ), meaning “This is a fixed phrase.”
• In Textbooks: Grammar explanations in Chinese textbooks are built around analyzing different types of `短语` (e.g., noun phrases, verb-object phrases).
• In Dictionaries: Dictionaries often list common and useful `短语` under the entry for a single character or word to show how it's typically used.
• In Everyday Conversation: It's uncommon for native speakers to discuss `短语` in daily chat, unless they are talking specifically about language, learning, or correcting someone's speech.

• Example 1:
  • 老师，这个短语是什么意思？
  • Pinyin: Lǎoshī, zhège duǎnyǔ shì shénme yìsi?
  • English: Teacher, what does this phrase mean?
  • Analysis: A classic classroom question. A student is asking for the definition of a specific phrase they have encountered.
• Example 2:
  • “画蛇添足”是一个非常有名的成语，也是一种固定短语。
  • Pinyin: “Huàshétiānzú” shì yí ge fēicháng yǒumíng de chéngyǔ, yě shì yì zhǒng gùdìng duǎnyǔ.
  • English: “Drawing a snake and adding feet” is a very famous idiom, and it's also a type of fixed phrase.
  • Analysis: This sentence shows the relationship between `成语` (idioms) and `短语`. All idioms are a type of phrase.
• Example 3:
  • 你应该多记一些有用的短语来提高你的口语。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ yīnggāi duō jì yìxiē yǒuyòng de duǎnyǔ lái tígāo nǐ de kǒuyǔ.
  • English: You should memorize more useful phrases to improve your spoken Chinese.
  • Analysis: This gives practical advice to a language learner, highlighting the importance of learning phrases, not just single words.
• Example 4:
  • 在中文里，“红色的苹果”是一个名词短语。
  • Pinyin: Zài Zhōngwén lǐ, “hóngsè de píngguǒ” shì yí ge míngcí duǎnyǔ.
  • English: In Chinese, “red apple” is a noun phrase.
  • Analysis: This is a typical grammatical explanation, identifying the type of phrase. `名词 (míngcí)` means “noun.”
• Example 5:
  • 这个短语的结构有点复杂，我们来分析一下。
  • Pinyin: Zhège duǎnyǔ de jiégòu yǒudiǎn fùzá, wǒmen lái fēnxī yíxià.
  • English: The structure of this phrase is a bit complex, let's analyze it.
  • Analysis: Used by a teacher or in a textbook to introduce a grammatical deep-dive into a specific phrase.
• Example 6:
  • 他说话总是用一些很奇怪的短语。
  • Pinyin: Tā shuōhuà zǒngshì yòng yìxiē hěn qíguài de duǎnyǔ.
  • English: He always uses some very strange phrases when he speaks.
  • Analysis: This shows how `短语` can be used in a more general, non-academic context to describe someone's way of speaking.
• Example 7:
  • “吃饭” 是一个动宾短语，“吃”是动词，“饭”是宾语。
  • Pinyin: “Chīfàn” shì yí ge dòng-bīn duǎnyǔ, “chī” shì dòngcí, “fàn” shì bīnyǔ.
  • English: “To eat a meal” is a verb-object phrase, “eat” is the verb, and “meal” is the object.
  • Analysis: A clear example of grammatical analysis that a learner will encounter. `动宾 (dòng-bīn)` literally means “verb-object.”
• Example 8:
  • 我在书上看到了这个短语，但是不知道怎么用。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zài shū shàng kàndào le zhège duǎnyǔ, dànshì bù zhīdào zěnme yòng.
  • English: I saw this phrase in the book, but I don't know how to use it.
  • Analysis: A common situation for a language learner, expressing difficulty with practical application.
• Example 9:
  • 这个短语在北方很常用，但在南方很少听到。
  • Pinyin: Zhège duǎnyǔ zài běifāng hěn chángyòng, dàn zài nánfāng hěn shǎo tīngdào.
  • English: This phrase is very common in the north, but you rarely hear it in the south.
  • Analysis: This points out the regional variations in language, showing that the use of certain phrases can differ across China.
• Example 10:
  • 请把句子中的介词短语画出来。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng bǎ jùzi zhōng de jiècí duǎnyǔ huà chūlái.
  • English: Please underline the prepositional phrases in the sentence.
  • Analysis: An example of an instruction on a test or worksheet. `介词 (jiècí)` means “preposition.”

• 短语 (duǎnyǔ) vs. 词组 (cízǔ): These two terms are very close in meaning. In many situations, they are interchangeable. `词组 (cízǔ)` is a slightly more formal or technical linguistic term for “phrase,” while `短语 (duǎnyǔ)` is the word you'll hear most often in a classroom setting and in general use. As a beginner, you can treat them as synonyms, but it's good to recognize both.
• 短语 (duǎnyǔ) vs. 成语 (chéngyǔ): This is a critical distinction. A `短语` is any group of words that functions as a unit. A 成语 (chéngyǔ) is a specific type of phrase, almost always four characters long, with a story or classical origin and a fixed, often metaphorical, meaning.
  • Analogy: “A big dog” (一条大狗) is a `短语`. “Raining cats and dogs” is an idiom, the equivalent of a `成语`. All `成语` are a kind of `短语`, but the vast majority of `短语` are not `成语`.
• 短语 (duǎnyǔ) vs. 句子 (jùzi): This is the difference between a part and a whole. A `短语` is a component that does not express a complete thought. A 句子 (jùzi), or sentence, does express a complete thought.
  • Incorrect: “My friend” (我的朋友) is a sentence. (This is a `短语`)
  • Correct: “My friend is very busy” (我的朋友很忙) is a `句子`. It contains the `短语` “我的朋友”.

• 词组 (cízǔ) - A more formal, technical synonym for “phrase.”
• 成语 (chéngyǔ) - A specific type of idiomatic phrase, typically with four characters and a classical origin.
• 句子 (jùzi) - Sentence; the larger grammatical unit that `短语` helps to build.
• 词 (cí) - Word; the smaller unit that makes up a `短语`.
• 汉字 (hànzì) - Chinese character; the basic written unit that forms words.
• 语法 (yǔfǎ) - Grammar; the system of rules governing how `短语` are constructed and used.
• 固定短语 (gùdìng duǎnyǔ) - Fixed phrase; a common phrase whose form and meaning are relatively set, like “for example” (比如说).
• 俗语 (súyǔ) - Common saying or proverb; another type of set phrase, often more colloquial than a `成语`.