Using Verb Tenses in Chinese

Using Verb Tenses in Chinese Western languages such as English have several ways to express tense. The most common are verb conjunctions which change the form of the verb depending on the time frame. For example, the English verb eat can be changed to ate for past actions and eating for current actions. Mandarin Chinese does not have any verb conjugations. All verbs have a single form. For example, the verb for eat is Ã¥ Æ' (chÄ «), which can be used for the past, present, and future. Despite the lack of Mandarin verb conjugations, there are other ways to express timeframes in Mandarin Chinese. State the Date The simplest way to  clarify which tense you are speaking in is to directly state the time expression (like today, tomorrow, yesterday) as part of the sentence. In Chinese, this is usually at the beginning of the sentence. For example: æ˜ ¨Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã¥ Æ'è ± ¬Ã¨â€šâ€°Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¦Ëœ ¨Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã¥ Æ'çÅ' ªÃ¨â€šâ€°Ã£â‚¬â€šZuà ³tiÄ n wÇ’ chÄ « zhÃ… « rà ²u.Yesterday I ate pork. Once the timeframe is established, it is understood and can be omitted from the rest of the conversation. Completed Actions The particle ä ºâ€  (le) is used to indicate that an action occurred in the past and has been completed. Like the time expression, it can be omitted once the timeframe has been established: (æ˜ ¨Ã¥ ¤ ©)我å Æ'è ± ¬Ã¨â€šâ€°Ã¤ ºâ€ Ã£â‚¬â€š(æ˜ ¨Ã¥ ¤ ©)我å Æ'çÅ' ªÃ¨â€šâ€°Ã¤ ºâ€ Ã£â‚¬â€š(Zuà ³tiÄ n) wÇ’ chÄ « zhÃ… « rà ²u le.(Yesterday) I ate pork. The particle ä ºâ€  (le) can also be used for the immediate future, so be careful of its usage and be sure to understand both functions. Past Experience When you have done something in the past, this action can be described with the verb-suffix  Ã© Å½ / è ¿â€¡ (guà ²). For example, if you want to say that you have already seen the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (è‡ ¥Ã¨â„¢Å½Ã¨â€" Ã© ¾ /Ã¥  §Ã¨â„¢Å½Ã¨â€" Ã© ¾â„¢ - wà ² hÇ” cng long), you can say: 我å · ²Ã§ ¶â€œÃ§Å"‹é Å½Ã¨â€¡ ¥Ã¨â„¢Å½Ã¨â€" Ã© ¾ Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã¥ · ²Ã§ » Ã§Å"‹è ¿â€¡Ã¥  §Ã¨â„¢Å½Ã¨â€" Ã© ¾â„¢WÇ’ yÇ jÄ «ng kn guà ² wà ² hÇ” cng long. Unlike the particle ä ºâ€  (le), the verb suffix guà ² (é Å½ / è ¿â€¡) is used to talk about an unspecific past. If you want to say that you saw the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon yesterday, you would say: æ˜ ¨Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã§Å"‹è‡ ¥Ã¨â„¢Å½Ã¨â€" Ã© ¾ Ã¤ ºâ€ Ã¦Ëœ ¨Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã§Å"‹å  §Ã¨â„¢Å½Ã¨â€" Ã© ¾â„¢Ã¤ ºâ€ Zuà ³tiÄ n wÇ’ kn wà ² hÇ” cng là ³ng le. Completed Actions In The Future As mentioned above, the particle ä ºâ€  (le) can be used for the future as well as the past. When used with a time expression such as 明å ¤ © (mà ­ngtÄ «an - tomorrow), the meaning is similar to the English perfective. Take for instance: 明å ¤ ©Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã¥ ° ±Ã¤ ¼Å¡Ã¥Å½ »Ã¥  °Ã¥Å'â€"ä ºâ€ Ã¦ËœÅ½Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã¥ ° ±Ã¤ ¼Å¡Ã¥Å½ »Ã¥  °Ã¥Å'â€"ä ºâ€ Mà ­ngtiÄ n wÇ’ jià ¹ huà ¬ qà ¹ TibÄ›i le.Tomorrow I will have gone to Taipei. The near future is expressed with the combination of the particles è ¦  (yo - to intend); Ã¥ ° ± (jià ¹ - right away); or Ã¥ ¿ « (kui - soon) with the particle ä ºâ€  (le): 我è ¦ Ã¥Å½ »Ã¥  °Ã¥Å'â€"ä ºâ€ WÇ’ yo qà ¹ TibÄ›i le.Im just going to Taipei. Continuing Actions When an action is continuing to the present moment, the expressions æ ­ £Ã¥Å" ¨ (zhà ¨ngzi), æ ­ £ (zhà ¨ng) or Ã¥Å" ¨ (zi) can be used, along with the particle å‘ ¢ (ne) at the end of the sentence. This can look something like: 我æ ­ £Ã¥Å" ¨Ã¥ Æ'é £ ¯Ã¥â€˜ ¢WÇ’ zhà ¨ngzi chÄ «fn ne.I am eating. or 我æ ­ £Ã¥ Æ'é £ ¯Ã¥â€˜ ¢WÇ’ zhà ¨ng chÄ «fn ne.I am eating. or 我åÅ" ¨Ã¥ Æ'é £ ¯Ã¥â€˜ ¢WÇ’ zi chÄ «fn ne.I am eating. or 我å Æ'é £ ¯Ã¥â€˜ ¢WÇ’ chÄ «fn ne.I am eating. The continuative action phrase is negated with æ ² ¡ (mà ©i), and æ ­ £Ã¥Å" ¨ (zhà ¨ngzi) is omitted. The å‘ ¢ (ne), however, remains. For example: 我æ ² ¡Ã¥ Æ'é £ ¯Ã¥â€˜ ¢WÇ’ mà ©i chÄ «fn ne.I am not eating. Mandarin Chinese Tenses It is often said that Mandarin Chinese does not have any tenses. If tenses mean verb conjugation, this is true, since verbs in Chinese have an unchangeable form. However, as we can see in the above examples, there are many ways to express timeframes in Mandarin Chinese. The main difference in terms of grammar between Mandarin Chinese and European languages is that once a timeframe has been established in Mandarin Chinese, there is no longer any need for precision. This means sentences are constructed in simple forms without verb endings or other qualifiers. When talking to a native Mandarin Chinese speaker, Westerners may get confused with this lack of continuous precision. But this confusion arises from the comparison between English (and other Western languages) and Mandarin Chinese. Western languages require subject/verb agreements, without which the language will be glaringly wrong. Compare this with Mandarin Chinese, in which a simple statement can be in any timeframe, or express a question, or be an answer.

Hedgehog Facts

Hedgehog Facts Hedgehogs (Erinaceidae) are a group of insectivores that are native to parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Hedgehogs are small mammals with rotund bodies and distinct spines made of keratin. They come by their unusual name as a result of their foraging behavior: They root through hedges to find worms, insects, and other food while making pig-like grunting sounds. Fast Facts: Hedgehog Scientific Name: ErinaceusCommon Name(s): Hedgehog, urchin,  hedgepig,  furze-pigBasic Animal Group:  MammalSize: Head and body: 5 to 12 inches; tail: 1 to 2 inchesWeight: 14–39 ouncesLifespan: 2–7 years depending on speciesDiet:  OmnivoreHabitat:  Parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, New Zealand (as an exotic species)Conservation  Status:  Least Concern Description Hedgehogs have a round body and dense spines on their back. Their belly, legs, face, and ears are free of spines. The spines are cream-colored and have brown and black bands on them. Hedgehog spines resemble those of a porcupine but they are not easily lost and are only shed and replaced when young hedgehogs reach adulthood or when a hedgehog is unwell or stressed. Hedgehogs have a white or tan face and short limbs with long curved claws. They have poor vision despite their large eyes but they have a keen sense of hearing and smell, and they use their sharper senses of smell and hearing to help them locate prey. Oksana Schmidt/Getty Images Habitat and Distribution Hedgehogs are found in many locations across Europe, Asia, and Africa. They are not present in Australia, North America, Central America or South America, though have been introduced to New Zealand as an exotic species. Hedgehogs occupy a variety of habitats including forests, grasslands, scrublands, hedges, suburban gardens, and agricultural areas. Diet Although they belong to the group of mammals formerly known as the insectivores, hedgehogs eat a varied diet that includes more than just insects. Hedgehogs feed on a variety of invertebrates such as insects, snails, and slugs as well as some small vertebrates including reptiles, frogs and birds eggs. They also feed on plant materials such as grass, roots, and berries. Behavior When threatened, hedgehogs crouch and hiss but they are better known for their defensive tactics than their might. If provoked, hedgehogs usually roll up by contracting the muscles that run along their back and in doing so raise their spines and curl their body and enclosing themselves in a protective ball of spines. Hedgehogs can also run quickly for short periods of time. Hedgehogs are for the most part nocturnal mammals. They are occasionally active during the day but more often shelter themselves in shrubs, tall vegetation or rock crevices during daylight hours. Hedgehogs construct burrows or use those dug by other mammals such as rabbits and foxes. They make nests underground in burrow chambers that they line with plant material. Some species of hedgehogs hibernate for several months during the winter. During hibernation, the body temperature and heart rate of the hedgehogs decline. Reproduction and Offspring Hedgehogs are generally solitary animals that spend time with one another only during mating season and when rearing young. Young hedgehogs mature in four to seven weeks after birth. Each year, hedgehogs can raise as many as three litters of young with as many as 11 babies. Hedgehogs are born blind and gestation lasts up to 42 days. Young hedgehogs are born with spines that are shed and replaced with larger stronger spines when they mature. Subspecies Hedgehogs are divided into five subgroups that include Eurasian hedgehogs (Erinaceus), African hedgehogs (Atelerix and Paraechinus), desert hedgehogs (Hemiechinus), and steppe hedgehogs (Mesechinus). There are a total of 17 species of hedgehogs. Hedgehog species include: Four-toed hedgehog, Atelerix albiventrisNorth African hedgehog, Atelerix algirusSouthern African hedgehog, Atelerix frontalisSomali hedgehog, Atelerix sclateriAmur hedgehog, Erinaceus amurensisSouthern white-breasted hedgehog, Erinaceus concolorEuropean hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeusNorthern white-breasted hedgehog, Erinaceus roumanicusLong-eared hedgehog, Hemiechinus auritusIndian long-eared hedgehog, Hemiechinus collarisDaurian hedgehog, Mesechinus dauuricusHughs hedgehog, Mesechinus hughiDesert hedgehog, Paraechinus aethiopicusBrandts hedgehog, Paraechinus hypomelasIndian hedgehog, Paraechinus micropusBare-bellied hedgehog, Paraechinus nudiventris Conservation Status Hedgehogs are listed as of Least Concern, as there are large populations of hedgehogs around the world. Many species of hedgehogs, however, are on the decline as a result of habitat loss, pesticide use, and poaching for use in traditional medicines. Conservation attempts are underway around the world; as a BBC article says: â€Å"A world without hedgehogs would be an uglier place. Hedgehogs and People Hedgehogs are well-loved animals and are featured in traditional childrens stories and fairy tales. Featured in tales by Beatrix Potter, the hedgehog retains its popularity in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game. Sources Coles, Jeremy. â€Å"Earth - Living in Harmony with Hedgehogs.†Ã‚  BBC, 19 Aug. 2015, www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150818-living-with-hedgehogs.â€Å"Hedgehog.†Ã‚  National Geographic, 21 Sept. 2018, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/h/hedgehog/.â€Å"Hedgehog.†Ã‚  San Diego Zoo Global Animals and Plants, animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/hedgehog.