University of Cambridge Language Centre Chinese Intermediate

Use of 有 to express 'there is/there are'

literally means 'to have' and is used to indicate possession, but it can also be used by extension to express 'there is/are' when followed by some undetermined object.

1. There is...at...place. → place + + undetermined object

The sentence therefore needs to start with the place setting immediately followed by (to have) and what occupies it.

这里各式各样的产品There are all kinds of products here. (lit. Here | have | all kinds of products.)

镜头上划痕There is a scratch on the lens. (lit. On the lens | have | scratch.)

我们去看看有没有喜欢的口味Let's go and see if there are flavours that we like. (lit. Let's go and see | have or not | flavours that we like.) [Note that in this sentence the place is omitted.]


2. There is...at...time. → time + + undetermined object

Alternatively the place setting can be replaced by the time setting.

那天特价促销There was a special promotion on that day. (lit. That day | have | special promotion.)

周末的时候我们几个游客There were only us few tourists over the weekend. (lit. Over the weekend | only | have | us few tourists.)

今天晚上好看的电视节目吗Are there any good TV programmes this evening? (lit. This evening | have | good TV programmes | question marker?)


Jumbled sentences

These Chinese translations have been jumbled up. Put the words into the correct order so that the sentences make sense again. Use the audios to check your answers.

  • 一张

  • 照片

  • 家里

  • 什么

  • 食物

  • 这里

  • 什么

  • 好玩

  • 这个

  • 周末

  • 一部

  • 新的

  • 电影

  • 星期

  • 中文

  • 今天

  • 晚上

  • 不是

  • 大风

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