BivalTyp

Mandarin Chinese

Contributed by Xu Yuru (Academia.edu profile)

Y.X.'s photo

Yuru Xu provided the data in 2023 in her capacity of a native speaker of Mandarin Chinese. The English version of the questionnaire was used for elicitation. Before 2023, BivalTyp displayed a preliminary version of the Mandarin Chinese data provided by Elena Kolpachkova in 2012. Elena Kolpachkova's data and analysis are available in the form of a published article:

Kolpachkova, E. N. 2018. Markirovanie aktantov dvuxmestnyx predikatov v sovremennom kitajskom jazyke [Bivalent predicates’ argument encoding in Modern Chinese]. In Say, S. S. (ed.). Valentnostnye klassy dvuxmestnyx predikatov v raznostrukturnyx jazykax [Bivalent valency classes in structurally diverse languages]. Saint Petersburg: ILS RAN. 456-479. (in Russian)

How to cite

Xu, Yuru. 2023. Bivalent patterns in Mandarin Chinese. In: Say, Sergey (ed.). BivalTyp: Typological database of bivalent verbs and their encoding frames. St. Petersburg: Institute for Linguistic Studies, RAS. (Data first published on April 14, 2023; last revised on May 14, 2023.) (Available online at https://www.bivaltyp.info, Accessed on .)

Basic info

Grammar notes

Basic clause structure and the transitive construction

As an isolating language, Mandarin Chinese has no morphological case on nouns and and no verb indices. The basic transitive construction displays a neutral alignment in terms of case marking and indexing. Word order functions as the main argument-encoding device in the Mandarin Chinese transitive construction. The basic word order of transitive constructions involving two noun phrases is subject-verb-object (SVO). Deviations from this pattern are discussed and exemplified in i), ii), and iii).

i) The passive construction with a passive marker 被 bèi is normally used when there is a sense of misfortune or adversity. The passive marker and the agent noun phrase occupy the position between the subject (the patient noun phrase) and the verb. 被bèi is sometimes considered to be a preposition.

(1)  张三       被    一-只     狗     咬    了。
     Zhāngsān  bèi   yì-zhī    gǒu   yǎo   le
     Zhangsan  PASS  one-CLF   dog   bite  PFV
     ‘Zhangsan was bitten by a dog.’

ii) The predicates generally denoting position, appearance or disappearance may have an ergative structure. In this case, the subject position is empty, the location is expressed in the preverbal position and the post-verbal (object) position corresponds to the locatum (sometimes considered the semantic subject of the predicate).

(2) 那个       桶-里           装满         了    水。
    nèi-ge    tǒng-lǐ         zhuāngmǎn   le    shuǐ
    that-CLF  bucket-inside   fill_up     PFV   water
    ‘The bucket filled with water’  (Lit. ‘There is full of water in the bucket.’)

3) In co-verb constructions involving prepositions, such as 对 duì (3), 和 , etc., the object accompanied by the prepositios is placed in the slot before the verb, forming a subject-object-verb (SOV) sentence. In this work, 把 is also considered as preposition. But it should be noted that the analysis of the grammatical status of the ba-construction differs between researchers and speakers.

(3) 年龄       对        记忆力    有    影响。
    niánlíng  duì       jìyìlì   yǒu   yǐngxiǎng
    age       towards   memory   have  influence
    ‘Age influences memory.’

However, comparative constructions with 于 (4) and 像 xiàng have the basic SVO word order.

(4) 张三       落后         于     李四   了。
    Zhāngsān  luò-hòu      yú    Lǐsì   le
    Zhangsan  fall-behind  to    Lisi   PFV 
    ‘Zhangsan fell behind Lisi.’

In addition, the Chinese copular verb 是 shì ‘to be’ is often omitted when the predicate is an adjectival or a locative phrase.

(5) 张三         对        他  儿子    很     满意。
    Zhāngsān    duì       tā  érzi   hěn    mǎnyì
    Zhangsan    towards   he  son    very   content
     ‘Zhangsan is very content with his son.’

Case system

According to most descriptions, Mandarin Chinese has no morphological case.

Verb lemmas

Verbs are cited in the unmarked form, which is normally a bare root (sometimes accompanied by an aspectual marker).

Graphic conventions and glossing abbreviations

Tone diacritics in the Pinyin system

ā - first tone (high and flat); á - second tone (rising); ǎ - third tone (falling-rising); à - fourth tone (falling); a - fifth tone (neutral).

Glossing abbreviations

BA — marker of the ba-construction; CLF — classifier; DE — pre-nominal and pre-verbial modification marker or postverbal resultative marker de; EXP — experiential aspect marker guo; PASS — passive marker bei; PFV — perfective; PROG — progressive; ZHE — durative aspect marker zhe.

Data

Subset examples by valency pattern
Subset examples by locus

1. feel pain tòng

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Zhāngsān tóu tòng
pn head ache
‘Zhangsan has a headache.’
Note: Not included in the database because X is expressed as an NP-internal modifier.

2. have (illness)

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān le liúgǎn
pn have pfv flu
‘Zhangsan has the flu.’

3. be afraid

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān gǒu
pn be_afraid dog
‘Zhangsan is afraid of the dog.’

4. throw rēng-chū

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān rēng-chū le yì-kē shízǐ
pn throw-out pfv one- clf rock
‘Zhangsan threw a stone.’

5. have enough yǒu zúgòu

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Zhāngsān xiànzài yǒu le zúgòu-de qián
pn now have pfv enough- de money
‘Now Zhangsan has enough money .’
Note: Not included in the database because the intended meaning is expressed by a structurally discontinuous combination, predicate + adnominal modifier.

6. resemble zhǎng

Valency pattern: SBJ_xiang
X: SBJ
Y: xiang
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān zhǎng de xiàng tā-yéye
pn grow de like he-grandpa
‘Zhangsan resembles his grandpa.’

7. believe xiāngxìn

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān xiāngxìn Lǐsì
pn believe pn
‘Zhangsan believes Lisi.’

8. take

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān cóng jiàzi shàng le yì-běn shū
pn from shelf on take pfv one- clf book
‘Zhangsan took a book from the shelf.’

9. see kànjiàn

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān kànjiàn yī-dòng fángzi
pn see one- clf house
‘Zhangsan sees a house.’

10. influence yǒu yǐngxiǎng

Valency pattern: SBJ_dui
X: SBJ
Y: dui
Locus: Y
niánlíng duì jìyìlì yǒu yǐngxiǎng
age towards memory have influence
‘Age influences memory.’

11. encounter yùjiàn

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān yùjiàn le Lǐsì
pn meet pfv pn
‘Zhangsan encountered Lisi.’

12. enter jìn

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān jìn le
pn enter house pfv
‘Zhangsan entered the house.’

13. win dǎbài

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān dǎbài le Lǐsì
pn beat pfv pn
‘Zhangsan beat Lisi.’

14. go out zǒu chū

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān zǒu chū le wūzi
pn walk out pfv house
‘Zhangsan went out of the house.’
Note: There are some doubts as to whether this can be treated as a transitive construction.

15. drive gǎn

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān zhèngzài gǎn niú
pn prog drive cow
‘Zhangsan is driving the cow.’

16. bend nòng wān

Valency pattern: SUB_ba
X: SBJ
Y: ba
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān shùzhī nòng wān le
pn ba branch make bent pfv
‘Zhangsan bent the branch.’
Note: The status of the "bǎ"-construction is controversial.

17. tell shuō

Valency pattern: SBJ_dui
X: SBJ
Y: dui
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān duì Lǐsì shuō
pn towards pn say
‘Zhangsan told Lisi.’

18. hold ná zhe

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān zhèng zhe yì-běn shū
pn right hold dur one- clf book
‘Zhangsan is holding a book.’

19. catch up zhuī-shàng

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān zhuī-shàng le Lǐsì
pn chase-up pfv pn
‘Zhangsan caught up with Lisi.’

20. milk jǐ nǎi

Valency pattern: SBJ_gei
X: SBJ
Y: gei
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān gěi nǎiniú le nǎi
pn for cow squeeze pfv milk
‘Zhangsan milked the cow.’

21. reach dào

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān dào àn-biān le
pn reach bank-edge pfv
‘Zhangsan reached the bank.’

22. touch

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān le yīxià qiángbì
pn touch pfv once wall
‘Zhangsan touched the wall once.’

23. fight dǎjià

Valency pattern: SBJ_he
X: SBJ
Y: he
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān zhèngzài Lǐsì dǎjià
pn prog with pn fight
‘Zhangsan is fighting with Lisi.’

24. be friends shì péngyou

Valency pattern: SBJ_he
X: SBJ
Y: he
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān Lǐsì shì péngyou
pn with pn be friend
‘Zhangsan is friends with Lisi.’
Note: Non-verbal predicate.

25. think xiǎng

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān zhèngzài xiǎng Lǐsì
pn prog think pn
‘Zhangsan is thinking about Lisi.’

26. eat chī

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān chī le yí-gè píngguǒ
pn eat pfv one- clf apple
‘Zhangsan ate an apple.’

27. fry zhà

Valency pattern: SUB_ba
X: SBJ
Y: ba
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān zhà le
pn ba fish fry pfv
‘Zhangsan fried the fish.’
Note: The status of the "bǎ"-construction is controversial.

28. wait děng

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān zhèngzài děng Lǐsì
pn prog wait pn
‘Zhangsan is waiting for Lisi.’

29. forget wàngjì

Valency pattern: SUB_ba
X: SBJ
Y: ba
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān lìng yì-tiáo wàngjì le
pn ba another one- clf road forget pfv
‘Zhangsan forgot (about) the other road.’
Note: The status of the "bǎ"-construction is controversial.

30. depend qǔjué

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
jìyìlì de hǎo-huài qǔjué niánlíng
memory de good-bad depend to age
Lit. ‘The memory’s good or bad (state) depends on age.’
Note: Not included in the dataset because X is expressed as an NP-internal modifier.

31. call jiào

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān jiào-lái le Lǐsì
pn call-come pfv pn
‘Zhangsan called Lisi and made him come.’

32. get to know jiéshí

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
nián qián Zhāngsān jiéshí le Lǐsì
one year ago pn get_to_know pfv pn
‘A year ago, Zhangsan got to know Lisi.’

33. know liǎojiě

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān liǎojiě Lǐsì
pn know pn
‘Zhangsan knows Lisi.’

34. play (instrument) tán

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān zài tán jítā
pn prog play guitar
‘Zhangsan is playing the guitar.’

35. avoid duǒ

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān duǒ zhe Lǐsì
pn avoid dur pn
‘Zhangsan avoids Lisi.’

36. make zuò

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān zuò le yí-gè bǔshǔqì
pn make pfv one- clf mousetrap
‘Zhangsan made a mousetrap.’

37. make fun kāiwánxiào

Valency pattern: SBJ_na
X: SBJ
Y: na
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān zài Lǐsì kāiwánxiào
pn prog with pn joke
‘Zhangsan is making fun of Lisi.’

38. have yǒu

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān yǒu yí-liàng chē
pn have one- clf car
‘Zhangsan has a car.’

39. look for zhǎo

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān zài zhǎo tā-de yàoshi
pn prog look_for he- de key
‘Zhangsan is looking for his key(s).’

40. paint shuā guo yóuqī

Valency pattern: SBJ_gei
X: SBJ
Y: gei
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān gěi wéilán shuā guo yóuqī le
pn for fence brush exp paint pfv
‘Zhangsan painted the fence.’

41. bite yǎo

Valency pattern: bei_SBJ
X: bei
Y: SBJ
Locus: X
Zhāngsān bèi yì-zhī gǒu yǎo le
pn pass one- clf dog bite pfv
‘Zhangsan was bitten by a dog.’
Note: The passive construction is normally used when there is a sense of misfortune or adversity.

42. forfeit shīqù

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān shīqù le tā-de fángzi
pn lose pfv he- de house
‘Zhangsan lost his house.’

43. try to catch shì zhe qù zhuā

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān shì zhe zhuā nè-zhī máo
pn try dur go catch that- clf cat
‘Zhangsan is trying to catch the cat.’

44. break nòng duàn

Valency pattern: SUB_ba
X: SBJ
Y: ba
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān gùnzi nòng duàn le
pn ba stick make broken pfv
‘Zhangsan broke a stick.’
Note: The status of the "bǎ"-construction is controversial.

45. flatter tǎohǎo

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān zài tǎohǎo Lǐsì
pn prog flatter pn
‘Zhangsan is flattering Lisi.’

46. love (person) ài

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān ài Lǐsì
pn love pn
‘Zhangsan loves Lisi.’

47. wave huīwǔ

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān zhèng huīwǔ zhe shǒupà
pn right wave dur handkerchief
‘Zhangsan is waving a hankerchief. ’

48. dream mèngxiǎng yōngyǒu

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān mèngxiǎng yōngyǒu yí-liàng xīn chē
pn dream have one- clf new car
‘Zhangsan is dreaming of a new car.’

49. wash qīngxǐ

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān qīngxǐ le bēizi
pn wash pfv cup
‘Zhangsan washed the cup.’

50. put on chuān-shàng

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān chuān-shàng le tā-de kùzi
pn wear-up pfv he- de trouser
‘Zhangsan put on his trousers.’

51. be called jiàozuò

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
zhè-ge gōngjù jiàozuò zhǐnánzhēn
this- clf tool be_called compass
‘This tool is called a compass.’
Note: There are some doubts as to whether this can be treated as a transitive construction.

52. punish chéngfá

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān chéngfá le tā-de érzi
pn punish pfv he- de son
‘Zhangsan punished his son.’

53. attack xíjī

Valency pattern: bei_SBJ
X: bei
Y: SBJ
Locus: X
yúfū bèi yì-zhī xióng xíjī le
fisherman pass one- clf bear attack pfv
‘The fisherman was attacked by a bear.’
Note: The passive construction is normally used when there is a sense of misfortune or adversity.

54. fill (intr) zhuāngmǎn

Valency pattern: li_SBJ
X: li
Y: SBJ
Locus: X
nè-ge tǒng-lǐ zhuāngmǎn le shuǐ
that- clf bucket-inside fill_up pfv water
‘The bucket filled with water.’
Note: Here, "lǐ" is treated as an argument-marking device, but it can alternatively be viewed as a locative noun meaning ‘internal part’.

55. find zhǎodào

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān zhǎodào le tā-de yàoshi
pn find pfv he- de key
‘Zhangsan found his key(s).’

56. be short chà

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān hái chà yí-kuài qián
pn still lack one- clf money
‘Zhangsan still lacks one yuan.’

57. hate yànwù

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān yànwù Lǐsì
pn hate pn
‘Zhangsan hates Lisi.’

58. like xǐhuan

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān xǐhuan zhè-jiàn chènshān
pn like this- clf shirt
‘Zhangsan likes this shirt.’

59. need xūyào

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān xūyào qián
pn need money
‘Zhangsan needs money.’

60. surround huánrào

Valency pattern: SBJ_sizhou
X: SBJ
Y: sizhou
Locus: Y
chéngshì-sìzhōu huánrào zhe wéiqiáng
city-around surround dur wall
‘The walls surround the city.’
Note: Here, "sìzhōu" is treated as an argument-marking device, but it can alternatively be viewed as a locative noun meaning ‘surrounding part’.

61. remain shèngxià

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān hái shèngxià shí-kuài qián
pn still remain ten- clf money
‘Zhangsan has 10 yuan left.’

62. answer huídá

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān huídá le lǎoshī-de wèntí
pn answer pfv teacher- de question
‘Zhangsan answered the teacher′s question. ’
Note: Classified as TR because using a simple noun "lǎoshī" as the DO is also acceptable.

63. open dǎkāi

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān dǎkāi le yí-gè guàntou
pn open pfv one- clf can
‘Zhangsan opened a can.’

64. be different bù yīyàng

Valency pattern: SBJ_he
X: SBJ
Y: he
Locus: Y
wǒ-de chènshān nǐ-de yīyàng
i - de shirt with you- de not same
‘My shirt is different from yours.’
Note: Non-verbal predicate.

65. fall behind luò-hòu

Valency pattern: SBJ_yu
X: SBJ
Y: yu
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān luò-hòu Lǐsì le
pn fall-behind to pn pfv
‘Zhangsan fell behind Lisi.’

66. plough

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān zhèngzài
pn prog plough field
‘Zhangsan is ploughing the field.’

67. smell wén qǐlái

Valency pattern: SBJ_xiang
X: SBJ
Y: xiang
Locus: Y
wǒ-de shǒu wén qǐlái xiàng qìyóu
i - de hand smell up like gasoline
‘My hands smell like gasoline.’

68. cross chuānguò

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān chuānguò le mǎlù
pn cross pfv road
‘Zhangsan crossed the road.’

69. sing chàng

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān chàng le yì-shǒu měimiào-de
pn sing pfv one- clf beautiful- de song
‘Zhangsan sang a beautiful song.’

70. write xiě

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān xiě le yì-fēng xìn
pn write pfv one- clf letter
‘Zhangsan wrote a letter.’

71. drink hē-xià

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān hē-xià le niúnǎi
pn drink-down pfv milk
‘Zhangsan drank the milk.’

72. melt rónghuà

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān rónghuà le yí-kuài qiān
pn melt pfv one- clf lead
‘Zhangsan melted a piece of lead.’

73. match pèi

Valency pattern: SBJ_he
X: SBJ
Y: he
Locus: Y
zhè-tiáo yāodài wǒ-de qúnzi hěn pèi
t his- clf belt with i - de dress very matched
‘This belt is matched with my dress.’
Note: Non-verbal predicate

74. leave líkāi

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān líkāi le tā-de jiāxiāng
pn leave pfv he- de hometown
‘Zhangsan left his hometown.’

75. cover fùgài

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
zhè-kuài dìtǎn fùgài zhe zhěng-kuài dìbǎn
this- clf carpet cover dur whole- clf floor
‘This carpet covers the whole floor.’

76. remember jìde

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān hái qīngchǔ-de jìde nè-dòng fángzi
pn still clear- de remember that- clf house
‘Zhangsan still remembers the house clearly.’

77. help bāngzhù

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān bāngzhù le Lǐsì
pn help pfv pn
‘Zhangsan helped Lisi.’

78. understand (language) dǒng

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān dǒng fǎyǔ
pn understand f rench
‘Zhangsan understands French.’

79. hit (target) jīzhòng

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
yí-dào shǎndiàn jīzhòng le zhè-dòng fángzi
one- clf lightning hit pfv this- clf house
‘Lightning hit the house.’

80. cut oneself gē-shāng zìjǐ

Valency pattern: SBJ_yong
X: SBJ
Y: yong
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān yòng tìdāo gē-shāng le zìjǐ
pn with razor cut-hurt pfv oneself
‘Zhangsan cut himself with a razor.’

81. get stuck zhān

Valency pattern: SBJ_zai
X: SBJ
Y: zai
Locus: Y
bōlibēi zhān zài le zhuōzi shàng
glass stick at pfv table on
‘The glass got stuck to the table.’

82. lose (game) shū

Valency pattern: SBJ_gei
X: SBJ
Y: gei
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān shū gěi le Lǐsì
pn lose for pfv pn
‘Zhangsan lost to Lisi.’

83. be glad gāoxìng

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Zhāngsān hěn gāoxìng shōudào zhè-fēng xìn
pn very glad receive this- clf letter
‘Zhangsan is very glad about receiving this letter.’
Note: Not included in the dataset because Y is embedded in a complement clause.

84. speak tánhuà

Valency pattern: SBJ_he
X: SBJ
Y: he
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān zhèngzài Lǐsì tánhuà
pn prog with pn speak
‘Zhangsan is speaking with Lisi.’

85. give birth shēng-xià

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Lǐsì shēng-xià le yí-gè háizi
pn give_birth-down pfv one- clf son
‘Lisi gave birth to a son.’

86. drop diào

Valency pattern: SBJ_ba
X: SBJ
Y: ba
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān bōlibēi diào zài shàng le
pn ba glass drop at floor on pfv
‘Zhangsan dropped the glass on the floor.’
Note: The status of the "bǎ"-construction is controversial. Sometimes, it coexists with the regular transitive pattern. However, it is preferrable for this lexical predicate.

87. govern guǎnlǐ

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān guǎnlǐ zhe wǒmen-de chéngzhèn
pn run dur we- de town
‘Zhangsan runs our town.’

88. miss xiǎngniàn

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān xiǎngniàn Lǐsì
pn miss pn
‘Zhangsan misses Lisi.’

89. follow gēn

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān gēn zhe Lǐsì zǒu
pn follow dur pn walk
‘Zhangsan follows Lisi and walks.’

90. dismount xià

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān xià le
pn go_down pfv horse
‘Zhangsan got down from the horse.’

91. listen tīng

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān zhèngzài tīng guǎngbō
pn prog listen radio
‘Zhangsan is listening to the radio.’

92. obey tīng

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Zhāngsān yīxiàng tīng tā-mǔqīn-de huà
pn always listen he-mother- de word
‘Zhangsan always listens to his mother's words.’
Note: Not included in the database because Y is expressed as an NP-internal modifier.

93. hear tīngdào

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān tīngdào yīnyuè le
pn hear music pfv
‘Zhangsan hears the music.’

94. mix hùn zài yīqǐ

Valency pattern: SBJ_he
X: SBJ
Y: he
Locus: Y
fēngmì niúnǎi hùn zài yīqǐ le
honey with milk mix at together pfv
‘The honey got mixed with the milk.’

95. look guānchá

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān zhèngzài guānchá yún
pn prog observe cloud
‘Zhangsan is looking at the clouds.’

96. take off tuōxià

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān tuōxià le tā-de chènshān
pn take_off pfv he- de shirt
‘Zhangsan took off his shirt.’

97. dream (sleeping) mèng-jiàn

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān mèng-jiàn le Lǐsì
pn dream-see pfv pn
‘Zhangsan dreams about Lisi.’

98. agree tóngyì

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Zhāngsān tóngyì Lǐsì-de kànfǎ
pn agree pn - de opinion
‘Zhangsan agreed with Lisi.’
Note: Not included in the database because Y is expressed as an NP-internal modifier.

99. have a quarrel chǎojià

Valency pattern: SBJ_he
X: SBJ
Y: he
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān Lǐsì chǎojià le
pn with pn quarrel pfv
‘Zhangsan quarrelled with Lisi.’

100. cost yào huā

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
zhè-ge bēizi yào huā shí-kuài qián
this- clf cup need cost ten- clf money
‘This cup costs ten yuan.’

101. shoot at kāiqiāng

Valency pattern: SBJ_chao
X: SBJ
Y: chao
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān cháo niǎo kāiqiāng le
pn facing bird fire pfv
‘Zhangsan shot at the bird.’

102. pour dào-rù

Valency pattern: SBJ_ba
X: SBJ
Y: ba
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān táng dào-rù bēi-zhōng
pn ba sugar pour-into cup-middle
‘Zhangsan poured the sugar into the cup.’
Note: The status of the "bǎ"-construction is controversial.

103. lose nòng diū

Valency pattern: SBJ_ba
X: SBJ
Y: ba
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān yàoshi nòng diū le
pn ba key make lost pfv
‘Zhangsan lost his keys.’
Note: The status of the "bǎ"-construction is controversial.

104. sink chén-rù

Valency pattern: SBJ_zhong
X: SBJ
Y: zhong
Locus: Y
mùtou chén-rù le shuǐ-zhōng
wood sink-into pfv water-middle
‘The log sank in the water.’
Note: Here, "zhōng" is treated as an argument-marking device, but it can alternatively be viewed as a locative noun meaning ‘middle’.

105. kill shāsǐ

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān shāsǐ le Lǐsì
pn kill pfv pn
‘Zhangsan killed Lisi.’

106. hit

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān le Lǐsì
pn hit pfv pn
‘Zhangsan hit Lisi.’

107. kiss qīnwěn

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān qīnwěn le Lǐsì
pn kiss pfv pn
‘Zhangsan kissed Lisi.’

108. read

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān le yī-běn yǒuqù-de shū
pn read pfv one- clf interesting- de book
‘Zhangsan read an interesting book.’

109. move (bodypart) nuódòng

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān nuódòng le yīxià shǒuzhǐ
pn move pfv once finger
‘Zhangsan moved his finger once.’

110. respect zūnjìng

Valency pattern: SBJ_dui
X: SBJ
Y: dui
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān duì Lǐsì zūnjìng
pn towards pn respect
‘Zhangsan respects Lisi.’

111. be squeamish *

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
*
*
*
Note: No satisfactory translation has been obtained.

112. be content mǎnyì

Valency pattern: SBJ_dui
X: SBJ
Y: dui
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān duì tā-érzi hěn mǎnyì
pn towards he-son very content
‘Zhangsan is very content with his son.’
Note: Non-verbal predicate.

113. fall in love ài-shàng

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān ài-shàng le Lǐsì
pn love-up pfv pn
‘Zhangsan fell in love with Lisi.’

114. trust xìnrèn

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān xìnrèn Lǐsì
pn trust pn
‘Zhangsan trusts Lisi.’

115. sympathise tóngqíng

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān tóngqíng tā-mǔqīn
pn sympathise he-mother
‘Zhangsan sympathises his mother.’

116. envy jídù

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān jídù Lǐsì
pn envy pn
‘Zhangsan envies Lisi.’

117. be angry shēngqì

Valency pattern: SBJ_dui
X: SBJ
Y: dui
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān duì Lǐsì shēngqì
pn towards pn get_angry
‘Zhangsan is angry with Lisi.’

118. be surprised jīngyà

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Zhāngsān shōudào zhè-ge lǐwù hěn jīngyà
pn receive this- clf gift very surprised
‘Zhangsan received this gift and was very surprised.’
Note: Not included in the dataset because Y is embedded in a complement clause.

119. love (tea) xǐ'ài

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān xǐ'ài chá
pn love tea
‘Zhangsan loves tea.’

120. enjoy xiǎngshòu

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Zhāngsān xiǎngshòu zhe rè-chá-de nuǎnyì
pn enjoy dur hot-tea- de warmth
‘Zhangsan enjoys hot tea.’
Note: Not included in the dataset because Y is expressed as an NP-internal modifier.

121. want xiǎngyào

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān xiǎngyào yí-bù xīn shǒujī
pn want one- clf new cellphone
‘Zhangsan wants a new mobile phone.’

122. have a grudge yǒu jīyuàn

Valency pattern: SBJ_he
X: SBJ
Y: he
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān Lǐsì yǒu jīyuàn
pn with pn have grudge
‘Zhangsan has grudge against Lisi.’

123. take offence gǎndào (bèi) màofàn

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Zhāngsān gǎndào bèi màofàn le
pn feel pass offend pfv
‘Zhangsan felt offended.’
Note: Not included in the dataset because Y cannot be overtly expressed.

124. upset xīnfán

Valency pattern: SBJ_rang
X: SBJ
Y: rang
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān ràng Lǐsì hěn xīnfán
pn make pn very upset
‘Zhangsan greatly upset Lisi.’
Note: Here, "ràng" is treated as an argument-marking device, but its status is controversial.

125. marvel jīngtàn-bù-yǐ

Valency pattern: SBJ_dui
X: SBJ
Y: dui
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān duì zhè-zuò chéngzhèn jīngtàn-bù-yǐ
pn towards this- clf town marvel-not-stop
‘Zhangsan marvelled at this town.’

126. despise bǐshì

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān bǐshì Lǐsì
pn despise pn
‘Zhangsan despises Lisi.’

127. get upset xīnfán

Valency pattern: SBJ_yin
X: SBJ
Y: yin
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān yīn tā-érzi ér xīnfán
pn because_of he-son so upset
‘Zhangsan is upset because of his son.’
Note: Non-verbal predicate.

128. get irritated jīnù

Valency pattern: SBJ_bei
X: SBJ
Y: bei
Locus: Y
Zhāngsān kuài bèi tā-nǚ'ér jīnù le
pn soon pass he-daughter irritate pfv
‘Zhangsan is getting irritated with his daughter.’
Note: The passive construction is normally used when there is a sense of misfortune or adversity.

129. be fond xǐhuan

Valency pattern: TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Zhāngsān hěn xǐhuan Lǐsì
pn very like pn
‘Zhangsan is fond of Lisi.’

130. be shy gǎndào nánkān

Valency pattern: NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Zhāngsān yīn gèzi ǎi ér gǎndào nánkān
pn because_of height short so feel embarrassed
‘Zhangsan feels embarrassed because he is short.’
Note: Not included in the database because Y is expressed in a dependent clause.