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    Chinese Grammar

    Head-complement construction

    Description & Modification

    Explanation

    In Chinese, a verb or preposition is directly followed by its complement — the object or argument that completes its meaning. This head-complement structure is the basic way that verbs attach to their objects and prepositions attach to their noun phrases. For example, 在台湾 means "in Taiwan," where 在 is the head and 台湾 is the complement.

    Examples

    • 他喜欢看电影。

      Tā xǐhuān kàn diànyǐng.

      He likes watching movies.

    • 我住在北京。

      Wǒ zhù zài Běijīng.

      I live in Beijing.

    • 她学了三年中文。

      Tā xué le sān nián Zhōngwén.

      She has studied Chinese for three years.

    Head-complement construction | Chinese Grammar