EXPRESSING COMMANDS AND PERMISSION

47

Expressing commands and permission

47.1Commands

47.1.1Making a command

There is no specific command form in Mandarin, but there are several ways to make a command.

The simplest way is simply to state the verb:

	/
Chr!	Shus!	Zuò!
Eat!	Speak!	Sit!

The verb may sometimes be suffixed with D/ zhe:

D /	D /	D /
Chrzhe!	Názhe!	Zuòzhe!
Eat!	Hold it!/Take it!	Sit!

Í35.2.1

Commands may also take the form of a statement followed by ba.

	!
	!
Chr ba!	Gli wn ba!	Zuò ba!
Eat!	Give (it) to me!	Sit!

Note that the particle ba at the end of the sentence may also convey suggestion:

!"#$!"#$

Wnmen kàn diànymng ba!

Let’s see a movie! or supposition:

!"#$!"#$

Nm shì Wáng lkoshr ba.

You must be professor Wang.

328

Commands

47.1

Context will make the function of ba clear in any given sentence.

Í52.2

47.1.2Negative commands: prohibitions

To command someone not to do something, use bù yào ‘don’t,’ bié ‘don’t,’ or / bù xo ‘not allow.’

!"#$%!"#$%

Bù yào zài wtlm xr ypn!

Don’t smoke in the house!

!

Bié chtqu!

Don’t go out!

!"#$%&!"#$%&

Hq jio ymhòu bù xo kpi chq.

After you drink alcohol you are not allowed to drive a car.

Í46.2.1

47.1.3Reporting a command

To report a command, use the verb jiào ‘to order,’ ‘to call,’ ‘to tell.’

!"

Tp jiào wn znu.

He ordered me to leave. (He told me to leave.)

!"#$%!"#$%

Shéi jiào nm zhèyàng zuò de?

Who told you to do it this way?

Q:!"#$%!"#$%

Mpma jiào nm qù mki shénme?

What did mom tell you to buy?

A:!"#$%&%'(!"#$%&%'(

Mpma jiào wn qù mki yr píng klknukllè.

Mom made me (told me to) buy a bottle of Coke.

Note that jiào has other meanings and functions that are not associated with commands. They include ‘to call/to be called’:

!"#

Wn jiào Gus Mlilíng.

I am called Meiling Guo.

Í18.5

329

EXPRESSING COMMANDS AND PERMISSION

47.2

and the passive marker ‘by’:

!"#$%&'!"#$%&'

Bmnggpn dsu jiào háizi chrwán le.

The cookies were all eaten up by the children.

Í17

47.2Permission

47.2.1Giving permission

To give permission use the modal verb kéym ‘can/permitted.’ To deny permission, say bù kéym ‘cannot/not permitted.’

Q:!"# $%&'%&()*+,-./!"# $%&'%&()*+,-./

Mpma, jrntipn wknshang, wn kéym bù kéym gqn péngyou qù kàn diànymng?

Mom, may I go to see a movie with my friends tonight?

A:!"#$% &' ()*+,!"#$% &' ()*+,

Nm kéym qù kàn diànymng, klshì bù kéym tài wkn huí jip.

Yes, you may go to see a movie, but you can’t come home too late.

Q:!" !#$%!" !#$%

Zhèli kéym bù kéym chsu ypn?

Can one smoke here?

A:!"#$%!"#$%

Zhèli bù kéym chsu ypn.

No, one can’t smoke here.

Q:!"#$%&'(!$)*!"#$%&'(!$)*

Wnmen jrntipn bù néng lái, kéym míngtipn lái ma?

We can’t come today. Can we come tomorrow instead?

A:!"!"

Dpngrán kéym.

Of course you can.

Í12.2.3

47.2.2Reporting permission

To report that someone is allowed to do something, use / ràng ‘to let/to permit/ to allow,’ or / xo ‘to permit/to allow.’

! "#$%&'! "#$%&'

Wn fùmo ràng wn qù Zhsngguó xuéxí.

My parents let me go to China to study.

330

Permission

47.2

!"#$!"#$

Zhèngfo xo wn cht guó.

The government has allowed me to leave the country.

/ ràng also functions as the passive marker ‘by’:

!"#$%&'!"#$%&'

Wn de xíngli ràng rén náznu le.

My suitcase was taken away by someone.

Í17

To indicate that someone is not allowed to do something, say bù jiào, /

bù ràng, or / bù xo.

!"#$%&!"#$%&

Lkoshr bù jiào wnmen chtqu.

The teacher won’t allow us to go out.

!"#$%!"#$%

Mpma bù ràng wn kàn diànshì.

Mom won’t let me watch television.

!"#$%&'!"#$%&'

Nm bù xo hq jio ymhòu kpi chq.

You are not allowed to drive after drinking alcohol.

331