How sentences are constructed in Chinese. An easy way to speak correct Chinese

In the Chinese language, unlike Russian, there are no declensions or conjugations, so the order of words in a sentence plays a key role in the perception of meaning. In this article we will tell you how to structure Chinese sentences grammatically correctly, look at their most typical structures, and also give examples of various Chinese phrases.

Basic structure

Let's start by looking at the simplest and shortest sentences in Chinese. Their structure is elementary:

Subject + verb

Based on it, you can build a sentence with just two words, for example:

The object manipulated by the subject is added after the verb (for an exception, see the use of the preposition 把):

Subject + verb + object

Focusing on this simple diagram alone, you can create many meaningful sentences:

circumstance of time

Words denoting time that answer the question “when?” in a Chinese sentence are usually placed at the beginning, immediately after the subject, in rare cases before it, but never at the end:

Subject +time +verb[ + object]

Circumstance of place

The word denoting the place of action in Chinese is always preceded by the verb 在 zài. This entire construction is usually placed after the tense adverbial (see above) and before the verb - in no case after it:

Subject +time +在 place + verb[ + object]

There are exceptions to this rule - these are special verbs that require an adverbial place after, and not in front of, them. Like any exceptions, you just need to learn them by heart:

Duration

A construction denoting time, but answering the question “ how long?", indicates the duration of the action and is placed at the end of the sentence:

Subject + time +在 place + verb[ + object] [+ 在 place] + duration

Modus operandi

A word that denotes how an action is performed (for example: quickly, quietly, angrily, soberly) is usually placed after tense before place and verb:

Subject +time + course of action地 + 在 place + verb[ + object] + duration

The particle 地 dì is a suffix of adverbs and is always used after way of action.

Tool

Even for such a small thing as the tool with which the action is performed, the attentive Chinese allocated a separate place in the sentence:

Subject + time + manner of action地 + 在 place + 用 tool + verb[ + object] + duration

Destination

Often the action is directed towards someone, for example, “ to you" or " to him", for such constructions in a Chinese sentence there is a place immediately before the verb:

Subject +time +modus operandi 地 + 在 place + 用 instrument + destination + verb[ + object] + duration

Position of 也 in a sentence

也 yě, like other adverbs, is placed before the verb, but if the sentence contains 很, 都 or 不, the word 也 comes before them:

Before 很:

他很喜欢吃包子。 Listen
tā hěn xǐhuān chī bāozi. wǒ yě hěn xǐhuān chī.
He loves to eat pies. I also love.

我们很高兴。 Listen 他也很高兴。 Listen
wǒmen hěn gāoxìng. tā yě hěn gāoxìng.
We are happy. He's happy too.

Before 都:

你 是 我的 朋友。 Listen
nǐ shì wǒ de pengyǒu. tāmen yě dōu shì wǒ de pengyǒu.
You are my friend. They are all my friends too.

我吃素。 Listen
wǒ chīsù. wǒjiā rén yě dōu chīsù.
I am a vegetarian. Everyone in my family is also vegetarian.

Before 不 and 没:

我 不 是 学生。他 也 不 是。 Listen
wǒ bùshì xuéshēng. tā yě bùshì.
I am not a student. Him too.

我 没 去过 美国。他 也 没 去过。 Listen
wǒ méi qùguò měiguó. tā yě méi qùguò.
I haven't been to America. He wasn't either.

Question particles

All you need to do to turn a declarative sentence into an interrogative in Chinese is to replace the word you want to ask about with the corresponding interrogative, or add 吗 ma to the end of the sentence. Thus, the place of interrogative particles depends on the place of the member they replace:

Order of noun properties

Sometimes an item has its own properties ( whose, how many, which) that need to be specified. These properties have their own inviolable order:

Possessives (my, his, hers) + demonstratives (这 / 那) + quantity + count word + adjectives + noun or phrase

我 的 这 三 个 孩子 都 很 听话。 Listen
wǒ de zhè sān gè háizi dōu hěn tīnghuà.
All three of my children are very obedient.

这 个 红 色 的 小 盒子 里面 有 什么？ Listen
zhè gè hóngsè de xiǎo hézi lǐmiàn yǒu shénme?
What's inside that little red box?

We have enough studied elements to study the issue more closely, since in the Chinese language it is impossible to make mistakes in the order of words.

The structure of SVO, simplified to a minimum, is already well known to us

Subject+Verb+Object

In this article we will look at a more complete word order. For which we have enough studied elements. First a simple sentence. Here are collected all the elements that can be.

But such a situation where they are all in one sentence almost never happens, especially in colloquial speech. Therefore, the example does not look entirely natural.

As you can see, the main elements of SVO are indicated in brown. The questions that each element answers are indicated in red to make it easier to determine in which position to put which element.

Highlighted in blue: negative particle and modal verb. Doesn't answer questions - just Everything green elements- additional description of the action and circumstances.

1. Time when the action takes place
2. The manner or way in which the action of a verb occurs
3. Place where the action takes place
4. Company - people or things also involved in the action
5. Tool - what, or with the help of which an action is performed
6. Purpose - with whom/what, or in relation to whom/what the action of the verb is performed
7. Object - another additional description of the action of the verb
8. How much time - additional clarifying description of the duration of action

我 明 天 在 家 里 和 我 哥 哥会看电视 一 半 天 。

Wǒ míngtiān zài jiālǐ hé wǒ gēgē huì kàn diànshì yī bàntiān.

I'm at home tomorrow and my brother will watch TV for half the day.

Me and my brother will watch TV at home for half a day tomorrow.

As you can see, I tried to use more elements to show what the structure looks like, but the proposal turns out to be cumbersome.

In real conversation, everything is usually shorter. What is unusual in Chinese is that, 和我哥哥 ~ hé wǒ gēgē~ and my brother, is placed before verbs. A common mistake here is to place this element immediately after the subject.

Tā chángcháng de duì tā fùqīn shuō huǎng huà.

He often tells lies to his father.

He often lies to his father.

It should be noted here that 对 ~ duì, which we know from previous articles as right, right, has another meaning. Here it acts as a pretext.

Means direction towards someone. 对他父亲说 ~ duì tā fùqīn shuō ~ to his father to speak, turning to his father to speak. And it is this order that is important.

And not in the way we are used to: “telling your father.” 他对他父亲说 ~ Tā duì tā fùqīn shuō ~ he tells his father.

Using Mandarin we can discuss anything freely with them.

We can freely discuss anything with them in Mandarin.

Here the object is used 任何事 ~ rènhé shì ~ anything, anything. 任何 ~ renhe ~ any, any. Literally can be translated as: any thing (intangible). With its help you can form useful words like:

任何人 ~ renhé rén ~ any person, anyone

任何东西 ~ rènhé dongxī ~ any thing, anything(material)

任何守候 ~ rènhé shíhòu ~ any time, anytime

任何地方 ~ rènhé dìfāng ~ any place, anywhere And so on.

Word order in questions

The only other thing is that when asking questions, the description is usually even shorter. No one describes in detail what they themselves are asking about. But we will try to use the most complete examples.

谁 今天 晚 上在 酒 吧跟 我 会 喝 啤 酒 ？

Shéi jīntiān wǎnshàng zài jiǔbā gēn wǒ huì hē píjiǔ?

Who will drink beer with me at the bar tonight?

你 什 么时 候会 来 我 那 儿？

Nǐ shénme shíhòu huì lái wǒ nà"er?

When will you come to mine there?

When will you come to me?

The literal translation sounds strange, let's look at this word that the Chinese often use. 我那儿 ~ wǒ nà"er, or 我那里 ~ wǒ nàlǐ means: my place, the place is where I am.

This doesn't have to be a home, it could be a workplace, or a place where I often find myself. Typically translated as: to me.

他 怎 么会去 深 圳 ？

Tā zěnme huì qù shēnzhèn?

How will he go to Shenzhen?

他 们在 哪里 应 该 见面 ？

Tāmen zài nǎlǐ yìng gāi jiànmiàn?

Where should they meet tomorrow?
Nothing changes with negative forms either. You just need to watch which negative particle to use. 不 ~ bù~ no, no, in the present and future tense, but 没 ~ mei~ no, no, in the past tense with all verbs. If with a verb 有 ~ yǒu~ have , then at all times.

你 为 什 么没 有 电 脑 ？

Nǐ wèishéme méiyǒu diànnǎo?

Why don't you have a computer?

Bringing the tense sign forward of the sentence

我们 吃 饭 以后 总 是 休 息 。

Wǒmen chīfàn yǐhòu zǒngshì xiūxí.

We always rest after eating.

Now we move the time sign forward of the entire structure. It turns out like this:

吃 饭 以后 ， 我们 总 是 休 息 。

Chīfàn yǐhòu, wǒmen zǒngshì xiūxí.

After eating we always rest.

Please note that this is not a change in the classical order, it’s just that the sign of time is placed as if in a separate phrase, for which it is separated by a comma. And then the same classical order is used.

The first words in a foreign language, of course, are affirmative: “I want this, I don’t want that.” But soon we need to know “how” or “where” to go, “with whom” and “where” to dine, “how much” and “who” pays.

Fortunately, Chinese grammar is simple, and you only need to know a little to construct questions. Let's take a closer look at them.

General question

Questions with interrogative particles

General questions are those that have a “yes” or “no” answer.
"It is a table?" “Do you like dogs?” "Have you had lunch?" - all these questions are constructed in the same way: by adding the particle 吗 (ma) to the end of the affirmative sentence.
他爱中国。- He loves China
他爱中国吗？- Does he love China?

The situation is slightly different with the particle 呢 (ne). It is translated by the Russian word "a" and means "What about...?" or “Where is...?”
同学们都来了，老师呢？The students have all come, but what about the teachers?
Where is my phone? I just put it on the table and it’s gone!

Questions with the affirmative-negative form of the predicate

This is the second way to construct a general question: we repeat the predicate, placing the particle 不 in the middle. Please note that the predicate can be both a verb (what did you do?) and an adjective (which one?).

他要不要咖啡？- Will he have coffee?
你妹妹漂亮不漂亮？-Is your little sister beautiful?

It is impossible to construct a question this way if the predicate is preceded by an adverb (very, often). In such cases we ask the question with 吗.

Alternative question

This is a question where the answer can only be one of the proposed options. (你要茶还是要咖啡？Will you have tea or coffee?)
Such questions are asked using 还是 (háishi, or). Usually we repeat the verb (on both sides of 还是).
你一个人去 超市还是 跟朋友一起去 ？Will you go to the supermarket alone, or with a friend (will you go)?

If the question is asked to complement, the verb need not be repeated:
你想吃米饭还是面条 ？Do you want noodles or rice?

Of course, if the predicate in a sentence is the verb 是, it is also not repeated:
你是老师还是学生？Are you a teacher or a student?

Special question:question words.

When we want to know a name, we ask “who?”, when the owner – “whose?”, the address – “where?”. In other words, we are looking for some information.

Pay attention to how such interrogative sentences are constructed. We do not put all question words in one place. We put each of them where we expect to see the answer.

你去哪儿 ？-Where are you going?
我去学校. - I am going to school.
Please note that the word order in the sentence does not change: subject - predicate - object.

A more complicated example:
你在谁那儿喝茶？- Who do you drink tea from?
我在王老师那儿喝茶。- I'm drinking tea at Teacher Wang's.
The word order in the sentence is also preserved, only instead of “teacher Wang” in the question there is “who?”

Here are the main question words:

• 谁 (shéi/shuí) who
  这是谁？-Who is this?
• 谁的 (shéi de) whose
  这是谁的衬衫？- Whose shirt is this?
• 什么 (shénme) what, which
  你学习什么？-What are you studying?
  你学习什么语言？- What language are you learning?
• 哪 (nǎ) which (of)
  这儿有几个杯子，哪个是你的？ There are several glasses here, which one is yours?
• 哪儿 (nǎr) where, where
  你在哪儿学了中国功夫？Where did you study kung fu?
  夏天你打算去哪儿旅游？Where are you planning to go in the summer?
• 多少 (duōshao) how many (more than 10)
  一公斤苹果多少钱？How much does a kilogram of apples cost?
• 几 (jǐ) how much (less than 10)
  你家有几口人？ How many people are in your family?
• 为什么 (wèishénme) why
  你为什么不想去北京？Why don’t you want to go to Beijing?
• 怎么 (zěnme) how, why (emotional)
  到火车站怎么走？How to get to the station?
  Why don't you love him? He is a good man!
• 怎么样 (zěnmeyàng) how, how about...
  你最近过得怎么样？How have you been doing lately?

Remember that you cannot use both question words and the particle 吗 in the same sentence.

These three ways to ask a question will help you create and understand 90% of the questions you'll encounter.

Bonus: Dividing questions in Chinese.

Such questions are placed after a comma at the end of the sentence.

1.…, 好吗？(行吗？)
It is used, as you might guess, to ask for the consent of the interlocutor.
Let's go for a swim right now, okay?

2. …, 没有？
This option is most often used in the past tense:
你做好了作业，没有？Have you done your homework?
你去过北京，没有？Have you been to Beijing?

North Ossetian State University named after Kosta Levanovich Khetagurov

Keywords

Chinese language, syntax, compound sentence, compound subordinated sentence

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Abstract to the article

The article discusses the types of syntactic connections in complex sentences of the Chinese language. A classification of complex sentences (CSS) is given, in which, among the numerous means of communication, the main importance belongs to conjunctions, which are the most advanced syntactic means of communication in the Chinese language.

Text of a scientific article

The scientific study of the syntactic structure of the Chinese language began relatively recently (in the 20s - 40s of the 20th century) after the publication of the grammar of the ancient Chinese language by Ma Jianzhong (1898), who for the first time considered the Chinese grammatical system as a separate independent discipline and thereby influenced on the works of Chinese linguists, as a result of which at the beginning of the twentieth century, Li Jinxi in the first “Grammar of the Modern Chinese Language”, adhering to the traditional view, outlined his theory of a complex sentence as a combination of two or more simple sentences into a single whole (liangge yishang-de danju), distinguishing among them three types: 1) including a complex sentence (baoyun fuju), implying such including sentences (baoyunju), the structure of which consists of one “mother sentence” (muju) containing another “child or included” (ziju) a sentence that plays the role of one or another member of a sentence and is in turn divided, based on the functioning of which class of words it (child sentence) reproduces, into nominal (mingciju), adjective (xingrongju) and adverbial (fuciju) sentences; 2) complex sentences (dengli fuju), which are understood as complex sentences consisting of two or more syntactically equal simple sentences (fenju); 3) complex sentences (zhucong fuju), consisting of a main sentence (zhuju or zhengju), corresponding to the “mother” sentence, including complex sentences, and a dependent one, i.e. subordinate clause (congju or fuju), equated to the “included (namely adverbial) clause” of including clauses. According to Li Jinxi, the difference between adverbial included clauses of an inclusive complex sentence and subordinate clauses of a complex sentence lies in the degree of cohesion of the parts of a complex sentence (and in this case it is necessary to distinguish between concepts such as “one continuous whole” (heti) and “different wholes” ( yiti)), as well as in the nature of the values ​​expressed, i.e. adverbial included sentences, performing the syntactic function of adverbs, express the meaning of the manner of action (xingtai), while subordinate clauses, acting as prepositional-nominal complexes, transforming the preposition into a conjunction, express the meaning of reason, time, place, etc. . Later, Li Jinxi's theory of complex sentences was criticized by Lu Shuxiang and Zhu Dexi (Lectures on Grammar and Stylistics, 1952), who denied such complex sentences, the structure of which includes another, acting as one or another member of the sentence (i.e. including sentences according to Li Jinxi), classifying them as simple, while the dependent sentence is interpreted as a “sentence in form” (juzi xingshi). All complex sentences in Wang Liaoyi's grammar are divided into two large groups: with coordinating and subordinating connections, consisting in the first case of two or more equal parts with a predicative connection and subdivided into cumulative, disjunctive, adversative, base and inference, explanatory types; in the second - from the main part and the dependent part (serving as a definition to the main part) with a predicative connection, differentiated into causal, temporary, concessional, catch, target, motivational, effective. However, the author only lists the indicated types of complex sentences, without considering their classification. Some works of domestic linguists are also devoted to the study of complex sentences in the Chinese language. So, V.I. Gorelov classifies as complex syntactic constructions that have two unequal parts, one of which is a relatively independent judgment, and the second is subordinate to the first, complementing it. Among the various and numerous means of communication (intonation, positional position of parts, conjunctions, particles of the conjunction type, conjunctional phraseological units, prepositional-postpositional combinations, demonstrative pronouns and adverbs, interrogative-relative words, special lexical elements), the main meaning belongs to conjunctions, which are in the Chinese language the most perfect syntactic means of communication. IN AND. Gorelov includes in his classification complex sentences expressing attributive relations, consisting of subordinate clauses denoting proper attributive relations, which, specifying the differentiating feature of an object, indicate its properties, features, qualities, thereby performing a restrictive function, and expressing attributive-explanatory relations - subordinate clauses contain additional information about the subject, expanding its meaning and performing a disseminating role; temporal relations that convey simultaneity, precedence, and sequence of events; target relationships, additional meanings of these constructions denote the actual target relationships, not complicated by any additional connotation (i.e., receiving their expression in their pure form) and explanatory-target relationships (in the main part an indication of the goal is given, in the subordinate part - an explanation of the content goals); causal relations consisting of actual causal relations (the subordinate part indicates the cause leading to the effect contained in the main part) and explanatory-causal relations (the main part contains the cause, the essence of which is revealed in the subordinate part); conditional relations, subdivided into SPP with actual conditional relations without any additional shades and meanings, with explanatory-conditional relations (the subordinate clause contains an unreal, conjectural condition, the main one explains the essence, reveals the meaning, clarifies what is said in the subordinate clause ), with conditional-temporal relations, conveying additional time values ​​along with catch values, with conditional-concessional relations located on the border between NGN with conditional-consecutive relations and NGN with concessional relations, due to the fact that in these syntactic constructions there is an overlap of concessional meanings into conditional ones, containing a condition-justification (the condition is depicted in the form of argumentation, evidence, motivating argument), containing a limited condition (conditional-effect relations are complicated by shades of limitation); concessional relations concluding complex sentences with actual concessionary relations, not complicated by additional semantic meanings, with generalized concessionary relations (the main part contains a consequence, contrary to the countless grounds indicated generally in the subordinate part), with alternative concessionary relations (the main part contains a consequence , regardless of the two bases found in the subordinate clause as an alternative); effective relations, including SPP with actual effective relations (the main part reports an action, the subordinate part contains information about the result of this action) and with an additional degree value (along with effective relations there are additional degree values); proportional relationships, the characteristic feature of which is the structural parallelism of the constituent parts, representing the attribute of an object (its quality, quantity, action), indicated by the predicate of the main part and changing (increases / weakens, increases / decreases, increases / decreases) according to the change in the attribute expressed by the predicate subordinate part; relations of similarity, when in some cases the supposed, unreal situation referred to in the

Communication can be difficult. Especially in a second language!

Knowing a few useful phrases will not only help you avoid awkwardness in communication, but will allow you to create new contacts with others and take communication to a new level.

Greetings

• 你好! (nǐ hǎo) Hello!

You may already know this greeting. If not, 你好! (nǐ hǎo – Hello!) is the first basic Chinese phrase that you need to learn in order to make contact in a society where everyone speaks Chinese.

• 你好吗? (nǐ hǎo ma) How are you?

If this is not your first time greeting someone, you can show more attention and interest by asking how they are doing. 你好吗? (nǐ hǎo ma)- an excellent phrase for this case.

• 你吃了吗? (nǐ chī le ma) Have you eaten?

This is the Chinese way of showing attention. Culturally, this is a close equivalent to the phrase “How are you?” People ask “Have you eaten?” as a polite way to inquire about the well-being of the other person, and most people simply respond with “吃了” (chī le), “I have eaten.”

Admitting that you have not eaten means putting some pressure on the questioner: a polite reaction to such an admission will be the only way out - to feed you.

• 早安! (zǎo ān) Good morning!

The Chinese love to say "Good morning", so if you greet someone early, try to use this greeting. If the golden time is missed, you should not move on to 午安 ( wǔān– good afternoon) or 晚上好 ( wǎn shàng hǎo– good evening): they are less common.

“Good night” – 晚安 (wǎn ān). As in English, this phrase can also mean “Goodbye.”

Add a conversational touch:

Add casualness and coolness by adding the word “Hey” at the beginning of the phrase. For example:

诶, 你好. (ēi, nǐ hǎo) "Hey hello".

诶, 怎么样? (ēi, zěn me yàng) "Hey, how's life?"

What is your name?

• 我叫[name], 你呢？ (wǒ jiào [name], nǐ ne) I am [name]. What is your name?

This is an informal way to introduce yourself to each other. 我叫 (wǒ jiào) means “My name”, and 你呢? (nǐ ne) “And you?”

• 怎么称呼？ (zěn me chēng hū) How can I contact you?

This phrase is a more formal/polite way of asking someone's name. This roughly translates to “How should I address you?”

• 请问您贵姓? (qǐng wèn nín gùi xìng) May I know your last name?

This phrase is even more formal and is used in. When someone answers by saying their last name, for example, “我姓王” (wǒ xìng wáng), “My surname is Wang,” You can answer using 王先生 ( wáng xiān shēng– Mr. Wang), 王小姐 ( wáng xiǎo jiě– Mrs. (unmarried) Wang) or 王太太 ( wáng tài tài– Mrs. (married) Wang).

Again, a little conversational flavor:

For a fun, tongue-in-cheek twist on the monotonous introduction ceremony, try this phrase:

請問你貴姓大名? (qǐng wèn nǐ gùi xìng dà míng?) What is your “famous” name?

This is a way of asking someone's name while flattering the other person in a friendly manner.

Continuing the conversation

Now that we've met someone, here's how to keep the conversation going.

• 你是本地人吗？ (nǐ shì běn dì rén ma) Are you local?

This is a less direct way of asking “Where are you from?” 你是哪里人? (nǐ shì nǎ lǐ rén). In China, people from big cities often come from elsewhere. They move from smaller towns to big cities to work or study. Asking if they're local can provide an opportunity to talk about their hometowns.

• 你作什么样的工作? (nǐ zùo shén me yàng de gōng zùo) What is your job?

Among professionals or working adults, you can start a conversation by asking what field they work in. You can also ask “你的专场是什么?” ( nǐ de zhuān chǎng shì shén me?- What is your specialty?)

• 你读什么专业? (nǐ dú shén me zhuān yè) What do you study?

Among the students, you can start a conversation by asking about their specialization or main subject.

• 你有什么爱好? (nǐ yǒu shén me ài hào?) What do you like to do?

This phrase is used to ask about hobbies or interests. Another great way to start a conversation.

How to “dilute” the situation:

Try this casual phrase to overcome awkwardness and tension when entering a room or joining a group:

诶, 什么事？ (ēi, shen me shì?) Well, what's going on here?

It's the equivalent of "How are you?" or “What’s going on here?” In the right context, such as among friends or peers, it can sound very friendly and appropriate.

Answers during a conversation

Part of the art of conversation is the ability to give appropriate answers. People love to receive sympathy, encouragement, and compliments no matter what they say.

What do you say when you hear something exciting or interesting? Here are some basic phrases to respond to such stories:

• 太酷了! (tài kù le!) That's cool!

The Chinese word for "cool" is borrowed from the English "cool" and sounds exactly the same!

• 好搞笑。 (hǎo gǎo xiào) Cool.

搞笑 (gǎo xiào) literally means "to have fun" or "to joke."

• 真的吗? (zhēn de ma) What, really?

真的 (zhēn de) means “truth”, and 吗 (ma)– interrogative particle.

• 不会吧? (bù hùi ba) Are you serious?

不会 (bù hùi) means “no”, and 吧 (ba)– exclamation particle. In other words, it’s like saying “Come on!”

• 我的妈呀! (wǒ de mā ya) OMG!

我的妈呀! (wǒ de mā ya) literally means “Oh, Mommy!” Culturally it's closer to "Oh my god!"

• 哎呦我去! (āi yōu wǒ qù) Oh my God!

Again there is no exact equivalent. 哎呦我去! (āi yōu wǒ qù) literally translates to "Oh, I'm coming!" This phrase is super casual, so it's not something you can use with just anyone, especially if you've just met.

• 我也是。 (wǒ yě shì) Me too.

Three words to help you express your shared feelings.

• 我理解。(wǒ lǐ jiě) I understand.

A very useful phrase for expressing empathy.

Conversational version:

For the most emotional response, try saying:

太牛了! (tài níu le) This is damn good (can't stand up)!

In formal business contexts, this may be considered rude. But perfectly acceptable at a party.

Farewell phrases

Finally we come to the words for parting. Here's how you can say goodbye in a relaxed and appropriate way.

• 我先走了。下次再聊吧！ (wǒ xiān zǒu le。 xià cì zài liáo ba) I have to go. Let's talk again (let's talk another time)!

If you need to leave first, you can bow out in a friendly manner.

• 回头见。 (húi tóu jiàn) See you.

This phrase is useful for breaking up for a short time, for example, if you meet again on the same day.

• 我们再联络吧。 (wǒ mén zài lián lùo ba) We'll keep in touch.

This means that you may call or write later. The phrase works well when you don't see each other in person very often, but would like to stay in the know and maintain closer contact.

How to say this more casually:

Even when it comes to saying goodbye, there are several opportunities to tone down the sociality and perhaps move on to a more intimate relationship in the future:

这是我的手机号码。给我发短信吧！ (zhè shì wǒ de shǒu jī hào mǎ。gěi wǒ fā duǎn xìn ba) Here's my cell number. Text me sometime!

This is a simple phrase that should help maintain your relationship after the party.

加我的微信。 (jiā wǒ de wēi xìn) Add me on WeChat.

We hope these phrases will add some “zest” to your social life! Whatever social situation you encounter, use it as an opportunity to hone your language skills, even when greeting someone, saying goodbye, or responding to someone's story.