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Noun Modification

Noun modification is the description of a noun by another word or phrase. The noun which is being described is the "head noun" and the description is "noun modifier." In the Mandarin noun phrase, the modifier always precedes the head noun.

There are two types of noun modifiers in Mandarin, those that involve numbers and specifiers ( 这/這 : zhe4 ) -- this or ( 那 : n4 ) -- that, and those that involve any other kind of phrase.

Modification involving numbers and specifiers.

Modification involving numbers: The number + Classifier( measure words ) phrase
Common nouns may be described in terms of quantity: one book, two books, several books, etc. In Mandarin, numbers may not directly precede a noun. Numbers precede classifiers, and the number + classifier phrase precedes the noun.

一本书
一本書
yi1 ben3 shu1
one book

三个人
三個人
san1 ge ren2
three people

Quantifiers, words which indicate an indefinite quantity, may also modify the noun.
The following quantifiers must be followed by a classifier.

几本书
幾本書
ji3 ben3 shu1
several books

每个人
每個人
mei3 ge1 ren2
every person

The phrase ( 一些 : yi1 xie ) -- several/ a few may also serve a quantifier phrase

一些书
一些書
yi1 xie1 shu1
several books

Some classifiers( measurement words) indicate a specific meaning ( for example, the shape of a noun, or some information about the quantity of a noun ) and are always used with a particular noun in a particular context.

一条河
一條河
yi1 tiao2 he2
one (long thin) river

一块肉
一塊肉
yi1 kuai4 rou4
one lump of meat

一张纸
一張紙
yi1 zhang1 zhi3
one sheet of paper

Some classifiers provide information about the container of a noun, or its size or weight.

一磅苹果
一磅蘋果
yi1 ban4 ping2 guo3
one pound of apples.

一杯茶
yi1 bei1 cha2
one cup of tea

When the noun does not have a specialized classifier, the classifier ( 个/個 : ge ) is used.

我每个周末都回家。
我每個週末都回家。
wo3 mei3 ge4 zhou1 mo4 dou1 hui2 jia1。
I go home every weekend.

Omission of the Head Noun

When the identity of the noun is clear from the context, the number + classifier phrase can occur without a following noun.

Question:
你要买几支笔？
你要買幾支筆﹖
ni3 yao4 mai3 ji1 zhi1 bi3﹖
How many pens do you want to buy?

Answer:
两支。
兩支。
liang3 zhi1。
Two.

Classifiers which always occur without a head noun
Some classifier have nominal meaning and do not have an associated noun.
These include the following words.

( 年 : nian2 ) -- year
( 天 : tian1 ) -- day
( 位 : wei4 ) -- person ( polite classifier for people )

我在日本住了一年。
wo3 zai4 ri4 ben3 zhu4 le yi1 nian2.
I lived in Japan for a year.

她一天没吃饭。
她一天沒吃飯。
ta1 yi1 tian1 mei2 chi1 fan4.
She didn't eat for a whole day.

哪位是谁？
哪位是誰﹖
na3 wei4 shi4 shei2?
Who is that person?

Using the word ( 半 : ban4 ) -- half with classifiers

• ( 半 : ban4 ) is used in the expression "a number and a half." It follows the classifier:
  
  ( 一个半月/一個半月: yi1 ge ban4 yue4 ) -- one and half months
  ( 五年半 : wu3 nian2 ban4 ) -- five and half years
  
  
• When incating half of a noun, ( 半 : ban4 ) precedes the classifier:
  
  ( 半个月/半個月: ban4 ge yue4 ) -- half a month
  ( 半年 : ban4 nian2 ) -- half a year
  

Specifiers

The most common specifiers are ( : na4 ) -- that/those and ( : zhe4 ) -- this/these.
Like numbers, specifiers cannot immediately precede a noun.
They are followed by a number + classifier phrases, or by a classifier.

这三本书。
這三本書。
zhe4 san1 ben3 shu1
these three books

这本书。
這本書。
zhe4 ben3 shu1
this book

那三本书。
那三本書。
na4 san1 ben3 shu1
those three books

那本书。
那本書。
na4 ben3 shu1
that book

Specifiers may also be used to refer to a physical, concrete object. In this usage, they can occur without a following classifier.

那是什么？
那是什麼﹖
na4 shi4 she2 me?
What's that?

那是毛笔。
那是毛筆。
na4 shi4 mao2 bi3.
That's a Chinese writing brush.

Specifiers with literary usage

( 本 : ben3 ) and ( 某 : mou3 ) may be used as specifiers in formal, literary contexts.
( 本 : ben3 ) refers to a specific NP which is associated with the speaker. Its meaning incorporates "our" and "this"

本校成立于一八四五年。
ben3 xiao4 cheng2 li4 yu2 yi1 ba1 si4 wu3 nian2.
This school of ours was established in 1845.

羊肉串儿是本店的特产。
羊肉串兒是本店的特產。
yang2 rou4 chuan4 er2 shi4 ben3 dian4 de te4 chan3.
Lamb kebabs are the specialty of our store.

( 某 : mou ) refers to an entity whose identity is not revealed by the speaker.

这些是某人的东西。
這些是某人的東西。
zhe4 xie1 shi4 mou3 ren2 de dong1 xi1.
These are somebody's things.
( These things belong to someone.)

你说的张某是谁？是张明吗？
你說的張某是誰﹖是張明嗎﹖
ni3 shuo1 de zhang1 mou3 shi4 shei2? shi4 Zhang1 Ming2 ma?
Who is this Zhang so-and-so that you are talking about? Is it Zhang Ming?

Next lesson : Nouns | Classifier( measure words )