Skip to main content
Humanities LibreTexts

3.2.2: Expressing existence with "you"

  • Page ID
    44144
    \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    The verb 有 (yǒu), which means "to have," can also be used to express existence. This is similar to saying "there is" or "there are" in English.

    Structure

    Literally, this structure expresses that a place "has" a thing, which is to say, that thing is in the place.

    Place + 有 + Obj.

    Examples

    • 我 家 很 多 小 狗。Wǒ jiā yǒu hěn duō xiǎo gǒu.There are a lot of puppies in my home.
    • 我们 学校 很 多 帅哥 。Wǒmen xuéxiào yǒu hěn duō shuàigē.There are a lot of cute guys in our school.
    • 日本 很 多 中国人。Rìběn yǒu hěn duō Zhōngguó rén.There are many Chinese people in Japan.
    • 这 个 酒吧 很 多 美女。Zhège jiǔbā yǒu hěn duō měinǚ.There are a lot of pretty girls in this bar.
    • 你 家 牛奶 吗?Nǐ jiā yǒu niúnǎi ma?Is there milk in your house?
    • 这里 一 个 问题。Zhèlǐ yǒu yī gè wèntí.There is a problem here.
    • 房间 里 人 吗?Fángjiān lǐ yǒu rén ma?Is there anyone in the room?
    • 杯子 里 水 吗?Bēizi lǐ yǒu shuǐ ma?Is there any water in the cup?
    • 我 的 手机 里 你 的 号码。Wǒ de shǒujī lǐ yǒu nǐ de hàomǎ.Your number is in my cell phone.
    • 现在 办公室 里 人 吗?Xiànzài bàngōngshì lǐ yǒu rén ma?Is there anyone in the office now?

    This page titled 3.2.2: Expressing existence with "you" is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by .

    • Was this article helpful?