上 vs 地 and adjectives

[nipponman]

Hello,

1.I know both of these can be used to form adverbs from adjectives but I don't know when to use one or the other properly. E.g. 真實上.

2. I never learned the rules for reduplicating adjectives. E.g. 粉紅, why can't you say 粉粉紅紅? Or can you? 粉紅粉紅 I think is right but I don't know. Any assistance would be appriciated.

Nipponman

[marcopolo79]

Don't think of 上 as a way to form adverbs, exressions such as 實際上, 事實上, or those that use 下 such as 在此情況下 are not to change an adjective into an adverb. What follows these expressions is not a verb being modified, but a full SVO clause, so these constructions clearly do not impact upon any verb in the sentence. These expressions are best thought of as idiomatic expressions which sets the tone for the proceeding information.

[Guest IVYtony]

actually, 上 can function as a verb.

事實上, this 上 is actually a bu(3) yu(3). to make 事實 expression more complete.

[xiaocai]

“真實上”is really an odd expression, it's better to say 實際上 or 事實上.

There are ganerally 3ways to use XX上 structure:

Just as an adverb in English:

實際上事情並非如此。

XX上＋的, can be used as an adjective:

這是原則上的錯誤。

preposition＋XX上, to modify a verb:

那輛車從表面上看沒問題。

This is not a comprehensive summary, but may be the most common one.

If an adjctive is a 偏正結搆的合成詞(I can not translate this, anyone can help me?), like 粉紅, we use ABAB structure to indicate emphasis;otherwise, only the AABB structure is accepable.

[nipponman]

Thanx for your help, I can't find a translation for 偏正結搆的合成詞 either.

[xiaocai]

I'll try my best to explain that and to make less mistakes meanwhile.

粉紅 is such a word can be divide into 2 individual morphemes, it is obviously the initial morpheme 粉 is used as a modificator to modify 紅 while 粉紅 is a kind of 紅.

In contradiction to that, take 高興 for instance, it can not be split into "高" and "興", neither "高" nor "興" has the meaning of "高興".

[nipponman]

Oh, I get it now, thanks for your explanation.

[xiaocai]

My pleasure.

I desperately need help to make my English better, whoever correct the mistakes in my post is welcome.

[nipponman]

Ok, cool, so from now on whenever I can I will correct your English

By the way, it should be, "corrects" not "correct" here.

[Jose]

xiaocai, 依我看，你的英文写得非常好，并没有任何重大的语言错误。下面我提供一些建议。希望可能会帮助一下。记住虽然我曾经住在英国，英语说得还可以，但是英语不是我的母语。所以，我的解释不一定正确。

(当然，尽管指出我在这几行中文所犯的错误)

There are generally three ways to use the XX上 structure.

(...)

I cannot ("cannot" is spelt as one word)

(...)

we use the ABAB structure...

(...)

I'll try my best to explain that and to make fewer mistakes in the meanwhile.

"Fewer" is preferred when the noun is countable. Compare:

1. There is less interest in poetry nowadays.

2. There are fewer poets nowadays.

As for meanwhile, you can usually say both "meanwhile" and "in the meanwhile", but I think (I may be wrong) that "meanwhile" on its own is more common at the beginning of the sentence. Compare:

1. (in the) Meanwhile, nobody said anything.

2. Nobody said anything in the meanwhile.

粉紅 is ( ) a word that can be divided into 2 individual morphemes. ( )Obviously the initial morpheme 粉 is used as a modifier to modify 紅, while 粉紅 is a kind of 紅.

In contradiction to that, (...) sounds a bit weird to me. I would say On the other hand, (...), or maybe As opposed to that, (...).

I desperately need help to improve my English.

In this sentence, "make my English better" is not strictly wrong, but "improve" sounds better, I think.

Also, as Nipponman pointed out, it should be "corrects" in your last sentence ("whoever" is third person singular).

Hope this helps.

[xiaocai]

Thank you, nipponman and Jose! These are exactly what I need!

Always forget conjugation,