This paper suggests a new system of tense in Contemporary Chinese and discusses the function of tense expression of le, zhe, guo. There are three main subject view points. First, Any sentence has tense. Time factor may be explicit or recessive. Second...
This paper suggests a new system of tense in Contemporary Chinese and discusses the function of tense expression of le, zhe, guo. There are three main subject view points. First, Any sentence has tense. Time factor may be explicit or recessive. Second, Both absolute tense and relative tense are reflected in contemporary Chinese. In the view of absolute tense, Chinese tense can be divided into two types: "have been done"("己然") and "will be done"("末然"), and in the view of relative tense, Chinese tense can be divided into two types: "simultaneousness"("同時") and "insimultaneousness" ("昇時"). Both have certain mainfestation and opposition on grammar. Third, le, zhe, guo can be used to express "aspect" as well as "tense". As the markers of absolute tense, they all express "have been done" not "will be done"; as the markers of relative tense, zhe expresses the simultaneousness, le, guo express insimultaneousness. The appearence of different tense function is restricted by different syntax conditions. Fourth, There are states that absolute tense contains relative tense in Contemporary Chineses.