h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

if you want to learn chinese ,I can help you .

Hello,

I live in bangalore. I talk to lots of chinese people who are either supplier or customers (we make automotive components)

so I know things like;

ni hao
xie xie
zai jian
wo bu mingbai

Can you tell me how to say things in the past tense, for eg;

"I speak a little chinese because I HAD a chinese friend."
Thanks

in chinese you have to put the determinator (time period first) most sentences are wrote in present tense. In english we put the determinator at the end of the sentence ie, 'I am writing now' is the same as 'I write now'. In Chinese the determinator is placed at the front of the sentence and so becomes 'now (present) I write' to make it into the past tense, determine the time period ie , : yesterday, last night, three days ago etc. zuotian, wo xiexia ba (yesterday i was writing). In your sentence it is best to include something about your friend as an introduction/ conversation before your sentence.
A few years ago, I meet a chinese person and teach (present tense) me chinese. Always write and think in the present tense. So your phrase becomes: ji sui yue qian, (a few years ago) wo jiandao yingguo ren, (I meet chinese person) ta jiao wo zhongwen. he/she teach me chinese.


now word for had. better to think in the present tense! ' you ' - have meiyou not have. hope this helps
!