Mandarin Chinese for Beginners: Saying 'There Is' and 'There Are' with 有 (yǒu)
Learn to state that something exists or is present in Mandarin using 有 (yǒu), with place words, measure words and everyday examples such as 'There is a park near my house.'
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In Mandarin, you do not need a special phrase like English 'there is' or 'there are' to say that something exists. The verb 有 (yǒu) means 'to have' and also 'there is / there are'. To say where something exists, Mandarin normally puts the place first, then 有, then the thing that exists: 地方 + 有 + 东西. For example, 我家附近有一个公园 (Wǒ jiā fùjìn yǒu yí ge gōngyuán) means 'There is a park near my house.' This word order is different from English, so it is worth practising slowly. You will also need common place words such as 附近 (fùjìn, 'nearby'), 上 (shàng, 'on / above'), 里 (lǐ, 'inside'), and measure words such as 个 (ge) and 家 (jiā).
By the end, you can…
- say that a person, place or thing exists in a location using 有 (yǒu).
- ask whether something exists using 有……吗？ (yǒu ... ma?).
- use common place words such as 附近, 上, 里 and 前面 with 有.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
我家附近有一个公园。
There is a park near my house.
Wǒ jiā fùjìn yǒu yí gè gōngyuán.
The basic pattern: place first, then 有, then the thing. 一个 means 'one' with the general measure word 个.
桌子上有一本书。
There is a book on the table.
Zhuōzi shàng yǒu yì běn shū.
上 (shàng) means 'on / above'. 本 (běn) is the measure word for books.
房间里有人。
There is someone in the room.
Fángjiān lǐ yǒu rén.
里 (lǐ) means 'inside'. 有人 can mean 'there is someone' or 'there are people'.
附近有地铁站吗？
Is there a subway station nearby?
Fùjìn yǒu dìtiězhàn ma?
Add 吗 (ma) at the end to make a yes/no question. The word order stays the same.
前面没有商店。
There is no shop ahead.
Qiánmiàn méiyǒu shāngdiàn.
没有 (méiyǒu) is the negative of 有. Use it to say that something does not exist or is not present.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is: place word + 有 (yǒu) + thing. Mandarin does not begin with 'there'. For example, 学校旁边有一个超市 (Xuéxiào pángbiān yǒu yí gè chāoshì) means 'There is a supermarket next to the school.' 我家附近有两只猫 (Wǒ jiā fùjìn yǒu liǎng zhī māo) means 'There are two cats near my house.' Notice that 有 does not change for singular or plural. The noun after 有 usually needs a measure word when you give a number, such as 个, 本, 家 or 只.
When to use it
Use 有 when you are introducing something that exists or is present, not when you are describing what a known person or thing is doing. Compare 桌子上有一本书 (Zhuōzi shàng yǒu yì běn shū), 'There is a book on the table', with 书在桌子上 (Shū zài zhuōzi shàng), 'The book is on the table.' The first sentence introduces a book; the second talks about a specific book already known. For questions, use 有……吗？ (yǒu ... ma?), as in 附近有银行吗？ (Fùjìn yǒu yínháng ma?), 'Is there a bank nearby?'
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
你家附近有什么？
What is there near your home?Nǐ jiā fùjìn yǒu shénme?我家附近有一个公园，还有一个地铁站。
There is a park near my home, and there is also a subway station.Wǒ jiā fùjìn yǒu yí gè gōngyuán, hái yǒu yí gè dìtiězhàn.公园里有人吗？
Is there anyone in the park?Gōngyuán lǐ yǒu rén ma?有，公园里有很多人。
Yes, there are many people in the park.Yǒu, gōngyuán lǐ yǒu hěn duō rén.A little context goes a long way
In everyday Mandarin, 有 is extremely common when giving directions, describing a neighbourhood or checking whether something is available. Politeness usually comes from tone and context rather than from changing 有. When asking a stranger for help, add 请问 (qǐngwèn, 'may I ask') before the question, for example 请问，附近有地铁站吗？ (Qǐngwèn, fùjìn yǒu dìtiězhàn ma?). This sounds more polite than asking directly.
One thing to watch for
Using 是 (shì, 'to be') to say that something exists, as in 我家附近是一个公园.
Try this instead: Use 有 (yǒu) for existence: 我家附近有一个公园 (Wǒ jiā fùjìn yǒu yí gè gōngyuán), 'There is a park near my house.' 是 is used for identifying or equating things, not for introducing that something exists.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'There is a book on the table' in Mandarin?
Show a sample answer
桌子上有一本书。 (Zhuōzi shàng yǒu yì běn shū.)
The place 桌子上 comes first, then 有, then the thing 一本书. 本 is the measure word for books.
2Make this sentence negative: 房间里有人。 (Fángjiān lǐ yǒu rén.)
Show a sample answer
房间里没有人。 (Fángjiān lǐ méiyǒu rén.)
Replace 有 with 没有 to say that no one exists or is present there. 没有 is the standard negative form of 有.
3Ask 'Is there a bank nearby?' in Mandarin.
Show a sample answer
附近有银行吗？ (Fùjìn yǒu yínháng ma?)
Keep the place first, then 有, then the thing, and add 吗 at the end. You may also ask 请问，附近有银行吗？ to sound more polite.
To say 'there is' or 'there are' in Mandarin, remember the order: place + 有 + thing. Use 没有 for 'there is not', and add 吗 to ask if something exists.
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