Topic-comment sentence structure
A topic-comment sentence names what you are talking about first, then says something about it, and the topic need not be the grammatical subject. In 那家餐厅，我去过三次了, 那家餐厅 is the topic and the rest is the comment.
Structure: [Topic], [Comment about the Topic]
Examples:
> 这本书，我已经看过两遍了。(That book — I've already read it twice.)
> 那个问题，没有人能回答。(That question — nobody can answer it.)
> 中国菜，他最喜欢吃川菜。(Chinese food — he likes Sichuan best.)
Why use it? To EMPHASIZE the topic. Compare:
- SVO: 我已经看过这本书两遍了。(less emphatic)
- Topic-comment: 这本书，我已经看过两遍了。(book is highlighted)
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 这件事，你得自己拿主意，别人没办法替你决定。 | Zhè jiàn shì, nǐ děi zì jǐ ná zhǔ yi, bié rén méi bàn fǎ tì nǐ jué dìng. | This matter — you have to make the call yourself; nobody else can decide for you. | Topic 这件事 fronted; comment explains who must act on it |
| 那家餐厅，我去过三次了，每次都很满意。 | Nà jiā cān tīng, wǒ qù guò sān cì le, měi cì dōu hěn mǎn yì. | That restaurant — I've been there three times and was satisfied every time. | Topic 那家餐厅 (not the grammatical subject of 我去过); comment follows |
| 他的性格，说实话，我一直不太了解。 | Tā de xìng gé, shuō shí huà, wǒ yī zhí bú tài liǎo jiě. | His personality — honestly, I've never really understood it. | Topic 他的性格 fronted; 说实话 (to be honest) is a discourse marker within the comment |
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
What this opens up
These patterns list Topic-comment sentence structure among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Questions about Topic-comment sentence structure
What does 话题句 (Topic-comment sentence structure) mean in Chinese?
A topic-comment sentence names what you are talking about first, then says something about it, and the topic need not be the grammatical subject. In 那家餐厅，我去过三次了, 那家餐厅 is the topic and the rest is the comment. It is an HSK 4 grammar point.
How do you use 话题句 (Topic-comment sentence structure) in a sentence?
这件事，你得自己拿主意，别人没办法替你决定。 — Zhè jiàn shì, nǐ děi zì jǐ ná zhǔ yi, bié rén méi bàn fǎ tì nǐ jué dìng. — This matter — you have to make the call yourself; nobody else can decide for you. Topic 这件事 fronted; comment explains who must act on it.
What do you need to know before 话题句 (Topic-comment sentence structure)?
Topic-Comment & Subject-Predicate Predicate (HSK 3). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
What does 话题句 (Topic-comment sentence structure) lead to?
Fixed Frames (HSK 5). Each of them names 话题句 (Topic-comment sentence structure) among its own prerequisites.
What is a topic-comment sentence in Chinese?
It names what you are talking about first, then says something about it. In 这个字，我不认识。 the topic 这个字 comes first, and it is the object in meaning. The topic is usually something both people already know.
When should I move the object to the front?
Do it when the thing is known or you want to contrast it. 水果，我最喜欢苹果。 sounds natural, while 我最喜欢苹果 alone gives no setting. Do not do it with new information.
Topic-comment sentence structure is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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