China and the Chinese

by Herbert Allen Giles

Such terms as "a man," or "six men," or "some men," or "many men," would be expressed each in its own particular way.

"All men," for instance, would involve merely the duplication of the character jen:—

人人爱他 jen jen ai t'a.

It is the same with tenses in Chinese. They are not brought out by inflection, but by the use of additional words.

来 lai is the root-idea of "coming," and lends itself as follows to the exigencies of conjugation:—

Standing alone, it is imperative:—

来 Lai! = "come!" "here!"

我来 wo lai = "I come, or am coming."

他来 t'a lai = "he comes, or is coming."