This selection comes out of SHIIJIE HANYU JIAOXUE, estimating words +opposite AA, Xing Fuyi.

Estimating words +opposite AA is the Key point researched in Keats Mandarin school.

This article discusses “estimating word + opposite AA” sentence structure, e.g. “芝麻粒大小”. Estimating word means the word used to estimate and measure e.g. “芝麻粒”; “opposite AA” means two monosyllabic combined together e.g. “大小”. It is generally acknowledged that this combined structure is noun e.g. “大小，粗细，长短”. This thesis is to make further study in linguistic fact, analysis from different angles. Then it draws a conclusion that they are adjective form. This paper strongly emphasizes that the “oppositeAA “ form can be modified by “那么”. For example, “芝麻粒大小（的一点事情）” could be expressed like “芝麻粒那么大小(的一点点事情)”. As a grammar mark, “那么” specifies that “大小”could not be noun in this structure.

This thesis makes an investigation on the “estimating word + opposite AA” sentence structure and discusses the grammatical relation created by it. This article discusses the phenomena e.g.”手指大小/手指般大小/像手指般大小”，“手指粗细/手指般粗细/像手指般粗细”and so on. Estimating word means the word used to estimate and measure, including “(一个)手指，八十公分” and so on; “opposite AA” means two monosyllabic combined together, including “大小，粗细，长短” and so on.

All these are the difficulties in Chinese sentences teaching. “estimating word + opposite AA” discussed in it could be referred as “estimating word + emphasizing state A”. Both of them are approximately synonymous. For example, 一个拳头大小—一个拳头大/ 八十公分长短—八十公分长. For convenience, we regard “estimating word + opposite AA” as “estimating AA”.

Forty years ago, the writer has published an article named “discussion on structure and quantity +adjective” on Chinese language in the first season, 1965. It gives explanation on those phenomena like “一丈高，八丈远，八公斤重”. It involves the matters e.g. “一丈高矮” in the manuscript. The writer received the letter about revising from Editorial Office. They suggested that “高矮”or something like that be noun and it was better to remove the related content. And the writer accepted. Actually , we thought vaguely that “一丈高矮” and “一丈高”or something like that have difference in deed. But it was difficult to tell the exact difference. After observing and seriously considering, we discuss these phenomena again several years later. It concludes that AA in “estimating AA” form is adjective form.

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