Comparison Between Prepositions In Modern Chinese And In Vietnamese

Based on the definition, classification and characteristic of the prepositions in Chinese and Vietnamese, this thesis elaborately describes the position and grammatical function of the prepositions and preposition phrases in both languages; and makes a comparison and analysis on the semanteme and form of both languages' preposition, combined with contrastive linguistics theory; this thesis also explains the difference on word order of preposition between the two languages and its reason. This thesis is divided into five chapters:The first chapter is the Introduction. This part concludes the previous research achievements, and explains the methods, purpose and significance of the thesis.The second chapter is generality of the Chinese and Vietnamese prepositions. In the light of the analysis on definition, structure and semantic meaning, and comparison of different categories on Chinese and Vietnamese prepositions, we stale that the semantic role of Chinese and Vietnamese prepositions have got similarties and differences. The similarity lies in:Looked from the semantic domain, the Chinese and the Vietnamese preposition both include keshi(客事)preposition,yushi (与事)preposition, jingshi(境事)preposition, pingshi(凭事)preposition, yinshi(因事)preposition, guanshi(关事)preposition, bishi(比事)preposition. The differences lie in:the Chinese language has zhushi(主事)preposition, but the Vietnamese language does not have; the Vietnamese language has the frequency preposition, but the Chinese language does not have.All these result in symmetry and asymmetry in Chinese and Vietnamese prepositions. In this chapter we also proves the asymmetry of Vietnamese position system, and make a conclusion of the asymmetrical facts. It can be of reference value to the learners of a second language.The third chapter has mainly made the contrast on the semantic function of the Chinese and the Vietnamese language in three aspects: the sentence's semantic structure, argument and the preposition making, the corresponding relationship between argument and the prepositions. The differences lie in:In Chinese, consequentism jieguo(结果)argument and xishi(系事)argument need not use the preposition mark generally. In Vietnamese, affected shoushi (受事)argument and duixiang(对象)argument don't use the preposition mark. And then prove further the asymmetrical facts that result from the asymmetrical system, the main reason for which is as following that the Vietnamese preposition system includes the noun locality but Chinese don't; some Chinese verbs have transformed into prepositions while in Vietnamese they still are verbs; the nouns that Chinese and Vietnamese preposition introduce are of different categories.The fourth chapter in the comparison on grammatical function of the Chinese and Vietnamese prepositions, thus come to a conclusion that:Chinese preposition phrases generally locate before the verbs, while Vietnamese after verbs; Chinese prepositions structure main functions as the adverbial, and is limited used as an attribute, and controversially as complement while Vietnamese preposition structure can function as complement and attribute as well as adverbial. Vietnamese preposition can introduce attribute without attribute mark, while in Chinese only preposition structure such as "guanyu, duiyu " can be attribute, and a mark "de" is necessary between the attribute and core noun.In the Fifth chapter we use the typology theory to compare the order of the Chinese and Vietnamese prepositions and its phrase, and the situations they function as adverbial and attribute, to find out whether it is accord with the word order similarity principle, and give reasons for why the principle is violated.