---
title: Ascertain the phonetic phenomenon whereby the greeting nǐ hǎo is rea… — Hello and goodbye: the first words at… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the phonetic phenomenon whereby the greeting nǐ hǎo is realised as ní hǎo in speech. Exam question 4 of lesson 1 «Hello and goodbye: the first words at the gate» of the Chinese street course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each optio
---

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# Exam question 4 · Hello and goodbye: the first words at the gate

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the phonetic phenomenon whereby the greeting nǐ hǎo is realised as ní hǎo in speech.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** ascertain, realise · **To what, where:** phonetic phenomenon, greeting, speech

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 1 «Hello and goodbye: the first words at the gate» of the Chinese street course of Mova's primary school, asked in stiff, formal language. The page gives the question's syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause, then the 4 options as the student saw them, each with its tree and pragmatics. Every text is parsed by Mova itself. How the student answered it, with the score of every option and why: [the test at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/chinese-street/1-hello-and-goodbye-at-the-gate/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chinese-street:1-hello-and-goodbye-at-the-gate:e4:1
# text = Ascertain the phonetic phenomenon whereby the greeting nǐ hǎo is realised as ní hǎo in speech.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	phonetic	phonetic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	phenomenon	phenomenon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	whereby	whereby	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	11	advmod	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	greeting	greeting	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj:pass	_	_
8	nǐ	nǐ	X	GW	_	7	appos	_	_
9	hǎo	hǎo	X	FW	Foreign=Yes	8	flat	_	_
10	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	aux:pass	_	_
11	realised	realise	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	1	advcl	_	_
12	as	as	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	ní	ní	X	FW	Foreign=Yes	11	obl	_	_
14	hǎo	hǎo	X	FW	Foreign=Yes	13	flat:foreign	_	_
15	in	in	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
16	speech	speech	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ascertain** | imperative | you *not said here* | the phonetic phenomenon |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent phenomenon=Topic |
| 2 | **realise** | present · passive |  | the greeting |  | speech |  | as ní; whereby *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A dipping tone preceding another dipping tone is pronounced as a rising tone

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chinese-street:1-hello-and-goodbye-at-the-gate:e4:o1:1
# text = A dipping tone preceding another dipping tone is pronounced as a rising tone
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	dipping	dip	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	amod	_	_
3	tone	tone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	preceding	precede	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	acl	_	_
5	another	another	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	7	det	_	_
6	dipping	dip	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	7	amod	_	_
7	tone	tone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	pronounced	pronounce	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
10	as	as	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	rising	rise	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	13	amod	_	_
13	tone	tone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **dip** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn meander-47.7-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **precede** | gerund | a dipping tone *not said here* | another dipping tone |  |  |  |  | vn contiguous\_location-47.8 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme tone=Co-Theme |
| 3 | **dip** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn meander-47.7-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **pronounce** | present · passive |  | a dipping tone |  |  |  | as a rising tone | vn dub-29.3.2 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 5 | **rise** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The initial consonant is invariably omitted

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chinese-street:1-hello-and-goodbye-at-the-gate:e4:o2:1
# text = The initial consonant is invariably omitted
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	initial	initial	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	consonant	consonant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux:pass	_	_
5	invariably	invariably	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	omitted	omit	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **omit** | present · passive |  | the initial consonant |  |  |  | invariably *property* | vn exclude-107.3 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The second syllable is rendered in the neutral tone

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chinese-street:1-hello-and-goodbye-at-the-gate:e4:o3:1
# text = The second syllable is rendered in the neutral tone
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	second	second	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	3	amod	_	_
3	syllable	syllable	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	rendered	render	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	neutral	neutral	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	tone	tone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **render** | present · passive |  | the second syllable |  | the neutral tone |  |  | vn give-13.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Interrogative intonation is applied to every greeting

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chinese-street:1-hello-and-goodbye-at-the-gate:e4:o4:1
# text = Interrogative intonation is applied to every greeting
1	Interrogative	interrogative	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	intonation	intonation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	applied	apply	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	7	det	_	_
7	greeting	greeting	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **apply** | present · passive |  | Interrogative intonation |  |  |  | to every greeting | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the tests of Mova's primary school, written for Mova (`world/data/school/`), as the course runner gave them to the student. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each text read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [Hello and goodbye: the first words at…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/chinese-street/1-hello-and-goodbye-at-the-gate/e3/)
- next →: [The four tones: same sound, different…, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/chinese-street/2-the-four-tones/t1/)
- ↑ back to [Hello and goodbye: the first words at the gate](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/chinese-street/1-hello-and-goodbye-at-the-gate/)