---
title: «he said tā lǎo de is coming, that's how you say grandad?» Is it OK? — Talking to the friend's grandparents · tree and pragmatics
description: «he said tā lǎo de is coming, that's how you say grandad?» Is it OK? Test 6 · ★ of lesson 29 «Talking to the friend's grandparents» of the Chinese street course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was wrong.
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/chinese-street/29-talking-to-the-friends-grandparents/t6/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Chinese street](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/chinese-street/) / [Talking to the friend's grandparents](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/chinese-street/29-talking-to-the-friends-grandparents/) / t6

# Test 6 · ★ · Talking to the friend's grandparents

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«he said tā lǎo de is coming, that's how you say grandad?» Is it OK?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** he, tā, that, you · **What happens:** say, come, be · **To what, where:** grandad · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 · ★ of lesson 29 «Talking to the friend's grandparents» of the Chinese street course of Mova's primary school. 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/29-talking-to-the-friends-grandparents/#t6).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* «he said tā lǎo de is coming, that's how you say grandad?»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chinese-street:29-talking-to-the-friends-grandparents:t6:1
# text = «he said tā lǎo de is coming, that's how you say grandad?»
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	tā	tā	X	FW	_	8	nsubj	_	_
5	lǎo	lǎo	X	FW	Foreign=Yes	4	flat:foreign	_	_
6	de	de	X	FW	Foreign=Yes	4	flat:foreign	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
8	coming	come	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
10	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	12	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
12	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	14	advmod	_	_
13	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	_
14	say	say	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
15	grandad	grandad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: ask* *in a quote* | past | he |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **come** *in a quote* | present · progressive | tā |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **is** *in a quote* | present | that |  |  |  |  | how *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **say** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | present | you | grandad |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent grandad=Topic |

<!-- .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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* Is it OK?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chinese-street:29-talking-to-the-friends-grandparents:t6:2
# text = Is it OK?
1	Is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	OK	ok	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | tā |  |  |  |  | ok *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, lǎo de is rude; say lǎorénjiā

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chinese-street:29-talking-to-the-friends-grandparents:t6:o1:1
# text = No, lǎo de is rude; say lǎorénjiā
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
3	lǎo	lǎo	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	de	de	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	rude	rude	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	8	punct	_	_
8	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	conj	_	_
9	lǎorénjiā	lǎorénjiā	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | lǎo de |  |  |  |  | rude *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | infinitive | lǎo de *not said here* | lǎorénjiā |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent lǎorénjiā=Topic |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, it's the polite form for any grandad

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chinese-street:29-talking-to-the-friends-grandparents:t6:o2:1
# text = Yes, it's the polite form for any grandad
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	7	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	polite	polite	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	form	form	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
8	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	10	det	_	_
10	grandad	grandad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | it | the polite form |  |  |  | for any grandad | tree rules |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, it means Mr Old

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chinese-street:29-talking-to-the-friends-grandparents:t6:o3:1
# text = Yes, it means Mr Old
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	Mr	Mr	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
6	Old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | it | Mr |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mr=Topic |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, you must say lǎoshī

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chinese-street:29-talking-to-the-friends-grandparents:t6:o4:1
# text = No, you must say lǎoshī
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	5	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
4	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	lǎoshī	lǎoshī	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | must | you | lǎoshī |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent lǎoshī=Topic |

<!-- 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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Talking to the friend's grandparents, test 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/chinese-street/29-talking-to-the-friends-grandparents/t5/)
- next →: [Talking to the friend's grandparents, test 7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/chinese-street/29-talking-to-the-friends-grandparents/t7/)
- ↑ back to [Talking to the friend's grandparents](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/chinese-street/29-talking-to-the-friends-grandparents/)