<p>This is the classic "topic-comment" structure in Chinese sentences. Bring the object of the verb to the beginning of the sentence for focus and emphasis, then comment on it.</p>

<p>作业他一点都没做。</p>

<p>Homework (topic) - he didn't do one bit (comment). </p>

<p>He didn't do one bit of homework.</p>

<p>法語我一句都不會講。</p>

<p>French (topic) - I don't know how to say even one sentence (comment). </p>

<p>I don't speak French at all.</p>

<p>And this structure is not limited to negative sentences either.</p>

<p>芒果蛋糕我最喜歡，巧克力蛋糕沒那麽喜歡。</p>

<p>Mango cake (topic) - I like it the best (comment). Chocolate cake (topic) - I don't like as much (comment). </p>

<p>Mango cake is my favourite, and I like chocolate cake less.</p>

<p>漢語我已經學了三年，還是一句都不會講。</p>

<p>Chinese (topic) - I have learned for three years, still even a single sentence I cannot speak (comment). </p>

<p>I have learned Chinese for three years now, but I still cannot speak a single sentence.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-05-23T09:25:57.993Z
Thanks to you naming this structure, I found some more information on the grammar wiki: https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Topic-comment_sentences
d33tah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-05-24T20:38:25.827Z
I am glad you found this page. It offers a much more comprehensive answer than I can do here. Happy learning!
monalisa
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-05-22T16:37:02.403Z
2020-05-22T16:37:02.403Z
monalisa
<p>It is acceptable and understandable. 作業他一點都沒做。(He did not even do small amount of homework.)</p>

<p>Think the component as [thing][person][description used to denote less amount of thing][description used to emphasize not][action], where [person] is the one that did not even perform the [action] on small amount of [thing]. [description used to denote less amount of thing] should be able to fit [thing]. </p>

<p>Used your sentence as example, [作業][他][一點][都沒][做]。([thing][person][description used to denote less amount of thing][description used to emphasis not][action], where [thing] is 作業, [person] is 他, [description used to denote less amount of thing] is 一點, [description used to emphasize not] is 都沒, [action] is 做). Because [person](in this example, 他(he)) is the one that did not even perform the [action](in this example, 做(do)) on small amount of [thing](in this example, 作業(homework)), the sentence means he did not even do small amount of homework.</p>

<p>You can use it to create other instance. [蛋糕][我][一口][也沒][吃]。([thing][person][description used to denote less amount of thing][description used to emphasize not][action], where [thing] is 蛋糕, [person] is 我, [description used to denote less amount of thing] is 一點, [description used to emphasis not] is 也沒, [action] is 吃). Because [person](in this example, 我(I)) is the one that did not even perform the [action](in this example, 吃(eat)) on small amount of [thing](in this example, 蛋糕(cake)), the sentence means "I did not even eat small amount of cake."</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-05-22T14:47:02.157Z
2020-05-22T14:47:02.157Z
000
<p>"作业 他 一点 都 没 做 ？" has a ? at the end.</p>

<p>It is never good to take things without any context. </p>

<p>If I were to translate the Chinese sentence, I might write:</p>

<p>他的家庭作业做得怎么样？<br>
What is his homework like?<br>
作业?<br>
Homework? (said in a surprised voice)<br>
他一点都没做哦！<br>
He never does any!</p>

<p>because: 'He never does any!' is not a question.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-05-25T01:42:33.100Z
2020-05-25T01:42:33.100Z
Pedroski
<p>In <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22not_at_all%22_with_%22yidianr_ye_bu%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Chinese grammar wiki</a>, I found this sentence:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>作业 他 一点 都 没 做 ？</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I'd like to read up on how this word order works and how to correctly apply it. Does it change the meaning or focus?</p>

<grammar><sentence-structure><word-order>
How does word order work in "作业 他 一点 都 没 做 ？"?
# How does word order work in "作业 他 一点 都 没 做 ？"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-05-22)

In [Chinese grammar wiki](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22not_at_all%22_with_%22yidianr_ye_bu%22), I found this sentence:

> 作业 他 一点 都 没 做 ？

I'd like to read up on how this word order works and how to correctly apply it. Does it change the meaning or focus?

**Tags:** grammar, sentence-structure, word-order

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-05-22. Score: 6

This is the classic "topic-comment" structure in Chinese sentences. Bring the object of the verb to the beginning of the sentence for focus and emphasis, then comment on it.

作业他一点都没做。

Homework (topic) - he didn't do one bit (comment).

He didn't do one bit of homework.

法語我一句都不會講。

French (topic) - I don't know how to say even one sentence (comment).

I don't speak French at all.

And this structure is not limited to negative sentences either.

芒果蛋糕我最喜歡，巧克力蛋糕沒那麽喜歡。

Mango cake (topic) - I like it the best (comment). Chocolate cake (topic) - I don't like as much (comment).

Mango cake is my favourite, and I like chocolate cake less.

漢語我已經學了三年，還是一句都不會講。

Chinese (topic) - I have learned for three years, still even a single sentence I cannot speak (comment).

I have learned Chinese for three years now, but I still cannot speak a single sentence.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks to you naming this structure, I found some more information on the grammar wiki: https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Topic-comment_sentences  
> **username_1**: I am glad you found this page. It offers a much more comprehensive answer than I can do here. Happy learning!  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-05-22. Score: 3

It is acceptable and understandable. 作業他一點都沒做。(He did not even do small amount of homework.)

Think the component as [thing][person][description used to denote less amount of thing][description used to emphasize not][action], where [person] is the one that did not even perform the [action] on small amount of [thing]. [description used to denote less amount of thing] should be able to fit [thing].

Used your sentence as example, [作業][他][一點][都沒][做]。([thing][person][description used to denote less amount of thing][description used to emphasis not][action], where [thing] is 作業, [person] is 他, [description used to denote less amount of thing] is 一點, [description used to emphasize not] is 都沒, [action] is 做). Because [person](in this example, 他(he)) is the one that did not even perform the [action](in this example, 做(do)) on small amount of [thing](in this example, 作業(homework)), the sentence means he did not even do small amount of homework.

You can use it to create other instance. [蛋糕][我][一口][也沒][吃]。([thing][person][description used to denote less amount of thing][description used to emphasize not][action], where [thing] is 蛋糕, [person] is 我, [description used to denote less amount of thing] is 一點, [description used to emphasis not] is 也沒, [action] is 吃). Because [person](in this example, 我(I)) is the one that did not even perform the [action](in this example, 吃(eat)) on small amount of [thing](in this example, 蛋糕(cake)), the sentence means "I did not even eat small amount of cake."


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### Answer by username_3 on 2020-05-25. Score: 0

"作业 他 一点 都 没 做 ？" has a ? at the end.

It is never good to take things without any context.

If I were to translate the Chinese sentence, I might write:

他的家庭作业做得怎么样？  
What is his homework like?  
作业?  
Homework? (said in a surprised voice)  
他一点都没做哦！  
He never does any!

because: 'He never does any!' is not a question.


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