In:A Layered Approach to Habitual Constructions
Edited by Sune Gregersen and Kees Hengeveld
[Typological Studies in Language 136] 2026
► pp. 202–228
Chapter 7Habitual constructions in Mandarin
Published online: 6 January 2026
https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.136.07fan
https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.136.07fan
Abstract
In Mandarin, habitual aspect is usually thought to be expressed by lexical means. This chapter challenges
that view by examining two habitual auxiliaries in Mandarin, namely guànyú ‘habitually/in the habit of’ and
ài ‘do something often/love to’, within the framework of Functional Discourse Grammar (FDG). The analysis
of the data shows that both guànyú and ài express multiple subtypes of habitual meaning.
Guànyú conveys three subtypes, corresponding to three adjacent layers within FDG: the Episode, the
State-of-Affairs, and the Situational Property. Ài expresses two subtypes, associated with the
State-of-Affairs and the Situational Property layers.
Keywords: guànyú, ài, layers, habitual, Mandarin, auxiliary, Functional Discourse Grammar
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Mandarin
- 3.Strategies
- 3.1Overview of strategies
- 3.2Guànyú
- 3.2.1Introduction
- 3.2.2Modifiers
- 3.2.3Operators
- 3.2.4Complementation
- 3.2.5Interpretation
- 3.2.7Summary
- 3.3The auxiliary ài
- 3.3.1Introduction
- 3.3.2Modifiers
- 3.3.3Operators
- 3.3.4Complementation
- 3.3.5Interpretation
- 3.3.6Summary
- 4.Summary
Acknowledgements Notes Abbreviations References
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