Existential sentences (1)
A 存现句 (cúnxiànjù) says that someone or something is present in a place.
Such sentences are normally built with 有 (yǒu) or 是 (shì).
In negative sentences no number-and-measure-word goes before the object.
1. Presence with 有
Basic structure
Place + 有 + person / thing
Meaning:
someone or something is in that place.
学校前边有一家电影院
学校前边xuéxiào qiánbianin front of the school
有yǒuthere is
一家电影院yì jiā diànyǐngyuànone cinema
2. Presence with 是
Basic structure
Place + 是 + person / thing
Meaning:
it says exactly what is in that place.
电影院前边是一家超市
电影院前边diànyǐngyuàn qiánbianin front of the cinema
是shìis
一家超市yì jiā chāoshìone supermarket
3. The negative of 是
电影院前边不是超市
电影院前边diànyǐngyuàn qiánbianin front of the cinema
不是bú shìis not
超市chāoshìsupermarket
The sentence is negative, so 一家 is left out.
4. The negative of 有
桌子上没有小猫
桌子上zhuōzi shàngon the table
没有méiyǒuthere is no
小猫xiǎomāolittle cat
Here too the negative sentence has no 一只-style number-and-measure phrase before the object.
The rule that matters
An affirmative sentence may carry a number and measure word:
学校前边有一家电影院
But a negative sentence does not put them before the object:
桌子上没有小猫
The rule in short
With 有
Place + 有 + person / thing
Someone or something is in that place.
With 是
Place + 是 + person / thing
It says exactly what is in that place.
Negative
Place + 没有 + person / thing
or
Place + 不是 + person / thing
A negative sentence puts no number-and-measure-word before the object.