<p>I would say no.</p>
<p>I think the problem lies in that &quot;很少人，很多人，每个人，没有人&quot; are all indefinite, and a topicalized indefinite nominal structure sounds extremely strange to me as a native speaker.</p>
<ol>
<li>那些人我已经采访过了。</li>
<li>*很多人我已经采访过了。</li>
<li>那三个人我已经采访过了</li>
<li>*三个人我已经采访过了。</li>
</ol>
<p>Sentences 1 &amp; 3 are perfect whilst sentences 2 &amp; 4 sound weird.</p>
<p>However, at the same time, I can accept &quot;每个人&quot; being topicalised in some situations i.e.:</p>
<ol start="5">
<li>每个人他都喜欢。</li>
<li>*每个人他喜欢。</li>
</ol>
<p>Sentence 5 sounds okay but sentence 6 is ungrammatical, I cannot tell why though. (maybe in sentence 5 the &quot;每个人&quot; is actually not a topic?)</p>
<p>I think in the example sentences given by @Tang Ho, what is being topicalised are quoted structures but not QP's, and that in the sentences given by @blackgreen they are subjects but not topics. (p.s. &quot;每个人应当遵守法律&quot; is unnatural. It should be &quot;每个人都应当遵守法律&quot;. It seems that 每 as a quantifier acts strangely. But that's a totally new question.)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-21T08:15:42.660Z
2022-01-21T20:37:32.493Z
2022-01-21T20:37:32.493Z
FSY
<blockquote>
<p>I want to ask if you can do the same for quantifiers - 很少人，很多人，每个人，没有人 for example.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I'd say yes. A topic doesn't need to be a proper noun, it can be a statement of any kind.</p>
<p>&quot;很少人&quot;，就是我的答案 (我的答案是&quot;很少人&quot;)</p>
<p>&quot;每个人&quot;，就是這法案針對的目標 (這法案針對的目標是&quot;每个人&quot;)</p>
<p>&quot;没有一个&quot;，就是能戦勝電腦的棋手人數 (能戦勝電腦的棋手人數是&quot;没有一个&quot;)</p>
<p>&quot;Few people&quot; is my answer</p>
<p>&quot;Everyone&quot; is the target of this bill</p>
<p>&quot;No one&quot; is the number of players who can defeat the computer</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-01T23:23:58.140Z
2022-01-01T23:30:37.463Z
2022-01-01T23:30:37.463Z
Tang Ho
<p>So I know you can topicalize proper names, you could say something like 小明，我喜欢他。or something like 书，我买了。</p>
<p>I want to ask if you can do the same for quantifiers - 很少人，很多人，每个人，没有人 for example.</p>

<grammar><phrase>
Is it possible to topicalize quantifiers in Chinese?
# Is it possible to topicalize quantifiers in Chinese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-01-01)

So I know you can topicalize proper names, you could say something like 小明，我喜欢他。or something like 书，我买了。

I want to ask if you can do the same for quantifiers - 很少人，很多人，每个人，没有人 for example.

**Tags:** grammar, phrase


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-01-21. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

I would say no.

I think the problem lies in that "很少人，很多人，每个人，没有人" are all indefinite, and a topicalized indefinite nominal structure sounds extremely strange to me as a native speaker.

1. 那些人我已经采访过了。
2. \*很多人我已经采访过了。
3. 那三个人我已经采访过了
4. \*三个人我已经采访过了。

Sentences 1 & 3 are perfect whilst sentences 2 & 4 sound weird.

However, at the same time, I can accept "每个人" being topicalised in some situations i.e.:

5. 每个人他都喜欢。
6. \*每个人他喜欢。

Sentence 5 sounds okay but sentence 6 is ungrammatical, I cannot tell why though. (maybe in sentence 5 the "每个人" is actually not a topic?)

I think in the example sentences given by @username_2, what is being topicalised are quoted structures but not QP's, and that in the sentences given by @blackgreen they are subjects but not topics. (p.s. "每个人应当遵守法律" is unnatural. It should be "每个人都应当遵守法律". It seems that 每 as a quantifier acts strangely. But that's a totally new question.)


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### Answer by username_2 on 2022-01-01. Score: 0

> I want to ask if you can do the same for quantifiers - 很少人，很多人，每个人，没有人 for example.

I'd say yes. A topic doesn't need to be a proper noun, it can be a statement of any kind.

"很少人"，就是我的答案 (我的答案是"很少人")

"每个人"，就是這法案針對的目標 (這法案針對的目標是"每个人")

"没有一个"，就是能戦勝電腦的棋手人數 (能戦勝電腦的棋手人數是"没有一个")

"Few people" is my answer

"Everyone" is the target of this bill

"No one" is the number of players who can defeat the computer


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