<p>中文常会有倒装句(inverted sentence)，建议不要执着文法，谁先谁后。</p>

<p>Both sentences in the Question can be reversed with a little modification.</p>

<p>我<strong>很久</strong>没看到你了。<br>
我没看到你已经<strong>很久</strong>了。</p>

<p>我<strong>整天</strong>打网球。<br>
我打网球一<strong>整天</strong>。</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-20T07:45:38.420Z
@Gâr Phrases of locality indicating position or time e.g. 屋子里边，三天以前 can be an adverbial adjunct but not a complement, therefore must precede the verb, there are complements of degree （程度）and quantity (数量） 很久 and 整天 could indicate quantity, therefore can be used as complement, the predicate 打网球 is of type V+object, therefore the following are possible:
我打网球打（了）整天 （repetition of verb)，or 我打整天(的)网球 (see grammar on complements)。Regarding 很久 or 整天 with negative predicates, they apparently do not indicate quantity of activity but just absence of it.
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-20T04:52:34.760Z
2016-11-20T04:52:34.760Z
Farnz Seager
<p>1) <strong>“很久”+verb</strong>：Generally speaking, <strong>the "verb" is usually a negative one</strong> (not + verb)  in the English meaning, in this structure, this means the "The state of the negative verb lasts for a long time/ages."</p>

<p>A typical example is:</p>

<p>我<strong>很久没有</strong>住在这里了。(I haven't lived here for a long time或者It's for ages since I left here.) And we DON'T SAY "我很久住在这里了".</p>

<p>However, sometimes when you see “很久才……”, this MUST BE ADDED before a verb (positive/negative), meaning "After a long time, Someone (begins) to do something"：</p>

<p>i. 他很久才吃饭 (It's been a long time before he began to have breakfast).</p>

<p>ii. 他很久才告诉我真相（It's been a long time before he told me the truth）</p>

<p>2）<strong>S+verb+……+很久</strong>：The verb can be positive or negative, this still means "for a long time/ages".</p>

<p>i.我住在这里<strong>很久</strong>了。(It's been a long time since I began to live here).</p>

<p>ii.我不玩游戏<strong>很久</strong>了。(It's been a long time since I stopped playing games).</p>

<p>3）As for "整天", this is much easier to learn and use. This is PURELY an adverb to modify a durable verb that means "The state of the verb lasts for all the day"：</p>

<p>他整天陪我玩(He's playing with me all the day)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-20T08:56:23.053Z
2016-11-20T08:56:23.053Z
xqMogvKW
<p>I'm struggling with where some time phrases go? I understand that 'when' comes before the verb and 'how long for' goes after. However I have found sentences using 很久 and 整天 that seemingly break this rule (sometimes). </p>

<p>我很久没看到你（了）
我整天打网球</p>

<p>I'll be fine as soon as I understand why. </p>

<p>Any ideas?<br>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/swyPB.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/swyPB.jpg" alt="example"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-19T16:13:56.403Z
adverbial adjuncts (adverbials) （状语）precede the verb, while complements (补语）follow it，some "time phrases" (e.g. 很久）can be both
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-19T17:01:48.237Z
So could I then say both: 我很久看电视 and 我看电视很久？
Gâr
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-19T17:18:22.780Z
Phrases in Q with 很久 in front of verb are negative, whereas those with 很久 after verb are positive (even 我不会在这里呆很久）justifying  我很久没看电视 and 我看电视很久 while   我很久看电视 sounds unfamiliar to say the least
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-19T17:39:19.800Z
@user6065 I Get it now - thank you!
Gâr
<grammar><mandarin><sentence-structure>
Chinese word order assistance
# Chinese word order assistance

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-11-19)

I'm struggling with where some time phrases go? I understand that 'when' comes before the verb and 'how long for' goes after. However I have found sentences using 很久 and 整天 that seemingly break this rule (sometimes).

我很久没看到你（了）
我整天打网球

I'll be fine as soon as I understand why.

Any ideas?  
[![example](https://i.sstatic.net/swyPB.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/swyPB.jpg)

**Tags:** grammar, mandarin, sentence-structure

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: adverbial adjuncts (adverbials) （状语）precede the verb, while complements (补语）follow it，some "time phrases" (e.g. 很久）can be both  
> **username_0**: So could I then say both: 我很久看电视 and 我看电视很久？  
> **username_1**: Phrases in Q with 很久 in front of verb are negative, whereas those with 很久 after verb are positive (even 我不会在这里呆很久）justifying  我很久没看电视 and 我看电视很久 while   我很久看电视 sounds unfamiliar to say the least  
> **username_0**: @username_1 I Get it now - thank you!  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-11-20. Score: 5

中文常会有倒装句(inverted sentence)，建议不要执着文法，谁先谁后。

Both sentences in the Question can be reversed with a little modification.

我**很久**没看到你了。  
我没看到你已经**很久**了。

我**整天**打网球。  
我打网球一**整天**。

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: @username_0 Phrases of locality indicating position or time e.g. 屋子里边，三天以前 can be an adverbial adjunct but not a complement, therefore must precede the verb, there are complements of degree （程度）and quantity (数量） 很久 and 整天 could indicate quantity, therefore can be used as complement, the predicate 打网球 is of type V+object, therefore the following are possible: 我打网球打（了）整天 （repetition of verb)，or 我打整天(的)网球 (see grammar on complements)。Regarding 很久 or 整天 with negative predicates, they apparently do not indicate quantity of activity but just absence of it.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2016-11-20. Score: 0

1) **“很久”+verb**：Generally speaking, **the "verb" is usually a negative one** (not + verb) in the English meaning, in this structure, this means the "The state of the negative verb lasts for a long time/ages."

A typical example is:

我**很久没有**住在这里了。(I haven't lived here for a long time或者It's for ages since I left here.) And we DON'T SAY "我很久住在这里了".

However, sometimes when you see “很久才……”, this MUST BE ADDED before a verb (positive/negative), meaning "After a long time, Someone (begins) to do something"：

i. 他很久才吃饭 (It's been a long time before he began to have breakfast).

ii. 他很久才告诉我真相（It's been a long time before he told me the truth）

2）**S+verb+……+很久**：The verb can be positive or negative, this still means "for a long time/ages".

i.我住在这里**很久**了。(It's been a long time since I began to live here).

ii.我不玩游戏**很久**了。(It's been a long time since I stopped playing games).

3）As for "整天", this is much easier to learn and use. This is PURELY an adverb to modify a durable verb that means "The state of the verb lasts for all the day"：

他整天陪我玩(He's playing with me all the day)


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