<blockquote>
<p>So here I assume 有 indicates the bird‘s existence</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Correct. 有 is frequently used as the equivalent of &quot;<strong>there is</strong>&quot; in English. The typical construction is</p>
<blockquote>
<p>place + 有 + noun</p>
<p>Example: 我家里 (place) 有 (existence) 很多椅子 (subject) -&gt; There's many chairs in my house</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Then you can also <strong>omit the place</strong> to express just generic existence, as in your sentence:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>有一只小鸟真可怜 (nowhere in particular) there's a little bird which is really pitiful</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This construction can be productively used in story-telling, where the exact location of the subject is not very relevant. Same as in English.</p>
<p>If you add a time complement instead of a location, you get the classical story introduction:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>很久以前有一只小鸡~ once upon a time (nowhere in particular) there was a small chicken...</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-18T11:43:38.300Z
有一只小鸟真可怜，(there's a little bird which is really pitiful),  有一只很可怜的小鸟 (there's a pitiful /poor little bird )
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-18T13:16:16.197Z
You are right, I updated my translation!
blackgreen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-18T10:45:25.263Z
2020-06-18T13:15:54.210Z
2020-06-18T13:15:54.210Z
blackgreen
<blockquote>
<p>So here I assume 有 indicates the bird´s existence, however in every explanation about 有 grammar I could find they would structure the sentence so that 有 would come after the place and before the subject. (Time/place) + 有 + (subject).</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This is probably a textbook sentence pattern, and sure, we can rewrite this sentence into that pattern.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>在樹枝上「有」一隻真可憐的小鳥。它冷得發抖。</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><em>Up on the tree branches, <strong>there is</strong> a poor little bird. It's shivering from the cold.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Rather than follow textbook patterns, what if we wanted to say</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em><strong>There is</strong> a poor little bird, who is up on the tree branches, shivering from the cold.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Then we would use the sentence you've provided.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-18T10:46:04.513Z
2020-06-18T10:46:04.513Z
dROOOze
<p>So I am studying this children´s story, and I can´t find a proper grammar explanation.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>有一只小鸟真可怜，它在树枝上冷得发抖。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So here I assume 有 indicates the bird´s existence, however in every explanation about 有 grammar I could find they would structure the sentence so that 有 would come after the place and before the subject. (Time/place) + 有 + (subject).</p>
<p>I couldn´t find any grammar that explained this particular kind of compound sentence, nor any other possible explanation. Any ideas?</p>

<translation><grammar><sentence-structure>
In 有一只小鸟真可怜，它在树枝上冷得发抖 why is 有 at the start?
# In 有一只小鸟真可怜，它在树枝上冷得发抖 why is 有 at the start?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-06-18)

So I am studying this children´s story, and I can´t find a proper grammar explanation.

> 有一只小鸟真可怜，它在树枝上冷得发抖。

So here I assume 有 indicates the bird´s existence, however in every explanation about 有 grammar I could find they would structure the sentence so that 有 would come after the place and before the subject. (Time/place) + 有 + (subject).

I couldn´t find any grammar that explained this particular kind of compound sentence, nor any other possible explanation. Any ideas?

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


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-06-18. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

> So here I assume 有 indicates the bird‘s existence

Correct. 有 is frequently used as the equivalent of "**there is**" in English. The typical construction is

> place + 有 + noun
>
> Example: 我家里 (place) 有 (existence) 很多椅子 (subject) -> There's many chairs in my house

Then you can also **omit the place** to express just generic existence, as in your sentence:

> 有一只小鸟真可怜 (nowhere in particular) there's a little bird which is really pitiful

This construction can be productively used in story-telling, where the exact location of the subject is not very relevant. Same as in English.

If you add a time complement instead of a location, you get the classical story introduction:

> 很久以前有一只小鸡~ once upon a time (nowhere in particular) there was a small chicken...

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: 有一只小鸟真可怜，(there's a little bird which is really pitiful),  有一只很可怜的小鸟 (there's a pitiful /poor little bird )  
> **username_1**: You are right, I updated my translation!  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2020-06-18. Score: 2

> So here I assume 有 indicates the bird´s existence, however in every explanation about 有 grammar I could find they would structure the sentence so that 有 would come after the place and before the subject. (Time/place) + 有 + (subject).

This is probably a textbook sentence pattern, and sure, we can rewrite this sentence into that pattern.

> 在樹枝上「有」一隻真可憐的小鳥。它冷得發抖。

> *Up on the tree branches, **there is** a poor little bird. It's shivering from the cold.*

Rather than follow textbook patterns, what if we wanted to say

> ***There is** a poor little bird, who is up on the tree branches, shivering from the cold.*

Then we would use the sentence you've provided.


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