On Verbs Modified by “yige” in Subject or Object Position

Verbs modified by “yige” in subject or object position are very common in modern Chinese, which shows the nominal characteristics of Chinese verbs. However, “yige” is highlighting rather than realizing the nominal characteristics of Chinese verbs since most of Chinese verbs can directly be used in subject or object position and act as referential expressions. Whether verbs can be modified by “yige” is related to the intensity level of their mobility and the characteristics of boundedness. Weak verbs are more likely to be modified by “yige”, and verbs that can be modified by “yige” are all bounded verbs. However, whether bounded verbs can be modified by “yige” is also influenced by the inner compounding pattern of the verbs. Verbs modified by “yige” are in an open status as a result of the generalization and grammaticalization of the semantic function and the intensification of the marking function of “ge”. The purpose of using “ge” is to eliminate the timeliness and highlight the discreteness of the verbs in subject or object position.