Learn Hardcore Chinese: Túshūguǎn fùjìn de kāfēi bú guì, wǒ chángcháng qù. - Coffee near the library isn’t expensive; I often go there.

It’s the structural particle 的 that links a modifier to a noun. The whole chunk 图书馆附近的 modifies 咖啡, so it means the coffee near the library. This 的 is not about possession only; it’s the general linker for adjective/phrase → noun.

Compare the three particles:
- 的: before nouns (我的朋友, 图书馆附近的咖啡)
- 地: before verbs to form adverbs (慢慢地走)
- 得: after verbs to introduce complements (走得慢)

Why is the word order 图书馆附近的咖啡 and not 咖啡在图书馆附近?

Both are possible, but they do different jobs.

图书馆附近的咖啡不贵 is a noun phrase as the subject: The coffee near the library isn’t expensive.
咖啡在图书馆附近 is a full sentence stating location: The coffee is near the library. To keep the original meaning, you’d need to add price info: 咖啡在图书馆附近，不贵.
Chinese puts modifiers before the noun, so [图书馆附近的] 咖啡 is the natural subject for the price statement.

Is 在图书馆附近的咖啡 okay?

Grammatically, 在…的 + 名词 can work when the noun is something that can be located. But 咖啡 (the beverage) isn’t usually thought of as being “located” somewhere; a place hosts a shop, not the drink. So:

Better: 在图书馆附近的咖啡馆/咖啡店 (the café/shop near the library)
For the drink in general: 图书馆附近的咖啡 is fine and idiomatic.

What exactly does 附近 mean, and how do I use it?

附近 means “nearby/the vicinity.” Common patterns:

在 + 地点 + 附近: 在图书馆附近
地点 + 附近的 + 名词: 图书馆附近的人/店/咖啡
在附近: 这儿附近有银行吗？ Don’t use 很附近; 附近 isn’t graded with 很.

Why is 不 pronounced bú here?

Tone sandhi: 不 (normally fourth tone, bù) changes to second tone bú when it comes before a fourth-tone syllable, like 贵 (guì). So you say bú guì. If the next syllable isn’t fourth tone, 不 stays bù.

Why is there no 是 before 贵? Why not 咖啡不是贵?

Chinese adjectives are stative verbs and can be predicates by themselves. You say 咖啡贵 or 咖啡不贵 without 是. Using 是 before an adjective is generally ungrammatical unless you’re doing special contrastive structures, which this isn’t.

Why no 很 before 贵? I learned adjectives often need 很.

In affirmative neutral statements, Chinese often uses 很 as a soft linker: 咖啡很贵. But with negation you normally use 不 directly: 咖啡不贵.
Nuance:

咖啡贵 can sound contrastive (“it IS expensive”).
咖啡很贵 = it’s expensive (neutral statement).
咖啡不贵 = it’s not expensive.
咖啡不太贵 = not too expensive (softer).

What’s the difference between 不贵 and 便宜?

不贵 = not expensive; neutral or mildly positive. It doesn’t guarantee “cheap,” just “not high-priced.”
便宜 = cheap/inexpensive; clearly positive about price.
If you mean “reasonably priced,” 不太贵 or 价格还可以 sound natural.

Why can 去 appear without an object? Go where?

In Chinese, destinations can be omitted when obvious from context. The first clause sets the context (near the library), so 我常常去 is understood as “I often go there (to those cafés).” You can make it explicit:

我常常去那儿。
我常常去图书馆附近。
我常常去那家咖啡店。

Where does 常常 go in the sentence? Could I put it elsewhere?

Frequency adverbs like 常常/经常/总是 go before the main verb:

我常常去。 (most natural)
With an explicit place: 我常常去图书馆附近。
Avoid 我去常常, which is ungrammatical. You can also say 我常去; 常 is a concise variant.

常常, 经常, and 常: any difference?

All can mean “often.”

常常 and 经常 are largely interchangeable; 经常 is very common in Mainland usage and can feel a bit more neutral/standard.
常 is concise and common in writing or set phrases, but 我常去 is also fine in speech.

Should there be 了 to mark completed action?

No. 常常/经常 expresses habitual action, which doesn’t take 了 (a perfective/completion marker). 我常常去了 is anomalous because completion conflicts with habitual meaning. If you want to report a specific past visit, use 去了 without 常常.

Is the comma okay without 所以? Should it be 所以我常常去?

Yes, Chinese often uses a comma to connect related clauses, and the causal relation can be understood from context. Adding 所以 makes the cause-effect explicit:

图书馆附近的咖啡不贵，所以我常常去。
Both are natural; the version with 所以 is a bit clearer/formal.

Do I need a measure word with 咖啡 here?

Not when speaking about coffee as a general commodity. If you mean a serving, use 杯:

一杯咖啡 If you mean a café/shop, use 家:
一家咖啡馆/咖啡店

Does 附近的咖啡 mean the drink or the cafés?

Literally it’s the drink (coffee) available in that area. Everyday interpretation is “the price of coffee sold around the library.” If you specifically mean the shops, say 图书馆附近的咖啡馆/咖啡店.

Could I make the destination or action explicit at the end?

Yes. Natural options include:

图书馆附近的咖啡不贵，我常常去那儿。
…我常常去喝。
…我常常去喝咖啡。
All are idiomatic and remove the ambiguity about where/for what.

Why use 不 and not 没 to negate 贵?

Negate stative adjectives with 不, not 没. 没 typically negates possession/existence or past/completed events (没去, 没有). So say 不贵, not 没贵.

Is 很不贵 acceptable?

Generally no. 很不 + adjective is used with certain adjectives that form natural opposites (很不方便, 很不合理). 很不贵 sounds awkward. Use 不贵, 不太贵, or 挺便宜的 instead.

What’s the full natural pronunciation with tones?

Túshūguǎn fùjìn de kāfēi bú guì, wǒ chángcháng qù.
Note the sandhi: 不 → bú before the fourth tone 贵.