Breakdown of nà jiā fàndiàn jīntiān zhǐ yǒu liǎng tiáo xīnxiān de yú.
Questions & Answers about nà jiā fàndiàn jīntiān zhǐ yǒu liǎng tiáo xīnxiān de yú.
Here 家 is a measure word (classifier), not the noun "family/home."
Pattern:
- 这 / 那 + 家 + 饭店 = this / that restaurant
- 家 is the standard classifier for shops, restaurants, hotels, companies, etc.
So:
- 那家饭店 = that restaurant (that particular establishment)
You generally need a classifier between 这 / 那 and a noun:
- ✅ 那家饭店
- ❌ 那饭店 (possible in some speech, but 那家饭店 is much more natural and standard)
有 is used in existential / “there is/there are” sentences.
Structure:
- [place / time] + 有 + [thing] = there is/are [thing] (at that place / at that time)
In your sentence:
- 那家饭店今天有两条新鲜的鱼。
= That restaurant today has two fresh fish.
(also functions like Today there are two fresh fish at that restaurant.)
You cannot replace 有 with 是 here:
- ❌ 那家饭店今天是两条新鲜的鱼。 (ungrammatical)
是 links two noun phrases (A is B), like:
- 他是老师。 = He is a teacher.
只 is an adverb meaning “only”, and adverbs must go before the verb they modify.
In this sentence the main verb is 有, so:
- ✅ 那家饭店今天只 有 两条新鲜的鱼。
That restaurant today only has two fresh fish.
You cannot put 只 between 有 and the object:
- ❌ 有只两条新鲜的鱼 (wrong position; adverb can’t split verb and its object like that)
Think of 只 + 有 almost as a chunk: 只有 = only have.
In counting nouns with a measure word, Chinese normally uses 两, not 二.
General rule:
- 两 + measure word + noun
- 两个人 = two people
- 两本书 = two books
- 两条鱼 = two fish
二 is mainly used for:
- Numbers in phone numbers, room numbers, street numbers, math, etc.
- 房间二零一 = room 201
- 二除以一 = 2 ÷ 1
- Ordinal second when combined as 第二 (dì-èr)
- 第二课 = Lesson 2
So here, with a classifier 条, you want 两.
条 is the standard measure word for long, thin, flexible objects, including many animals with that shape.
For fish:
- 一条鱼 = one (whole) fish
- 两条鱼 = two (whole) fish
Other notes:
- 条 is also used for things like 裤子 (trousers), 河 (rivers), 路 (roads).
- There is also a more literary / formal measure word 尾 (wěi) for fish:
- 两尾鱼 – used in writing or specific contexts (e.g., menus, fishing), much less common in everyday speech.
Using 只 (zhī) for fish would be considered wrong in standard Mandarin; 只 is for many animals (dogs, birds, etc.), but 鱼 uses 条.
的 is a structural particle that links an adjective/phrase to a noun:
- 新鲜的鱼 = fish that are fresh / fresh fish
- 新鲜 (fresh) + 的
- 鱼 (fish)
- 新鲜 (fresh) + 的
In general:
- [adjective] + 的 + [noun]
Omitting 的:
- With simple, single-syllable adjectives and very tight combinations, 的 is often dropped:
- 好人 (good person), 大门 (big gate), 小狗 (little dog)
- With many two-syllable adjectives, 的 is normally kept:
- 新鲜的鱼, 干净的房间, 重要的事情
You might occasionally see 新鲜鱼 (e.g. on signs/menus) as a kind of compact label style, but 新鲜的鱼 is the standard, fully normal form in sentences.
Chinese does not use a separate word equivalent to English existential “there” (there is/are).
Instead, it uses:
- [location/time] + 有 + [thing]
So:
- 那家饭店今天只有两条新鲜的鱼。
Literally: That restaurant today only has two fresh fish.
Functionally: Today there are only two fresh fish at that restaurant.
The "there" meaning is carried by the structure X 有 Y, not by a separate word.
Both word orders are possible:
那家饭店今天只有两条新鲜的鱼。
- Topic/subject (那家饭店) comes first, then time (今天).
今天那家饭店只有两条新鲜的鱼。
- Time (今天) comes first, then the place/topic.
In Mandarin, a common pattern is:
- [time] + [subject/place/topic] + [adverb(s)] + [verb] + [object]
So:
- ✅ 今天那家饭店只有两条新鲜的鱼。
- ✅ 那家饭店今天只有两条新鲜的鱼。
Both are natural.
Putting 今天 first often slightly emphasizes “as for today”; putting 那家饭店 first slightly emphasizes “as for that restaurant”. The difference is subtle in everyday use.
All can refer to places where you eat, but with some nuance and regional preference.
饭店
- In modern Mainland usage, often restaurant, sometimes hotel (especially older names, like X饭店 = Hotel X).
- Can feel a bit more formal or standard/signboard-like.
饭馆
- Very commonly used for ordinary, often smaller restaurants. More colloquial.
- Many speakers say 去饭馆吃饭 for "go eat at a restaurant."
餐厅
- Literally "dining hall/room."
- Often used for canteens, hotel dining rooms, or somewhat more formal restaurants.
- Also used for “dining room” at home or in a building.
In your sentence, 那家饭店 is simply “that restaurant”.
You could also say 那家饭馆 in many contexts with little change in meaning.
Chinese nouns usually do not change form for singular/plural.
You know the quantity from:
- numbers + measure words, e.g. 两条鱼 = two fish
In your sentence:
- 两条新鲜的鱼 = two fresh fish (clearly plural because of 两条)
If you just see 鱼:
- It could mean fish (in general), fish as food, or one/more fish, depending on context:
- 我喜欢吃鱼。 = I like eating fish. (uncountable/general)
- 水里有鱼。 = There is/are fish in the water. (could be one or many; context decides)
To negate 有, you use 没 (méi) or 没有 (méiyǒu), not 不.
Pattern:
- 没有 + 有-sentence’s object = not have / there is not
From:
- 那家饭店今天有两条新鲜的鱼。
That restaurant has two fresh fish today.
To:
- 那家饭店今天没有新鲜的鱼。
= That restaurant doesn’t have any fresh fish today.
(literally: That restaurant today not-have fresh fish.)
You can drop 有 after 没:
- 没鱼 / 没有鱼 both mean “no fish / doesn’t have fish.”
Using 不有 is ungrammatical:
- ❌ 那家饭店今天不有新鲜的鱼。 (wrong)
So: with 有, always use 没(有) to negate.