Chinese grammar / 43 topics
Beginner Chinese grammar lessons
Browse 43 beginner Chinese grammar topics. Read sentence patterns, clear explanations and examples with pinyin and English translations.
没有 méiyǒu
Say “do not have” with 没有
Use 没有 for things you do not have, from a charger to free time.
不 bù
Make a negative statement with 不
Say what you do not like, what you do not do, or which description does not fit. Put 不 before the word it negates.
都 dōu
Talk about a whole group with 都
Say that an action or description applies to everyone or everything in a group. Name the group before you use 都.
也 yě
Add “also” with 也
Connect one statement to another with a shared action or description. Put 也 before the verb or adjective phrase.
和 hé
Join people and things with 和
Link two people, objects, or other noun phrases. Together, they can become one subject or one object in a sentence.
还是 háishi
Offer a choice with 还是
Ask the listener to choose between two people, things, or actions.
个 ge
Count people and things with 个
Put 个 between a number and the noun you are counting. Some nouns need a different classifier.
的 de
Show ownership with 的
Put the owner first, add 的, then name the thing. The whole phrase can fit anywhere a noun belongs.
呢 ne
Ask “what about…?” with 呢
Keep a conversation moving without repeating the whole question. Use a short follow-up when the missing meaning is already clear.
有 yǒu
Say what you have with 有
Talk about possessions, resources, and things you have available. 有 connects the person who has something to the thing they have.
可以 kěyǐ
Ask permission with 可以
Ask whether an action is allowed or acceptable, and understand a simple answer.
是 shì
Say what something is with 是
Introduce a person, identify an object, or say which group something belongs to.
很 hěn
Describe things with 很
Make a neutral description with 很 and an adjective, without adding 是.
去不去 qù bu qù
Ask a yes–no question with A-not-A
Offer the positive and negative forms of an action instead of adding 吗.
什么 · 谁 · 哪儿 shénme · shéi · nǎr
Keep question words in the answer’s place
Ask for a missing person, thing, or place without rebuilding the whole sentence. Replace the information you want with a question word.
吗 ma
Ask a yes–no question with 吗
Keep the statement in its usual order and add 吗. It is a simple way to ask whether something is true.
有点儿 yǒudiǎnr
Describe a small problem with 有点儿
Soften a description such as a little salty, a little difficult, or a bit heavy.
想 xiǎng
Say what you would like to do with 想
Express a wish or a tentative plan without making it sound settled.
在 zài
Say where an action happens with 在
Tell someone where you study, eat, work, or wait.
每…都… měi… dōu…
Say “every” with 每…都…
Describe something that applies to every person, every item, or every occasion in a group.
岁 suì
Talking About Age in Chinese with 岁 (Suì)
Learn how 岁 expresses age in Chinese, why 是 and 个 are usually omitted, and where 半 goes when giving an age in half years.
年、月、日、号 nián yuè rì hào
Chinese Dates: Year, Month and Day with 年、月、日
Read Chinese dates in year–month–day order and understand when spoken 号 and written 日 identify the day of the month.
星期 xīngqī
Days of the Week in Chinese with 星期 (Xīngqī)
Learn Chinese weekday names with 星期, the special forms for Sunday, and how to combine weekdays with mornings and evenings.
十、百、千、零 shí bǎi qiān líng
Chinese Numbers: Tens, Hundreds, Thousands and 零
Understand Chinese number order, the roles of 十、百、千 and 零, and the difference between whole numbers and digit sequences.
点、半 diǎn bàn
Telling Time in Chinese with 点 and 半
Learn to tell the hour and half hour in Chinese with 点 and 半, including 两点 and the placement of morning or evening.
的 de
Possession Without 的: Family and Close Relationships
Learn when Chinese can omit 的 after pronouns for family, close relationships, and institutions such as a person's school or company.
吧 ba
Making Suggestions in Chinese with 吧 (Ba)
Use sentence-final 吧 to suggest an action, invite someone to do something, or soften a request in everyday Mandarin.
在 zài
Saying Where Someone Is with 在 (Zài)
Use 在 as the verb for being at a place in Chinese, form negatives with 不在, and avoid adding an unnecessary 是.
有 yǒu
There Is and There Are in Chinese with 有 (Yǒu)
Learn how place + 有 introduces people or things in a location, and how it differs from identifying a subject's location with 在.
叫 jiào
Introducing Names in Chinese with 叫 (Jiào)
Learn how 叫 introduces a person's name or what something is called, including the word order for asking a name with 什么.
去 qù
Going Somewhere with 去 (Qù) in Chinese
Use 去 before a destination or an action, and understand how Chinese expresses going to a place without an extra word for “to.”
姓 xìng
Giving and Asking Surnames with 姓 (Xìng)
Use 姓 to state a Chinese family name, distinguish it from 叫 for names, and understand questions asking another person's surname.
能 néng
Ability and Possibility in Chinese with 能 (Néng)
Understand 能 for ability and practical possibility, including how circumstances affect whether someone can perform an action.
会 huì
Learned Skills with 会 (Huì): Saying Can in Chinese
Use 会 for abilities learned through practice, negate it with 不会, and distinguish knowing how from being able to act now.
要 yào
Wanting to Do Something with 要 (Yào)
Learn 要 before action verbs to express wants or intentions, and see why it can sound firmer than 想 in everyday Chinese.
怎么 zěnme
Asking How to Do Something with 怎么 (Zěnme)
Ask about methods with 怎么 before a Chinese verb, including questions about learning, travel, and carrying out an action.
没有 méiyǒu
Negating Actions with 没有 and 没 in Chinese
Use 没有 or 没 to say an action did not happen, and understand why Chinese action negation is about occurrence rather than tense alone.
不要 bùyào
Negative Commands with 不要 (Bùyào) in Chinese
Use 不要 before a verb to tell someone not to act, soften the request when appropriate, and distinguish a command from an ordinary negative.
主语谓语宾语 zhǔyǔ wèiyǔ bīnyǔ
Basic Chinese Word Order: Subject, Verb and Object
Understand basic Chinese subject–verb–object order, when an object is optional, and why added time words and adverbs need separate attention.
太……了 tài…le
Too and So in Chinese with 太……了 (Tài…Le)
Use 太 + adjective + 了 for excess, strong praise, or surprise, and understand how context changes the meaning from “too” to “so.”
对不对、是不是、好不好 duì bu duì shì bu shì hǎo bu hǎo
Chinese Tag Questions with 对不对、是不是 and 好不好
Ask for confirmation or agreement with Chinese A-not-A tags, choosing 对不对、是不是 or 好不好 to match the purpose of the question.
是吗、对吗、好吗 shì ma duì ma hǎo ma
Chinese Tag Questions with 是吗、对吗 and 好吗
Use sentence-final 是吗、对吗 or 好吗 to confirm information, check correctness, or ask someone to accept a proposal in Mandarin.
二、两 èr liǎng
二 vs 两: Choosing Èr or Liǎng for Two in Chinese
Learn when Chinese uses 二 and when it uses 两, covering numbers, dates, ordinals, quantities with classifiers, and two o'clock.