Chinese grammar / 486 topics
Chinese grammar · page 2
Find a sentence pattern, read how it works, and practise it with Chinese examples, pinyin and English translations.
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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.
要 yào
State a plan with 要
Say what you plan or intend to do.
在 zài
Say what is happening with 在
Describe an action that is in progress at the time you are talking about.
已经 yǐjīng
Say “already” with 已经
Show that a situation has been reached or an action has happened by the time you are talking about.
一样 yíyàng
Say two things are alike with 一样
Compare equal qualities, matching sizes, and other shared features.
以后 yǐhòu
Follow an event with 以后
Say what happens after an event or after a particular time.
以前 yǐqián
Put something before an event with 以前
Place an action before another event or before a stated time.
了 le
View an action as a completed event with 了
Use verb-following 了 to present an action as a bounded event. It does not turn every sentence into the past tense.
过 guo
Talk about experience with 过
Talk about things you have tried, places you have visited, and experiences you have not had yet.
比 bǐ
Compare two things with 比
Say which route is shorter, which bag is lighter, or what feels different today.
没有…那么… méiyǒu… nàme…
Say “not as…as” with 没有…那么…
Explain that one thing has less of a quality than another.
听不懂 / 看不懂 tīng bu dǒng / kàn bu dǒng
Say you cannot understand with 听不懂 and 看不懂
Distinguish hearing or reading something from being able to understand it.
完 wán
Show that something is finished with 完
Distinguish doing an activity from reaching the end of it.
因为 · 所以 yīnwèi · suǒyǐ
Explain why with 因为…所以…
Give a reason and explain its result.
不 · 没 bù · méi
Choose between 不 and 没
Ask what you are denying: a preference or general statement, an event that did not happen, or possession.
再 zài
Ask to do something again with 再
Use 再 for another action that is requested, planned, or still to come.
又 yòu
Report that something happened again with 又
Point out a repeated event or situation that has occurred again.
先 · 再 xiān · zài
Put actions in order with 先…再…
Describe a sequence of actions: first this, then that.
会 · 能 huì · néng
Choose 会 or 能 for “can”
Separate knowing how to do something from being able to do it in the circumstances.
死了 sǐ le
Strong Adjective Intensifiers with 死了 (Sǐ Le)
Understand adjective + 死了 as a conversational exaggeration for extreme feelings or qualities, including common negative and positive uses.
差不多 chàbuduō
Approximation and Similarity with 差不多 (Chàbuduō)
Use 差不多 for things that are nearly alike, actions that are almost complete, and approximate numbers, times, or quantities.
都 dōu
Emphasizing Groups and Quantities with 都 (Dōu)
Use 都 after plural subjects such as 大家 or 很多人 to show that a description applies across the people or things being discussed.
一直 yīzhí
Continuous Actions and States with 一直 (Yīzhí)
Learn how 一直 expresses an action or state continuing through a period, including “all along,” “continuously,” and some uses of “always.”
总是 zǒngshì
Always and Repeated Habits with 总是 (Zǒngshì)
Use 总是 before verbs and descriptive predicates for habits, recurring events, or situations that consistently happen in Mandarin.
还 hái
Adding Another Action with 还 (Hái): And Also
Use 还 to add another action or fact about the same subject, and distinguish this additive meaning from the common uses of 也.
刚、刚刚 gāng gānggāng
Just Happened in Chinese with 刚 and 刚刚
Use 刚 or 刚刚 before an action to show recent occurrence, including cases where an added duration presents the event as relatively recent.
只 zhǐ
Only in Chinese with 只 (Zhǐ)
Use 只 before verbs and modal verbs to limit actions, abilities, possessions, or quantities in a Chinese sentence.
就 jiù
Then and So with 就 (Jiù) in Chinese
Learn how 就 connects a situation to the action or result that follows, including decisions, immediate responses, and practical suggestions.
别 bié
Saying Don't in Chinese with 别 (Bié)
Form negative requests and instructions with 别 before the verb, and understand how context shapes the strength of the command.
一边……一边 yībiān…yībiān
Doing Two Things at Once with 一边……一边
Use 一边……一边 for two activities carried out together, and distinguish deliberate multitasking from a general “when” time clause.
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