Chinese grammar / 30 topics
Particles in Chinese grammar
Learn Chinese particles through sentence patterns, rewritten explanations, pinyin and English examples. Browse 30 grammar topics.
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.
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.
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.
了 le
Change of State with Sentence-Final 了 (Le)
Understand sentence-final 了 for a changed situation, including new feelings, changed habits, and circumstances that are about to become different.
吧 ba
Reluctant Agreement with 吧 (Ba): All Right or Fine
Recognize sentence-final 吧 in concessions and acceptance, where context makes the reply sound like “all right,” “fine,” or agreement with a reservation.
了 le
Already Understood from Context with 了 (Le)
See how 了 can convey an “already” meaning in a reply without 已经, when an action or situation is relevant to the current conversation.
不……了没有……了 bù…le méiyǒu…le
Not Anymore with 不……了 and 没有……了
Use final 了 with negative predicates for changed habits, intentions, possessions, or availability, expressing “no longer” and “not anymore.”
了 le
Announcing Now and New Situations with 了 (Le)
Understand how final 了 makes announcements such as leaving, starting an activity, reaching an age, or taking a turn relevant to the present moment.
呢 ne
Sentence-Final 呢 (Ne) in Chinese Statements
Recognize 呢 in statements that emphasize a current situation, reinforce a point, or highlight continuation, rather than treating every 呢 as a question.
啊 a
Sentence-Final 啊 (A): Tone and Emphasis in Chinese
Understand how final 啊 adds emotion, urgency, or conversational emphasis to Mandarin statements, requests, and questions.
吧 ba
Softening Requests and Opinions with 吧 (Ba)
Use final 吧 to make suggestions, requests, or opinions sound less categorical, while reading the speaker's actual attitude from context.
的、得、地 de de de
的、得、地: Three Ways to Write De in Chinese
Distinguish 的 before nouns, 得 before complements, and 地 before actions by the grammatical relationship each de marks in a Chinese sentence.
过了 guo le
Using 过 and 了 Together in Chinese
Understand verb + 过 + 了 for actions already taken in a relevant situation, including where an object fits between the two particles.
着 zhe
Describe an ongoing state with 着
Describe a position, arrangement, or condition that continues to hold.
什么的 shénme de
And Things Like That with 什么的 (Shénme De)
End an informal Chinese list with 什么的 when similar items are understood, including a single illustrative item or a series of activities.
之类的 zhī lèi de
Things Like That with 之类的 (Zhī Lèi De)
Use 之类的 after examples to refer to similar things, optionally introduce them with 像, and add a category noun when it clarifies the meaning.
等等 děngděng
And So On with 等 and 等等 in Chinese
Use 等 or 等等 after examples in a Chinese list, understand the role of a following category noun, and distinguish these endings from casual 什么的.
嘛 ma
嘛 (Ma): Presenting Something as Obvious in Chinese
Use sentence-final 嘛 to explain an obvious point, offer reassurance, or add insistence, and distinguish it from 吗.
吧…吧 ba…ba
吧…吧: Weighing Two Unsatisfactory Options in Chinese
Use repeated 吧 to weigh alternatives, explain the drawback of each choice, and express uncertainty about a decision.
的 de
Sentence-Final 的 (De): Certainty and Reassurance
Understand how 的 at the end of a statement expresses confidence, including common reassuring sentences with 会.
啊 a
啊 (A) in Lists: Naming Examples Conversationally
Add 啊 after items in an informal list to give examples of a category without implying the list is complete.
了 le
了 After an Object: Completed Events and Sentence Rhythm
Compare verb + 了 + object with verb + object + 了, considering context, object length, and the difference between aspect and new relevance.
嘛 ma
Topic + 嘛: Introducing What You Want to Discuss
Use 嘛 after a topic to create a conversational frame before the comment, and distinguish it from sentence-final obviousness.
来着 láizhe
来着 (Láizhe): Recall a Past Fact or Ask Again
Use sentence-final 来着 to recall an earlier situation or retrieve a forgotten detail, including 我说什么来着 for I told you so.
是否 shìfǒu
是否 (Shìfǒu): Whether or Whether Not
Use 是否 before a predicate for a formal yes-or-no question or an embedded whether clause, without adding a second question form.
之 zhī
之 (Zhī): A Formal Linking Particle Like 的
Read the literary linking use of 之 in noun phrases, titles, and fixed expressions, and distinguish it from a general replacement for 的.
与否 yǔfǒu
与否 (Yǔfǒu): Whether or Not After a Predicate
Place 与否 after a condition, action, or quality to turn it into a formal whether-or-not expression within a sentence.
呗 bei
呗 (Bei): An Obvious Choice or Resigned Response
Understand sentence-final 呗 in casual Chinese, including obvious explanations, simple suggestions, acceptance, and a potentially dismissive tone.