A 和 B
How do you say "and" in Chinese?
和 joins two nouns, like English 'and': 我和朋友 = my friend and I. It does not join whole sentences.
A 和 B + verb
How do you say you did something with someone in Chinese?
和 links two people doing something together: 'A does something with B'.
A 是 B — but never 是 + adjective
How do you say "is" in Chinese?
是 links two nouns: 我是学生 (I am a student). With adjectives use 很 instead: say 我很高兴, NOT 我是高兴.
A 还是 B — 'or' in questions
How do you ask "A or B?" in Chinese?
还是 (háishi) links two options in an alternative question — 'A or B?'. Unlike English 'or', it is only used in questions, e.g. 你喝茶还是咖啡？
A不A？ (yes/no question with a repeated verb/adjective)
How do you ask a yes/no question without 吗?
Repeating a verb or adjective with 不 in between makes a yes/no question, e.g. 辣不辣 'is it spicy or not.'
Measure words 本 and 块
Why does Chinese need a measure word before every noun?
Chinese counts nouns with a measure word: 一本书 (one book), 二十块钱 (twenty yuan). 一 is read yì before a third-tone syllable like běn.
Noun + 里 / 上 — location words
How do you say "in the room" or "on the table" in Chinese?
Attach 里 (inside) or 上 (on top) after a noun to make a place: 房间里 (in the room), 桌子上 (on the desk). Then use 有 for what is there.
Number + 点 — telling the time
How do you tell the time in Chinese?
点 marks the hour. Put the time BEFORE the verb: 我七点起床 (I get up at seven). Never say 我起床七点.
Place + 里/前面 + 有 — there is / there are
How do you say "there is" or "there are" in Chinese?
To say something exists at a place, put the place word first, then 有: 学校里有很多同学。学校前面有一个商店。
Statement + 吗
Add 吗 to the end of a statement to turn it into a yes-no question.
Time before the verb
Time words like 早上七点 come before the verb, and usually right after the subject.
Time words before the verb
Does Chinese have past tense?
Chinese verbs do not change for tense. Time words like 昨天 / 今天 / 明天 at the start of the sentence tell you when: 昨天下雨。明天我不去学校。
Tone change of 不 (bù → bú)
Why is 不 sometimes bù and sometimes bú?
不 is normally bù, but before a 4th-tone syllable it becomes bú: 不去 (bú qù), 不下雨 (bú xiàyǔ).
X多少钱? — asking the price of something
How do you ask how much something costs in Chinese?
To ask how much something costs, put the noun before 多少钱: 衣服多少钱? = How much are the clothes?
X多少钱一个? — asking the price per item
Add 一个 (or another measure word) after 多少钱 to ask the price of just one item: 杯子多少钱一个? = How much is one cup?
number + 月 + number + 号 — giving a date
How do you say the date in Chinese?
Chinese goes big to small: month first, then day. 九月五号 = September 5th. In writing you may also see 日 instead of 号.
person + number + 岁
How do you say your age in Chinese?
Ages need no verb in Chinese — just put the number and 岁 right after the person: 我三十岁 = I am thirty.
person + 好 — greeting a specific person
How do you greet your teacher in Chinese?
Put 好 right after a title or name to greet that person, like 老师好 ("hello, teacher").
sentence + 了
了 at the end of a sentence signals that something has happened or a new situation has arrived: 到北京了 = we've arrived in Beijing.
sentence + 吗？
Add 吗 to the end of a statement to turn it into a yes/no question — the word order stays the same.
verb + 了 — completed action
What does 了 mean after a verb?
了 right after a verb shows the action is finished, often with an amount after it.
verb + 的 + noun — a modifier before a noun
How do you say "the food that Mom makes" in Chinese?
A whole phrase can describe a noun if you add 的: 我写的字 = the characters that I write.
verb phrase + 的 + noun
A short phrase plus 的 can describe a noun: 妈妈做的菜 = the food that Mom makes.
……的时候 — when / while …
How do you say "when" or "while" in Chinese?
Put the whole action in front of 的时候: 我做菜的时候 = while I was cooking. The main clause tells you whether it is past or present.
…什么？
Where does the question word go in a Chinese sentence?
什么 means 'what' and sits exactly where the answer would go — no word-order change is needed for a question.
…是谁？
How do you ask who someone is in Chinese?
To ask who someone is, put 谁 (who) right where the answer would be — the word order does not change.
…，好吗？ — making a suggestion
How do you make a suggestion in Chinese?
Add 好吗？ after a sentence to suggest something and ask if the other person agrees, like 'okay?' in English.
…，好吗？— a yes/no tag question
Adding 好吗 to the end of a suggestion turns it into a question asking if the other person agrees.
一点儿 — a little
How do you say "a little" in Chinese?
一点儿 goes after the verb to soften the amount: 我会说一点儿汉语 = I can speak a little Chinese.
一起 + verb — doing something together
一起 goes before a verb to show two or more people do the action together.
一起 — doing something together
How do you say "together" in Chinese?
一起 means 'together' and goes right before the verb: 我们一起吃早饭 = We eat breakfast together.
不 + adjective
How do you make a sentence negative in Chinese?
不 negates verbs and adjectives: 不舒服 means 'not well'.
不 A 也不 B — neither A nor B
How do you say "neither hot nor cold" in Chinese?
Repeating 不 before two opposite adjectives says something lands right in the middle — not too much of either.
不在 + place — saying something is not somewhere
How do you say something is not in a place?
To say something isn't in a place, put 不 before 在: 钥匙不在桌子上 = The keys are not on the table.
不太 + adjective — not very
How do you say "not very" in Chinese?
不太 before an adjective softens it: 不太漂亮 = not very pretty. Note that 不 is read bú here, before the fourth tone of 太.
不客气 — replying to thanks
What do you say when someone thanks you in Chinese?
When someone thanks you, the standard reply is 不客气, meaning "you're welcome" or "no need to be polite."
不是 — to negate 是
How do you say "is not" in Chinese?
不 goes right before 是 to say something is not the case.
不能 + verb
How do you say you can't do something in Chinese?
能 means "can"; put 不 in front to say something is not possible.
也 — 'also' goes before the verb
Where does 也 go in a Chinese sentence?
也 must sit right before the verb, never at the end of the sentence: 她说汉语,也说英语. Saying 她说英语也 is wrong.
了 at the end — a new situation
What does 了 at the end of a sentence mean?
Sentence-final 了 says something has changed: 不多了 = there isn't much left now, though there was before.
了 — completed action / new situation
了 placed after a verb marks that an action has happened or a new state has come about: 她认识了很多新朋友 = 'She has come to know many new friends.'
什么 stays in place
In Chinese, the question word 什么 (what) sits exactly where the answer would go — no word-order change is needed.
今天是几月几号？ — asking the date
How do you ask the date in Chinese?
几 means "which/how many" in questions. 几月几号 literally asks "which month, which day" — the standard way to ask a date.
今年多大 — how old are you this year
How do you ask an adult's age in Chinese?
今年 (this year) plus 多大 (how big/old) is a common way to ask an adult's age.
会 + verb（to know how to do something）
What is the difference between 会 and 能?
会 means someone knows how to do something they learned. Adding 很 (很会) turns it into 'is really good at': 很会做菜 = cooks really well.
会 / 不会, 喜欢 / 不喜欢 — more yes/no pairs
How do you say yes and no in Chinese?
For most other verbs, just repeat the verb for yes, or put 不 before it for no: 会 becomes 不会 (can/cannot), 喜欢 becomes 不喜欢 (like/dislike).
住在 + place — to live somewhere
How do you say where you live in Chinese?
住 (to live) takes 在 plus a place right after it to say where you live.
你叫什么名字? — asking someone's name
How do you ask someone's name in Chinese?
To ask someone's name, say 你叫什么名字? The answer follows the pattern 我叫 + name.
你呢?
How do you say "and you?" in Chinese?
呢 bounces the same question back to the other person: 'and you?'
你好 — the everyday greeting
How do you say hello in Chinese?
你好 (literally "you good") is the all-purpose way to say "hello" to anyone.
你好吗？ — asking how someone is
How do you ask how someone is in Chinese?
Adding 吗 after 你好 turns the greeting into a question asking how the other person is doing.
你好吗？— asking how someone is
Add 吗 after 你好 to ask how the other person is doing.
你是哪国人? — asking someone's nationality
How do you ask where someone is from in Chinese?
To ask where someone is from, say 你是哪国人? Answer with 我是 + country + 人.
几点 — asking what time it is
How do you ask what time it is in Chinese?
几点 means 'what time.' Put it after 是 to ask about a time: 火车是几点？= What time is the train?
口 — the measure word for family members
Why do you count family members with 口 instead of 个?
When counting people in a family, Chinese uses 口 instead of 个: 四口人. Asking about it: 你家有几口人?
叫 — to be called
How do you tell someone your name in Chinese?
叫 introduces a name: 我叫明月 = I'm called Mingyue. It also works as 'to call someone something'.
吗 — turning a sentence into a yes/no question
How do you turn a sentence into a question in Chinese?
Add 吗 to the end of a statement to make a yes/no question: 你看见我的钥匙吗？= Have you seen my keys?
听不懂 — can't understand (by listening)
How do you say "I don't understand" in Chinese?
听不懂 literally means "listen-not-understand": you hear the words but the meaning doesn't get through. 懂 means "to understand."
呢 — asking the same question back
How do you ask the same question back in Chinese?
After answering, add 呢 to a pronoun to ask "what about ...?" without repeating the whole question.
哪儿 (where)
How do you ask where something is in Chinese?
哪儿 asks about a place and sits where the place word would go in the answer.
喂 — answering the phone
What do you say when you answer the phone in Chinese?
喂 (wèi) starts a phone call, like English "hello?". It is only used on the phone, not for greeting people in person.
喜欢 vs 爱 — like vs love
What is the difference between 喜欢 and 爱?
喜欢 covers liking things, places and friends; 爱 is saved for the people closest to you. Saying 我爱苹果 for a fruit sounds odd — use 喜欢.
回家 — to go home
How do you say "go home" in Chinese?
回 means 'to return', and 家 means 'home'; together 回家 means to head home.
在 + place + verb — where an action happens
Where does the place go in a Chinese sentence?
In Chinese the place phrase comes before the verb: 在商店工作 (at-store work), the opposite order from English 'work at the store'.
在 + place + 上 — on top of something
How do you say "on the computer" in Chinese?
在 marks the location, and 上 means 'on'; together 在电脑上 means 'on the computer'.
在 + place — location marker
How do you say where someone is in Chinese?
在 marks where something or someone is located, usually placed right before the place word: 老师站在黑板前面 = 'the teacher stands in front of the blackboard.'
坐 + vehicle + 去
坐 means 'to take/ride' a form of transport. Pattern: 坐 + vehicle + 去 (+ place).
坐 + vehicle + 去 + place — how you travel
How do you say how you travelled somewhere in Chinese?
Chinese states the means of travel before the verb 去: 坐飞机去上海 = go to Shanghai by plane.
坐 + vehicle — taking a form of transportation
How do you say you took the train or the bus in Chinese?
坐 means 'to sit,' but with a vehicle it means 'to take/ride': 坐火车 = to take the train.
多 + verb
How do you tell someone to do more of something in Chinese?
Before a verb, 多 means 'do more of' the action, common in advice.
多大 — asking someone's age
How do you ask someone's age in Chinese?
多大 asks about age (literally 'how big'): 你今年多大？= How old are you this year?
多少 — how many
What is the difference between 多少 and 几?
Use 多少 to ask about a number, usually a big or unknown one. It goes right before the noun.
多少钱? alone — a quick, bare question
When it's already clear what you're paying for (like a taxi ride you just took), you can simply ask 多少钱? by itself, meaning "How much (is it)?"
多少钱? — asking the price
How do you ask the price in Chinese?
多少钱 = how much (money)? In spoken Chinese prices use 块 (kuài) instead of the formal 元: 三十八块.
多少钱一个？ — asking the price
How do you ask the price per item in Chinese?
To ask a price, say the thing + 多少钱 + measure: 苹果多少钱一个？ = How much is one apple?
大 / 小 — older / younger
How do you say someone is older or younger in Chinese?
大 and 小 can describe age directly, without a comparison word, when comparing two people already mentioned.
太 + adjective + 了 (too ...)
How do you say something is too expensive in Chinese?
太…了 wraps around an adjective to say something is excessive — "way too…". It works for complaints and for strong praise.
太…了 — so / too
Put an adjective between 太 and 了 to say something is 'so …' or 'too …'. It often shows strong feeling.
家 + 有 + number + 口 + 人
How do you say how many people are in your family?
口 is the measure word for counting family members.
对不起 — apologizing
How do you say sorry in Chinese?
对不起 is the standard way to say "sorry" or "I apologize" in Chinese.
开车 — to drive (a car)
How do you say "drive a car" in Chinese?
开 (to operate) plus 车 (vehicle) together mean 'to drive'; it works like a normal verb before a destination.
很 + adjective — adjective predicate
Why do you need 很 before an adjective in Chinese?
To describe something in Chinese you often just use 很 plus an adjective, with no separate word for "is".
很高兴 + verb — happy to do something
How do you say you are happy to do something in Chinese?
很高兴 followed directly by a verb means 'happy to (do something)': 我很高兴认识她 = I am happy to meet her.
想 + verb — to want to do something
How do you say you want to do something in Chinese?
想 before a verb means "want to / would like to"; 不想 means you don't feel like doing it.
我不会说汉语 — saying what you can't do
How do you say "I don't speak Chinese" in Chinese?
不会 + verb means you don't know how to do something. 我不会说汉语 = I can't speak Chinese.
我爱你 — saying I love you
How do you say "I love you" in Chinese?
爱 is strong in Chinese. It is used for family and partners, not for things you merely enjoy: 我爱你 = I love you.
打错 + 了 — doing something the wrong way
How do you say you did something by mistake in Chinese?
打错 means "dialed wrong"; adding 了 shows the mistake already happened.
数字 + 岁 — number + years old
Put a number directly before 岁 to state an age; no verb is needed.
是 / 不是 — yes/no with 是
How do you answer a yes/no question in Chinese?
Chinese has no single word for 'yes' or 'no.' To answer a question with 是, repeat 是 for yes, or say 不是 for no.
是…的 (emphasizing time/place/manner of a past event)
How do you stress who did something in Chinese?
Use 是…的 to stress who did something (or when, where, how it was done): 是妈妈买的 = it was Mom who bought it.
有 / 没有 — yes/no with 有
Why is the negative of 有 not 不有?
To answer a question with 有 (to have), say 有 for yes or 没有 for no — 没有 is the special negative form of 有, not 不有.
有 — there is / there are
How do you say "have" in Chinese?
有 says that something exists at a place: place + 有 + person or thing.
没关系 — replying to an apology
What do you say when someone apologises in Chinese?
没关系 means "it doesn't matter" or "it's okay," the common reply when someone apologizes.
生病了 — expressing a change of state with 了
了 at the end of a sentence often shows a new situation has happened: 他生病了 = He has gotten sick (he wasn't sick before).
的 for possession
Put 的 after a person to show that something belongs to them, like adding apostrophe-s in English.
的 — possessive/attributive particle
How do you show possession in Chinese?
的 links an owner to a thing: 饭馆的人 = the restaurant's staff, 妈妈的菜 = mom's cooking.
给 + person + thing — giving something to someone
How do you say you gave something to someone in Chinese?
给 means 'to give.' The word order is subject + 给 + person + thing: 我给他水果 = I give him fruit.
能 + verb — can, be able to
How do you say you are able to do something in Chinese?
能 before a verb expresses ability: 我能听一点儿 (I can catch a little).
认识 + person — to know / to have met someone
What is the difference between 认识 and 知道?
认识 describes knowing or having met a person, often followed by 很高兴 to express how glad you are.
认识你很高兴! — nice to meet you
How do you say "nice to meet you" in Chinese?
When you meet someone for the first time, say 认识你很高兴! (Nice to meet you!) 认识 means "to know" or "to meet" someone.
请 + verb（a polite invitation）
How do you say please in Chinese?
请 before a verb makes a request more polite, like "please" in English: 请说 = please speak/go ahead.
请问 — polite way to open a question
How do you politely get a stranger's attention in Chinese?
Say 请问 before asking a stranger something; it politely gets their attention first, like "Excuse me, ..."
谢谢 + 你 — thanking someone directly
How do you say thank you in Chinese?
谢谢 means "thank you"; adding 你 makes it more personal, thanking a specific person.
谢谢 / 不客气 — thank you / you're welcome
This pair of set phrases is the standard exchange for thanks in Chinese.
这 / 那 + 是 + noun
How do you say "this is" and "that is" in Chinese?
Use 这 (this) and 那 (that) with 是 (to be) to point things out and say what they are.
这个 / 那个 — this / that (+ measure word 个)
How do you say "this one" and "that one" in Chinese?
这 and 那 combine with the measure word 个 to point at a specific thing.
都 + verb
都 goes right before the verb and means 'all/both', covering everyone mentioned before it: 朋友都叫我 = my friends all call me.
都 before the verb
都 (all) goes after the subject and before the verb or adjective: 同学们都很高兴。
How to use this page
Every pattern below was pulled out of an HSK 1 reading on this site. The example is the actual sentence it appeared in, and the links under it go to the readings where you can see it in context.
Grammar sticks through reading, not through lists. Skim this page to see what A1-level Chinese asks of you, then go read the HSK 1 texts and come back when a sentence confuses you.