和 joins two nouns, like English 'and': 我和朋友 = my friend and I. It does not join whole sentences.
和 links two people doing something together: 'A does something with B'.
是 links two nouns to say A is B, like an equals sign: 今天是星期天 = today is Sunday.
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.
的 links an owner to a thing: 饭馆的人 = the restaurant's staff, 妈妈的菜 = mom's cooking.
还是 offers a choice between two options and makes the sentence a question by itself — no 吗 needed: 你喝茶还是喝咖啡？
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.
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.
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.
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。
Add 吗 to the end of a statement to turn it into a yes-no question.
Time words like 早上七点 come before the verb, and usually right after the subject.
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。
不 is normally bù, but before a 4th-tone syllable it becomes bú: 不去 (bú qù), 不下雨 (bú xiàyǔ).
To ask how much something costs, put the noun before 多少钱: 衣服多少钱? = How much are the clothes?
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?
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.
To say a specific hour, put a number directly before 点.
Ages need no verb in Chinese — just put the number and 岁 right after the person: 我三十岁 = I am thirty.
Put 好 right after a title or name to greet that person, like 老师好 ("hello, teacher").
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.
Add 吗 to the end of a statement to turn it into a yes/no question — the word order stays the same.
了 right after a verb shows the action is finished, often with an amount after it.
了 right after a verb shows the action is finished or has happened: 买了 = bought.
A whole phrase can describe a noun if you add 的: 我写的字 = the characters that I write.
A short phrase plus 的 can describe a noun: 妈妈做的菜 = the food that Mom makes.
Put 的时候 after an action to say "while doing it": 看电影的时候 (while watching the movie).
Add 好吗 after a suggestion to gently ask for agreement: 星期天回家吃饭，好吗？
了 at the end of a sentence signals that a situation has changed — something new is happening now.
了 at the end of the sentence signals a change of state: 豆豆两岁了 = Doudou has turned two (it wasn't two before).
什么 means 'what' and sits exactly where the answer would go — no word-order change is needed for a question.
To ask who someone is, put 谁 (who) right where the answer would be — the word order does not change.
Put 的时候 after a phrase to mean 'when / while …': 天气冷的时候 = when the weather is cold.
Add 好吗？ after a sentence to suggest something and ask if the other person agrees, like 'okay?' in English.
Adding 好吗 to the end of a suggestion turns it into a question asking if the other person agrees.
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 goes before a verb to show two or more people do the action together.
一起 means 'together' and goes right before the verb: 我们一起吃早饭 = We eat breakfast together.
一起 is placed before the verb to show an action done jointly.
A tidy pattern for two negatives: 不冷也不热 (neither cold nor hot), 不大也不小 (neither big nor small).
Put 不 before the verb to say 'not'. Before a fourth-tone syllable it is read bú, elsewhere bù.
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 softens a negative judgement. Because 太 is fourth tone, 不 is read bú here.
When someone thanks you, the standard reply is 不客气, meaning "you're welcome" or "no need to be polite."
不 goes right before 是 to say something is not the case.
能 means "can"; put 不 in front to say something is not possible.
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.
也 sits right before the verb to add another true statement.
也 means 'also' and goes before the verb, right after the subject: 我们也吃鸡蛋 = We also eat eggs.
Sentence-final 了 says something has changed: 不多了 = there isn't much left now, though there was before.
Put 了 right after the verb to show the action is finished: 买了 = bought.
In Chinese, the question word 什么 (what) sits exactly where the answer would go — no word-order change is needed.
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 (this year) plus 多大 (how big/old) is a common way to ask an adult's age.
会 means someone can do something because they learned it: 会说 = can say, 会写 = can write.
会 means 'can' for skills you have learned: 我会说汉语 = I can speak 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).
To say where someone lives, use 住在 followed directly by the place.
住 (to live) takes 在 plus a place right after it to say where you live.
To ask someone's name, say 你叫什么名字? The answer follows the pattern 我叫 + name.
你好 (literally "you good") is the all-purpose way to say "hello" to anyone.
Adding 吗 after 你好 turns the greeting into a question asking how the other person is doing.
Add 吗 after 你好 to ask how the other person is doing.
To ask where someone is from, say 你是哪国人? Answer with 我是 + country + 人.
几点 means 'what time.' Put it after 是 to ask about a time: 火车是几点？= What time is the train?
几点 asks for a clock time; put it right after 现在 to ask "what time is it now?"
几 asks 'how many'; 几点了？ = what time is it (now)? Answer with a number + 点: 八点了。
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 introduces a name: 我叫明月 = I'm called Mingyue. It also works as 'to call someone something'.
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 literally means "listen-not-understand": you hear the words but the meaning doesn't get through. 懂 means "to understand."
After answering, add 呢 to a pronoun to ask "what about ...?" without repeating the whole question.
哪儿 asks about a place and sits where the place word would go in the answer.
喂 (wèi) starts a phone call, like English "hello?". It is only used on the phone, not for greeting people in person.
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 means 'to return', and 家 means 'home'; together 回家 means to head home.
在 puts someone or something at a place, and 上 after the place means 'on/aboard': 在飞机上 = on the plane.
To say where an action happens, put 在 + place before the verb, not after it.
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'.
Say where first, then what you do: 在学校学习 = study at school.
在 marks the location, and 上 means 'on'; together 在电脑上 means 'on the computer'.
坐 means 'to take/ride' a form of transport. Pattern: 坐 + vehicle + 去 (+ place).
Chinese states the means of travel before the verb 去: 坐飞机去上海 = go to Shanghai by plane.
坐 means 'to sit,' but with a vehicle it means 'to take/ride': 坐火车 = to take the train.
多大 asks about age (literally 'how big'): 你今年多大？= How old are you this year?
Use 多少 to ask about a number, usually a big or unknown one. It goes right before the noun.
多少 asks about an amount; put it before 钱 to ask the price of something.
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 = how much (money)? In spoken Chinese prices use 块 (kuài) instead of the formal 元: 三十八块.
To ask a price, say the thing + 多少钱 + measure: 苹果多少钱一个？ = How much is one apple?
大 and 小 can describe age directly, without a comparison word, when comparing two people already mentioned.
太…了 wraps an adjective to say 'so…!' or 'too…', adding strong feeling: 太好吃了 = so delicious!
Put an adjective between 太 and 了 to say something is 'so …' or 'too …'. It often shows strong feeling.
对不起 is the standard way to say "sorry" or "I apologize" in Chinese.
开 (to operate) plus 车 (vehicle) together mean 'to drive'; it works like a normal verb before a destination.
Chinese adjectives usually take 很 before them instead of using 是: 米米很小 = Mimi is small.
很 plus an adjective forms the predicate; no separate word for "is" is needed.
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 before a verb means "want to / would like to"; 不想 means you don't feel like doing it.
想 sits right before another verb to say you want to do that action.
想 before a verb means 'want to' or 'would like to' do something.
不会 + verb means you don't know how to do something. 我不会说汉语 = I can't speak 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 means "dialed wrong"; adding 了 shows the mistake already happened.
Put a number directly before 岁 to state an age; no verb is needed.
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 links two nouns: A 是 B means 'A is B'. Use it for identity, not for adjectives.
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.
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 introduces what exists in a place: place + 有 + thing.
有 means 'to have' or 'there is'. Its negative is 没有, never 不有.
没关系 means "it doesn't matter" or "it's okay," the common reply when someone apologizes.
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).
Put 的 after a person to show that something belongs to them, like adding apostrophe-s in English.
的 goes between the owner and the thing owned: 妈妈的生日 = Mom's birthday.
的 links the owner and the thing owned: 我的猫 = my cat, 我的椅子 = my chair.
的 links a noun to what comes after it, like 's in English.
给 means 'to give.' The word order is subject + 给 + person + thing: 我给他水果 = I give him fruit.
能 before a verb expresses ability: 我能听一点儿 (I can catch a little).
认识 describes knowing or having met a person, often followed by 很高兴 to express how glad you are.
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 before a verb softly asks someone to do something, like "please" in English.
请 before a verb makes a request more polite, like "please" in English: 请说 = please speak/go ahead.
Say 请问 before asking a stranger something; it politely gets their attention first, like "Excuse me, ..."
谢谢 means "thank you"; adding 你 makes it more personal, thanking a specific person.
This pair of set phrases is the standard exchange for thanks in Chinese.
Use 这 (this) and 那 (that) with 是 (to be) to point things out and say what they are.
这 and 那 combine with the measure word 个 to point at a specific thing.
都 goes before the verb to say the whole group does or is something.
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 (all) goes after the subject and before the verb or adjective: 同学们都很高兴。
都 goes right before the verb or adjective to say something is true of everyone mentioned.
都 comes after the things it covers and before the verb or adjective.
都 goes after the subject and before the verb, not next to the noun the way English "both" does.
都 comes after the subject and before the verb: 我们都很高兴 = we are both very happy.
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.