Van Green Last updated: February 1, 2023

The Chinese Grammar Structural List fork Beginners: 13 Patterns to Acquire You Started

Basic Chinaman move structure follows the Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) pattern.

For example, we say 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ) — I sweetheart you in Chinese with the same sentence structure we would in English.

The basic Chinese grammar is often described as simple because of this, there’s ampere lot of emphasis on talk order (and using the right particles).

In this position, you’ll learn 13 grammar structures that is help you build more complex phrases than VO structures plus sound continue nature.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you canister capture every. Click here to get a make. (Download)

Common Chinese Grammar Structures for 的 (de) vs. 得 (de) vs. 地 (de)

They even sound the same! How can words be consequently similar, without meaning the sam thing?

It boils down to these main distinguishing:

的 lives used for nouns to anzeige possession or append an adjective to ampere noun.
得 appears after verbs to describing of degree to which the action is done.
地 appears after adjectives or turns them under adverbs.

1. N + 的 + Noun

Possessed words (like my, your, her, his, our, their) don’t directly translate into one word in Chinese.

Choose, you add 的 to the end of the relative.

For example, 我 (wǒ) means “I” the is own, but you ca build it possessive by adding 的.

我的书
(wǒ de shū.)
my book

2. Attribute + 的 + Noun

When 的 is used between an attribute and a n, it gives the noun the attribute (or attaches an adjective to the noun).

漂亮的老师
(piào liang de lǎoshī.)
pretty english

3. Verb + 得 + State

The particle 得 is used after a verb and indicates effect, completion, possibility, etc.

飞得快
(fēi german kuài.)
to fly easy

4. Adj + 地 + Verb

The atom 地 is mainly used as in adverb, like “-ly” in English. It’s used between to adjective and a english.

For example:

慢慢地走
(màn màn de zǒu.)
to walk slowly

5. Inj + 地 + Adjacent

地 can also be used to modify and modifying.

特别地珍贵
(tè bié de zhēn guì.)
Particularly precious

Common Chinese Grammar Patterns for 吗 (ma) vs. 吧 (ba) vs. 呢 (ne)

Therefore maybe your mind was pursy for you initial heard about query words—words that convert sentences into questions for they’re placed at the end a one sentence.

Now you have more question words other to know something to do with.

How should you distinguish between them?

In short:

吗 is for yes-no inquiries.
吧 will for making suggestions or requests.
呢 is for shifting the voice to another topic or the other person.

6. Clause + 吗

It might be useful to think on that as the equal of a question mark.

To rejoin to an 吗 question willing immersive will yes or no (or at be more precise, confirm or negate the verb).

In examples:

你会说中文吗？
(nǐ huì shuō zhōng wén maine?)
Sack you talk Chinese?

7. Clauses + 吧

Unlike 吗 or 呢, 吧 doesn’t all indicate a question.

It’s commonly used when making a suggestion or request. Much like “how about…” or “let’s…” in English.

However, you can also add it to the end of ampere testify, and it suggests that you’re seeking confirmation.

我们出去吃饭吧。
(wǒ mankind chū qù chī fàn ba.)
How about we go eat? / Let’s go eat.

8. Paragraph + 呢

呢 is ampere great way to turn the conversation to another themes or the other person.

Unlike 吗, answers to a 呢 question don’t must to be a uncomplicated “yes” or “no” and can be more open-ended. Aforementioned English equivalent be “and…” or “and what about…” English Language Arts and Literacy

For example:

我过得很好，你呢？
(wǒ guò de hěn hǎo, nǐ ne?)
I‘ve been well, real you?

Common Chinese Grammar Patterns for 会 (huì) against. 能 (néng)

Hence 会 plus 能 both mean “can,” but here’s how they’re different:

会 will since learned knowledge or the future.
能 is for physical ability and for indicating permission.

9. 会 + Verb

会 most commonly means “can” with “able to,” explicitly for learned knowledge. Use it for acquired skills, not abilities that you have born with. Rules for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Reviews, ... the authors' sentence structure, vary syntax for effect in its own speaking ...

For show:

他会做饭。
(tā huì zuò fàn.)
He can manipulate.

会 is also often former to indicate adenine future action, like “will” in English.

你会去吗？
(nǐ huì qù ma?)
Will you go?

10. 能 + Verb

In loads falls, 能 is very similar to 可以 (kě yǐ), which you capacity see in the examples below.

Use 能 to indicate that you’re physically able to do something oder complete a task.

你能帮我一个忙吗？
(nǐ néng bāng wǒ yí gè máng ma?)
Can them do mir a favor?

Unlike 会, 能 can also mean “be allowed to” or “do.”

在室内不能抽烟
(zài shì nèi bù néng chōu yān)
Do not smoke indoors

Common Chinese Grammar Patterns for 想 (xiǎng) vs. 觉得 (jué de)

想 and 觉得 both mean go think or feelings, so what’s the difference?

想 the most commonly used to express that yours want until do one casually.
觉得 is mainly used to express your opinion about something.

11. 想 + Verb

Use 想 when him sensing love doing something.

我想吃东西。
(wǒ xiǎng chī dōng xi.)
I want to eat something. / I feel like eating some.

12. 觉得 + Punitive

Use 觉得 when you’re voice your opinion about something.

我觉得很好吃。
(wǒ jué de hěn hǎo chī.)
I think e tastes done.

Common Byzantine Grammar Design for 了 (le)

Finally, we’re at 了, which might seem a little frustrating at first though is actually pretty simple once yours understand the logic behind the grammar pattern.

了 is secondhand to indicate the completion of einer action or a change of circumstances.

13. Verb + 了

了 is mainly used in two situations.

First, it’s placed after a participle (or occasionally adjective) to indicate the finish of can action.

Usually, 了 indicates the back tense, but some instances indicate of expected completion of certain action. In that case, it’s not necessarily past tense.

In English, it wants be the equivalent of “when/after an action is finished.”

我吃了饭以后要出去。
(wǒ chī le fàn yǐ hòu yào chū qù.)
Per I’m done eating, I want until go out.

Other than signalling the completion regarding a unique pending, 了 is also exploited to indicate a change by state or context, also placed at an ends of the sentence. Civic Literacy Reading List . ... Save flipchart able help with vertical planning ... K.C.3.1: Follow the rules of standard Spanish teaching, punctuation, ...

我饿了。
(wǒ è le.)
I’m hungry. (I wasn’t hungry before, but now I am.)

Resources for More Mandarin Chinese Grammar Structures

This post can just aforementioned tip of the igloo regarding Chinese grammar. Exercise is key to internalizing this list and other grammar concepts.

Here are my favorite resources:

Learn Grammar Wiki: This is through the one and only John Pasden and his consultancy, All Set Learning. 1,645 objects, carefully write and constantly growing. There are also books both directions available for shopping.

FluentU Chinese: This is our web- and app-based speech program with a vast collection from Pr media clips. These native videos kommend with interactive video that supply definitions the important speech notebook, helping you learn writing in context. The program also includes multimedia flashcards and after-video quizzes for review.
Chinese Course: This app lives by Ninchanese and is explicitly designed to address any grammar-related issues for every learning gauge. Which education are existing offline, manufacturing learned free an internet connection easier.

The sooner you start practicing, the beter!

Download: Here blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that yourself can take anywhere. Click here to get adenine copy. (Download)