Chinese Grammar Wiki: A2

"A2" (Elementary) is the second level used on this Chinese Grammar Wiki. It is roughly equivalent to HSK Level 2.

Contents

Parts of Speech

1.1 Adjectives

1.2 Adverbs

1.3 Adverbs with Adjectives

1.4 Conjunctions

1.5 Nouns

1.6 Numbers

1.7 Numbers and Measure Words

1.8 Particles

1.9 Prepositions

1.10 Verbs

1.10.1 Auxiliary verbs

1.10.2 Verb phrases

Grammatical Structures

2.1 Complements

2.2 Noun Phrases

2.3 Numbers and Measure Words

2.4 Question Forms

2.5 Sentence Patterns

Comparisons

3.1 Adverbs

3.2 Auxiliary verbs

Detailled contents

Parts of Speech

Adjectives:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
Negative adjectives with "-si le" | Adj. + 死了 | 我 今天 累 死了。

Adverbs:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
Approximations with "chabuduo" | Subj. + 差不多 | 我们 的 中文 水平 差不多。
Emphasizing quantity with "dou" | 大家 I 很多人 + 都⋯⋯ | 很 多 地方 都 有 wifi。
Expressing "all along" with "yizhi" | Subj. + 一直 + Predicate | 我 一直 在 现在 的 公司 工作。
Expressing "already" with "yijing" | 已经⋯⋯了 | 他 已经 走 了。
Expressing "always" with "zongshi" | 总是 + Verb | 他 总是 迟到。
Expressing "and also" with "hai" | 还 + Verb | 她 有 一个 弟弟，还 有 一个 妹妹。
Expressing "even more" with "geng" | 更 + Adj. | 我 想 找 一个 更 有钱 的 男朋友。
Expressing "just" with "gang" | Subj. + 刚 + Verb | 他 刚 走。
Expressing "only" with "zhi" | 只 + Verb | 我 只 有 一个 妹妹。
Expressing actions in progress with "zai" | (正)在 + Verb | 我们 正在 吃饭。
Negative commands with "bie" | 别 + Verb | 别走。
Simultaneous tasks with "yibian" | 一边 + Verb 1， 一边 + Verb 2 | 不要 一边 说话，一边 吃 东西。

Adverbs with Adjectives:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
Asking about degree with "duo" | Subj. + 多 + Adj.? | 他 多 高？
Basic comparisons with "yiyang" | Noun 1 + 跟 + Noun 2 + 一样 + Adj. | 你 跟 我 一样 高。
Expressing "a little too" with "you dian" | 有点(儿) + Adj. | 我 有点 饿。
Expressing "both A and B" with "you" | 又⋯⋯ 又⋯⋯ | 他 又 高 又 帅。
Expressing "not very" with "bu tai" | 不太 + Adj. | 他 不太 高兴 。我 不太 喜欢。
Expressing "really" with "zhen" | 真 + Adj. | 你 女朋友 真 漂亮。
Expressing distance with "li" | Place 1 + 离 + Place 2 + Adv. + 近 I 远 | 我 家 离 大学 很 近。
Intensifying with "duo" | Subj. + 多 + Adj. | 多 好！外面 多 舒服！
Moderating positive adjectives with "hai" | 还 + Adj. | 还 可以。还 好。
Modifying nouns with adjective + "de" | Adj. + 的 + Noun | 好喝 的 啤酒 I 可爱 的 宝宝
Modifying nouns with phrase + "de" | Phrase + 的 + Noun | 去 北京 的 火车。今天 来 的 人。
Superlative "zui" | 最 + Adj. | 我 的 朋友 最 好。

Conjunctions:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
Expressing "or" in statements | ⋯⋯或者⋯⋯ | 我 想 去 青岛 或者 南京。
The filler word "neige" | ⋯⋯那个⋯⋯ | 那个⋯⋯你 可以 做 我 的 女 朋友 吗？
Two words for "but" | ……，可是 I 但是…… | 我 喜欢 他，可是/但是 他 不 喜欢 我。
Using "gen" to mean "with | 跟⋯⋯ + Verb | 你 要 跟 我 一起 去 吗？

Nouns:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
After a specific time with "yihou" | Time I Verb + 以后 | 10点 以后 ，我 不 在 家。
Before a specific time with "yiqian" | Time I Verb + 以前 | 十 点 以前，我 在 家。
Expressing "before" in general with "yiqian" | 以前，⋯⋯ | 以前，我 不 会 说 中文。
Expressing "just now" with "gangcai" | 刚才 + Verb | 你 刚才 说 什么 了？
Expressing "when" with "de shihou" | ⋯⋯的时候 | 你 不在 的 时候，我 会 想 你。
In the future in general with "yihou" | 以后，⋯⋯ | 以后，你 不要 问 我。
Time words and word order | Subj. + Time⋯⋯ I Time + Subj.⋯⋯ | 我 明天 有 空。/ 明天 我 有 空。

Numbers:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
Approximating with sequential numbers | Number 1 + Number 2 | 三 四个 人。一 两 天。
Big numbers in Chinese | Number + 万 I 亿 | 五 万
Structure of times (advanced) | Number 1 + 点(钟) + Number 2 + 分 | 现在 十一点十八分 。

Numbers and Measure Words:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
Using "ji" to mean "several" | 几 + Measure Word + Noun | 桌子 上 有 几 本 书。

Particles:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
Change of state with "le" | ⋯⋯了 | 我 25 岁 了。
Change of state with "le" (new version) | ⋯⋯了 | 我 25 岁 了。
Conceding with "ba" | ⋯⋯吧 | 那 好 吧。
Expressing "already" with just "le" | ⋯⋯了 | 我 已经 做完 了。
Expressing "not anymore" with "le" | 不 I 没(有) + Verb Phrase + 了 | 不 想 去 了。
Expressing "not anymore" with "le" (new version) | 不 I 没(有) + Verb Phrase + 了 | 不 想 去 了。
Expressing "now" with "le" | ⋯⋯了 | 吃饭 了！
Expressing completion with "le" | Subj. + Verb + 了 + Obj. | 我 吃 了 两 个 苹果。
Expressing experiences with "guo" | Verb + 过 | 我 去 过 中国。
Sentence-final interjection "a" | ⋯⋯啊 | 是 啊！谁 啊？
Softening speech with "ba" | ⋯⋯吧 | 这样 不 太 好 吧。
Structural particle "de" | 的 I 得 I 地 | 红色的车，跑得很快，慢慢地走
Using "guo" with "le" | Verb + 过 + 了 | 她 吃 过 了。

Prepositions:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
Basic comparisons with "bi" | Noun 1 + 比 + Noun 2 + Adj. | 你 比 我 胖。
Expressing "from… to…" with "cong… dao…" | 从⋯⋯到⋯⋯ | 从1 号 到 5 号 我 在 上海。

Verbs:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
Basic comparisons with "meiyou" | Noun 1 + 没(有) + Noun 2 + Adj. | 你 没有 我 胖。
Directional verbs "lai" and "qu" | 来 I 去 + Place | 我 来 上海 一 年 了。

Auxiliary verbs:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
Auxiliary verb "yao" and its multiple meanings | 要 + Noun I 要 + Verb | 我 要 一 杯 水。
Expressing "should" with "yinggai" | 应该 I 该 + Verb | 你 应该 工作。
Expressing "will" with "hui" | 会 + Verb | 明天 你 会 来 吗？
Expressing "would like to" with "xiang" | 想 + Verb | 我 想 去。

Verb phrases:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
Actions in a row | (Verb Phrase 1) + (Verb Phrase 2) | 我们 去 咖啡店 喝 咖啡 吧。
Expressing "difficult" with "nan" | 难 + Verb | 难 做。难 买。
Expressing "never" with "conglai" | 从来 + 不 I 没(有) + Verb | 她 从来 不 喝酒。我 从来 没有 去 过 美国。
Expressing "together" with "yiqi" | 一起 + Verb | 我们 一起 去 吧！要 不 要 一起 吃饭？
Expressing duration with "le" | Verb + 了 + Duration | 他 在 北京 住 了 两 年。
Expressing ongoing duration with double "le" | Verb + 了 + Duration + 了 | 他 在 北京 住 了 两 年 了。
Inability with "mei banfa" | 没办法 + Verb | 我 没 办法 帮 你。
Indicating location with "zai" before verbs | Subj. + 在 + Place + Verb | 我 在 上海 工作。
Reduplication of verbs | Verb + Verb | 你 看看。
Special cases of "zai" following verbs | Verb + 在 + Place | 我 住 在 北京。放 在 这里。
Special verbs with "hen" | 很 + Verb | 我 很 喜欢 他。
Using "dao" to mean "to go to" | 到 + Place | 我 到 上海。
Using "hao" to mean "easy" | 好 + Verb | 好 做。好 买。
Verbing briefly with "yixia" | Verb + 一下 | 你 看 一下 。
Verbs that take double objects | Subj. + Verb + Indirect Obj. + Direct Obj. | 我 问 了 老师 一 个 问题。

Grammatical Structures These following are grammatical structures that do not correspond to one particular part of speech.

Complements:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
Potential complement "-bu dong" for not understanding | Verb + 不懂 | 我 听不懂
Result complement "-wan" for finishing | Verb + 完 | 我 说 完 了。
Result complements "-dao" and "-jian" | Verb + 到 I 见 | 听 到 了 吗？

Noun Phrases:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
Expressing "some" with "yixie" | 一些 + Noun | 这里 有 一些 咖啡。
Using "youde" to mean "some" | 有的 + Noun | 派对的时候，有的人在喝酒，有的人在跳舞，还有的人在聊天。

Numbers and Measure Words:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
Counting money | Number + 块 I 元 (+ Number + 毛 I 角) (+ 钱) | 给 你 五 块 三 毛。
Expressing "every" with "mei" | 每 + Measure Word (+ Noun) | 每 个 人。每 天。
Expressing "half" with "ban" | Number + Measure Word + 半 + Noun | 三 个 半 小时
Measure words for counting | Number + Measure Word + Noun | 一个人。一杯水。
Measure words in quantity questions | 几 + Measure Word (+ Noun)? | 几 个 人？
Measure words with "this" and "that" | 这 I 那 + Measure Word (+ Noun) | 那 个 人。这 杯 水。
Ordinal numbers with "di" | 第 + Number (+ Measure Word) | 你 是 我 的 第 一 个 朋友。

Question Forms:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
Asking why with "zenme" | 怎么⋯⋯？ | 你 怎么 没 来？
Questions with "le ma" | Verb + 了 + 吗？ | 你 去 了 吗？

Sentence Patterns:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
Cause and effect with "yinwei" and "suoyi" | 因为⋯⋯ 所以⋯⋯ | 因为 饿 了，所以 吃饭。
Expressing "about to happen" with "le" | 快 + Verb I Adj. + 了 | 快 下班 了 吗？
Expressing "everything" with "shenme dou" | 什么 + 都 I 也⋯⋯ | 爸爸 什么 都 知道。
Expressing "stop doing" with "bie… le" | 别 + Verb + 了 | 别 哭 了，烦 死了 。
Expressing location with "zai…shang I xia I li" | 在 + Place + 上 I 下 I 里 旁边 | 你 的 手机 在 桌子 上。

Comparisons

Adverbs:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
Comparing "bu" and "mei" | 不 vs 没 | 我 今天 晚上 不 吃饭。昨天 晚上 我 没 吃饭。

Auxiliary verbs:

Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples
Comparing "yao" and "xiang" | 要 vs 想 | 我 要 一 杯 水 。 我 想 你 。

Negative adjectives with 死了 "-sǐ le"

In English, you might use the expression "you scared me to death!" In Chinese, 死了 (sǐ le) is used similarly to intensify an adjective with an unpleasant connotation.

Contents

1 Structure

2 Examples

3 For positive connotations

4 See also

5 Sources and further reading

5.1 Books

5.2 Videos

Structure

The "Subject" part below is actually optional, you can still make your over-the-top exclamations without it.

Adj. + 死了

This structure is technically a kind of degree complement.

Examples

我 饿 死了。
Literally, "hungry to death"
Wǒ è sǐ le!
I'm starving!

今天 累 死了。
Literally, "tired to death"
Jīntiān lèi sǐ le!
Today was so exhausting!

热 死了！
Literally, "hot to death"
Rè sǐ le!
It's ridiculously hot!

这 几 天 忙 死了。
Literally, "busy to death"
Zhè jǐ tiān máng sǐ le!
It's been so terribly busy these days!

这 件 衣服 丑 死了。
Literally, "ugly to death"
Zhè jiàn yīfu chǒu sǐ le!
This clothing is totally hideous!

你 的 房间 脏 死了。
Literally, "dirty to death"
Nǐ de fángjiān zāng sǐ le!
Your room is absolutely filthy!

吵 死了！
Literally, "noisy to death"
Chǎo sǐ le!
It's so terribly noisy!

这里 的 东西 贵 死了。
Literally, "expensive to death"
Zhèlǐ de dōngxi guì sǐ le
The things here are criminally expensive!

我们 都 急 死了。
Literally, "anxious to death"
Wǒmen dōu jí sǐ le
We are all so terribly anxious!

这 个 孩子 烦 死了。
Literally, "annoying to death"
Zhège háizi fán sǐ le
This kid is so freaking annoying!

None of these sentences actually refers to someone dying. Instead the word 死了 (sǐ le) and the structure is simply used to intensify an adjective. Notice how these are awkward to translate into English; the translations above took a number of different angles to create the same impact as -死了 (sǐ le) does in Chinese. You might say that -死了 (sǐ le) is much more versatile in Chinese than the English expression "to death."

For Positive Connotations

Traditionally, -死了 (sǐ le) is only for adjectives with negative connotations, while positive connotations use a similar degree complement, 极了 (jí le). In recent years, however, it's become quite popular to also use -死了 (sǐ le) with positive adjectives:

哇，可爱 死了 ！
Literally, "cute to death"
Wā, kě'ài sǐ le!
OMG, adorbs!

漂亮 死了 ！
Literally, "pretty to death"
Piàoliang sǐ le!
Drop-dead gorgeous!

这 个 蛋糕 好吃 死了。
Literally, "delicious to death"
Zhège dàngāo hǎochī sǐ le!
This cake is to die for!

See Also

Degree complement

Adjectival complement "de hen"

Positive adjectives with "-ji le"

Sources and further reading

Books

New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (p. 104)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 139)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 105)

Yufa!

Approximations with "chàbuduō" "差不多"

差不多 (chàbuduō), translated literally, means "the difference is not much." In practice it means something like "more or less," and is useful for expressing rough approximations.

差不多(chàbuduō) as a Predicate

As a predicate, 差不多 can be used pretty much all by itself to complete a sentence after you tell us what subject we're talking about. When several things are 差不多(chàbuduō), it means they are "more or less the same." So actually 差不多 (chàbuduō) is often understood to mean 差不多一样 (chàbuduō yīyàng), but you don't say the 一样 (yīyàng) part. You just say 差不多 (chàbuduō).

Simple Subject

Let's first assume that the subject is an easily understood group of people or things.

Structure

Subj. + 差不多

You might also add a 都 (dōu) in before 差不多 (chàbuduō) if there are more than two things being compared.

Examples

这 几 个 地方 都 差不多。
Zhè jǐ gè dìfang dōu chàbuduō.
These places are all pretty much the same.

这 两 个 词 的 意思 差不多。
Zhè liǎng gè cí de yìsi chàbuduō.
The meanings of these two words are pretty much the same.

我们 的 想法 差不多。
Wǒmen de xiǎngfǎ chàbuduō.
Our ways of thinking are pretty much the same.

那 两 家 餐厅 的 菜 差不多。
Nà liǎng jiā cāntīng de cài chàbuduō.
Those two restaurants' dishes are almost the same.

你们 的 中文 水平 差不多。
Nǐmen de Zhōngwén shuǐpíng chàbuduō.
Your Chinese levels are almost the same.

Several Subjects

Let's add in a few different subjects now, using the Chinese word for "and."

Structure

Another often used structure is:

A + 跟 / 和 + B + 差不多

Examples

上海 和 纽约 差不多。
Shànghǎi hé Niǔyuē chàbuduō.
Shanghai and New York are basically the same.

Starbucks 和 Costa 差不多。
Starbucks hé Costa chàbuduō.
Starbucks and Costa are almost the same.

这里 的 天气 跟 台湾 的 天气 差不多。
Zhèlǐ de tiānqì gēn Táiwān de tiānqì chàbuduō.
The weather here is pretty much like Taiwan's.

你的 工作 跟 我的 工作 差不多。
Nǐ de gōngzuò gēn wǒ de gōngzuò chàbuduō.
Your job and my job are almost the same.

你的 新 手机 跟 我的 旧 手机 差不多。
Nǐ de xīn shǒujī gēn wǒ de jiù shǒujī chàbuduō.
Your new cell phone is pretty much like my old cell phone.

差不多 (chàbuduō) as an Adverb

When using 差不多(chàbuduō) as an adverb, place it before the adjective or verb.

Structure

差不多+ Adj. / Verb

Examples

这 两 个 孩子 差不多 大。
Zhè liǎng gè háizi chàbuduō dà.
These two children are more or less the same age.

我 跟 我哥哥 差不多 高。
Wǒ gēn wǒ gēge chàbuduō gāo.
My older brother and I are more or less the same height.

我 差不多 到 公园 门口 了。
Wǒ chàbuduō dào gōngyuán ménkǒu le.
I'm almost at the entrance of the park.

电影 差不多 要 开始 了。
Diànyǐng chàbuduō yào kāishǐ le.
The movie is almost about to start.

今天 的 工作 差不多 做 完 了。
Jīntiān de gōngzuò chàbuduō zuò wán le.
Today's work is almost done.

差不多 (chàbuduō) with a Quantity or Time Phrase

After 差不多(chàbuduō) you can also add a phrase that expresses quantity or time. This makes it clear that you're giving a rough estimate.

Structure

差不多＋ [Quantity Phrase] / [Time Phrase]

Examples

你 儿子 差不多 五 岁 了 吧？
Nǐ érzi chàbuduō wǔ suì le ba?
Your son should be about 5 years old, right?

他 住 在 上海 差不多 三 个 月 了。
Tā zhù zài Shànghǎi chàbuduō sān gè yuè le.
He has lived in Shanghai for about three months.

我 在 这 家 公司 工作 了 差不多 十 年 了。
Wǒ zài zhè jiā gōngsī gōngzuò le chàbuduō shí nián le.
I've worked for this company for almost ten years.

我 父母 结婚 差不多 二十 年 了。
Wǒ fùmǔ jiéhūn chàbuduō èrshí nián le.
My parents have been married for about twenty years.

差不多 两 个 星期 以前，我 在 北京 见 过 他。
Chàbuduō liǎng gè xīngqí yǐqián, wǒ zài Běijīng jiàn guo tā.
About two weeks ago I met with him in Beijing.

See also

Expressing "almost" using "chadian mei"

Expressing "almost" using "chadian"

"Nearly" with "jihu"

Sources and further reading

Books

现代汉语八百词（增订本）(p. 111)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 54-5)

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 116)

Dictionaries

现代汉语词典（第5版） (p. 145)

Emphasizing quantity with "dōu" "都"

都(dōu) is one of those words that on the surface may seem simple, but actually has many different subtle uses. In this article, we will look at using 都 (dōu) to emphasize quantity.

Structure

You can use 都(dōu) to emphasize the large quantity of something. The subject should be some sort of large group (like a majority of people or things), e.g. 很多人 (hěn duō rén) or 大家 (dàjiā).

Subj. + 都 + Verb + Obj.

Examples with 很多 (hěn duō)

First let's look at some typical examples using 很多 (hěn duō) to emphasize that it's "a lot." Note that in English, it would be totally redundant and unnecessary to add "all" into these sentences, but in Chinese it's totally natural (and kind of weird not to). If you remember to follow the rule and keep using the 都 (dōu), eventually it will become more natural for you too.

很 多 地方 都 有 wifi。
Hěn duō dìfang dōu yǒu wifi.
A lot of places have wifi.

我 的 很 多 朋友 都 有 车。
Wǒ de hěn duō péngyou dōu yǒu chē.
A lot of my friends have cars.

很 多 美国人 都 喜欢 喝 咖啡 。
Hěn duō Měiguó rén dōu xǐhuan hē kāfēi.
A lot of Americans like drinking coffee.

很 多 孩子 都 不 喜欢 上学。
Hěn duō háizi dōu bù xǐhuan shàngxué.
A lot of kids don't like to go to school.

很 多 年轻人 都 想 在 大 城市 工作。
Hěn duō niánqīng rén dōu xiǎng zài dà chéngshì gōngzuò.
A lot of young people want to go to work in big cities.

Examples with 大家 (dàjiā)

Now let's look at some examples using 大家 (dàjiā) or "everyone." Again, in English, it would be totally redundant and unnecessary to add "all" into these sentences, but in Chinese it's totally natural (and kind of weird not to). You just have to get used to it.

大家 都 来 了 吗？
Dàjiā dōu lái le ma?
Is everyone here?

大家 都 应该 知道。
Dàjiā dōu yīnggāi zhīdào.
Everyone should know.

大家 都 说 你 很 聪明。
Dàjiā dōu shuō nǐ hěn cōngming.
Everyone says you're smart.

大家 都 忘 了 他 的 名字。
Dàjiā dōu wàng le tā de míngzi.
Everyone forgot his name.

大家 都 喜欢 吃辣 吗？
Dàjiā dōu xǐhuan chī là ma?
Does everyone like eating spicy food?

Examples with 每天 (měi tiān)

One other common way to use 都 (dōu) is when you're talking about something that happens really often, such as "every day": 每天 (měi tiān). Use 都 (dōu) here in Chinese, even if it feels unnatural. (Fake it 'til you make it!)

我 每天 都 要 上班 。
Wǒ měi tiān dōu yào shàngbān.
I have to go to work every day.

老师 每天 都 迟到。
Lǎoshī měi tiān dōu chídào.
The teacher comes late every day.

她 每天 都 不 吃 早饭。
Tā měi tiān dōu bù chī zǎofàn.
Every day, she does not eat breakfast.

我 女朋友 每天 都 上 淘宝 。
Taobao is China's biggest online shopping website.
Wǒ nǚpéngyou měi tiān dōu shàng Táobǎo.
My girlfriend goes on Taobao every day.

妈妈 每天 都 给 我们 做 晚饭。
Māma měi tiān dōu gěi wǒmen zuò wǎnfàn.
Mom cooks dinner for us every day.

For more uses with 每 (měi), see also: Expressing "every" with "mei".

Other Examples

Here are some other examples that don't use 很多 (hěn duō) or 大家 (dàjiā) or 每天 (měi tiān), but are still quite typical:

美国人 都 说 英文。
Měiguó rén dōu shuō Yīngwén.
Americans all speak English.

我们 五 个 人 都 去。
Wǒmen wǔ gè rén dōu qù.
All five of us are going.

四川人 都 喜欢 吃辣。
Sìchuān rén dōu xǐhuan chī là.
Sichuanese people all like eating spicy food.

我 的 家人 都 没 去 过 中国。
Wǒ de jiārén dōu méi qù guo Zhōngguó.
None of my family members has been to China.

我 的 学生 都 喜欢 问 问题。
Wǒ de xuéshēng dōu xǐhuan wèn wèntí.
My students all like to ask questions.

See also

The "all" adverb

Expressing "every" with "mei"

Sources and further reading

Books

Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (p. 313)

卓越汉语－公司实战篇(p. 210)

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 34)

Expressing "all along" with "yīzhí" "一直"

一直 (yīzhí) literally means "straight." Used as an adverb, 一直 (yīzhí) can also be used to express that you have been doing something all along, have been continuously doing something since a certain time, or that something will continuously happen in the future.

Structure

This structure expresses the continuous nature of an action or a circumstance.

Subj. + 一直 + Predicate

Also note that although 一直 (yīzhí) means "continuously," it is frequently more natural to use the word "always" in the English translation.

Examples

我 一直 在 学习 中文 。
Wǒ yīzhí zài xuéxí Zhōngwén.
I've been studying Chinese all along.

昨天 晚上 我 一直 在 做作业。
Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒ yīzhí zài zuò zuòyè.
Yesterday evening I was continuously doing homework.

老板 一直 很 忙 。
"Always" is more natural than "continuously."
Lǎobǎn yīzhí hěn máng.
The boss is always very busy.

我 一直 很 喜欢 你。
Wǒ yīzhí hěn xǐhuan nǐ.
I've always liked you a lot.

爸爸 一直 都 不 抽烟。
Bàba yīzhí dōu bù chōuyān.
Dad has never smoked cigarettes.

我 男朋友 一直在 中国 教 英文。
Wǒ nánpéngyou yīzhí zài Zhōngguó jiāo Yīngwén.
My boyfriend has always been teaching English in China.

18 岁 以后 ， 他 一直 一个人 住。
Shíbā suì yǐhòu, tā yīzhí yīgèrén zhù.
Since he was 18, he has always lived alone.

你 一直 在 这 家 公司 工作 吗？
Nǐ yīzhí zài zhè jiā gōngsī gōngzuò ma?
Have you always worked in this company?

你们 一直 住 在 一起 吗？
Nǐmen yīzhí zhù zài yīqǐ ma?
Have you always been living together?

北京 的 空气 一直 很 不 好。
Běijīng de kōngqì yīzhí hěn bù hǎo.
The air in Beijing has been bad for a while.

See also

"Always" with "zongshi"

"Since the beginning" with "yixiang"

Comparing "yizhi" and "yixiang"

Sources and further reading

Books

现代汉语八百词（增订本）(p. 610)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 308-9)

Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (p. 123)

Dictionaries

现代汉语词典（第5版） (p. 1601)

Expressing "already" with "yǐjīng... le" "已经⋯⋯了"

已经⋯⋯了 (yǐjīng... le) is the basic pattern used to express "already" in Chinese. It's easy to forget the 了 (le) on the end, but using it will make your Chinese more natural.

Basic Usages

已经 (yǐjīng) with Verb Phrases

Structure

The most common structure is to use 已经⋯⋯了 (yǐjīng... le) with a verb phrase.

已经 + Verb / [Verb Phrase] + 了

Examples

他们 已经 走 了。
with just a verb
Tāmen yǐjīng zǒu le
They've already left.

我 已经 有 男朋友 了 。
with a verb phrase
Wǒ yǐjīng yǒu nánpéngyou le
I already have a boyfriend.

宝宝 已经 会 说话 了
with a verb phrase
Bǎobao yǐjīng huì shuōhuà le
The baby can already speak.

妈妈 已经 回来 了
with just a verb
Māma yǐjīng huílái le
Mom has already come back.

他 已经 上 飞机 了
with a verb phrase
Tā yǐjīng shàng fēijī le
He's already gotten on the plane.

已经 (yǐjīng) with Adjectives

Structure

Sometimes an adjective or a time noun is used instead of a typical verb phrase:

已经 + (很 +) Adj. + 了

Examples

爸爸 妈妈 已经 老 了。
Bàba māma yǐjīng lǎo le
Mom and dad are already old.

已经 很 便宜 了。
Yǐjīng hěn piányi le
It is already very cheap.

你 女朋友 已经 很 漂亮 了
Nǐ nǚpéngyou yǐjīng hěn piàoliang le
Your girlfriend is already very beautiful!

你 的 感冒 已经 好 了 吗 ？
Nǐ de gǎnmào yǐjīng hǎo le ma?
Is your cold already better?

已经 很 晚 了，我们 走 吧。
Yǐjīng hěn wǎn le wǒmen zǒu ba.
It's already really late. Let's go.

已经 (yǐjīng) with Time Nouns

A "time noun" simply refers to almost any word in Chinese indicating a time something happened.

Structure

已经 + Time Noun + 了

Examples

已经 11点 了，女儿 还 没 回来 。
Yǐjīng shíyī diǎn le, nǚ'ér hái méi huílái.
It is already 11 o'clock, and my daughter has not returned.

爷爷 已经 八十五 岁 了 。
Yéye yǐjīng bāshí-wǔ suì le
Grandpa is already eighty-five years old.

我 学习 中文 已经 一 年 了 。
Wǒ xuéxí Zhōngwén yǐjīng yī nián le
I have already been studying Chinese for a year.

他 在 洗手间 里 已经 半 个 小时 了 。
Tā zài xǐshǒujiān lǐ yǐjīng bàn gè xiǎoshí le
He has already been in the bathroom for half an hour.

爸爸 去 北京 出差 已经 两 天 了 。
Bàba qù Běijīng chūchāi yǐjīng liǎng tiān le.
It has already been two days since dad went to Beijing on business trip.

Negative Form

Structure

The negative structure simply adds a 不 (bù) after 已经 (yǐjīng), and before the verb (or possibly adjective).

已经 + 不 + [Verb Phrase] / Adj. + 了

Examples

Generally this negative 已经 (yǐjīng) structure is translated into English as "not... anymore" rather than using the word "already."

我 已经 不 喜欢 你 了。
Wǒ yǐjīng bù xǐhuan nǐ le.
I don't like you anymore.

他 已经 不 爱 他 的 猫 了。
Tā yǐjīng bù ài tā de māo le
He doesn't love his cat anymore.

他们 已经 不 住 在 中国 了
Tāmen yǐjīng bù zhù zài Zhōngguó le
They don't live in China anymore.

我 已经 不 需要 父母 的 钱 了
Wǒ yǐjīng bù xūyào fùmǔ de qián le.
I don't need my parents' money anymore.

你 已经 不 在 Google 工作 了 吗？
Nǐ yǐjīng bù zài Google gōngzuò le ma?
You don't work at Google anymore?

Sources and further reading

Books

现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. 612)

现代汉语虚词例释 (p. 554)

New Concept Chinese (新概念汉语 初级本II) (p. 41)

Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (p. 97)

Dictionaries

现代汉语词典（第5版） (p.1609)

Expressing "always" with "zǒngshì" "总是"

If you are trying to describe a daily routine, a habit, or just something that consistently happens, you can use the word 总是 (zǒngshì). 总是 (zǒngshì) means "always," and like other adverbs, comes before the verb in a sentence.

总是 (zǒngshì) with Verbs

总是 (zǒngshì) is an adverb that is often translated to English as "always." It is placed before the verb that it modifies.

Structure

Subj. + 总是 + Verb

Examples

他 总是 迟到。
Tā zǒngshì chídào.
He is always late.

我 总是 忘记 这 个 词。
Wǒ zǒngshì wàngjì zhège cí.
I always forget this word.

他 总是 一个人 吃饭。
Tā zǒngshì yīgèrén chīfàn.
He always eats alone.

你 男朋友 总是 说 脏话。
Nǐ nánpéngyou zǒngshì shuō zānghuà.
Your boyfriend always uses foul language.

我 的 学生 总是 问 我 很多 有意思 的 问题。
Wǒ de xuéshēng zǒngshì wèn wǒ hěn duō yǒu yìsi de wèntí.
My students always ask me lots of interesting questions.

总是 (zǒngshì) with Adjectives

Structure

When 总是 (zǒngshì) is used together with an adjective, you will need to add a modifier in the middle, such as 很 (hěn), 特别 (tèbié), 这么 (zhème), 那么 (nàme), etc.

总是 + Adv. + Adj.

Examples

他 总是 很 累。
Tā zǒngshì hěn lèi.
He is always tired.

你 为什么 总是 很 忙？
Nǐ wèishénme zǒngshì hěn máng?
Why are you always very busy?

你 家 总是 很 干净。
Nǐ jiā zǒngshì hěn gānjìng.
Your house is always very clean.

孩子们 总是 非常 开心。
Háizi men zǒngshì fēicháng kāixīn.
The children are always very happy.

我 的 学生 总是 特别 努力。
Wǒ de xuéshēng zǒngshì tèbié nǔlì.
My students are always very hard-working.

See also

"Always" as a complaint with "laoshi"

"Always" with "conglai"

Sources and further reading

Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (p. 271)

New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (p. 18)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 79)

Expressing "and also" with "hái" "还"

In English we use "and also" when we want to connect separate and different thoughts. We can do the same thing in Chinese by using 还 (hái).

Structure

The adverb 还 (hái) can be used to link two phrases together, in a similar way to "and also" in English. In this case, 还 (hái) begins a new phrase or clause.

Subj. + Verb + Obj. 1， 还 + Verb + Obj. 2

Examples

她 有 一 个 弟弟，还 有 一 个 妹妹。
Tā yǒu yī gè dìdi, hái yǒu yī gè mèimei.
She has a younger brother and also has a younger sister.

我 老板 会 说 法语，还 会 说 日语。
Wǒ lǎobǎn huì shuō Fǎyǔ, hái huì shuō Rìyǔ.
My boss can speak French and can also speak Japanese.

你 要 一 杯 咖啡，还 要 什么？ Nǐ yào yī bēi kāfēi, hái yào shénme?
You want a cup of coffee, and what else do you want?

我 想 吃 冰淇淋，还 想 吃 汉堡。
Wǒ xiǎng chī bīngqílín, hái xiǎng chī hànbǎo.
I want to eat ice cream and I also want to eat a hamburger.

爸爸 有 一个 小米 手机，还 有 一个 iPhone。
Bàba yǒu yī gè Xiǎomǐ shǒujī, hái yǒu yī gè iPhone.
Dad has a Xiaomi phone and also has an iPhone.

你 晚上 在家 做 了 作业，还 做 了 什么？
Nǐ wǎnshang zài jiā zuò le zuòyè, hái zuò le shénme?
You did your homework at home tonight, and what else did you do?

他 结婚 的 时候，请 了 同事，还 请 了 谁？
Tā jiéhūn de shíhou, qǐng le tóngshì, hái qǐng le shéi?
When he got married, he invited his co-workers. Who else did he invite?

生日 的 时候，我们 会 吃 蛋糕，还 要 送 礼物。
Shēngrì de shíhou, wǒmen huì chī dàngāo, hái yào sòng lǐwù.
During a birthday, we eat cake and also give presents.

去 美国 要 带 钱、护照，还 要 带 什么？
Qù Měiguó yào dài qián, hùzhào, hái yào dài shénme?
To go to the USA, you need to take money and a passport. What else do you need to take with you?

The Difference Between 还 (hái) and 也 (yě)

It should be noted that another common way to express "also" is with the word 也 (yě). What's the difference? With 还 (hái), ONE subject is doing TWO different things, whereas when 也 (yě) is used, TWO subjects are doing ONE thing.

It's the difference between these two English sentences:

He fixed dinner and also washed the dishes.

She washed the dishes too.

If you translated these into Chinese, the first one (one subject, two actions) would use 还 (hái), and the second one (second subject, no new actions) would use 也 (yě). Let's do that!

他 做 了 饭 ， 还 洗 了 碗。
Tā zuò le fàn, hái xǐ le wǎn.
He fixed dinner and also washed the dishes.

她 也 洗 了 碗。
Tā yě xǐ le wǎn.
She washed the dishes too.

How about a few more similar examples?

我 洗 了 澡， 还 洗 了 衣服。
Wǒ xǐ le zǎo, hái xǐ le yīfu.
I took a shower and also did my laundry.

她 也 洗 了 衣服。
Tā yě xǐ le yīfu.
She did her laundry too.

我们 今天 晚上 出去 吃饭 了，还 看 了 电影 。
Wǒmen jīntiān wǎnshang chūqù chīfàn le, hái kàn le diànyǐng.
We went out for dinner tonight and also watched a movie.

他们 今天 晚上 也 看 了 电影 。
Tāmen jīntiān wǎnshang yě kàn le diànyǐng.
They watched a movie tonight too.

See Also

Continuation with "hai"

"In addition" with "zaishuo"

"In addition" as "lingwai"

Expressing "in addition" with "haiyou"

Sources and further reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 87)

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (p. 251)

Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (p. 198)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 73)

Category:A2 grammar points Category: Adverbs

Expressing "even more" with "gèng" "更"

To express "even more," (as in "even more expensive," "even more ridiculous," "even more badass"), you can use 更 (gèng). 更 (gèng) generally comes before adjectives.

Basic Usage

Structure

The pattern in Chinese is simple:

更 + Adj.

Note that this pattern is not simply a way of adding "-er" to an adjective or a substitute for 比 (bǐ) comparisons. In each case, you're adding "even more" to an existing considerable amount, as in, "I'm already rich, but I want to be even richer."

Examples

这 两个 银行 哪 个 更 近 ？
Zhè liǎng gè yínháng nǎge gèng jìn?
Between these two banks, which one is closer?

我 想 找 一 个 更 帅 的 男朋友。
It is implied that my boyfriend now is already handsome, but I want to find an even more handsome boyfriend.
Wǒ xiǎng zhǎo yī gè gèng shuài de nánpéngyou.
I want to find a more handsome boyfriend.

我 喜欢 在 网上 买书，因为 更 便宜。
Wǒ xǐhuan zài wǎngshàng mǎi shū, yīnwèi gèng piányi.
I like buying books online because it's cheaper.

不要 太 高兴，我们 还 有 更 多 的 工作 要 做。
It is implied that a lot of work has already been done but there is still "even more" work left.
Bùyào tài gāoxìng, wǒmen hái yǒu gèng duō de gōngzuò yào zuò.
Don't get too excited. We still have more work to do.

结婚 以后， 她 变 得 更 漂亮 了。
Jiéhūn yǐhòu, tā biàn de gèng piàoliang le.
She's become more beautiful after she got married.

Structure with 比 (bǐ)

While 更 (gèng) is not a substitute for 比 (bǐ) (the classic comparison word), the two can be used together.

Structure

A 比 B + 更 + Adj.

This expresses that "A is even more Adj. than B."

Examples

北京 的 房子 比 上海 更 贵。
Běijīng de fángzi bǐ Shànghǎi gèng guì.
The houses in Beijing are even more expensive than those in Shanghai.

春节 比中秋节更 热闹。 Chūnjié bǐ Zhōngqiūjié gèng rènao.
Spring Festival is even more boisterous than Mid-autumn Festival.

汉字 比 声调 更 难。
Hànzì bǐ shēngdiào gèng nán.
Chinese characters are even more difficult than tones.

他 现在 的 女朋友 比 以前 的 更 漂亮。
Tā xiànzài de nǚpéngyou bǐ yǐqián de gèng piàoliang.
His current girlfriend is even more beautiful than his previous one.

中国 的 高铁 比 飞机 更 方便。
Zhōngguó de gāotiě bǐ fēijī gèng fāngbiàn.
China's high-speed trains are even more convenient than airplanes.

See also

Expressing "More and More" with "yue… yue…"

The "zui" superlative

Basic comparisons with "bi"

Sources and further reading

Books

现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. 231)

New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (p. 15)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 54)

Dictionaries

现代汉语词典（第5版） (p. 468)

Expressing "just" with "gāng" "刚"

For events that happened in the immediate past, in English we use the word "just." For example, if you pass a turn you were supposed to make, you might say, "I just passed it!" In Chinese, "just" can be expressed with 刚 (gāng) or 刚刚 (gānggāng).

Expressing "Just" Happened

Structure

刚 (gāng) expresses an action that happened not long ago. 刚刚 (gānggāng) is used the same way, with the same meaning.

Subj. + 刚 + Verb

or

Subj. + 刚刚 + Verb

Examples

我们 刚 知道。
Wǒmen gāng zhīdào.
We just found out.

她们 刚 走。
Tāmen gāng zǒu.
They just left.

老板 刚刚 到 办公室。
Lǎobǎn gānggāng dào bàngōngshì.
The boss just arrived at the office.

我 老婆 刚 生 完 孩子。
Wǒ lǎopo gāng shēng wán háizi.
My wife just finished giving birth to our baby.

你 刚刚 下班 吗？
Nǐ gānggāng xiàbān ma?
Did you just get off work?

"Just" Within a Specific Time Period

This more complicated use of 刚 (gāng) is not nearly as essential as the one above, but you may find it useful to specify just when the event "just" occurred, specifically.

Structure

刚 (gāng) can also express "from the time an action happens until the present time."

Subj. + 刚 + Verb (+ Obj.) + Duration

Note that although we need to say "ago" in English, in this pattern there's no need for a word that means "ago."

Examples

我 刚 认识 她 十 天。
Wǒ gāng rènshi tā shí tiān.
I just met her ten days ago.

他 刚 来 中国 两 个 月。
Tā gāng lái Zhōngguó liǎng gè yuè.
He just got to China two months ago.

我 弟弟 刚 工作 半年。
Wǒ dìdi gāng gōngzuò bàn nián .
My younger brother just started working half a year ago.

她 刚 结婚 三 个 月 。
Tā gāng jiéhūn sān gè yuè.

She just got married three months ago.

我 的 车 刚 买 两 天，开 的时候 小心 点。
Wǒ de chē gāng mǎi liǎng tiān, kāi de shíhou xiǎoxīn diǎn.
I just bought the car two days ago. Be careful when you drive.

See also

"Just now" with "gangcai"

Comparing "gang" and "gangcai"

Sources and further reading

Books

现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. 216)

卓越汉语－公司实战篇 (p. 239)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 81)

Expressing "only" with "zhǐ" "只"

There are a number of different ways to express "only" in Chinese, but 只 (zhǐ) is the most basic one you need to learn first. It's an adverb, so it normally comes before verbs.

Structure

The adverb 只 (zhǐ) can come directly before a verb, or before an auxiliary verb like 会 (huì) or 能 (néng).

只 + Verb

只 + 会 / 能 + Verb

Examples

我 只 有 一 个 哥哥。
Wǒ zhǐ yǒu yī gè gēge.
I only have one older brother.

我们 只 有 十块 钱。
Wǒmen zhǐ yǒu shí kuài qián.
We only have ten RMB.

我们 公司 只 有 两个员工。
Wǒmen gōngsī zhǐ yǒu liǎng gè yuángōng.
Our company only has two employees.

你 只 爱 吃 肉 吗？
Nǐ zhǐ ài chī ròu ma?
Do you only like eating meat?

他们 只 会 说 英文。
Tāmen zhǐ huì shuō Yīngwén.
They can only speak English.

我 只 能 说 两 句 中文。
Wǒ zhǐ néng shuō liǎng jù Zhōngwén.
I can only say two sentences in Chinese.

你们 只 要 咖啡 吗？
Nǐmen zhǐ yào kāfēi ma?
Do you only want coffee?

我 老婆 只 要 一个 孩子。
Wǒ lǎopo zhǐ yào yī gè háizi.
My wife only wants one child.

宝宝 只 会 走，不 会 跑。
Bǎobao zhǐ huì zǒu, bù huì pǎo.
The baby can only walk. He can't run.

我 只 想 跟 你 在 一起。
Wǒ zhǐ xiǎng gēn nǐ zài yīqǐ.
I only want to be with you.

See Also

"Just" with "jiu"

Sources and further reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 87)

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (p. 251)

Expressing actions in progress with "zài" "在"

在 (zài) and 正在 (zhèngzài) can be used as auxiliary verbs to express that an action is ongoing or in progress. This is often the equivalent of present continuous in English, which is how we express that an activity is happening now.

You can use 正在 (zhèngzài) instead of just 在 (zài) to put a little more emphasis on an action that is in progress right now.

Structure

Subj. + 在 + Verb + Obj.

or

Subj. + 正在 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

她 在 看 书。
Tā zài kànshū.
She is reading.

妈妈 在 打 电话。
Māma zài dǎ diànhuà.
Mom is making a phone call.

谁 在 里面 洗澡？
Shéi zài lǐmiàn xǐzǎo?
Who is taking a shower in there?

阿姨 正在 打扫 我们 的 房间。
Āyí zhèngzài dǎsǎo wǒmen de fángjiān.
The cleaning lady is cleaning our room right now.

昨天 晚上 七点，我们 在 吃饭。
Zuótiān wǎnshang qīdiǎn, wǒmen zài chīfàn.
Yesterday at 7pm, we were eating dinner.

老板 在 开会，没有 时间 见 你。
Lǎobǎn zài kāihuì, méiyǒu shíjiān jiàn nǐ.
The boss is currently in a meeting. He doesn't have time to see you.

我 现在 在 上班，不方便 离开。
Wǒ xiànzài zài shàngbān, bù fāngbiàn líkāi.
I am working now. It's not convenient for me to leave.

我们 正在 上课，请 你 等 一会儿。
Wǒmen zhèngzài shàngkè, qǐng nǐ děng yīhuìr.
We are in class right now; please wait a moment.

你 正在 开车，不 可以 玩 手机。
Nǐ zhèngzài kāichē, bù kěyǐ wán shǒujī.
You're driving right now; you can't play with your cell phone.

你 给 我 打 电话 的时候，我 正在 跟 朋友 打 游戏 。
Nǐ gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà de shíhou, wǒ zhèngzài gēn péngyou dǎ yóuxì.
When you called me, I was playing video games with friends.

There is no need to worry too much about when to use 在 (zài) or 正在 (zhèngzài), since they basically mean the same thing. 正在 (zhèngzài) usually shows that the action is in progress (right now). "在 (zài) + Verb" is more commonly used than "正在 (zhèngzài) + Verb," but both are fine to use.

See Also

Aspect particle "zhe"

Expressing actions in progress (full form) (more advanced usage)

Sources and further reading

Books

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 41-2)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 60-1)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 209-10)

New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 218-9)

Category:A2 grammar points

Negative commands with "bié" "别"

Instead of saying "do not" with 不要 (bùyào), we can say "don't" a little more quickly and forcefully by using 别 bié).

Structure

As well as 不要 (bùyào), negative commands can also be formed with 别 (bié). You could think of 别 (bié) as a contraction of 不要 (bùyào), as the structure is the same for both:

别 + Verb (+ Obj.)

Examples

别 走。
Bié zǒu.
Don't leave.

别 说话！
Bié shuōhuà!
Don't speak!

别 笑！
Bié xiào!
Don't laugh!

别 动！
Bié dòng!
Don't move!

别 过来！
Bié guòlái!
Don't come over here!

别 打 孩子！
Bié dǎ háizi!
Don't hit the child!

别 喝 太 多。
Bié hē tài duō.
Don't drink too much.

喝酒 以后 别 开车。
Hējiǔ yǐhòu bié kāichē.
After drinking alcohol, don't drive.

吃饭 的 时候 别 玩 手机。
Chīfàn de shíhou bié wán shǒujī.
When eating, don't play with your cell phone.

上课 的 时候 别 说 英文。
Shàngkè de shíhou bié shuō Yīngwén.
Don't speak English in class.

See also

Negative commands with "bu yao"

Expressing "don't need to" with "buyong"

Sources and Further Reading

Videos

Yoyo Chinese: Negative commands

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 155)

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 325)

A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp. 46-47)

Simultaneous tasks with "yībiān" "一边"

Multitasking is everywhere in the modern world (what else are you doing while you read this?), but you if can focus for just a minute, you can learn a way to express simultaneous tasks in Chinese! This can be done with 一边 (yībiān).

Structure

To express that one thing is done while doing something else, the word 一边 (yībiān) is used.

Subj. + 一边 + Verb（，）+ 一边 + Verb

Note that you sometimes see 一边 (yībiān) shortened to 边 (biān) as well, which has a less formal feel.

Examples

不要 一边 吃 东西，一边 说话。
Bùyào yībiān chī dōngxi, yībiān shuōhuà.
Don't speak while eating.

我 常常 一边 洗澡， 一边 唱歌。
Wǒ chángcháng yībiān xǐzǎo, yībiān chànggē.
I often sing songs while I take a shower.

孩子 喜欢 一边 吃饭， 一边 玩。
Háizi xǐhuan yībiān chīfàn, yībiān wán.
Children like to play while eating.

你 喜欢 一边 听 音乐， 一边 做 作业 吗？
Nǐ xǐhuan yībiān tīng yīnyuè, yībiān zuò zuòyè ma?
Do you like to listen to music while doing homework?

我们 一边 走 一边 聊 吧。
Wǒmen yībiān zǒu yībiān liáo ba.
Let's walk while we talk.

请 你 一边 读 一边 写。
Qǐng nǐ yībiān dú yībiān xiě. Please write as you read.

不要 一边 开车， 一边 打电话。
Bùyào yībiān kāichē, yībiān dǎ diànhuà.
Don't talk on the phone while you drive.

老板 喜欢 一边 抽烟，一边 工作。
Lǎobǎn xǐhuan yībiān chōuyān, yībiān gōngzuò.
The boss likes to smoke while working.

很多 人 都 一边 上班， 一边 玩 手机。
Hěn duō rén dōu yībiān shàngbān, yībiān wán shǒujī.
Many people play with their cell phones while working.

她 常常 一边 做饭，一边 带 孩子。
Tā chángcháng yībiān zuòfàn, yībiān dài háizi.
She often looks after the baby while cooking food.

You'll notice that the order of the two actions is sometimes different in the original Chinese and the English translations above. This is because the "main" action usually comes second in English (after the "while"), but first in Chinese. For example, "take a shower while singing" sounds strange in English, but "sing while taking a shower" doesn't.

Note that you must be actively doing both actions. That is, they have to be intentional. If you want to say something happened while another thing was happening, it would be better to use 的时候 (de shíhou).

See also

Expressing simultaneous actions with "yimian"

"Along with…" using "suizhe"

Sources and further reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 207)

New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (p. 17)

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (p. 269)

Asking about degree with "duō" "多"

How big? How busy? How cold? Ask questions like these regarding the degree of an adjective with 多 (duō). This is just one of the many uses of this word.

Structure

多 (duō) is often used to ask about the degree or extent of something.

Subj. + 多 + Adj. ?

This is an easy way to ask "How [adjective] is [subject]?"

Examples

她 多 高？
Tā duō gāo?
How tall is she?

你家 多 大？
Nǐ jiā duō dà?
How large is your house?

你 的 孩子 多 大？
Nǐ de háizi duō dà?
How old is your child?

黄河 多 长？
Huánghé duō cháng?
How long is the Yellow River?

你 家 离 这儿 多 远？
Nǐ jiā lí zhèr duō yuǎn?
How far is your house away from here?

你 要 在 美国 待 多 久？
Nǐ yào zài Měiguó dāi duō jiǔ?
How long are you going to stay in the USA?

这些 东西 多 重？
Zhèxiē dōngxi duō zhòng?
How heavy are these things?

你 知道 我们 现在 多 胖 吗？
Nǐ zhīdào wǒmen xiànzài duō pàng ma?
Do you know how fat we are now?

你 知道 这里 的 冬天 多 冷 吗？
Nǐ zhīdào zhèlǐ de dōngtiān duō lěng ma?
Do you know how cold it is here in winter?

你 知道 上海 的 房子 多 贵 吗？
Nǐ zhīdào Shànghǎi de fángzi duō guì ma?
Do you know how expensive housing is in Shanghai?

大 (dà) and 小 (xiǎo) can also be used to describe ages. The question phrase 多大 (duō dà) is often used to ask "how old." However, it is an informal way to ask, usually reserved for peers, close friends, or children. The phrase 几岁 (jǐ suì) is most often used for children young enough to display their ages on one hand. Adults do not normally directly ask each other's ages in a formal setting.

See also

Doing something more with "duo"

Intensifying with "duo"

Sources and further reading

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 135-7)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 233)

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 207-210, 301)

Basic comparisons with "yīyàng" "一样"

Along with 比 (bǐ) and 没有 (méiyǒu), 一样 (yīyàng) is another way to make basic comparisons. However, 一样 (yīyàng) is used to express that two things are the same in some way.

Basic Usage

Structure

The simple structure is used for stating that two things are the same:

Noun 1 + 跟 / 和 + Noun 2 + 一样

Examples

我 和 你 一样。
Wǒ hé nǐ yīyàng
I am the same as you.

他 的 性格 跟 他 妈妈 一样
Tā de xìnggé gēn tā māma yīyàng
He has the same personality as his mom.

北京 的 天气 和 上海 不 一样。
Běijīng de tiānqì hé Shànghǎi bù yīyàng
The weather in Beijing and the weather in Shanghai are not alike.

这 个 词 的 意思 和 那 个 词 一样 吗？
Zhège cí de yìsi hé nàge cí yīyàng ma?
Are the meanings of this word and that word the same?

美国 文化 跟 中国 文化 不 一样。
Měiguó wénhuà gēn Zhōngguó wénhuà bù yīyàng
American culture and Chinese culture are not the same.

啤酒 和 葡萄酒 的 味道 一样 吗？
Píjiǔ hé pútaojiǔ de wèidào yīyàng ma?
Do beer and red wine taste the same?

一样 (yīyàng) with Adjectives

Structure

To add an adjective into the mix, just place it after 一样 (yīyàng):

Noun 1 + 跟 / 和 + Noun 2 + 一样 + Adj.

This describes Noun 1 as being as adjective as Noun 2.

Examples

你家 跟 我家 一样 大。
Nǐ jiā gēn wǒ jiā yīyàng dà.
Your house is just as big as mine.

她 和 她 哥哥 一样 高。
Tā hé tā gēge yīyàng gāo.
She and her older brother are equally tall.

你 的 头发 和 我的 头发 一样 长。
Nǐ de tóufa hé wǒ de tóufa yīyàng cháng.
You hair is as long as mine.

这里 的 天气跟 我 老家 一样 舒服。
Zhèlǐ de tiānqì gēn wǒ lǎojiā yīyàng shūfu.
The weather here is just as comfortable as my hometown's.

你 跟 老板 一样 忙 吗？
Nǐ gēn lǎobǎn yīyàng máng ma?
Are you as busy as the boss is?

There is also a similar but more advanced usage of this pattern that uses 像 (xiàng).

See also

Basic comparisons with "bi"

Basic comparisons with "meiyou"

Comparing

Sources and further reading

Books

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 55)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 244)

New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (p. 108)

Websites

Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: Usage of 跟 and 比

Expressing "a little too" with "yǒudiǎn" "有点"

At times you may want to politely diss something using the phrase "a little too." For example, if you are getting lunch with a friend who wants to be seated outside, you might say, "It is a little too hot" to suggest you sit inside. In a case like this, you can use 有一点 (yǒuyīdiǎn) or 有点 yǒudiǎn). The two are interchangeable.

Structure

To say that something is "a little too..." or "a bit too...," 有一点 (yǒuyīdiǎn) is often used. Its northern Chinese version is 有一点儿 (yǒuyīdiǎnr).

Subj. + 有一点(儿) + Adj.

In spoken Chinese, the 一 (yī) in 有一点 (yǒuyīdiǎn) is often dropped, leaving 有点 (yǒudiǎn). In northern China, that's usually pronounced 有点儿 (yǒudiǎnr).

Subj. + 有点(儿) + Adj.

Examples

我 有点 饿。
Wǒ yǒudiǎn è.
I'm a little hungry.

这 个 菜 有点 辣。
Zhège cài yǒudiǎn là.
This dish is a little too spicy.

昨天 有一点 热。
Zuótiān yǒuyīdiǎn rè.
Yesterday it was a little too hot.

上海 的 冬天 有一点 冷。
Shànghǎi de dōngtiān yǒuyīdiǎn lěng.
Winter in Shanghai is a bit too cold.

我弟弟 有点 胖。
Wǒ dìdi yǒudiǎn pàng.
My younger brother is a bit fat.

今天 有点 累。
Jīntiān yǒudiǎn lèi.
Today I am a little bit tired.

这 个 月 公司 有点 忙。
Zhège yuè gōngsī yǒudiǎn máng.
This month the company is a little bit busy.

这 个 地方 有点 吵，我们 走吧。
Zhège dìfang yǒudiǎn chǎo, wǒmen zǒu ba.
This place is a little too noisy. Let's go.

爸爸 回来 有点 晚 ，妈妈 有点 不高兴。
Bàba huílái yǒudiǎn wǎn, māma yǒudiǎn bù gāoxìng.
Dad came back home a bit too late, so mom was a little unhappy.

老师 今天 有点 不 舒服，所以 没 来上课。
Lǎoshī jīntiān yǒudiǎn bù shūfu, suǒyǐ méi lái shàngkè.
Today, the teacher felt a little unwell, so she didn't come to class.

Negative Connotation

Note that for the speaker, the adjective after 有点 (yǒudiǎn) expresses an unpleasant or undesirable meaning, so you won't hear things like 有点高兴 (yǒudiǎn gāoxìng), 有点舒服 (yǒudiǎn shūfu), 有点好玩儿 (yǒudiǎn hǎowánr), etc., because "happy," "comfortable," and "fun" are all adjectives with positive connotations.

See Also

Expressing "excessively" with "tai"

Expressing "a bit too"

Sources and further reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 183-4)

Expressing "both A and B" with "yòu" "又"

When you're getting descriptive, you may find yourself wanting to use multiple adjectives at a time. The character 又 (yòu) can be used to give two qualities to something. Using the double 又 yòu) structure is like saying that something is "both … and …" in English.

Structure

The structure in Chinese is:

Subj. + 又 + Adj. 1 + 又 + Adj. 2

The two words shouldn't contrast in feeling. It is important to note they must both be bad or both be good.

Examples

她 男朋友 又 高 又 帅。
Tā nánpéngyou yòu gāo yòu shuài.
Her boyfriend is both tall and handsome.

这 个 房子 又 大 又 亮。
Zhège fángzi yòu dà yòu liàng.
This house is both big and bright.

妈妈 的 头发 又 黑 又 亮。
Māma de tóufa yòu hēi yòu liàng.
Mom's hair is both black and shiny.

我 姐姐 又 聪明 又 漂亮。
Wǒ jiějie yòu cōngming yòu piàoliang.
My older sister is both smart and beautiful.

中国 菜 又 便宜 又 好吃。
Zhōngguó cài yòu piányi yòu hǎochī.
Chinese food is both cheap and good-tasting.

你们 老板 又 年轻 又 有钱。
Nǐmen lǎobǎn yòu niánqīng yòu yǒuqián.
Your boss is both young and rich.

这里 的 咖啡 又 贵 又 难喝。
Zhèlǐ de kāfēi yòu guì yòu nánhē.
The coffee here is both expensive and bad-tasting.

我 家 小狗 又 可爱 又 听话。
Wǒ jiā xiǎogǒu yòu kě'ài yòu tīnghuà.
My family's dog is both cute and obedient.

上海 的 冬天 又 冷 又 湿。
Shànghǎi de dōngtiān yòu lěng yòu shī.
Winter here in Shanghai is both cold and humid.

她 小时候 又 矮 又 瘦。
Tā xiǎoshíhou yòu ǎi yòu shòu.
She was both short and thin when she was young.

See also

Simultaneous tasks with "yibian"

Expressing "not only… but also"

"Both… and…" with "ji"

Sources and further reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 122)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (p. 87)

New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (p. 66)

Expressing "not very" with "bù tài" "不太"

You may be familiar with using 太 (tài) to express "too," such as when something is "too expensive" or "too hot." 不太 (bù tài) is a similar pattern for the negative, which just means "not very" or "not so" (literally "not too"). Note that this pattern does not normally use 了 (le).

不太 (bù tài) with Adjectives

Structure

Subj. + 不太 + Adj.

Note: This pattern can also be used with non-adjectives. See below for more info.

Examples

我 家 不 太 大。
Wǒ jiā bù tài dà.
My house is not too big.

那 个 地方 不 太 远。
Nàge dìfang bù tài yuǎn.
That place is not very far away.

老板 今天 不 太 高兴。 Lǎobǎn jīntiān bù tài gāoxìng.
The boss is not very happy today.

这 个 店 的 衣服 不 太 贵。
Zhège diàn de yīfu bù tài guì.
The clothes in this shop are not too expensive.

我 觉得 他 不 太 聪明。
Wǒ juéde tā bù tài cōngming.
I think he is not too smart.

不太 (bù tài) with Verbs

Structure

This pattern can be used with some psychological verbs (e.g. 喜欢 (xǐhuan), 想 (xiǎng), 明白 míngbai)), as is the case with the next examples. These verbs are relatively limited.

Subj. + 不太 + Verb

Examples

我 不 太 懂 。
Wǒ bù tài dǒng.
I don't really understand.

我 不 太 会 说 英语 。
Wǒ bù tài huì shuō Yīngyǔ.
I can't really speak English.

他们 不 太 想 去 。 Tāmen bù tài xiǎng qù.
They don't really want to go.

我 哥哥 不 太 喜欢 他 的 工作 。
Wǒ gēge bù tài xǐhuan tā de gōngzuò.
My older brother doesn't really like his job.

他 不 太 明白 老板 的 意思 。
Tā bù tài míngbai lǎobǎn de yìsi.
He didn't really understand what the boss meant.

See also

Expressing "excessively" with tai

Sources and further reading

Books

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 200)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (pp. 180-181)　

A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp. 109)

Expressing "really" with "zhēn" "真"

As an adverb, the word 真 (zhēn) means "really" or "truly."

真 (zhēn) Before an Adjective

Structure

真 (zhēn) is used only in exclamatory sentences and comes before an adjective.

真 + Adj.

Example

你 真 好！
Nǐ zhēn hǎo!
You are so nice!

你 女朋友 真 漂亮！
Nǐ nǚpéngyou zhēn piàoliang!
Your girlfriend is really pretty!

他 家 真 有钱！
Tā jiā zhēn yǒuqián!
His family is really rich!

小狗 真 可爱！
Xiǎogǒu zhēn kě'ài!
This puppy is really cute!

今天 真 热！
Jīntiān zhēn rè!
It's truly hot today!

真 (zhēn) Before Certain Verbs or 能 (néng) / 会 (huì)

We don't want to get too technical on you, but there are certain other words that can be jazzed up with 真 (zhēn). One type of word is auxiliary verbs, like 能 (néng) and 会 (huì). The other type is psychological verbs like 喜欢 (xǐhuan).

Structure

真 + Verb

Example

你 妈妈 真 爱 你！
Nǐ māma zhēn ài nǐ!
Your mother really loves you!

我 真 喜欢 住 在 中国！
Wǒ zhēn xǐhuan zhù zài Zhōngguó!
I really like living in China!

我 真 讨厌 这 种 男人！
Wǒ zhēn tǎoyàn zhè zhǒng nánrén!
I really hate this kind of guy!

你 真 会 说话！
Nǐ zhēn huì shuōhuà!
You are so good with words!

你 真 能 吃！
Nǐ zhēn néng chī!
You ate so much!

Expressing distance with "lí" "离"

Are we there yet? One of the ways to express distance is to use 离 (lí). The word order might seem a little tricky at first, but once you get it down, you'll be able to talk about distance with no problem.

Using 离 (lí) in a Statement

Structure

Unless you're talking about a very specific distance, you'll normally want to pair 离 (lí) with the adjective 近 (jìn) for "close," or 远 (yuǎn) for "far."

Place 1 + 离 + Place 2 + Adv. + 近 / 远

So this pattern is normally used to simply express that one place is (not) close or (not) far from another place. Easy, right? It's learning the sentence pattern that usually trips learners up, because it doesn't feel like natural word order to a speaker of English.

Examples

我 家 离 公司 很 近。
Wǒ jiā lí gōngsī hěn jìn
My house is close to my office.

美国 离 中国 很 远。
Měiguó lí Zhōngguó hěn yuǎn
The USA is far from China.

这 个 酒店 离 火车站 很 近
Zhège jiǔdiàn lí huǒchēzhàn hěn jìn
This hotel is very close to the train station.

那 个 酒吧 离 这儿 太 远 了 我 不 想 去。
Nàge jiǔbā lí zhèr tài yuǎn le, wǒ bù xiǎng qù.
That bar is too far away from here. I don't want to go.

我 不想 去 离 家 很 远 的 地方 工作。
Wǒ bù xiǎng qù lí jiā hěn yuǎn de dìfang gōngzuò.
I don't want to go work at a place very far away from home.

Using 离 (lí) in a Question

Structure

These two sentence patterns are extremely common in everyday conversations when discussing distances.

Place 1 + 离 + Place 2 (+ Adv.) + 近 / 远 + 吗？

Place 1 + 离 + Place 2 (+ 有) + 多远？

Note that in English, you can actually ask, "How close is it from here?" if the distance is obviously short. But in Chinese it's just, "How far is it from here?"

Examples

你家 离 超市 远 吗？
Nǐ jiā lí chāoshì yuǎn ma?
Is your house far away from the supermarket?

你 的 大学 离 你 老家 很 远 吗？
Nǐ de dàxué lí nǐ lǎojiā hěn yuǎn ma?
Is your college very far away from your hometown?

你们 公司 离 地铁站 近 吗？
Nǐmen gōngsī lí dìtiězhàn jìn ma?
Is your company close to the metro station?

你 家 离 学校 多远？
Nǐ jiā lí xuéxiào duō yuǎn
How far is it from your home to school?

这个 酒店 离 机场 有 多远？
Zhège jiǔdiàn lí jīchǎng yǒu duō yuǎn
How far is it from this hotel to the airport?

Expressing "Stay Away from Me" with 离 (lí)

One final example is a command, commonly heard in colloquial Chinese:

你 离 我 远 点 儿 ！
Nǐ lí wǒ yuǎn diǎnr!
Stay away from me.

It's a somewhat atypical usage when compared with the others, because it uses two people rather than two places. The sentence literally means, "Distance yourself from me further." In other words, "Stay away from me," or "Don't come near me."

See Also

"From… to…" with "cong… dao…"

Sources and further reading

Books

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 112 - 113)

Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 2 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (p. 11)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 154)

Intensifying with "duō" "多"

One way to intensify a sentence is to make it an exclamation. To do this, you can use 多 (duō).

Structure

As well as asking about degree, you can also use 多 (duō) to intensify adjectives.

Subj. + 多 + Adj.

Examples

一个人 多 好！
Yīgèrén duō hǎo!
It's so nice being alone!

你 女儿 多 聪明 啊！ Nǐ nǚér duō cōngming a!
Your daughter is so smart!

今天 天气 多 舒服 ！
Jīntiān tiānqì duō shūfu!
Today's weather is so nice!

你 看 这 个 地方 ，多 美 啊！
Nǐ kàn zhège dìfang, duō měi a!
Look at this place, it is so beautiful!

学 中文 多 有意思 啊！
Xué Zhōngwén duō yǒu yìsi a!
Studying Chinese is so interesting!

坐 地铁 多 方便！
Zuò dìtiě duō fāngbiàn!
How convenient it is to take the metro!

你 看 这 个 小狗， 多 可爱！
Nǐ kàn zhège xiǎogǒu, duō kě'ài!
Look at this puppy! It is so cute!

这样 做 多 麻烦！
Zhèyàng zuò duō máfan!
Doing it this way is so troublesome!

这些 菜多 好吃 啊！
Zhèxiē cài duō hǎochī a!
These foods are so delicious!

你 男朋友 多 帅 啊！
Nǐ nánpéngyou duō shuài a!
Your boyfriend is so handsome!

多 (duō) can be compared to 很 (hěn) in this case. If you use 很 (hěn) instead of 多 (duō), the meaning is basically the same. However 很 (hěn) is also used to make simple "noun + adjective" sentences, which might not be exclamatory at all, whereas 多 (duō) is used only for excited exclamations.

See also

Adjectives with "name" and "zheme"

Positive adjectives with "-ji le"

Asking about degree with "duo"

Sources and further reading

Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (p. 211)

发展汉语 中级汉语口语上 (p. 72)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 199)

Moderating positive adjectives with "hái" "还"

Whenever you want to imply that something is "good," but also kind of "meh," you can use 还 (hái) in front of the "good" adjective.

Commonly Used Expressions

Besides expressing continuation, 还 (hái) can also be used to weaken positive adjectives. Used with the adjective "good," this is similar to saying "fairly good" or "pretty good" in English. It's also sometimes used by a speaker to be more modest. Below are some of the most common adjectives that get "toned down" by 还 (hái) in this structure.

Structure

Subj. + 还 + 好 / 可以 / 行 / 不错

In this pattern, 好 (hǎo), 可以 (kěyǐ), 行 (xíng), and 不错 (bùcuò) combined with 还 (hái) can all be taken to mean "pretty good" or "all right" or "decent" (but also kind of meh... not great). As in English, intonation and facial expressions help convey the meaning. If expectations were already low to begin with, 还可以 (hái kěyǐ) can have the sense of "pretty darn good;" it all depends on context and tone of voice.

Examples

我 还 好
Wǒ hái hǎo.
I'm OK.

爸爸 做 的 菜 还 可以。
Bàba zuò de cài hái kěyǐ
The food that dad cooks is OK.

我们 老板 还 不错。
Wǒmen lǎobǎn hái bùcuò
Our boss is not too bad.

这 家 店 还 行，不太 贵。
Zhè jià diàn hái xíng bù tài guì.
This shop is OK. It's not too expensive.

我 男朋友 的 工资 还 可以。
Wǒ nánpéngyou de gōngzī hái kěyǐ
My boyfriend's salary is OK.

新 的 办公室 还 不错。
Xīn de bàngōngshì hái bùcuò
The new office is OK.

我 觉得 这里 的 菜 还 可以，没有 那么 难吃。
Wǒ juéde zhèlǐ de cài hái kěyǐ méiyǒu nàme nánchī.
I think the food here is OK, it is not too bad-tasting.

这 个 牌子 还 不错，很 多 年轻 人 喜欢。
Zhège páizi hái bùcuò hěn duō niánqīng rén xǐhuan.
This brand is not too bad. Many young people like it.

房子 还 可以，但是 有 点 贵。
Fángzi hái kěyǐ dànshì yǒudiǎn guì.
The apartment is not too bad, but it is a bit expensive.

See also

Continuation with "hai"

Expressing "rather" with "bijiao"

The "zui" superlative

Sources and further reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 302)

Exemplification of Common Sentence Patterns in Spoken Chinese 汉语口语常用句式例解 (pp. 106-7)

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 366)

Modifying nouns with adjective + "de" "的"

One of the best ways to use the common character 的 (de) is to spice up your nouns with adjectives. By using 的 (de), we can connect sassy adjectives to otherwise boring nouns.

With a Noun

Structure

A very common way to modify nouns is to attach an adjective to them using 的 (de).

Adj. + 的 + Noun

This structure comes up extremely frequently and is an easy way to attribute features to nouns. Occasionally you will see this 的 (de) omitted, but note that if the adjective has two characters (e.g. 漂亮 (piàoliang) or 高兴 (gāoxìng)), the 的 (de) is generally required.

Examples

漂亮 的 女孩儿
piàoliang de nǚháir
beautiful girl

辣 的 菜
là de cài
spicy food

可爱 的 宝宝
kě'ài de bǎobao
a cute baby

我 喜欢 新鲜 的 果汁 。
Wǒ xǐhuan xīnxiān de guǒzhī.
I like fresh fruit juice.

他 常常 买 便宜 的 东西。
Tā chángcháng mǎi piányi de dōngxi.
He often buys cheap stuff.

Without a Noun

Structure

In some cases, it is possible to drop the noun from the pattern, and just use the adjective + 的 de). This is kind of like saying "the big one" or "the red one" in English. In Chinese the 的 (de) serves the same purpose as the English word "one." By using this pattern, you can avoid repeating the same noun over and over again unnecessarily. Just be sure the other person is already clear which "one" you're referring to when using this pattern!

Adj. + 的

Examples

A: 孩子 喜欢 吃 什么 东西 ？
Háizi xǐhuan chī shénme dōngxi?
What food do children like to eat?

B: 甜 的 。
Tián de.
Sweet food.

A: 你 喜欢 哪 种 女孩？
Nǐ xǐhuan nǎ zhǒng nǚhái?
What kind of girls do you like?

B: 漂亮 的。
Piàoliang de.
Pretty ones.

A: 你 要 喝 冷 水 还是 热 水？
Nǐ xǐhuan hē lěng shuǐ háishì rè shuǐ ?
Do you want to drink cold or hot water?

B:冷 的。
Lěng de.
Cold.

A: 你想 找 什么样 的 男朋友？
Nǐ xiǎng zhǎo shénmeyàng de nánpéngyou?
What kind of boyfriend do you want to find?

B: 有钱 的。
Yǒuqián de.
A rich one.

A: 你 不 喜欢 吃 什么 菜？
Nǐ bù xǐhuan chī shénme cài?
Which foods do you not like to eat?

B: 辣 的。
Là de.
Spicy ones.

See also

Modifying nouns with phrase + de

Expressing possession

Sources and further reading

Books

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 70-1)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 37)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 191, 233)

Yufa! (pp. 37)

Modifying nouns with phrase + "de" 的"

In addition to linking adjectives to nouns, 的(de) can also be used to link a whole phrase to a noun, making the already useful 的 (de) even more useful.

Structure

As well as attaching adjectives to nouns, 的 (de) can be used to attach whole phrases to nouns. In English this is often achieved with "who" or "that." For example, "the man who went to Beijing" or "the book that I bought yesterday."

Phrase + 的 + Noun

Here a phrase means Verb + (Object).

Examples

妈妈 做 的 菜
māma zuò de cài
the food that mom cooks

去 北京 的 火车
qù Běijīng de huǒchē
the train that goes to Beijing

你 教 的 学生
nǐ jiāo de xuésheng
the students that you teach

老板 请 的 朋友
lǎobǎn qǐng de péngyou
the friends that the boss invited

我 画 的画
wǒ huà de huà
the pictures that I draw

他 写 的 书
tā xiě de shū
the books that he wrote

妈妈 给 我 买 的 衣服
māma gěi wǒ mǎi de yīfu
the clothes that mom bought for me

客户 问 的 问题
kèhù wèn de wèntí
the questions that the client asked

穿 Prada 的 女人
chuān Prada de nǚrén
women who wear Prada

不 喜欢 中国菜 的 老外
bù xǐhuan Zhōngguó cài de lǎowài
the foreigners that don't like Chinese food

See also

Modifying nouns with adjective + de

Expressing possession

Sources and Further Reading

Books

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 76)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 107-8)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 39)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 141)

Yufa! (pp. 37)

Superlative "zuì" "最"

The most common way to form a superlative (best, worst, biggest, smallest, etc.) in Chinese is to use 最 (zuì) before an adjective (and a few select verbs).

最 (zuì) with Adjectives

Structure

The structure is:

最 + Adj.

And now you have the superlative form of the adjective. Unlike in English, this structure is consistent for all adjectives in Chinese. The inconsistencies in English sometimes confuse beginners, so note in the examples below how to say "best," "worst," "least," and "most" (meaning "greatest number").

Examples

哪 个 老师 最 好？
Nǎge lǎoshī zuì hǎo?
Which teacher is the best?

你们 家 谁 最 漂亮？
Nǐmen jiā shéi zuì piàoliang?
In your family who is the most beautiful?

Zuckerberg 最 有钱。
Zuckerberg zuì yǒuqián.
Zuckerberg is the richest.

汉语 最 难。
Hànyǔ zuì nán.
The Chinese language is the most difficult.

这 种 事 最 麻烦。
Zhè zhǒng shì zuì máfan.
These kind of things are the most troublesome.

Optional 了 (le)

Occasionally you'll also see a 了 (le) added after the adjective. This simply adds emphasis to the "-est."

Structure

最 + Adj. (+ 了)

Examples

小狗 最 可爱 了。
This 了 is optional
Xiǎogǒu zuì kěài le
The puppy is the cutest.

四川 菜 最 辣 了。
This 了 is optional
Sìchuān cài zuì là le
Sichuan food is the spiciest.

我 的 中国 朋友 最 热情 了。
This 了 is optional
Wǒ de Zhōngguó péngyou zuì rèqíng le
My Chinese friend is the most enthusiastic.

他 的 学生 最 认真 了。
This 了 is optional
Tā de xuésheng zuì rènzhēn le.
His student is the most serious.

黄山 的 风景 最 美 了。
This 了 is optional
Huángshān de fēngjǐng zuì měi le
Huang Mountain's landscape is the most beautiful.

最 (zuì) with Psychological Verbs

最 (zuì) can also come before psychological verbs, to express what one "most likes," "most hates," etc. It won't make sense if you try to use 最 (zuì) with non-psychological verbs, though.

Structure

The structure is:

最 + [Psychological Verb] + Obj. (+ 了)

Note the 了 (le) on the end there! It's not strictly required, but you'll hear it a lot in spoken Chinese.

Examples

老板 最 喜欢 你 了！
Lǎobǎn zuì xǐhuan nǐ le!
The boss likes you the best!

你 最 怕 什么？
Nǐ zuì pà shénme?
What do you most fear?

我 最 爱 中国 菜。
Wǒ zuì ài Zhōngguó cài.
I love Chinese food most.

谁 最 了解 你？
Shéi zuì liǎojiě nǐ?
Who knows you best?

她 最 讨厌 抽烟 的 男人 了。
Tā zuì tǎoyàn chōuyān de nánrén le .
She most hates men that smoke.

Although you could translate it as "like the best," pairing 最 (zuì) with the psychological verb 喜欢 (xǐhuan) is also a great way to talk about one's "favorite."

你 最 喜欢 什么 颜色？
Nǐ zuì xǐhuan shénme yánsè?
What is your favorite color?

你 最 喜欢 什么 动物？
Nǐ zuì xǐhuan shénme dòngwù?
What is your favorite animal?

See also

Expressing "excessively" with tai

Positive adjectives with "-ji le"

Expressing "rather" with "bijiao"

Sources and further reading

Books

New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 15-6)

Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 571-4)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (p. 344)

Expressing "or" in statements

In English, "or" can be used to connect words when offering or considering choices ("do you want chicken or beef?"). It can also be used as an "or" statement ("it doesn't matter if we eat chicken or beef"), in Chinese, this is what 或者 (huòzhě) is used for.

Structure

While 还是 (háishì) is used for "or" in questions, 或者 (huòzhě) is used for "or" in statements.

Possibility 1 + 或者 + Possibility 2

Examples

我 喝 咖啡 或者 茶 ，都 行。
Wǒ hē kāfēi huòzhě chá, dōu xíng.
I drink coffee or tea. Either is OK.

星期六 或者 星期天 ， 都 可以 。
Xīngqīliù huòzhě Xīngqītiān, dōu kěyǐ.
Saturday or Sunday are both OK.

今天 晚上 我 想 吃 披萨 或者 寿司。
Jīntiān wǎnshang wǒ xiǎng chī pīsà huòzhě shòusī.
Tonight I would like to eat pizza or sushi.

周末 的 时候，我 喜欢 在 家 做饭 或者 看 电影 。
Zhōumò de shíhou, wǒ xǐhuan zài jiā zuòfàn huòzhě kàn diànyǐng.
During the weekend, I like to cook or watch movies at home.

你 去 或者 她 去 ，都 可以 。
Nǐ qù huòzhě tā qù, dōu kěyǐ.
You go or she goes, either way is fine.

下班 以后 我 去 你 家 或者 你 来 我 家 ， 都 可以。
Xiàbān yǐhòu wǒ qù nǐ jiā huòzhě nǐ lái wǒ jiā, dōu kěyǐ.
After work I will go to your house, or you can come to my house, either way is fine.

下 个 月 我 打算 去 杭州 或者 苏州 旅行。
Xià gè yuè wǒ dǎsuàn qù Hángzhōu huòzhě Sūzhōu lǚxíng.
Next month I plan to go to Hangzhou or Suzhou to travel.

我们 可以 坐 飞机 或者 坐 高铁 去。
Wǒmen kěyǐ zuò fēijī huòzhě zuò gāotiě qù.
We can go by plane or by high-speed train.

晚饭 以后 我 和 家人 聊天 或者 看 电视 。
Wǎnfàn yǐhòu wǒ hé jiārén liáotiān huòzhě kàn diànshì.
After dinner I chat with or watch TV with my family.

你 可以 用 手机 或者 电脑 上网。
Nǐ kěyǐ yòng shǒujī huòzhě diànnǎo shàngwǎng.
You can use either a cell phone or computer to go online.

See also

Offering choices with "haishi"

Providing two options with double "huozhe" (advanced article)

Sources and further reading

Books

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 74-5)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 257-8)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 239-40)

The filler word "nèige" "那个"

In conversation, you may find yourself at a loss for words, unable to find the correct phrase you are looking for, or simply needing time to gather your thoughts. When you experience this feeling, in English, you may say "umm" or "uhhh" or another filler word. In Chinese, the word for this is 那个 (nèige). (The word 那个 can be pronounced both "nàge" and "nèige," but for this usage, "nèige" is normally used.)

Structure

In English, words like "ummm" and "uh" are used as filler¹ words when you're thinking about what to say. In Chinese, 那个 (nèige) is also used for this purpose. To English speakers not fortunate enough to be fluent in Mandarin this may raise an eyebrow because it can sound a bit "racist," but it's very common in Mandarin and you'll hear it quite often around Chinese speakers.

(那个⋯⋯) (那个⋯⋯) + [anything] + (那个⋯⋯)

那个 (nèige) can be inserted into sentences wherever you need to pause for thought.

Examples

那个 ⋯⋯ 我 不 跟 你们 一起 去 了，可以 吗？
Nèige... wǒ bù gēn nǐmen yīqǐ qù le, kěyǐ ma?
So, ummm... I won't go with you guys, OK?

我 想 吃 那个 ⋯⋯ 那个 ⋯⋯ 湖南 菜。
Wǒ xiǎng chī nèige .. nèige .. Húnán cài.
I want to eat that... ummm, you know... Hunan cuisine.

那个 ⋯⋯ 我 明天 不 来 了。
Nèige... wǒ míngtiān bù lái le.
Ummm... I'm not coming tomorrow.

那个 ⋯⋯ 这样 做 不 好 吧？
Nèige... zhèyàng zuò bù hǎo ba?
Ummm, it's not good to do it this way?

那个 ⋯⋯ 你 可以 做 我 的 女 朋友 吗？
Nèige... nǐ kěyǐ zuò wǒ de nǚpéngyou ma?
Like... could you be my girlfriend?

那个 ⋯⋯ 不好意思 ， 我 要 走 了。
Nèige... bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ yào zǒu le.
Ummmm... sorry, but I've gotta go.

她 很 漂亮 ， 就 像 那个 ⋯⋯ 明星 一样。
Tā hěn piàoliang, jiù xiàng nèige... míngxīng yīyàng.
She's very pretty, just like, you know, a celebrity.

我 想 看看 你 买 的 那个 ⋯⋯ 那个 ⋯⋯ iPhone。
Wǒ xiǎng kànkan nǐ mǎi de nèige... nèige... iPhone.
I'd like to take a look at your, ummm, you know... iPhone you bought.

那个 ⋯⋯ 我 要 去 开会 了。
Nèige... wǒ yào qù kāihuì le.
Ummm... I have to attend a meeting.

昨天 那个 ⋯⋯ 那个 ⋯⋯ 小笼包 真 好吃。
Zuótiān nèige .. nèige .. xiǎolóngbāo zhēn hǎochī.
Yesterday the, you know, steamed soup dumplings were so delicious.

References

Sources and further reading

Filler (linguistics) on Wikipedia

Two words for "but"

Using "but" in Chinese is really simple to learn. It involves the two words 可是 (kěshì) and 但是 dànshì). Make no "buts" about it: you'll understand it in no time!

Structure

There are two main words for "but" in Chinese: 可是 (kěshì) and 但是 (dànshì). These are largely the same. The small difference is that 但是 (dànshì) is slightly more formal, whereas 可是 (kěshì) is just a bit more informal and a tad weaker in tone. You really don't need to worry about which one is the right one to use though, since they can be used interchangeably.

Statement， 可是 / 但是 + [Contrary Statement]

Examples

Usually 可是 (kěshì) and 但是 (dànshì) precede a new phrase within a sentence:

我 喜欢 他，可是 他 不 喜欢 我。
Wǒ xǐhuan tā, kěshì tā bù xǐhuan wǒ.
I like him, but he doesn't like me.

我 很 想 去，但是 我 太 忙 了。
Wǒ hěn xiǎng qù, dànshì wǒ tài máng le.
I really want to go, but I am too busy.

中文 很 有意思，但是 也 很 难。
Zhōngwén hěn yǒuyìsi, dànshì yě hěn nán.
Chinese is very interesting, but it is also very hard.

我 喜欢 这 件 衬衫，可是 太 贵 了。
Wǒ xǐhuan zhè jiàn chènshān, kěshì tài guì le.
I like this shirt, but it is too expensive.

老板 昨天 给 他 打 电话，可是 他 没 接。
Lǎobǎn zuótiān gěi tā dǎ diànhuà, kěshì tā méi jiē.
The boss gave him a call yesterday, but he didn't answer.

iPhone 很 好，但是 我 没 钱 买。
iPhone hěn hǎo, dànshì wǒ méi qián mǎi.
The iPhone is great, but I don't have the money to buy it.

你们 可以 在 这里 看书，可是 不 可以 说话。
Nǐ kěyǐ zài zhèlǐ kàn shū, kěshì bù kěyǐ shuōhuà.
You can read books here, but you can't talk.

你 可以 吃， 但是 不 可以 吃 太 多。
Nǐ kěyǐ chī, dànshì bù kěyǐ chī tài duō.
You can eat, but you can't eat too much.

他 说 五 点 来 见 我，但是 他 没 来。
Tā shuō wǔ diǎn lái jiàn wǒ, dànshì tā méi lái.
He said he would come to see me at five, but he didn't.

这 个 地方 很 漂亮，但是 人 太 多 了。
Zhège dìfang hěn piàoliang, dànshì rén tài duō le.
This place is beautiful, but there are too many people.

Note: In informal spoken Chinese, 可是 (kěshì) can be shortened to 可 (kě), and 但是 (dànshì) can be shortened to 但 (dàn).

See also

A Softer "But"

"Although" with "suiran" and "danshi"

Sources and further reading

Books

Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级)

Chinese Reference Series for Foreigners - 1700 Groups of Frequently Used Chinese Synonyms (外国人学汉语工具书 - 1700对近义词语用法对比) (p.319)

发展汉语 中级汉语口语上 (p. 3)

Using "gēn" "跟" to mean "with"

Using 跟 (gēn) to express "with" is so simple and helpful, after studying it briefly, it will always be with you! 跟 (gēn) is a very common word that will help complete many other sentence structures.

Structure

The preposition 跟 (gēn) is commonly used to express "with." Just remember that the "with" phrase comes before the verb.

Subj. + 跟 + Person + Verb + Obj.

The word 一起 (yīqǐ) is used a lot with 跟 (gēn), expressing the idea of "doing something together with somebody." It may seem kind of redundant, but it's totally normal in Chinese to use both.

Also, for most of the examples below, 跟 (gēn) is interchangeable with 和 (hé), which you may remember, also means "and," just like 跟 (gēn) does.

Subj. + 跟 + Person + 一起 + Verb + Obj.

Certain Chinese verbs use 跟 (gēn) a lot, so be on the lookout for them (examples below)!

Examples

我 昨天 跟 朋友 去 海滩 了。
Wǒ zuótiān gēn péngyou qù hǎitān le.
I went to the beach with friends yesterday.

不要 跟 我 说话！
Bùyào gēn wǒ shuōhuà!
Don't talk to me!

我 明天 要 跟 新 客户 见面。
Wǒ míngtiān yào gēn xīn kèhù jiànmiàn
I'm going to meet new clients tomorrow.

你 什么 时候 跟 你 女朋友 结婚？
Nǐ shénme shíhou gēn nǐ nǚpéngyou jiéhūn?
When are you gonna marry your girlfriend?

你 喜欢 跟 你 父母 聊天 吗？
Nǐ xǐhuan gēn nǐ fùmǔ liáotiān ma?
Do you like to talk with your parents?

你 想 跟 我 一起 去 吗？
Nǐ xiǎng gēn wǒ yīqǐ qù ma?
Do you want to go with me?

请 你们 跟 老师 一起 读。
Qǐng nǐmen gēn lǎoshī yīqǐ dú.
Please read together with the teacher.

下 周 谁 跟老板 一起 出差？
Xià zhōu shéi gēn lǎobǎn yīqǐ chūchāi
Who is going on a business trip together with the boss next week?

结婚 以后，你 想 跟 父母 一起 住 吗？
Jiéhūn yǐhòu, nǐ xiǎng gēn fùmǔ yīqǐ zhù ma?
Do you want live together with your parents after you get married?

今年 中秋节 你 会 跟 家人 一起 过 吗？
Jīnnián Zhōngqiūjié nǐ huì gēn jiārén yīqǐ guò ma?
Are you going to spend this Mid-Autumn Festival with your family?

Note: One of the most common beginner mistakes is to fail to use 跟 (gēn) with 见面 (jiànmiàn), "to meet." It might help to think of 见面 (jiànmiàn) as "to meet with (somebody)," the "with" cluing you into the fact that you need a 跟 (gēn) in there. The verbs 结婚 (jiéhūn), "to marry," and 聊天 (liáotiān), "to chat" are used with 跟 (gēn) in the exact same way.

Check out the examples below:

我 要 见面 你。
Wǒ yào jiànmiàn nǐ.

我 要 跟 你 见面。
Wǒ yào gēn nǐ jiànmiàn
I want to meet with you.

我 昨天 见面 他 了。
Wǒ zuótiān jiànmiàn tā le.

我 昨天 跟 他 见面 了。
Wǒ zuótiān gēn tā jiànmiàn le.
I met with him yesterday.

你 什么时候 见面 她 ？
Nǐ shénme shíhou jiànmiàn tā?

你 什么时候 跟 她 见面 ？
Nǐ shénme shíhou gēn tā jiànmiàn?
When are you going to meet with her?

明天 我 要 见面 我 男朋友 的 家人。
Míngtiān wǒ yào jiànmiàn wǒ nánpéngyou de jiārén.

明天 我 要 跟 我 男朋友 的 家人 见面。
Míngtiān wǒ yào gēn wǒ nánpéngyou de jiārén jiànmiàn
Tomorrow I am going to meet my boyfriend's family.

你 有没有 见面 过 Obama?
Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu jiànmiàn guo Obama?

你 有没有 跟 Obama 见 过 面？
Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu gēn Obama jiàn guo miàn
Have you ever met Obama?

Later on you'll learn more about why this is the case, but for now just memorize the correct pattern.

Where 和 (hé) and 跟 (gēn) Differ

We mentioned earlier that 跟 (gēn) is essentially interchangeable with 和 (hé). There's at least one common usage where this is not the case, though:

和 我 读 。
Hé wǒ dú.

跟 我 读 。
Gēn wǒ dú.
Read after me.

The reason is that although 跟 (gēn) and 和 (hé) can both mean "and" or "with," the word 跟 (gēn) also has a sense of "to follow" embedded in it. There's a before/after aspect.

The following sentences are both correct, because they're simultaneous rather than before/after:

和 我 一起 读。
Hé wǒ yīqǐ dú.

跟 我 一起 读。
Gēn wǒ yīqǐ dú.
Read with me.

Because of this slight difference between 跟 (gēn) and 和 (hé), it's recommended to start out using 跟 (gēn) to mean "with."

See also

Expressing "together" with "yiqi"

Verbs with "gei"

Using "dui"

Expressing "and" with "he"

Sources and further reading

Books

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (p.84, p.88)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (pp.166-167)

After a specific time with "yǐhòu" "以后"

Just as 以前 (yǐqián) can be used to describe the events before a specific time, 以后 (yǐhòu) can be used to describe the events after a specific time.

Structure

This grammar structure is similar to the English "after such-and-such, something happens." It's quite simple, all you have to do is put the "after" after the time words or time phrase.

Time / Verb + 以后, ....

The time can be a time or date, or an action or event. It may or may not be in the future.

Examples

下午 三点 以后， 我 不 在 家。
Xiàwǔ sāndiǎn yǐhòu, wǒ bù zài jiā.
After three p.m., I will not be at home.

来 中国 以后， 她 认识 了 她 的 老公。
Lái Zhōngguó yǐhòu, tā rènshi le tā de lǎogōng.
After coming to China, she met her husband.

她 一个月 以后 开始 上班。
Tā yī gè yuè yǐhòu kāishǐ shàngbān.
After one month, she will start working.

吃 完 午饭 以后 ， 我们 要 开会。
Chī wán wǔfàn yǐhòu, wǒmen yào kāihuì.
We are going to have a meeting after we finish lunch.

几年 以后 ，我们 公司 会 更 大。
Jǐ nián yǐhòu, wǒmen gōngsī huì gèng dà.
In a few years, our company will be even bigger.

老板 半个小时 以后 回来。
Lǎobǎn bàn gè xiǎoshí yǐhòu huílái.
After half an hour, the boss will return.

下班 以后你 想 跟 我们 一起 去 打球 吗?
Xiàbān yǐhòu, nǐ xiǎng gēn wǒmen yīqǐ qù dǎqiú ma?
After we get off work, would you like to go play ball with us?

老板 来 了 以后 ，大家 都 不 说话 了。
Lǎobǎn lái le yǐhòu dàjiā dōu bù shuōhuà le.
After the boss came, everyone stopped talking.

你 到家 以后 给 我 打电话。
Nǐ dào jiā yǐhòu gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.
After you get home, call me.

结婚 以后 爸爸 不 喝酒 了。
Jiéhūn yǐhòu bàba bù hējiǔ le.
After he got married, dad stopped drinking.

Note that this use of 以后 (yǐhòu) is often shortened to 后 (hòu).

See also

Before a specific time

In the future in general

At the time when

Before and after with "zhiqian" and "zhihou"

Sources and further reading

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (p. 261)

Before a specific time with "yǐqián" "以前"

As well as talking about the past in general, you can use 以前 (yǐqián) to talk about things that happened before a specific time.

Structure

Time / Verb + 以前, ....

The time can be a specific time, or an action (technically, "when the action was done").

Examples

吃饭 以前 ，你 洗 手 了 吗？
Chīfàn yǐqián nǐ xǐ shǒu le ma?
Did you wash your hands before eating?

睡觉 以前 ，不要 吃 东西。
Shuìjiào yǐqián bùyào chī dōngxi.
Don't eat anything before you go to sleep.

两 年 以前 ， 你 认识 他 吗？
Liǎng nián yǐqián nǐ rènshi tā ma?
Did you know him two years ago?

星期五 以前 ，你 要 做 完 这些 工作。
Xīngqīwǔ yǐqián, nǐ yào zuò wán zhèxiē gōngzuò.
You need to finish this work before Friday.

上 大学 以前，你 来 过 上海 吗？
Shàng dàxué yǐqián nǐ lái guo shànghǎi ma?
Before you went to college, did you ever come to Shanghai?

结婚 以前 ，你 应该 先 买 房子。
Jiéhūn yǐqián, nǐ yīnggāi xiān mǎi fángzi.
Before getting married, you should first buy a house.

二十 年 以前，这里 是 一 个 公园。
Èrshí nián yǐqián, zhèlǐ shì yī gè gōngyuán.
Twenty years ago, this was a park.

几 个 月 以前 ，他们 分手 了。
Jǐ gè yuè yǐqián tāmen fēnshǒu le.
They broke up a few months ago.

毕业 以前，我 要 找到 工作。
Bìyè yǐqián wǒ yào zhǎodào gōngzuò.
I need to find a job before graduation.

当 总统 以前，Obama 没有 白 头发。
Dāng zǒngtǒng yǐqián, Obama méiyǒu bái tóufa.
Before he became the president, Obama didn't have white hair.

Note that this use of 以前 (yǐqián) can also be shortened to 前 (qián).

See also

After a specific time

Expressing "before" in general with "yiqian"

Before and after with "zhiqian" and "zhihou"

Sources and further reading

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 260-1)

Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 2 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (pp. 11-12)

Expressing "before" in general with "yǐqián" "以前"

To talk about things that previously occurred, you can use the word 以前 (yǐqián). You can use this structure to talk about actions that happened at some unspecified time in the past.

Structure

One way to use 以前 (yǐqián) is to start the sentence with it. This is like starting off a sentence in English with "before..." or "in the past..."

以前 + Subj. + Verb + Obj.

You can also move 以前 (yǐqián) to right after the subject, and it's also correct.

Subj. + 以前 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

以前 我 不 会 说 中文 。
Yǐqián wǒ bù huì shuō Zhōngwén.
Before, I could not speak Chinese.

你 以前 住 在 哪儿？
Nǐ yǐqián zhù zài nǎr?
Before, where did you live?

以前 我 不 认识 他。
Yǐqián wǒ bù rènshi tā.
Before, I didn't know him.

以前 他 是 我们 的 客户 吗？
Yǐqián tā shì wǒmen de kèhù ma?
Was he our client before?

以前 他 是 一 个 服务员，现在 是 老板。
Yǐqián tā shì yī gè fúwùyuán, xiànzài shì lǎobǎn.
Before, he was a waiter. Now, he is a boss.

我 父母 以前 都 是 老师。
Wǒ fùmǔ yǐqián dōu shì lǎoshī.
Before, both of my parents were teachers.

爸爸 以前 很 喜欢 抽烟。
Bàba yǐqián hěn xǐhuan chōuyān.
Before, dad really liked smoking.

姐姐 以前 有 一 个 很有钱 的 男朋友。
Jiějie yǐqián yǒu yī gè hěn yǒuqián de nánpéngyou.
My older sister had a very rich boyfriend before.

他们 以前 没有 钱，可是 很 快乐。
Tāmen yǐqián méiyǒu qián, kěshì hěn kuàilè.
They didn't have much money before, but they were happy.

我男朋友 以前 在 美国 工作，现在 在 中国 工作。
Wǒ nánpéngyou yǐqián zài Měiguó gōngzuò, xiànzài zài Zhōngguó gōngzuò.
Before, my boyfriend worked in the USA. Now, he works in China.

See also

In the future in general

Before a specific time

At the time when

Before and after with "zhiqian" and "zhihou"

Sources and further reading

Books

Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 2 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (p. 11)

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (p. 268)

Expressing "just now" with "gāngcái" "刚才"

In order to say that something "just now" occurred, use the time noun 刚才 (gāngcái). It can be placed in front of the verb or the subject of a statement.

Structure

This grammar structure is pretty straightforward. Similar to the English "just now," you can put 刚才 (gāngcái) right before the verb in a sentence. It can also come before or after the subject.

刚才 + Verb

Examples

你 刚才 说 什么 了？
Nǐ gāngcái shuō shénme le?
What did you just say?

刚才 谁 来 了？
Gāngcái shéi lái le?
Who came just now?

刚才 你 去 哪儿 了？
Gāngcái nǐ qù nǎr le?
Where did you go just now?

刚才 我 去 洗手间 了。
Gāngcái wǒ qù xǐshǒujiān le.
I just went to the restroom.

老板 刚才 生气 了。
Lǎobǎn gāngcái shēngqì le.
The boss just got angry.

你们 刚才 在 看 什么？
Nǐmen gāngcái zài kàn shénme?
What were you looking at just now?

不好意思，我 刚才 出去 了。
Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ gāngcái chūqù le.
I'm sorry, I just now stepped out.

宝宝 刚才 哭 了。
Bǎobao gāngcái kū le.
The baby just cried.

他们 刚才 去 开会 了。
Tāmen gāngcái qù kāihuì le.
They just went to a meeting.

刚才 有 人 找 你。
Gāngcái yǒu rén zhǎo nǐ.
Just now, there was someone looking for you.

Note that for all of those cases, we're talking about something that happened just now, as in, within the past 5 minutes or so. If you're talking about something that "just happened" yesterday or last week, don't use 刚才 (gāngcái), use 刚 (gāng).

See also

Comparing "gang" and "gangcai"

Explaining results with "suoyi"

Cause and effect with "yinwei" and "suoyi"

Stating the effect before the cause (advanced article)

Sources and further reading

Books

现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. 217)

Expressing "when" with "de shíhou" "的时候"

In English, if we are reflecting on a past time, we often say, "when I was a child" or "when I was in school." In Chinese, this can also be expressed by using 的时候 (de shíhou).

Structure

To talk about events that happened at or during a particular time, 的时候 (de shíhou) is often used. This is simply attached to the word or phrase indicating the time:

(Subj.) + Verb / Adj. + 的 时候, ....

As time words can appear before or after the subject, you can also place the "Time + 的时候 (de shíhou)" after the subject:

Time Word + 的 时候, ....

Examples

你 不 在 的时候，我 会 想 你。
Nǐ bù zài de shíhou, wǒ huì xiǎng nǐ.
When you are not here, I'll miss you.

我 上 大学 的时候 有 很 多 朋友。
Wǒ shàng dàxué de shíhou, yǒu hěn duō péngyou.
When I was in college, I had a lot of friends.

上课 的时候 不要 吃 东西。
Shàngkè de shíhou bùyào chī dōngxi.
Don't eat when you are in class.

老板 工作 的时候 喜欢 喝 咖啡。
Lǎobǎn gōngzuò de shíhou xǐhuan hē kāfēi.
When the boss works, he likes to drink coffee.

我 生气 的时候，请 你 不要 笑。
Wǒ shēngqì de shíhou, qǐng nǐ bùyào xiào.
Please don't laugh when I'm angry.

妈妈 不 在 家 的时候，我 自己 做饭。
Māma bù zài jiā de shíhou, wǒ zìjǐ zuòfàn.
When mom is not home, I cook for myself.

开会 的时候 不要 聊天。
Kāihuì de shíhou bùyào liáotiān.
Don't chat when you are in a meeting.

吃 东西 的时候 不要 说话。
Chī dōngxi de shíhou bùyào shuōhuà.
Don't talk when eating.

你 开车 的时候 会 打 电话 吗？
Nǐ kāichē de shíhou huì dǎ diànhuà ma?
Do you talk on the phone when you're driving?

走路 的时候 不要 玩手机。
Zǒulù de shíhou bùyào wán shǒujī.
Don't play with your phone while walking.

See also

Before a specific time

In the future in general

Comparing "yihou" and "de shihou"

Sources and further reading

Books

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 24-5)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 293-4)

In the future in general with "yǐhòu" "以后"

Similar to talking about things in the past, talking about things in the future is very straight forward. You can use the simple but useful 以后 (yǐhòu), which also means "later."

Structure

To talk about things happening at some unspecified time in the future, you can use 以后 (yǐhòu). The structure is:

以后 + Subj. + Verb + Obj.

You can also move 以后 (yǐhòu) to right after the subject, and it's also correct.

Subj. + 以后 + Verb + Obj.

This can be used to talk about actions in the future, or to talk about events that happened after other events in a story.

Examples

In the examples below, the translation "in the future" is used, because using "later" for 以后 (yǐhòu) either sounds weird, or makes it sound like it's going to happen really soon (just a little later), rather than at some indefinite point in the future, which is what is meant.

以后 你们 会 想我 吗？
Yǐhòu nǐmen huì xiǎng wǒ ma?
In the future, will you miss me?

以后 你 想 来 中国 吗？
Yǐhòu nǐ xiǎng lái Zhōngguó ma?
In the future, do you want to come to China?

我 以后 不 喝酒 了。
Wǒ yǐhòu bù hējiǔ le.
I will not drink alcohol in the future.

我们 以后 不 在 这里 工作 了。
Wǒmen yǐhòu bù zài zhèlǐ gōngzuò le.
We will not work here in the future.

你儿子 以后 想 做 什么？
Nǐ érzi yǐhòu xiǎng zuò shénme?
In the future, what does your son want to do?

以后 你们 想 去哪儿 工作？
Yǐhòu nǐmen xiǎng qù nǎr gōngzuò?
In the future, where would you like to work?

以后 我们 会 有 一些 新 的 同事。
Yǐhòu wǒmen huì yǒu yīxiē xīn de tóngshì.
We will have some new co-workers in the future.

以后 你 可以 住 在 这里。
Yǐhòu nǐ kěyǐ zhù zài zhèlǐ.
In the future, you can live here.

他们 以后 会 结婚 吗？
Tāmen yǐhòu huì jiéhūn ma?
Will they get married in the future?

你 以后 不 要 跟 他 见面 了。
Nǐ yǐhòu bùyào gēn tā jiànmiàn le.
In the future, stop seeing him.

See also

"Before" in general

After a specific time

Before and after with "zhiqian" and "zhihou"

Sequencing past events with "houlai"

Expressing future with "jiang"

Comparing "yihou" and "houlai"

Sources and further reading

Books

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 268)

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 26 - 27)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 293-4)

Time words and word order

Remembering where to put the time words, such as "yesterday," "tomorrow," "this week," etc. in a sentence is really important in order to speak Chinese correctly. In Chinese you get two equally correct choices.

Structure

Time words can appear in one of two positions in the sentence in Chinese: either at the beginning of the sentence (before the subject), or directly after the subject. The structures are:

Time + Subj. + Verb + Obj.

Subj. + Time + Verb + Obj.

So if you start speaking with "time first" English word order, you can carry on and get away with it. If, however, you're saving the time word for the end of the sentence, you can be pretty sure that it doesn't sound at all natural to your Chinese audience.

Examples

昨天 我 去 了 酒吧 。
Zuótiān wǒ qù le jiǔbā.
Yesterday I went to the bar.

我 昨天 去 了 酒吧 。
Wǒ zuótiān qù le jiǔbā.
I went to the bar yesterday.

下 个 星期 他 要 回 国 。
Xià gè xīngqī tā yào huí guó.
Next week he is going back to his country.

他 下 个 星期 要 回 国 。
Tā xià gè xīngqī yào huí guó.
He is going back to his country next week.

明年 我 要 开 一 个 公司 。
Míngnián wǒ yào kāi yī gè gōngsī.
Next year I want to open a company.

我 明年 要 开 一 个 公司 。
Wǒ míngnián yào kāi yī gè gōngsī.
I want to open a company next year.

下 个 月 我们 结婚 吧 ？
Xià gè yuè wǒmen jiéhūn ba?
Next month shall we get married?

我们 下 个 月 结婚 吧 ？
Wǒmen xià gè yuè jiéhūn ba?
Shall we get married next month?

现在 你 能 来 我 办公室 吗 ？
Xiànzài nǐ néng lái wǒ bàngōngshì ma?
Now you can come to my office?

你 现在 能 来 我 办公室 吗 ？
Nǐ xiànzài néng lái wǒ bàngōngshì ma?
Can you come to my office now?

See also

Word order

Using "zai" with verbs

Wanting to do something with yao

Expressing completion with le

Sources and further reading

Books

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 75-7)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 205-6)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 98)

Approximating with sequential numbers

Expressing approximate numbers in Chinese is quite simple, and this article introduces one of the most basic ways to do so.

Structure

An easy way to express approximate numbers is to use two sequential numbers in a row.

Number + (Number + 1)

This is similar to saying "x or y" or "about x" in English.

Examples

一 两 天
yī liǎng tiān
one or two days

三 四 个 人
sān sì gè rén
three or four people

老板 昨天 喝 了七 八 瓶 胡萝卜 汁 。
Lǎobǎn zuótiān hē le qī bā píng húluóbo zhī.
The boss drank 7 or 8 bottles of carrot juice yesterday.

这 个 词 我们 学 过 两 三 次 了 。
Zhège cí wǒmen xué guo liǎng sān cì le.
We've studied this word two or three times now.

我 等 了 你 三 四 个 小时。
Wǒ děng le nǐ sān sì gè xiǎoshí.
I waited for you for three or four hours.

他们 七 八 年 没 见面 了 。
Tāmen qī bā nián méi jiànmiàn le.
They haven't seen each other for seven or eight years.

要 做 完 这 个 工作 需要 一 两 个 月 。
Yào zuò wán zhège gōngzuò xūyào yī liǎng gè yuè.
To complete this work, you need one to two months.

他们 家 的 孩子五 六 岁 了 吧 。
Tāmen jiā de háizi wǔ liù suì le ba.
Their child is about five or six years old.

这 件 衣服 只 要 七 八 十 块 钱 。
Zhè jiàn yīfu zhǐ yào qī bā shí kuài qián.
This clothing only costs seventy to eighty kuai.

这 几 本 书 花 了 我 两 三 百
Zhè jǐ běn shū huā le wǒ liǎng sān bǎi
These few books cost me two or three hundred kuai.

See also

Indicating a number in excess

Measure words for counting

Sources and further reading

Books

A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (p. 60)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 19-20)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册） (p. 459)

Big numbers in Chinese

The manner in which large numbers are broken down in Chinese is a little different from English. Unlike in English, where large numbers are broken down by the number of thousands they have, Chinese forms numbers between 10,000 and 100,000,000 based off of how many tens of thousands they have (with another set of rules for numbers 100,000,000 onwards that will be explained later). While the structure can be difficult to grasp for some learners, there are some easy ways to remember how to form these big numbers.

Different Units

Mandarin has two units that English doesn't have (or at least, it has unique words for these units, whereas English describes them with combinations of other units). These are:

万 (wàn): ten thousand

亿 (yì): hundred million

Ten Thousand - 万 (wàn)

万 (wàn) comes up the most often and is the largest stumbling block for most people learning Mandarin numbers. In English, numbers are usually broken up into chunks of three digits. Because of 万 (wàn), it's easier to break numbers up into groups of four in Mandarin. In English, we split "twelve thousand" numerically into "12,000" (chunks of three digits). Split it the Chinese way, "1,2000," and the Chinese reading "一万两千" (one wan and two "thousand" = yīwàn liǎngqiān) makes more sense.

One way to remember how to write out numbers 10,000 through 99,999 in Chinese characters is that in Chinese, the comma is (mentally) moved one digit to the left. For example, 11,000 could be thought of in tens of thousands as "1,1000," with 万 (wàn) replacing the comma, and then what's left written as 一千 (yīqiān): 一万一千 (yīwàn yīqiān).

Typical split | Chinese split | Characters | Pinyin
10,000 | 1,0000 | 一万 | yīwàn
12,000 | 1,2000 | 一万二 | yīwàn èr
13,200 | 1,3200 | 一万三千两百 | yīwàn sānqiān liǎngbǎi
56,700 | 5,6700 | 五万六千七百 | wǔwàn liùqiān qībǎi

One Hundred Million - 亿 (yì)

After 99,999,999, there is yet another new numerical unit, 亿 (yì), which is used to express "hundred million." A number like 1,101,110,000 would be written out as "十一亿一百一十一万 (shíyī yì yībǎi yīshí-yī wàn)." Again, an easier way to translate between the two methods is to write the number out in English, move the comma one digit to the left, and then insert the appropriate characters in their respective places, replacing the commas.

Mandarin Number Structure

Numerals | Characters | Pinyin | English
1,000,000,000 | 十亿 | shí yì | Billion
100,000,000 | 亿 | yì | Hundred million
10,000,000 | 千万 | qiān wàn | Ten million
1,000,000 | 百万 | bǎi wàn | Million
100,000 | 十万 | shí wàn | Hundred thousand
10,000 | 万 | wàn | Ten thousand
1,000 | 千 | qiān | Thousand
100 | 百 | bǎi | Hundred
10 | 十 | shí | Ten
1 | 一 | yī | One

A Shortcut

One more simple way to remember how to correctly write out large numbers is to pick one or two numbers and just memorize them. One million, for example, is 一百万 (yībǎi wàn). If you can memorize that, then going to 一千万 (yīqiān wàn) is way easier and faster, since you don't have to count all those zeroes.

The recommended shortcuts are:

一百万
frequently a useful number to know
yībǎi wàn
1 million

十四亿
this just happens to be the population of China
shísì yì
1.4 billion

Examples

五万 两千 一百 五十二
wǔwàn liǎngqiān yībǎi wǔshí-èr
52,152

二百 九十一 万 四千 六百 八十
èrbǎi jiǔshí-yī wàn sìqiān liùbǎi bāshí
2,914,680

七百 八十九 万 零 二百 九十八
qībǎi bāshí-jiǔ wàn líng èrbǎi jiǔshí-bā
7,890,298

两千 七百 二十一 万 四千 八百 九十六
liǎngqiān qībǎi èrshí-yī wàn sìqiān bābǎi jiǔshí-liù
27,214,896

五 千三 百 七 十 九 万 八 千 两 百 五 十
wǔqiān sānbǎi qīshí-jiǔ wàn bāqiān liǎngbǎi wǔshí
53,798,250

四亿 一千 四百 二十九 万 四千 一百 八十二
sìyì yīqiān sìbǎi èrshí-jiǔ wàn sìqiān yībǎi bāshí-èr
414,294,182

十三 亿 两千 六百 八十 万
shísān yì liǎngqiān liùbǎi bāshí wàn
1,326,800,000

两百 五十一 亿 五千 八百 三十六 万 七千 二百
liǎngbǎi wǔshí-yī yì wǔqiān bābǎi sānshí-liù wàn qīqiān èrbǎi
25,158,367,200

See also

Structure of numbers

Sources and further reading

Books

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 30-31)

外国人实用汉语语法(中英文对照) (A Practical Chinese Grammar for Foreigners) (pp. 64-65)

Structure of times (advanced)

If you already know the basics of how to tell time in Chinese, you may want to get a little more specific or sophisticated, using words like 分 (fēn) and 刻 (kè).

Minutes Past the Hour

Minutes are marked with 分 (fēn) (short for 分钟 (fēnzhōng)). The way to include them in the time depends on whether they're minutes past or to the hour.

Minutes past the hour are expressed after 点 (diǎn) in the same way as half and quarter hours.

Minutes Less Than 10

Structure

x 点 y 分

Examples

一 点 四 十 分
yī diǎn sìshí fēn
1:40

两 点 十 分
liǎng diǎn shí fēn
2:10

三 点 二 十 分
sān diǎn èrshí fēn
3:20

七 点 十 五 分
qī diǎn shíwǔ fēn
7:15

九 点 五 十分
jiǔ diǎn wǔshí fēn
9:50

Minutes Greater Than 10

Structure

In Chinese, when the minute is under 10, the word 零 (líng) is often used after 点 (diǎn). For example, 2:07 would be said as “两点零七分” (liǎng diǎn líng qī fēn). However, note that when speaking, it is very common for most Chinese people take out the “分 (fēn)” at the end of the time.

x 点 零 y 分

Examples

两 点 零 九分
liǎng diǎn líng jiǔ fēn
2:09

三 点 零 八 分
sān diǎn líng bā fēn
3:08

五 点 零 三 分
wǔ diǎn líng sān fēn
5:03

七 点 零 一 分
qī diǎn líng yī fēn
7:01

八 点 零 五 分
bā diǎn líng wǔ fēn
8:05

Quarter Hours

In Chinese, quarter hours are only expressed on the 1st quarter x:15, and the third quarter x:45. Like half hours, they also come after the word 点 (diăn). We use the word 刻 (kè) to express "quarter hour."

Structure

x 点 y 刻

Examples

九 点 一 刻
jiǔ diǎn yī kè
9:15

十 二 点 一 刻
shí'èr diǎn yī kè
12:15

六 点 三 刻
liù diǎn sān kè
6:45

You can totally just use 十五分 (shíwǔ fēn) for "15 minutes (past)" or 四十五分 (sìshí-wǔ fēn) for "45 minutes (past)" if you're lazy, though. It also works!

Minutes to the Hour

When expressing how many minutes it will be till the next full hour, you put 差 (chā) in front of the time expression.

Structure

Minutes to the hour use this structure:

差 + Minutes + 分 + Hour + 点

or

Hour + 点 + 差 + Minutes + 分

Examples

差 五 分 三 点
chā wǔ fēn sān diǎn
five minutes til 3 o'clock

十二 点 差 三 分
shí'èr diǎn chā sān fēn
three minutes til 12 o'clock

差 五 分 八 点 半
chā wǔ fēn bā diǎn bàn
five minutes til 8:30

十 点 差 两 分
shí diǎn chā liǎng fēn
two minutes til 10:00

See also

Structure of times (basic)

Structure of numbers

Structure of dates

Structure of days of the week

Sources and further reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 74-5)　

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (pp. 160)

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (pp. 185)

Using "jǐ" "几" to mean "several"

One of the definitions of the common character 几 (jǐ) is "several," "a couple" or "a few." It's an uncertain number that is at least more than one, and probably less than five, but definitely less than ten.

几 (jǐ) as "a Few"

The simplest way to use 几 (jǐ) to mean "a few" is to use it directly with a measure word.

Structure

几 + Measure Word + Noun

Examples

桌子 上 有 几 本 书。
Zhuōzi shàng yǒu jǐ běn shū.
There are a few books on the table.

只有 几 个 人 去 过 那 个 地方。
Zhǐyǒu jǐ gè rén qù guo nàge dìfang.
Only a few people have been to that place.

从 上海 到 东京 坐 飞机 只 要 几 个 小时。
Cóng Shànghǎi dào Dōngjīng zuò fēijī zhǐ yào jǐ gè xiǎoshí.
Flying from Shanghai to Tokyo only takes a few hours.

我 每 天 都 要 喝 几 杯 咖啡。
Wǒ měi tiān dōu yào hē jǐ bēi kāfēi.
Every day I have to drink a couple cups of coffee.

老板 今天 开 了 几 个 重要 的 会。
Lǎobǎn jīntiān kāi le jǐ gè zhòngyào de huì.
The boss had a few important meetings today.

几 (jǐ) as "a Few Tens"

It is similar to how in English we can say, "a few dozen" or "a couple dozen," though in this case instead of "twelves of something" we are saying "tens of something."

Structure

几 + 十 + Measure Word + Noun

Examples

他 只 想 学 几 十 个 汉字。"Dozens" is the closest we can get in natural English to the Chinese, which literally means "tens."Tā zhǐ xiǎng xué jǐ shí gè Hànzì. He only wants to study a few dozen Chinese characters.

我们 公司 有 几 十 个 员工。
Wǒmen gōngsī yǒu jǐ shí gè yuángōng.
Our company has a few dozen employees.

他 写 过 几 十 本 书，我 都 喜欢。
Tā xiě guo jǐ shí běn shū, wǒ dōu xǐhuan.
He wrote a few dozen books. I like them all.

这个 年轻的 演员 演 了 几 十 部 电影。我都喜欢。
Zhège niánqīng de yǎnyuán yǎn le jǐ shí bù diànyǐng. Wǒ dōu xǐhuan.
This young actor has acted in dozens of movies. I like them all.

老板 在 国外 有 几 十 套 房子。
Lǎobǎn zài guówài yǒu jǐ shí tào fángzi.
The boss has a few dozen houses abroad.

几 (jǐ) as "a Few Hundred / Thousand / Ten Thousand"

In Chinese we can put 几 (jǐ) together with 百 (bǎi), 千 (qiān), or 万 (wàn), just like how in English we might say, "a few hundred" or a "few thousand."

Structure

几 + 百 / 千 / 万 + Measure Word + Noun

Examples

妈妈 每 个 月 都 给 我 几 百 块 钱。
Māma měi gè yuè dōu gěi wǒ jǐ bǎi kuài qián.
Mom gives me a couple hundred dollars every month.

这 个 月 我们 卖 了 几 千 本 书。
Zhège yuè wǒmen mài le jǐ qiān běn shū.
We sold a couple thousand books this month.

几 百 家 外国 公司 参加 了 这个 大会。
Jǐ bǎi jiā wàiguó gōngsī cānjiā le zhège dàhuì.
Several hundred foreign companies attended this conference.

这 篇 文章 有 几 万 个 字，太 长 了。
Zhè piān wénzhāng yǒu jǐ wàn gè zì, tài cháng le.
This article has tens of thousands of characters. It's too long.

我 认识 一 个 朋友，她 有 几 百 双 鞋。
Wǒ rènshi yī gè péngyou, tā yǒu jǐ bǎi shuāng xié.
I have a friend that has a couple hundred pairs of shoes.

好几 (hǎojǐ) as "Quite a Few"

You can think of 好几 (hǎojǐ) as meaning "quite a few," usually in the range of five to ten.

Structure

好几 + Measure Word + Noun

Examples

他 读 了 好几 遍 。
Tā dú le hǎojǐ biàn.
He's read quite a few times.

我 有 好几 个 室友 。
Wǒ yǒu hǎojǐ gè shìyǒu.
I have quite a few roommates.

我 奶奶 有 好几 个 孩子 。
Wǒ nǎinai yǒu hǎojǐ gè háizi.
My grandma has quite a few children.

他 吃 了 好几 碗 米饭 。
Tā chī le hǎojǐ wǎn mǐfàn.
He ate quite a few bowls of rice.

我们 去 过 好几 次 北京 。
Wǒmen qù guo hǎojǐ cì Běijīng.
We've been to Beijing quite a few times.

See also

Indicating a number in excess

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries

现代汉语词典（第5版） (p. 641)

Change of state with "le" "了"

了 (le) has many uses. You probably first learned 了 (le) as a particle that tells you an action is completed, which is also known as "了1." However, this article is not about that use of 了 (le); instead, it is about indicating a change of state (了2). In other words, there is now a new situation, or there is about to be a new situation. This whole "change of state" idea can take numerous forms, and this page includes some helpful examples.

Structure

When used in this way, 了(le) is placed at the end of the sentence to indicate a new situation.

[New Situation] + 了

Examples

下 雨 了。
It wasn't raining, but now it is.
Xià yǔ le.
It's raining.

妈妈 老 了。
We aren't used to thinking of her as old, but she is now.
Māma lǎo le.
Mom is old.

你 胖 了。
You used to not be fat.
Nǐ pàng le.
You've gotten fat.

家里 没有 牛奶 了。
We had milk before.
Jiālǐ méiyǒu niúnǎi le.
We don't have any milk at home.

爸爸 今年 50 岁 了。
Seems like just a year ago he was only 49!
Bàba jīnnián wǔshí suì le.
Dad is 50 years old this year.

手机 没 电 了。
It was working fine until now.
Shǒujī méi diàn le.
The cell phone ran out of power.

宝宝 会 说话 了。
He couldn't before.
Bǎobao huì shuōhuà le.
The baby can speak.

你哥哥 有 女朋友 了 吗？
He didn't have one before.
Nǐ gēge yǒu nǚpéngyou le ma?
Does your older brother have a girlfriend?

我 男朋友 找到 新 工作 了。
A big change for sure.
Wǒ nánpéngyou zhǎodào xīn gōngzuò le.
My boyfriend found a new job.

你 老婆 怀孕 了 吗？
I know you guys have been trying...
Nǐ lǎopo huáiyùn le ma?
Is your wife pregnant?

Too General?

The whole "change of state" concept might seem very general, and it is. It's vague, and it also takes some getting used to. You should expect it to take a while to get used to this use of 了 (le).

Because it's a little vague and confusing, most learners find it useful to break this "change of state" 了 (le) down into more specific usages, such as using it to mean "now", "already", or "not anymore". Although these are all "flavors" of the "change of state" 了 (le), identifying them as specific cases can make it much easier to get used to using 了 (le) in this way.

See Also

Expressing "now" with "le"

Expressing "already" with "le"

Expressing "not anymore" with "le"

Uses of "le"

Sources and further reading

Books

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 68)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 126-9)

Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 238-99)

New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 217-8)

>New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 64-5)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 8)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 239)

Websites

Chinesegrammar.info: Chinese le grammar summary (了)

Change of state with "le" 了 (new version)

了 (le) has many uses. You probably first learned 了 (le) as a particle that tells you an action is completed, which is also known as "了1." However, this article is not about that use of 了 (le); instead, it is about indicating a change of state (了2). In other words, there is now a new situation, or there is about to be a new situation. This whole "change of state" idea can take numerous forms, and this page includes some helpful examples.

Used with Adjectives

When an adjective indicates a change to the subject, 了 (le) is placed at the end of the sentence to indicate a change of state.

Structure

Subj. + Adj. + 了

Examples

我 饿 了 。
Wǒ è le.
I'm hungry.

孩子们 都 累 了 。
Háizi men dōu lèi le.
The kids are all tired.

妈妈 老 了 。
We aren't used to thinking of her as old, but she is now.
Māma lǎo le.
Mom has gotten old.

你 胖 了 。
You used to not be fat.
Nǐ pàng le.
You've gotten fat.

你 是不是 生气 了 ？
Nǐ shì bu shì shēngqì le?
Are you mad?

Used with Verbs

When following a verb or verb phrase, the 了 (le) indicates a change in an overall situation. For these sentences, sometimes you can translate this 了 (le) as "now."

Structure

Subj. + Verb + 了

Examples

下雨 了 。
It wasn't raining, but now it is.
Xià yǔ le.
It's raining.

宝宝 会 说话 了 。
He couldn't before.
Bǎobao huì shuōhuà le.
The baby can speak now.

他 当 经理 了 。
He wasn't a manager before.
Tā dāng jīnglǐ le
He became a manager.

你 有 女朋友 了 ？
He didn't have one before.
Nǐ yǒu nǚpéngyou le?
You have a girlfriend now?

我 男朋友 找到 新 工作 了 。
A big change for sure.
Wǒ nánpéngyou zhǎodào xīn gōngzuò le
My boyfriend has found a new job.

Change of Situation in the Negative

When you take the same "change of situation" pattern and put a 不 (bù) before the verb, you're indicating that something already decided has changed. What had once been green-lit is now getting a red light. What was once "on" is now "off." The "change of situation" indicated by 了 (le) is still the same, although the change is often simply mental: it's a change of plans, or a change of intent.

Structure

Subj. + 不 + Verb + 了

Examples

我 不 买 了 。
I had previously decided to buy it.
Wǒ bù mǎi le
I'm not buying it now.

我 不 回家 吃 晚饭 了 。
I had previously decided to go home for dinner.
Wǒ bù huí jiā chī wǎnfàn le.
I'm not going to go home for dinner tonight.

我 不 去 看电影 了 。
I had said I was going.
Wǒ bù qù kàn diànyǐng le.
I decided not to go to the movies.

我 不 结婚 了 。
I had previously planned to get married.
Wǒ bù jiéhūn le.
I'm not getting married.

This pattern is somewhat similar to expressing "not anymore" with "le".

Too General?

The whole "change of state" concept might seem very general, and it is. It's vague, and it also takes some getting used to. You should expect it to take a while to get used to this use of 了 (le).

Because it's a little vague and confusing, most learners find it useful to break this "change of state" 了 (le) down into more specific usages, such as using it to mean "now", "already", or "not anymore". Although these are all "flavors" of the "change of state" 了 (le), identifying them as specific cases can make it much easier to get used to using 了 (le) in this way.

See also

Expressing "now" with "le"

Expressing "already" with "le"

Expressing "not anymore" with "le" Uses of "le"

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK Standard Course 3 (pp. 40) →buy

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 68) →buy

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 126-9) →buy

Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 238-99) →buy

New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 217-8) →buy

New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 64-5) →buy Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 8) →buy

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (pp. 239) →buy

Conceding with "ba" "吧"

The particle 吧 (ba) can also be used to concede a point. That is, 吧 (ba) can be used to accept or agree with something that you're not particularly happy about, the way we might use "all right" or "fine then" in English.

Structure

Similar to other uses of 吧 (ba), this usage is also simply placed on the end of a sentence or statement.

Statement + 吧

Examples

To understand what someone is conceding to, it's best to present this usage as a number of super short dialogs which provide a little context.

In this first one, B has to accept that his luxury goods shopping dreams have been shattered.

A:太 贵 了！
Tài guì le!
That's too expensive!

B:好 吧 我们 可以 看看 别的。
Hǎo ba wǒmen kěyǐ kànkan biéde.
All right, we can take a look at something else.

Now B must accept inconvenient schedule changes.

A:下午 我 不 在 家，你 可以 晚上 来 吗？
Xiàwǔ wǒ bù zài jiā, nǐ kěyǐ wǎnshang lái ma?
This afternoon I won't be home. Can you come by this evening?

B:行 吧。
Xíng ba.
All right.

B is now conceding that going out in this crazy rain doesn't make sense.

A:雨 太 大 了，明天 再 去 买 吧。
Yǔ tài dà le, míngtiān zài qù mǎi ba.
It's raining heavily. Let's go buy it tomorrow.

B:好 吧，但是 明天 一定 要 买到 。
Hǎo ba, dànshì míngtiān yídìng yào mǎidào.
Fine, but tomorrow we definitely have to buy it.

Now B is agreeing to let more guys into his secret club.

A:可以 带 朋友 吗？
Kěyǐ dài péngyou ma ?
Can I bring friends?

B:行 吧 但是 不 能 带 女孩。
Xíng ba dànshì bù néng dài nǚhái.
All right, but you can't bring girls.

Now B is having a friend cancel plans on him. Not a good day for B!

A:我 今天 不 太 舒服，你 可以 自己 去 吗？
Wǒ jīntiān bù tài shūfu, nǐ kěyǐ zìjǐ qù ma?
I'm not feeling well today. Can you go by yourself?

B:好 吧， 那 你 好好 休息。
Hǎo ba nà nǐ hǎohǎo xiūxi.
All right, rest well then.

See also

Softening speech with "ba"

Suggestions with "ba"

Expressing contrariness with "dao"

Sources and further reading

Books

Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级)

Short-term Spoken Chinese: Pre-Intermediate (汉语口语速成提高篇)(pp. 52-3)

Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇) (p.98)

Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (p. 55)

New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (p. 246)

Expressing "already" with just "le" "了"

You understand the word 已经 (yǐjīng) to mean "already" in Chinese, and it is followed with a 了 (le). However, sometimes, that feeling of "already" can also be expressed with 了 (le) alone if it is used in response to a preceding question or statement.

Structure

[Verb Phrase] + 了

Examples

When "already" is implied using this structure, it is usually (if not always) in response to a preceding question or statement. Therefore, the following examples are in dialogue format.

A:老板 呢？
Lǎobǎn ne?
Where is the boss?

B:他 走 了。
Tā zǒu le
He (already) left.

A:孩子 还在 上 大学 吗？
Háizi hái zài shàng dàxué ma?
Are your kids still in college?

B:他们 工作 了。
This expression emphasizes that they're not students anymore, and have already entered the workforce.
Tāmen gōngzuò le
They (already) work.

A:用 我 的 车 吧？
Yòng wǒ de chē ba?
How about using my car?

B:谢谢，我们 有 车 了。
Xièxie, wǒmen yǒu chē le
Thanks. We (already) have a car.

A:你 要 不 要 告诉 他？
Nǐ yào bu yào gàosu tā?
Are you going to tell him?

B:他 知道 了。
Tā zhīdào le.
He (already) knows.

A:你 应该 问 老师。
Nǐ yīnggāi wèn lǎoshī.
You should ask the teacher.

B:我 问 了。
Wǒ wèn le.
I (already) asked.

See Also

"Already" with "yijing"

Expressing "not anymore" with "le"

Uses of "le"

Sources and further reading

Books

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 68)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 126-9)

Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 238-99)

>New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 217-8)

New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 64-5)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 8)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 239)

Websites

Chinesegrammar.info: Chinese le grammar summary (了)

Expressing "not anymore" with "le" "了"

In a negative sentence, the sentence-final 了 (le) can take on the meaning of "(not) anymore" or "no longer." The word 已经 (yǐjīng), which means "already," may nor may not accompany it.

Structure

已经 (yǐjīng) is optional for this pattern, but either 不 (bù) or 没有 (méiyǒu) will be needed to make the verb negative. The sentence-final 了 (le) is, of course, required.

(已经 +) 不 / 没(有) + [Verb Phrase] + 了

Examples

没有 纸 了 。
in other words, "we're out of paper"
Méiyǒu zhǐ le.
There's no paper anymore.

手机 没有 电 了 。
Shǒujī méiyǒu diàn le.
My cell phone has run out of power.

他 没有 家 了。
Tā méiyǒu jiā le.
He doesn't have his home anymore.

我们 都 没有 钱 了 。
Wǒmen dōu méiyǒu qián le.
We all don't have any more money.

你 不 喜欢 我 了 吗？
Nǐ bù xǐhuan wǒ le ma?
You don't like me anymore?

我 不 想 吃 了 。
Wǒ bù xiǎng chī le.
I don't want to eat anymore.

你们 不 能 喝 了 。
Nǐmen bù néng hē le.
You can't drink anymore.

我 已经 不 住 这里 了 。
Wǒ yǐjīng bù zhù zhèlǐ le.
I don't live here anymore.

他 已经 不 在 这儿 工作 了 。
Tā yǐjīng bù zài zhèr gōngzuò le.
He doesn't work here anymore.

他们 已经 不 在 一起 了 。
Tāmen yǐjīng bù zài yīqǐ le.
They are no longer together.

See Also

Expressing "already" with just "le"

Change of state with "le"

Uses of "le"

Sources and further reading

Books

>Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 68)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 126-9)

Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 238-99)

New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 217-8)

New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 64-5)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 8)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 239)

Websites

Chinesegrammar.info: Chinese le grammar summary (了)

Expressing "not anymore" with "le" (new version)

In a negative sentence, the sentence-final 了 (le) can take on the meaning of "(not) anymore" or "no longer." The word 已经 (yǐjīng), which means "already," may nor may not accompany it.

不 with Only 了

Structure

不 + [Verb Phrase] + 了

Examples

我 不 想 吃 了 。Wǒ bù xiǎng chī le.I don't want to eat anymore.

你 不 喜欢 我 了 吗？Nǐ bù xǐhuan wǒ le ma?You don't like me anymore?

你们 不 能 打 了 。Nǐmen bù néng dǎ le.You can't fight anymore.

没有 with Only 了

Structure

没(有) + [Noun Phrase] + 了

Examples

没有 纸 了 。
in other words, "we're out of paper"
Méiyǒu zhǐ le.
There's no paper anymore.

手机 没 电 了 。
Shǒujī méi diàn le.
My cell phone has run out of power.

他 没有 家 了。
Tā méiyǒu jiā le.
He doesn't have his home anymore.

Adding 已经 for Emphasis

已经 (yǐjīng) is optional for this pattern, but either 不 (bù) or 没有 (méiyǒu) will be needed to make the verb negative. The sentence-final 了 (le) is, of course, required.

Structure

已经 + 不 + [Verb Phrase] + 了

已经 + 没(有) + [Noun Phrase] + 了

Examples

我 已经 不 住 这里 了 。
Wǒ yǐjīng bù zhù zhèlǐ le.
I don't live here anymore.

他 已经 不 在 这儿 工作 了 。
Tā yǐjīng bù zài zhèr gōngzuò le.
He doesn't work here anymore.

他们 已经 不 在 一起 了 。
Tāmen yǐjīng bù zài yīqǐ le.
They are no longer together.

我们 已经 没有 钱 了 。
Wǒmen yǐjīng méiyǒu qián le.
We all don't have money anymore.

See also

Expressing "already" with just "le"

Change of state with "le" Uses of "le"

Sources and further reading

Books

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 68) →buy

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 126-9) →buy

Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 238-99) →buy

New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 217-8) →buy

New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 64-5) →buy

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 8) →buy 40

Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 239)→buy

Websites

Chinesegrammar.info: Chinese le grammar summary (了)

Expressing "now" with "le" "了"

现在 (xiànzài) isn't the only way to express "now." You'll notice that in many common expressions, 了 (le) is used in place of the word for "now."

Structure

This pattern is actually the same as change of state with "le", but the examples below are somewhat idiomatic and can also easily be confused with a direct translation of "now" in Chinese, so they get special treatment here.

[New Situation] + 了

Examples

知道 了 。
This is something I didn't know before now
Zhīdào le.
Got it. / I see.

懂 了 。
Dǒng le.
Now I understand.

吃饭 了 ！
Chīfàn le
Time to eat!

我 走 了 。
Wǒ zǒu le.
I'm leaving now.

他 来 了 。
This can also mean "He's here now." Be careful!
Tā lái le.
He's coming over now. / He's on the way.

上课 了 ！
Shàngkè le!
Class begins now!

我 去 睡觉 了 。
Wǒ qù shuìjiào le.
I'm going to bed now.

快 点儿 ， 开会 了 ！
Kuài diǎnr, kāihuì le
Hurry up, it's time for the meeting now!

该 你 了 。
Gāi nǐ le.
It's your turn now.

电影 开始 了 ！
Diànyǐng kāishǐ le!
The movie is starting now!

See Also

Change of state with "le"

Uses of "le"

Sources and further reading

Books

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 68)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 126-9)

Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 238-99)

New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 217-8)

New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 64-5)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 8)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 239)

Websites

Chinesegrammar.info: Chinese le grammar summary (了)

Expressing completion with "le" "了"

The particle 了 (le) has a lot of uses. One of the most common is to express the completion of an action. This is called aspect, which is not the same as tense. Tense is about when an action happens: past, present or future. Aspect is about whether the action is complete in a certain time frame.

Basic Pattern

To indicate completeness with 了 (le), the structure is:

Subj. + Verb + 了 + Obj.

Notice that 了 (le) goes directly after the verb. This 了 (le) is called verb 了 (le) or 了1.

Examples

你 今天 早上 吃 了 什么？
Nǐ jīntiān zǎoshang chī le shénme?
What did you eat this morning?

他 买 了 一个 新 手机。
Tā mǎi le yī gè xīn shǒujī.
He bought a new cell phone.

昨天 晚上 我 看见 了 UFO。
Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒ kànjiàn le UFO.
I saw a UFO last night.

我 学 了 两 年 中文。
Wǒ xué le liǎng nián Zhōngwén.
I studied Chinese for two years.

今年 夏天 我 跟 我 男朋友 去 了 台湾。
Jīnnián xiàtiān wǒ gēn wǒ nánpéngyou qù le Táiwān.
I went to Taiwan with my boyfriend this summer.

The examples above indicate a completed action, but they might also seem very similar to a "past tense" in English. To illustrate that 了 (le) can also indicate that one action is completed before another, see the following examples:

你 到 了 告诉 我。
future action
Nǐ dào le gàosu wǒ.
When you have arrived, tell me.

老板 走 了 以后， 你们 可以 走。
future action
Lǎobǎn zǒu le yǐhòu, nǐmen kěyǐ zǒu.
After the boss has left, you may leave.

你 找到 了 以后 ， 给 我 打 电话。
future action
Nǐ zhǎodào​ le yǐhòu, gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.
After you have found it, give me a call.

你们 吃 了 饭 以后 ， 可以 出去 。
future action
Nǐmen chī le fàn yǐhòu, kěyǐ chūqù.
After you have eaten your food, you can go out.

下 了 课 以后 ，我 要 问 老师 一些 问题。
future action
Xià le kè yǐhòu, wǒ yào wèn lǎoshī yīxiē wèntí.
After class is over, I need to ask the teacher a few questions.

As you can see, 了 (le) can appear in sentences about the future as well as the past. What's important is whether or not the action has been completed, no matter what time frame we're talking about. This also means that this 了 (le) isn't used with habitual or continuous actions.

See also

Expressing experiences with verbs

Uses of "le"

Using "guo" with "le"

Sources and further reading

Books

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 65-8)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 57-9)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 137-9, 208)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 11-4)

Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 185-217)

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (pp. 199-200)

>New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (pp. 226-8)

New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 16-8)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (pp. 156-7)

Websites

Yale: The Perfective –Le了 Versus The Modal Particle Le了

Expressing completion with "le" 了

The particle 了 (le) has a lot of uses. One of the most common is to express the completion of an action. This is called aspect, which is not the same as tense. Tense is about when an action happens: past, present or future. With regards to 了 (le), aspect is about whether the action is complete in a certain time frame.

Most Basic Pattern

The simplest way to use 了 (le) is to just put it after a verb. When there's nothing else after the verb, there are no complications!

Structure

Subj. + Verb + 了

Examples

他们 到 了 。
Tāmen dào le
They have arrived.

我 买 了 。
Wǒ mǎi le
I've bought it.

我们 都 去 了 。
Wǒmen dōu qù le
We all went.

我 找到 了 ！
Wǒ zhǎodào le
I found it!

Putting 了 After a Verb with an Object

Here is where things start to get slightly more complicated. If the verb has an object, 了 (le) can go directly after the verb to indicate completion, but there are a few other conditions that should be met.

When Time is Specified

It's a good idea to specify the time anyway, if you're still getting used to Chinese verbs not indicating tenses by themselves. When you do this, it's generally OK to put the 了 (le) right after the verb and before the object.

Structure

Subj. + Time + Verb + 了 + Obj.

Time + Subj. + Verb + 了 + Obj.

Examples

我 今天 吃 了 早饭 。
Wǒ jīntiān chī le zǎofàn.
This morning I ate breakfast.

她 上个 月 去 了 北京 。
Tā shàng gè yuè qù le Běijīng.
Last month she went to Beijing.

中午 我 见 了 朋友 。
Zhōngwǔ wǒ jiàn le péngyou.
At noon I met a friend.

When the Object's Quantity is Specified

This pattern works if the sentence includes more information about the object, such as how many there are.

Structure

Subj. + Verb + 了 + [Number + Measure Word] + Obj.

(Make sure you're clear on what a measure word is and how to use them.)

Examples

老师 问 了 五 个 问题 。
Lǎoshī wèn le wǔ gè wèntí.
The teacher asked five questions.

我 买 了 三 本 书 。
Wǒ mǎi le sān běn shū.
I bought three books.

我 喝 了 两 杯 咖啡 。
Wǒ hē le liǎng bēi kāfēi.
I drank two cups of coffee.

When 了 Comes After the Object

OK, so here's the tricky part. Even when indicating completion, the 了 (le) can sometimes go after the object. This is not a topic that can be covered in depth at the elementary level, but you should be aware that this does happen too.

Structure

Subj. + Verb + Obj. + 了

Examples

上个 月 我 去 台湾 了 。
Shàng gè yuè wǒ qù Táiwān le
I went to Taiwan last month.

昨天 晚上 我 看见 UFO 了 。
Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒ kànjiàn le UFO.
I saw a UFO last night.

If you're upper intermediate-ish and think you can "handle the truth," also check out our more advanced, full exposé on 了 (le) after an object.

Putting 了 After Consecutive Actions

So what happens if a whole string of things happened in the past? Do you have to put a 了 (le) after each one, just like we'd put each verb in the past tense in English? Good question! The short answer is that you only need one 了 (le).

To keep things simple, we'll make the first action "coming" or "going" somewhere, which will be followed by another action. So we'll be using 来 (lái) or 去 (qù) plus a place in each sentence, and then another action. For this type of "consecutive action," 了 (le) should be placed after the final verb (or verb phrase), which marks the completion of the entire sequence.

Structure

Subj. + 来 / 去 + Place + Verb / [Verb Phrase] + 了

Examples

昨天 她 来 我 家 吃饭 了 。
Zuótiān tā lái wǒ jiā chīfàn le
She came to my place and ate dinner yesterday.

我们 上周 去 北京 开会 了 。
Wǒmen shàng zhōu qù Běijīng kāihuì le.
We went to Beijing and had a meeting there last week.

我 和 朋友 去 商场 买 衣服 了 。
Wǒ hé péngyou qù shāngchǎng mǎi yīfu le
I went to the mall with my friend and bought some clothes.

Completion in the Future

了 (le) can appear in sentences about the future as well as the past. What's important is whether or not the action has been completed, no matter what time frame we're talking about. This also means that this 了 (le) isn't used with habitual or continuous actions.

See also

Using "guo" with "le"

Advanced "le" after an object

Uses of "le"

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK Standard Course 1 (pp. 106) →buy

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 65-8) →buy

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 57-9) →buy

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 137-9, 208) →buy

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 11-4) →buy

Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 185-217) →buy

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (pp. 199-200) →buy

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (pp. 226-8) →buy

New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 16-8) →buy

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (pp. 156-7) →buy

Websites

Yale: The Perfective –Le 了 Versus The Modal Particle Le 了

Expressing experiences with "guo" "过"

The aspect particle 过 (guo) is used to indicate that an action has been experienced in the past.

Basic Usage

Structure

Subj. + Verb + 过 + Obj.

What this expresses is that the verb has been done at least once before, without specifying a particular time. 过 (guo) is used to talk about whether something has ever happened - whether it has been experienced.

Examples

In English, if you're asking a question and really trying to figure out if someone has ever done something before, we tend to use the words "ever" and "before." In Chinese, 过 (guo) alone expresses this, without the need for additional words.

你 学 过 中文 吗？
Nǐ xué guo Zhōngwén ma?
Have you ever studied Chinese?

你 见 过 那 个 人 吗？
Nǐ jiàn guo nàge rén ma?
Have you seen that person before?

我们 来 过 这 个 地方。
Wǒmen lái guo zhège dìfang.
We've been to this place before.

我 也 吃 过 日本菜。
Wǒ yě chī guo Rìběn cài.
I've also eaten Japanese food before.

你 看 过 这 个 电影 吗 ？
Nǐ kàn guo zhège diànyǐng ma?
Have you seen this movie?

Negating a 过 (guo) Sentence

Because 过 (guo) is used to talk about past actions, it should be negated with 没 (méi).

Structure

Subj. + 没 + Verb + 过 + Obj.

Examples

Note that when you translate these examples into English, "have never" [done something] is often more natural, indicating that someone lacks the experience of having done something, rather than just "have not" [done something].

我 没 想 过 这 个 问题。
Wǒ méi xiǎng guo zhège wèntí.
I've never thought about this question before.

我 没 学 过 这 个 词 。
Wǒ méi xué guo zhège cí.
I have never studied this word before.

妈妈 没 买 过 很 贵 的 衣服。
Māma méi mǎi guo hěn guì de yīfu.
Mom has never bought any expensive clothes before.

我们 都 没 坐 过 飞机。
Wǒmen dōu méi zuò guo fēijī.
None of us has ever been on a airplane before.

你们 没 见 过 美女 吗？
Nǐmen méi jiàn guo měinǚ ma?
Have you never seen beautiful girls before?

To emphasize "never" even more, you can also use the word 从来 (cónglái).

Using 过 (guo) with 了 (le)

You'll sometimes see 过 (guo) used together with 了 (le). This can be a little confusing, as it doesn't seem to be following the rules laid out above. For more on this special usage of 过 (guo), see the article on using 过 (guo) with 了 (le).

See Also

Expressing completion with "le"

Aspect particle "zhe"

Sources and further reading

Books

A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (p. 138)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 59-60)

Chinese Grammar Without Tears (简明汉语语法学习手册) (pp. 73-4)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 83- 4)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 345-7)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 49-51)

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 76-7, 230-2)

New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 175-6)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 188)

Websites

ChinesePod: Qing Wen - 过(guo) (free podcast content)

Sentence-final interjection "a" "啊"

The interjection 啊 (a) is often added to the end of sentences to add a tone of urgency, exclamation or excitement. However, the exact meaning often depends on context.

啊 (a) Expressing Exclamation

When used like this, 啊 (a) is placed at the end of a statement and has a tone of exclamation, excitement or enthusiasm. (In a lot of cases, the only English "translation" you can offer is an exclamation point.)

Examples

对 啊 ！
Banging fist on table...
Duì a
You're right!

这里 好 漂亮 啊 ！
Zhèlǐ hǎo piàoliang a!
This place is so pretty!

你 家 真 大 啊 ！
Nǐ jiā zhēn dà a!
Your house is so big.

学 中文 真 难 啊 ！
Xué Zhōngwén zhēn nán a
Learning Chinese is so hard!

好 香 啊 ！什么东西 ？
Hǎo xiāng a! Shénme dōngxi?
It smells great! What is it?

啊 (a) Expressing Certainty or Urgency

啊 (a) can also add a sense of certainty or urgency to a statement, sometimes with the feeling of an order.

Examples

是 啊 ，我 也 觉得 ！
Shì a, wǒ yě juéde!
Definitely, I think so too!

行 啊 ！
Xíng a!
All right!

可以 啊 ！
Kěyǐ a!
It's fine!

小心 啊 ！
Xiǎoxīn a
Be careful!

吃 啊 ！
Chī a!
Eat some!

啊 (a) Used in Questions

Finally, it can be used with questions, again with a sense of urgency or concern for the listener.

Examples

你 走 不 走 啊 ？
Nǐ zǒu bu zǒu a?
Are you going or what?

你 吃 不 吃 啊 ？
Nǐ chī bu chī a?
Are you eating or not?

谁 说 的 啊 ？
Shéi shuō de a?
Who said so?

你 傻 啊 ？
Nǐ shǎ a
What are you, stupid?

看 什么 啊 ？没 见 过 漂亮 姑娘 啊 ？
Kàn shénme a? Méi jiàn guo piàoliang gūniang a?
What are you looking at? Have you never seen a pretty girl before?

See also

Questions with ne

Suggestions with ba

Listing Things with "a"

Sources and further reading

Books

A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp.142-3)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 51-4)

Softening speech with "ba" "吧"

The particle 吧 (ba) can be used to soften the feel of a sentence. This could be to make it more polite, gentler and less forceful, or to turn a command into a suggestion.

Structure

Statement + 吧

Examples

这 不 太 好 吧 。
Zhè bù tài hǎo ba.
This isn't so good.

算了 吧 。
Suàn le ba.
Let's forget it.

应该 是 吧 。
Yīnggāi shì ba.
It should be.

钱 太 少 了 吧 。
Qián tài shǎo le ba.
It's too little money.

再 等 一 等 吧 。
Zài děng yī děng ba.
Wait a little longer.

太 晚 了 ，不要 走 了 吧 。
Tài wǎn le, bùyào zǒu le ba.
It's too late now, don't leave.

你们 早 点 来 吧 。
Nǐmen zǎo diǎn lái ba.
Come a little earlier.

快 点 吧 ， 要 迟到 了。
Kuài diǎn ba, yào chídào le.
Please hurry, we're going to be late.

太 贵 了 吧 ， 我 不 买 了。
Tài guì le ba, wǒ bù mǎi le.
It's too expensive. I'm not buying it.

那 个 地方 太 远 了 吧 我 不 想 去。
Nàge dìfang tài yuǎn le ba，wǒ bù xiǎng qù.
That place is too far away. I don't want to go.

See also

Suggestions with "ba"

Conceding with "ba"

Reviewing options with "ba"

Verb reduplication

Sources and further reading

Books

Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级)

Short-term Spoken Chinese: Pre-Intermediate (汉语口语速成提高篇) (pp. 52-3)

Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇) (p. 98)

Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (p. 55)

New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (p. 246)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 191- 2)

Structural particle "de"

The structural particle "de" has three written forms in modern Chinese, each with its own uses:

的 (de), most often used for modifying nouns

得 (de), most often used with complements

地 (de), most often used with adverbial phrases

There is also a modal particle 的 (de), not covered in this grammar point.

的 (de) Before Nouns

Before nouns, 的 (de) is used to mark possession or modification. One way to think about 的 (de) is that it works like apostrophe-"s" in English. Think of this one as the "possessive de" or "noun-modifying de."

小李 的 房子
Xiǎo Lǐ de fángzi
Xiao Li's house

This comparison works very well for possession, as it shows how English and Chinese handle possession in a similar way. Just remember that Chinese uses this "possession" far more widely than English. Modifying, describing qualities, and assigning attributes are all handled in the same way as possession, by using 的 (de).

Another way to use 的 (de) is as an attributive. It's just a way of connecting adjectives or other words with a noun. It gives us more information about the noun, and the 的 (de) makes it clear that the extra information is connected to the noun. Here's an example:

红色 的 自行车
hóngsè de zìxíngchē
red bicycle

Here 的 (de) is used to modify "bicycle" with the color "red." It attributes the color "red" to the "bicycle."

Structure

Although certainly not complete for all uses, this simple structure should help as a general guideline:

的 + Noun

Examples

我 的 手机
wǒ de shǒujī
my cell phone

我们 的 老师
wǒmen de lǎoshī
our teacher

漂亮 的 衣服
piàoliang de yīfu
beautiful clothes

热闹 的 酒吧
rènao de jiǔbā
a boisterous bar

我 女朋友 的 公司
wǒ nǚpéngyou de gōngsī
my girlfriend's company

For you nerdier learners, 的 (de) is known to the Chinese as 白勺的 (bái-sháo de) as it's composed of the characters 白 (bái) and 勺 (sháo).

得 (de) After Verbs

This de is probably the trickiest to crack for English speakers as it has no obvious equivalent in English. 得 (de) is used to construct various kinds of complements and is usually associated with verbs. You can think of it as the "complement de."

Structure

Although certainly not complete for all uses, this simple structure should help:

Verb + 得

Examples

做 得 很 好
zuò de hěn hǎo
do very well

说 得 太 快
shuō de tài kuài
speak too fast

玩 得 很 开心
wán de hěn kāixīn
play very happily

开 得 很 快
kāi de hěn kuài
drive very fast

住 得 很 舒服
zhù de hěn shūfu
live very comfortably

For you nerdier learners, 得 (de) is known as 双人得 (shuāngrén de), as the character component 彳 is often referred to as 双人 (shuāngrén), or the "double person" component.

Not an Adverb?

You might be wondering how the examples using 得 (de) above are different from adverbs. That's actually a really good question, but it's one that you should defer until later in your studies. Complements are a bit tricky, and you'll be learning a lot more about them at the intermediate level, so be patient!

地 (de) Before Verbs

地 (de) is used to turn adjectives into adverbs, and can be thought of as equivalent to the suffix -ly in English. You could call it the "adverb de" or "adverbial de," since it precedes verbs like adverbs do.

Structure

Although not complete for all uses, this simple structure should help:

Adj. + 地 + Verb

Note that it's the "adjective + 地 (de)" structure that makes the adjective into an "adverb phrase" (called an adverbial). If it's a straight-up adverb you're using (instead of an adjective), then you don't need 地 (de) at all.

This pattern is also the least common of the three; you'll be using 的 (de) and 得 (de) a lot more in everyday communication than this one.

Examples

生气 地 说
shēngqì de shuō
angrily say

开心 地 笑
kāixīn de xiào
happily laugh

慢慢 地 走
mànmàn de zǒu
slowly walk

伤心 地 哭
shāngxīn de kū
sadly cry

认真 地 听
rènzhēn de tīng
carefully listen

Again, you don't have to know this, but this 地 (de) is known in Chinese as 土也地 (tǔ-yě de), as it's composed of the 土 (tǔ) component on the left with a 也 (yě) on the right.

Using All Three "de"s

This example is naturally going to be a little more difficult than the ones above, since we're cramming all three usages into one sentence, but you may find this useful.

今天 的 作业 你 做 得 不好，因为 你 没 认真 地 听课。
Jīntiān de zuòyè nǐ zuò de bù hǎo, yīnwèi nǐ méi rènzhēn de tīngkè.
You didn't do today's homework well because you didn't listen attentively in class.

Sources and further reading

Books

A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp. 133-135)

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 72)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 291-3)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 193 - 195)

New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 50-1, 99-101)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 189)

Websites

Blog post (Chinese): “的”与“地”“得”

Online document (Chinese): “的”“地”“得”的用法区别 explains and shares a song about the three de's

Sinosplice: The Three De Song

ChinesePod blog: The Three Musketeers (的, 得, and 地) on ChinesePod.com

Using "guo" "过" with "le" "了"

You might be familiar with using 过 (guo) to indicate that an action has been experienced in the past, but then also see it used together with 了 (le). What's going on here? If you're already familiar with the basic usage of both 了 (le) and 过 (guo), then a special explanation of how they sometimes work together is now in order.

Basic Pattern

Structure

Verb + 过 + 了

You'll notice that this pattern is often used for everyday behaviors. It's used for actions like "eating" and "brushing one's teeth" and "taking a shower."

Examples

她 吃 过 了
Tā chī guo le
She has eaten (already).

牙 刷 过 了
Yá shuā guo le
I've brushed my teeth (already).

洗 过 了
Xǐ guo le
I've showered (already).

我们 看 过 了
Wǒmen kàn guo le
We've seen it (already).

他们 见 过 了
Tāmen jiàn guo le
They've met (already).

The Pattern with an Object

For the examples above, you could have inserted an object to modify the basic pattern, getting this:

Verb + 过 + Obj. + 了

The object has been inserted in the sentences below:

你 吃 过 饭 了 吗？
Nǐ chī guo fàn le ma?
Have you eaten (already)?

我 刷 过 牙 了
Wǒ shuā guo yá le.
I have brushed my teeth (already).

他 洗 过 澡 了
Tā xǐ guo zǎo le.
He has showered (already).

我 给 他 打 过 电话 了
Wǒ gěi tā dǎ guo diànhuà le.
I called him (already).

客户 看 过 合同 了 吗？
Kèhù kàn guo hétong le ma?
Has the client read the contract (already)?

What 过 (guo) Does

You would be right to point out that 过 (guo) is mainly used to call attention to the fact that someone has had an experience. This is the basic pattern pointed out in the article on the basic usage of the aspectual particle 过 (guo). In the examples above, though, it's not any "once-in-a-lifetime" experiences being expressed, it's more just the information that these actions are done. Here, 过 (guo) and 了 (le) work together to emphasize that an action is already done. This is why the translations on the side add the word "already" in parentheses at the end; this is the feeling the sentences give you. In fact, to emphasize the idea of already done even further, you could add the word for "already," 已经 (yǐjīng), before the verbs in the examples below, and it also works just fine:

她 已经 吃 过 饭 了
Tā yǐjīng chī guo fàn le
She has already eaten (a meal).

我 已经 刷 过 牙 了
Wǒ yǐjīng shuā guo yá le
I have already brushed my teeth.

他 已经 洗 过 澡 了
Tā yǐjīng xǐ guo zǎo le
He has already had a shower.

When to Use 过 (guo) with 了 (le)

So when would you use the sentences above? You'd be emphasizing that the action has already occurred (so it doesn't need to be done again), so it would probably be something like this:

For the eating example:

A:她 想 吃饭 吗 ？
Tā xiǎng chīfàn ma?
Does she want to eat?

B:她 已经 吃 过 饭 了
Tā yǐjīng chī guo fàn le
She has already eaten.

For the tooth brushing example:

A:别 忘记 刷牙。
Bié wàngjì shuā yá.
Don't forget to brush your teeth.

B:我 已经 刷 过 牙 了
Wǒ yǐjīng shuā guo yá le
I have already brushed my teeth.

For the taking a shower example:

A:他 应该 洗澡 。
Tā yīnggāi xǐzǎo.
He should take a shower.

B:他 已经 洗 过 了 。
Tā yǐjīng xǐ guo le
He has already showered.

See Also

Expressing experiences with "guo"

Expressing completion with "le"

Sources and further reading

Books

A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (p. 138)

Chinese Grammar Without Tears (简明汉语语法学习手册) (pp. 73-74)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 345 - 347)

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 76-77, 230-232)

New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 175 - 176)

Websites

ChinesePod: Qing Wen - 过(guo) (free podcast content)

Basic comparisons with "bi" "比"

One of the most common words when comparing things in Chinese is to use 比 (bǐ). 比 (bǐ) has similarities to the English word "than," but it requires a word order that's not so intuitive, so you'll want to practice it quite a bit.

Basic Usage

You could think of 比 (bǐ) as meaning "than," except that it sits between the two things being compared. The word order will take a little getting used to, but aside from that, the pattern is quite easy.

Structure

To say that one thing is more adjective than another, the structure is:

Noun 1 + 比 + Noun 2 + Adj.

The noun that's placed first is the one that comes out on top in the comparison. So in the sentence:

小李 比 小张 高 。
Xiǎo Lǐ bǐ Xiǎo Zhāng gāo .
Xiao Li is taller than Xiao Zhang.

小李 (Xiǎo Lǐ) is taller. The same situation could be described as

小张 比 小李 矮 。
Xiǎo Zhāng bǐ Xiǎo Lǐ ǎi .
Xiao Zhang is shorter than Xiao Li.

Examples

他 比 老师 聪明 。
Tā bǐ lǎoshī cōngming
He is smarter than the teacher.

上海 比 纽约 大 吗 ？
Shànghǎi bǐ Niǔyuē dà ma?
Is Shanghai bigger than New York?

她 比 她 妈妈 漂亮 。
Tā bǐ tā māma piàoliang .
She is prettier than her mother.

星巴克 的 咖啡 比 这里 的 咖啡 贵 。
Xīngbākè de kāfēi bǐ zhèlǐ de kāfēi guì
The coffee at Starbucks is more expensive than the coffee here.

地铁 比 公交车 方便 。
Dìtiě bǐ gōngjiāochē fāngbiàn
The subway is more convenient than the bus.

Common Errors

Try not to make these mistakes:

很 (hěn) can't be used in the comparison.

他 比 我 很 高 。
Tā bǐ wǒ hěn gāo.

他 比 我 高 。
Tā bǐ wǒ gāo.
He's taller than me.

The adjective used in the comparison should be positive, not negative.

我 比 你 不 聪明 。
Wǒ bǐ nǐ bù cōngming .

你 比 我 聪明 。
Nǐ bǐ wǒ cōngming .
You are smarter than me.

比 (bǐ) is not used with 一样 (yīyàng). 比 (bǐ) is used when two things are not the same.

我 比 你 一样 聪明 。
Wǒ bǐ nǐ yīyàng cōngming.

我 跟 你 一样 聪明 。
Wǒ gēn nǐ yīyàng cōngming.
I am as smart as you.

Pattern Using 比 (bǐ) and 更 (gèng)

This is a slight upgrade of the basic 比 (bǐ) comparison pattern, adding in 更 (gèng) before the adjective. 更 (gèng) means "even more," so the idea is that while one thing is already quite [adjective], this other thing is even more [adjective]. Pretty simple!

Structure

Noun 1 + 比 + Noun 2 + 更 + Adj.

The only new thing here is the addition of 更 (gèng) before the adjective.

小李 比 小张 更 高 。
Xiǎo Lǐ bǐ Xiǎo Zhāng gèng gāo .
Xiao Li is even taller than Xiao Zhang.

The implication is that while Xiao Zhang is tall, 小李 (Xiǎo Lǐ) is even taller.

Examples

我 哥哥 比 我 更 高 。
Wǒ gēge bǐ wǒ gèng gāo
My big brother is even taller than me.

你 男朋友 比 我男朋友 更 帅 。
Nǐ nánpéngyou bǐ wǒ nánpéngyou gèng shuài.
Your boyfriend is even more handsome than mine.

这里 的 冬天 比 纽约 的 冬天 更 冷 。
Zhèlǐ de dōngtiān bǐ Niǔyuē de dōngtiān gèng lěng
The winter here is even colder than it is in New York.

中文 语法 比 汉字 更 好玩 。
Zhōngwén yǔfǎ bǐ Hànzì gèng hǎowán
Chinese grammar is even more fun than Chinese characters.

你的 问题 比 我的 问题 更 麻烦。
Nǐ de wèntí bǐ wǒ de wèntí gèng máfan
Your problem is even more troublesome than mine.

See Also

Check these other comparison patterns out as well:

Basic comparisons with "meiyou"

Basic comparisons with "bu bi"

Comparing (patterns across all levels)

Sources and further reading

Books

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 61-3)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 53)

New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 65-6)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 6-8)

New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 184-5)

Websites

Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: Usage of 跟 and 比

Expressing "from… to…" with "cong… dao…" "从⋯⋯ 到⋯⋯"

从⋯⋯ 到⋯⋯ (cóng... dào...) is used in the same way as "from... to..." is used in English, and can be used both for times and places.

Used for Times

To express from one time to another, the following structure is used:

Structure

从 + Time 1 + 到 + Time 2

The "time" here does not necessarily have to be a standard time word; it can be any event or action.

Examples

从 2004 年 到 2008 年
cóng èr-líng-líng-sì nián dào èr-líng-líng-bā nián
From 2004 to 2008

从 一号 到 五号 都 在 下雨。
Cóng yī hào dào wǔ hào dōu zài xiàyǔ.
From the first to the fifth, it's been raining non-stop.

老板 从 周二 到 周五 都 要 出差。
Lǎobǎn cóng Zhōuèr dào Zhōuwǔ dōu yào chūchāi.
From Tuesday until Friday the boss will go on a business trip.

她 从 18岁 到 现在 都 一个人 住。
Tā cóng shíbā suì dào xiànzài dōu yīgèrén zhù.
She's lived alone since she was 18 until now.

你 不 能 从 早 到 晚 不 吃 东西。
Nǐ bù néng cóng zǎo dào wǎn bù chī dōngxi.
You can't eat nothing from morning to night.

Remember that there are two options for the word order of time words.

Used for Places

The same structure can also be used to express "from" one place "to" another.

Structure

从 + Place 1 + 到 + Place 2

Examples

从 南京 西 路 到 南京 东 路
Cóng Nánjīng Xī Lù dào Nánjīng Dōng Lù
From West Nanjing Road to East Nanjing Road

从 酒店 到 机场 不太 远。
Cóng jiǔdiàn dào jīchǎng bù tài yuǎn.
From the hotel to the airport is not too far.

从 上海 到 北京 要 几 个 小时。
Cóng Shànghǎi dào Běijīng yào jǐ gè xiǎoshí.
From Shanghai to Beijing it takes a few hours.

从 你 家 到 机场 可以 坐 地铁 吗？
Cóng nǐ jiā dào jīchǎng kěyǐ zuò dìtiě ma?
From your place to the airport, can I take the subway?

从 这里 到 我们 公司，你 会 看见 很 多 美女。
Cóng zhèlǐ dào wǒmen gōngsī, nǐ huì kànjiàn hěn duō měinǚ.
From here to our company, you'll see many beautiful girls.

See Also

Expressing "ever since" with "zicong"

Using "dao" to mean "to go to"

Sources and further reading

Books

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 84-5)

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 112-3) >

Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (p. 89)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 237-8)

Basic comparisons with "meiyou" "没有"

In Chinese, there is another way to make comparisons. You can use 没有 (méiyǒu) to express that something is "not as" adjective as something else. (Yes, that's the same 没有 (méiyǒu) that means "not have," used here in a different way.)

Basic Usage

As well as with 比 (bǐ), you can also use 没有 (méiyǒu) to make basic comparisons. You could think of 没有 (méiyǒu) as the opposite of 比 (bǐ) - it works in the same way, but rather than expressing "more... than..." it expresses "not as... as...":

Noun 1 + 没有 + Noun 2 + Adj.

In this structure, the noun that's placed first is less "adjective" than the second noun, making 没有 (méiyǒu) the opposite of 比 (bǐ) for comparison purposes. So in the sentence:

小张 没有 小李 高 。
Xiǎo Zhāng méiyǒu Xiǎo Lǐ gāo.
Xiao Zhang is not as tall as Xiao Li.

小李 (Xiǎo Lǐ) is taller. The same situation could be described as:

小李 没有 小张 矮 。
Xiǎo Lǐ méiyǒu Xiǎo Zhāng ǎi.
Xiao Li is not as short as Xiao Zhang.

Examples

这 个 地方 没有 上海 好玩。
Zhège dìfang méiyǒu Shànghǎi hǎowán.
This place is not as fun as Shanghai.

火车 没有 飞机 快。
Huǒchē méiyǒu fēijī kuài.
Trains are not as fast as airplanes.

他 没有 他弟弟 聪明。
Tā méiyǒu tā dìdi cōngming.
He's not as smart as his younger brother.

Clinton 没有 Obama 帅。
Clinton méiyǒu Obama shuài.
Clinton is not as handsome as Obama.

马云 没有 Bill Gates 有钱。
Mǎyún méiyǒu Bill Gates yǒuqián.
Jack Ma is not as rich as Bill Gates.

你们 公司 没有 我们公司 大。
Nǐmen gōngsī méiyǒu wǒmen gōngsī dà.
Your company is not as big as ours.

拼音 没有 汉字 难。
Pīnyīn méiyǒu Hànzì nán.
Pinyin is not as difficult as Chinese characters.

坐 公交车 没有 坐地铁 方便。
Zuò gōngjiāochē méiyǒu zuò dìtiě fāngbiàn.
Taking the bus is not as convenient as taking the metro.

小米 手机 没有 iPhone 贵。
Xiǎomǐ shǒujī méiyǒu iPhone guì.
The Xiaomi phone is not as expensive as the iPhone.

爸爸 做的 菜 没有 妈妈 做的菜 好吃。
Bàba zuò de cài méiyǒu māma zuò de cài hǎochī.
The food dad cooks is not as tasty as the food mom cooks.

See also

Basic comparisons with "bi"

Basic comparisons with "bu bi"

Negation of "you" with "mei"

Comparisons with "buru"

Sources and further reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 69- 71)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 54-5)

New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 33-4)

Directional verbs "lai" "来" and "qu" "去"

来 (lái) and 去 (qù) are both words that help to express direction from the perspective of the speaker. 来 (lái) means "come" (towards the speaker), while 去 (qù) means "go" (away from the speaker). For example, if you are in China, a local person might ask you: "When did you come to China?" using 来 (lái). Another example is if you want to go from China to Japan, your friends might ask you: “When are you going to Japan?" using 去 (qù).

Seems really easy, right? Well, learn them well now, because you'll get a lot of mileage out of these words in future grammar patterns.

Basic Usage

Structure

来 / 去 + Place

Examples

For the examples below, keep in mind that if the speaker uses 去 (qù), then she is not at the place mentioned now. If the speaker uses 来 (lái), she must already be at the place mentioned. Just stay consistent with this, and you're good.

妈妈 要 去 超市。
Māma yào qù chāoshì.
Mom will go to the supermarket.

老板 今天 来 公司 吗？
Lǎobǎn jīntiān lái gōngsī ma?
Is the boss coming into the office today?

你 现在 来南京 路 吧。
Nǐ xiànzài lái Nánjīng Lù ba.
Come to Nanjing Road now.

你 不 想 来 我们 公司 工作 吗？
Nǐ bù xiǎng lái wǒmen gōngsī gōngzuò ma?
Do you not want to come to work for our company?

去年 她 去 美国 工作 了 几 个 月 。
Qùnián tā qù Měiguó gōngzuò le jǐ gè yuè.
Last year she went to work in the USA for a few months.

你们 想 去 Starbucks 还是 Costa？
Nǐmen xiǎng qù Starbucks háishì Costa?
Would you like to go to Starbucks or Costa?

周末 我 喜欢 去 朋友 家。
Zhōumò wǒ xǐhuan qù péngyou jiā.
I like to go to my friends' places on the weekends.

爸爸 明天 去 北京 出差。
Bàba míngtiān qù Běijīng chūchāi.
Dad will go to Beijing on a business trip tomorrow.

我 今天 不 上班，你们 可以 来 我 家 吃饭 。
Wǒ jīntiān bù shàngbān, nǐmen kěyǐ lái wǒ jiā chīfàn.
I don't have to go to work today. You can come to my home to eat dinner.

Advanced Usage

来 (lái) and 去 (qù) can both be paired with other simple verbs to demonstrate the direction an action has taken. For example, 进来 (jìnlái, "come in"), 进去 (jìnqù, "go in"), 出来 (chūlái, "come out"), 出去 (chūqù, "go out"), 回来 (huílái, "come back"), 回去 (huíqù, "go back"), etc.

When you start tacking these two-character verbs onto the ends of other verbs, they are called direction complements, and are covered in detail in a more advanced article.

See also

Direction complement

Polite requests with "qing"

To be more polite in English, we add the word "please" onto our requests. In Chinese, the word 请 (qǐng) serves the same purpose.

Simple Requests

In its most simple form, a polite request can consist of only two words.

Structure

请 + Verb

Examples

请 进 。
Qǐng jìn.
Please come in.

请 坐 。
Qǐng zuò.
Please sit down.

请 说 。
Qǐng shuō.
Please speak.

Longer Requests

Obviously, those requests may be significantly longer.

Structure

请 (+ 你) + Verb Phrase

Examples

请 喝 茶 。
Qǐng hē chá.
Please have some tea.

请 不要 迟到 。
Qǐng bùyào chídào.
Please do not be late.

请 尝 一 尝 。
Qǐng cháng yī cháng.
Please have a taste.

请 你 说 得 慢 一点 。
Qǐng nǐ shuō de màn yīdiǎn.
Please speak more slowly.

请 你 听 老师 的 话 。
Qǐng nǐ tīng lǎoshī de huà.
Please listen to the teacher.

请 你 离开 。
Qǐng nǐ líkāi.
Please leave.

The phrase 请问 (qǐngwèn) is a set expression meaning not "please ask," but rather, "may I ask." It frequently comes before asking for directions or other polite requests for information.

请问 ， 洗手间 在 哪里 。
Qǐng wèn, xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ?
Excuse me, where is the restroom?

Being Polite without 请 (qǐng)

You may have noticed that the Chinese themselves do not use 请 (qǐng) nearly as much as we use the word "please" in English. It's not because Chinese people are rude; it's because the word 请 (qǐng) feels rather formal in Chinese, and most people don't feel the need to use it with family members, friends, or even co-workers.

Here are some other ways to start make a request to still be polite, but less in a less formal way:

你 可 不 可以 …… ？
Nǐ kě bu kěyǐ ?
Could you...?

你 能 不 能 …… ？
Nǐ néng bu néng ?
Can you...?

麻烦 你 ……
Máfan nǐ…
Can I trouble you to... (?)

More Advanced Uses of 请 (qǐng)

Aside from this "please" usage, the word 请 (qǐng) has some additional uses not covered here. It can mean "to invite," or "to treat (someone to a meal)," and can even be used as a causative verb. None of those uses are covered here.

Sources and further reading

HSK Standard Course 1 (pp. 75) →buy

Auxiliary verb "yao" "要" and its multiple meanings

You probably already know the basic meaning of 要 (yào) as "to want." It is actually a quite versatile word, though, and can also take on the meanings of "to need" as well as "will (do something)." In every case, context is crucial for figuring out which meaning someone is trying to express.

要 (yào) as "Want"

This structure could be used when ordering food at a restaurant or a shop. Here, it's being used for saying that you want something.

Structure

Subj. + 要 + Noun

Examples

你 要 什么？
Nǐ yào shénme?
What do you want?

我 要 一 杯 水。
Wǒ yào yī bēi shuǐ.
I want a cup of water.

你们 都 要 冰 可乐 吗？
Nǐmen dōu yào bīng kělè ma?
Do you all want coke with ice?

你 要 茶 还是 咖啡？
Nǐ yào chá háishì kāfēi?
Do you want tea or coffee?

我们 要 三 碗 米饭。
Wǒmen yào sān wǎn mǐfàn.
We want three bowls of rice.

要 (yào) as "Want to"

In Chinese, 要 (yào) can mean "want to" (similar to 想 (xiǎng)), but its tone is quite firm. So it's used for saying that you want to do something.

Structure

Subj. + 要 + Verb

Examples

你 要 喝 什么 酒？
Nǐ yào hē shénme jiǔ?
What kind of wine do you want to drink?

爸爸 要 买 一 个 新 手机。
Bàba yào mǎi yī gè xīn shǒujī.
Dad wants to buy a new cell phone.

我 要 跟 你 一起 去。
Wǒ yào gēn nǐ yīqǐ qù.
I want to go with you.

她 要 去 大城市 找 工作。
Tā yào qù dà chéngshì zhǎo gōngzuò.
She wants to go to a big city to find a job.

周末 你们 要 一起 看 电影 吗？
Zhōumò nǐmen yào yīqǐ kàn diànyǐng ma?
Do you want to go see a movie together this weekend?

要 (yào) as "Need to"

If you crank the urgency of "to want" up a few notches, you get "to need." The two meanings overlap, creating a fuzzy, "needy" gray area.

Structure

Subj. + 要 + Verb

Examples

你 要 早 点 睡觉。
Nǐ yào zǎo diǎn shuìjiào.
You need to go to bed earlier.

我们 明天 要 上班。
logically, most people don't really WANT to work
Wǒmen míngtiān yào shàngbān.
We need to work tomorrow.

老板 今天 要 见 一个 新 客户。
Lǎobǎn jīntiān yào jiàn yī gè xīn kèhù.
Today the boss needs to see a new client.

老师 太 累 了， 要 好好 休息。
Lǎoshī tài lèi le, yào hǎohǎo xiūxi.
The teacher is too tired. She needs to rest well.

明天 下雨， 你 要 带 伞。
Míngtiān xiàyǔ, nǐ yào dài sǎn.
It's going to rain tomorrow; you need to bring an umbrella.

要 (yào) as "Going to"

This use of 要 (yào) is like "going to" (similar to 会 (huì)).

Structure

Again, no change to the structure here, but it often includes a mention of a time when something is going to happen.

Subj. + 要 + Verb

If you want to know more about the related pattern "要⋯⋯了" (yào... le), please see the "kuai... le" pattern.

Examples

星期五 我们 要 开会。 Xīngqīwǔ wǒmen yào kāihuì.
We are going to have a meeting on Friday.

12 点 我 要 去 吃饭。 Shí'èr diǎn wǒ yào qù chīfàn.
I am going to go eat at 12 o'clock.

老板 下周 要 出差 吗？ Lǎobǎn xià zhōu yào chūchāi ma?
Is the boss going on a business trip next week?

他们 明年 要 结婚 了。 Tāmen míngnián yào jiéhūn le.
They are going to get married next year.

今年 你 要 回家 过年 吗？ Jīnnián nǐ yào huíjiā guònián ma?
Are you going to return home this year to celebrate the Chinese New Year?

Context, Context, Context

You may have noticed that the meanings can easily overlap. To figure out what is intended, you need to use context. How urgent is the situation? Is it likely to be something the speaker really wants to do? Is it something that's totally going to happen, regardless of anyone's preference? Most often, a little background knowledge and some common sense are all you need to figure it out.

See also

"Would like to" with xiang

Expressing "will" with "hui"

About to happen with "le"

Sources and further reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 154-5)

Expressing "should" with "yinggai" "应该"

应该 (yīnggāi) translates to the English word "should," and is an essential word to know for your conversaitonal Chinese. You should definitely get comfortable using 应该 (yīnggāi) right away!

Basic Usage

Structure

The auxiliary verb 应该 (yīnggāi) is the most common way to express "should" in Chinese. The structure is:

Subj. + 应该 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

在 中国， 你 应该 喝 白酒。
Zài Zhōngguó, nǐ yīnggāi hē báijiǔ.
In China, you should drink baijiu.

我 应该 给 你 多少 钱？
Wǒ yīnggāi gěi nǐ duōshao qián?
How much money should I give you?

感冒 的 时候 应该 喝 热水。
Gǎnmào de shíhou yīnggāi hē rè shuǐ.
You should drink hot water when you have a cold.

明天 你 应该 八 点 半 来 公司。
Míngtiān nǐ yīnggāi bādiǎn bàn lái gōngsī.
You should come to the office tomorrow at 8:30.

他 太 累 了，应该 回家 休息。
Tā tài lèi le, yīnggāi huíjiā xiūxi.
He's too tired. He should go home and rest.

Negate 应该 (yīnggāi) with 不 (bù)

Structure

Add the negative adverb 不 (bù) before 应该 (yīnggāi) to negate it.

Subj. + 不 + 应该 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

你 不 应该 告诉 他。
Nǐ bù yīnggāi gàosu tā.
You should not tell him.

他 不 应该 打 人。
Tā bù yīnggāi dǎ rén.
He should not hit people.

我们 不 应该 迟到。
Wǒmen bù yīnggāi chídào.
We shouldn't be late.

你们 不 应该 笑 她。
Nǐmen bù yīnggāi xiào tā.
You shouldn't laugh at her.

你们 不 应该 拿 别人 的 东西。
Nǐmen bù yīnggāi ná biérén de dōngxi.
You should not take other people's stuff.

See Also

"Must" modal "dei"

"Would like to" with xiang

Wanting to do something with yao

Sources and further reading

Books

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (pp. 160-1)

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (pp. 185-7)

Expressing "will" with "hui" "会"

会 (huì) has multiple uses, but in this context, it is being used to express the possibility of an action happening in the future.

Basic Usage

Structure

As well as expressing a learned skill, 会 (huì) can also be used to indicate that something will happen or that someone will do something.

Subj. + 会 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

明天 你 会 来 吗 ？
Míngtiān nǐ huì lái ma?
Will you come tomorrow?

他 会 来 看 你 吗？
Tā huì lái kàn nǐ ma?
Will he come to see you?

明天 会 下雨 吗？
Míngtiān huì xiàyǔ ma?
Will it rain tomorrow?

我 出去 一下，很 快 会 回来。
Wǒ chūqù yīxià, hěnkuài huì huílái.
I'm going out for a little while. I'll come back very soon.

老板 会 同意 吗？
Lǎobǎn huì tóngyì ma?
Will the boss agree?

你 女儿 会 听 你 的 话。
Nǐ nǚér huì tīng nǐ de huà.
Your daughter will listen to you.

下班 以后 ， 我 会 给 你 打 电话。
Xiàbān yǐhòu, wǒ huì gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà.
After getting off work, I will give you a call.

Negating 会 (huì) with 不 (bù)

Nothing new here. You remember everyone's favorite Negative Nelly 不 (bù), right?

Structure

Subj. + 不 + 会 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

我们 不 会 告诉 你。
Wǒmen bù huì gàosu nǐ.
We won't tell you.

他 不 会 跟 你 结婚 。
Tā bù huì gēn nǐ jiéhūn.
He won't marry you.

今晚 我 不 会 在 外面 吃饭 。
Jīnwǎn wǒ bù huì zài wàimiàn chīfàn.
Tonight I will not eat out.

See Also

Wanting to do something with yao

Expressing future with "jiang" (advanced article)

Sources and further reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 9)

Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) (pp. 142－143)

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (p. 160)

Expressing "would like to" with "xiang" "想"

If you want to express something that you "would like to do," 想 (xiǎng) will be a very helpful auxiliary verb to know. Although similar to 要 (yào), 想 (xiǎng) will give you another more tactful option when you want to articulate a desire.

Basic Usage

Structure

The verb 想 (xiǎng) can be used to express "would like to." In this case it's an auxiliary verb. The structure is:

Subj. + 想 + Verb (+ Obj.)

Examples

你 想 去 吗？
Nǐ xiǎng qù ma?
Would you like to go?

我 想 吃 面。
Wǒ xiǎng chī miàn.
I would like to eat noodles.

你 想 喝 水 吗？
Nǐ xiǎng hē shuǐ ma?
Would you like to drink some water?

我们 想 看 电视。
Wǒmen xiǎng kàn diànshì.
We would like to watch TV.

他 想 买 一 个 大 房子。
Tā xiǎng mǎi yī gè dà fángzi.
He would like to buy a big apartment.

Negate 想 (xiǎng) with 不 (bù)

No surprises here: use 不 (bù) to negate 想 (xiǎng).

Structure

Subj. + 不 + 想 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

他们 不 想 去 酒吧。
Tāmen bù xiǎng qù jiǔbā.
They wouldn't like to go to the bar.

你 不 想 认识 这个 美女 吗？
Nǐ bù xiǎng rènshi zhège měinǚ ma?
Would you not like to know this beautiful lady?

我 不 想 回家。
Wǒ bù xiǎng huíjiā.
I wouldn't like to return home.

那个 地方 很 近，我 不 想 开车。
Nàge dìfang hěn jìn, wǒ bù xiǎng kāichē.
That place is so close. I would not like to drive.

他 不 想 花 父母 的 钱。
Tā bù xiǎng huā fùmǔ de qián.
He would not like to spend his parents' money.

See also

Wanting to do something with yao

Sources and Further Reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 112-3)　

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (pp. 179-80)

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (pp. 207)

Websites

Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: The Uses of 想

Actions in a row

Linking actions together in a sentence is very straightforward and to the point. Because of this, there is no new word or phrase needed!

Structure

In Chinese, it's very easy to describe two actions in a row. Simply place one verb phrase after another, in this structure:

Subj. + [Verb Phrase 1] + [Verb Phrase 2]

No connecting word is needed. A common mistake in the early stages of learning Chinese is to try and link verbs with 和 (hé): this is incorrect; 和 (hé) is for linking nouns. Just use one verb phrase after another and the sequence of events is clear.

Examples

我 要 回家 吃饭。
Wǒ yào huíjiā chīfàn.
I want to go home and eat.

你 要 去 超市 买 东西 吗？
Nǐ yào qù chāoshì mǎi dōngxi ma?
Are you going to the supermarket to buy things?

他 不 想 去 图书馆 看 书。
Tā bù xiǎng qù túshūguǎn kàn shū.
He doesn't want to go to the library and read.

你 打 电话 告诉 他 了 吗？
Nǐ dǎ diànhuà gàosu tā le ma?
Did you call and tell him?

我们 要 坐 飞机 去 美国。
Wǒmen yào zuò fēijī qù Měiguó.
We are going to take an airplane to go to the USA.

你们 可以 上 网 买 机票 吗？
Nǐmen kěyǐ shàng wǎng mǎi jīpiào ma?
Can you use the Internet to buy airplane tickets?

老板 下周 去 北京 开 会。
Lǎobǎn xià zhōu qù Běijīng kāi huì.
Next week the boss will go to Beijing to have a meeting.

中国人 都 要 回家 过 年。
Zhōngguó rén dōu yào huíjiā guònián.
Chinese people all go back home for Chinese New Year.

周末 我 喜欢 自己 买 菜 做饭。
Zhōumò wǒ xǐhuan zìjǐ mǎi cài zuòfàn.
I like to buy food to cook for myself on the weekend.

早上 我 先 刷 牙 洗 脸，再 吃 早饭。
Zǎoshang wǒ xiān shuā yá xǐ liǎn, zài chī zǎofàn.
In the morning, I first brush my teeth and wash my face, and then I eat breakfast.

Note that the English translations of these sentences use the word "and," but there is no equivalent to it in Chinese.

See also

Expressing "and" with "he"

Events in quick succession with "yi... jiu"

Sequencing with "xian" and "zai"

Sources and further reading

Books

A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) （pp. 477-484)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 207-8)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册） (pp. 384-5)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 125)

Expressing "difficult" with "nan" "难"

难 (nán) is an adjective that means "difficult." When something is "hard to do" (as in difficult), the word 难 (nán) can be used before the verb.

难 (nán) with General Verbs

Just as 好 (hǎo) can be used to indicate that it's easy to do something, 难 (nán) can be attached to verbs (with a few special exceptions), to indicate that something is hard to do.

Structure

The structure is:

Subj. + (很) 难 + Verb

Examples

这 句 话 很 难 懂。
Zhè jù huà hěn nán dǒng.
This sentence is hard to understand.

汉语 很 难 学。
Hànyǔ hěn nán xué.
Mandarin is hard to learn.

中国菜 很 难 做。
Zhōngguó cài hěn nán zuò.
Chinese food is hard to make.

这 个 东西 现在 很 难 买。
Zhège dōngxi xiànzài hěn nán mǎi.
This thing is really difficult to purchase now.

这 个 汉字 很 难 写。
Zhège Hànzì hěn nán xiě.
This character is very difficult to write.

难 (nán) with Sense Verbs

难 (nán) can also be attached to "sense verbs" (e.g. look, taste, smell, etc.) to indicate that something offers a "bad sensory experience."

Structure

The structure is:

Subj. + (很) 难 + [Sense Verb]

Examples

你 做 的 菜 很 难吃。
Nǐ zuò de cài hěn nánchī.
The dishes you cook taste bad.

这里 的 咖啡 很 难喝。
Zhè lǐ de kāfēi hěn nánhē.
The coffee here tastes bad.

这 首 歌 很 难听。
Zhè shǒu gē hěn nántīng.
This song is terrible (hard to listen to).

这 种 花 很 难闻。
Zhè zhǒng huā hěn nánwén.
This kind of flower smells bad.

这 件 衣服 很 难看吗？
Zhè jiàn yīfu hěn nánkàn ma?
Is this article of clothing ugly?

Warning! If you're trying to say that a particular dish is "difficult to eat," don't use 难吃 (nánchī)! The word 难吃 (nánchī) only means "bad-tasting" and not "difficult to eat."

See also

Using "hao" to mean "easy"

Expressing Difficulty with "hao (bu) rongyi"

Sources and further reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 232)

Expressing "never" with "conglai" "从来"

Although it can also work in the positive, 从来 (cónglái) is usually used when you want to express that you never do something (as a habit, or as a rule), or that you have never done something (it's not a part of your life experience). In either usage, 从来 (cónglái) may be shortened to just 从 (cóng) in casual speech.

"To Never Do" with 从来 (cónglái) + 不 (bù)

When you follow 从来 (cónglái) with 不 (bù), you are expressing that you never do something (as a habit, or as a rule). It's often used as a way to refuse something, as in "I never drink."

Structure

The structure is:

Subj. + 从来 + 不 + [Verb Phrase]

Keep in mind that 从来 (cónglái) may be shortened to just 从 (cóng) in casual speech.

Examples

她 从来 不 喝酒。
Tā cónglái bù hējiǔ.
She never drinks.

我 女朋友 从 不 给 我 打 电话。
来 has been omitted here.
Wǒ nǚpéngyou cóng bù gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.
My girlfriend never calls me.

这 个 人 很 奇怪，他 从来 不 笑。
Zhège rén hěn qíguài, tā cónglái bù xiào.
This person is very strange. He never laughs.

你 父母 从来 不 打 你 吗？
"hit" can mean "spank"
Nǐ fùmǔ cónglái bù dǎ nǐ ma?
Your parents never hit you?

他 从 不 关心 别人。
来 has been omitted here.
Tā cóng bù guānxīn biérén.
He never cares about other people.

"To Have Never Done" with 从来 (cónglái) + 没有 (méiyǒu)

Use 从来 (cónglái) with 没 (méi) or 没有 (méiyǒu) (and 过 (guo) after the verb) to indicate that you have never done something (it's not a part of your life experience). You're talking about the past now, because you're talking about what you haven't done before, so 没有 (méiyǒu) is appropriate. 过 (guo) also makes sense, because you're making a statement about your life experience.

Structure

The structure is:

Subj. + 从来 + 没(有) + Verb + 过

Again, 从来 (cónglái) may be shortened to just 从 (cóng) in casual speech. Note that you can have an object or other information after the verb, but the 过 (guo) needs to come immediately after the verb.

Examples

你 从来 没有 想 过 这 个 问题 吗？
Nǐ cónglái méiyǒu xiǎng guo zhège wèntí ma?
Have you never thought about this question?

她 从来 没 见 过 她 妈妈。
Tā cónglái méi jiàn guo tā māma.
She has never met her mother.

我 从没 学 过 这 个 词。
来 has been omitted here. Wǒ cóngméi xué guo zhège cí.
I have never before studied this word.

你们 从来 没有 听说 过 这 个 地方 吗？
Nǐmen cónglái méiyǒu tīngshuō guo zhège dìfang ma?
Have you never heard about this place before?

很 多 中国人 从来 没 出 过 国。
Hěn duō Zhōngguó rén cónglái méi chū guo guó.
A lot of Chinese people have never been abroad.

See Also

Expressing experiences with "guo"

Comparing "bu" and "mei"

"meiyou" as a Verb

Standard negation with "bu"

"Always" with "conglai"

Sources and further reading

Books

BRIDGE (桥梁 实用汉语中级教程上) (p.40)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (p. 59)

Websites

Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: Usage of 从来

Expressing "together" with "yiqi" "一起"

If you want to express that you are doing something together with someone else, 一起 (yīqǐ) is your word!

Note: The pinyin for 一起 is written "yīqǐ" but pronounced "yìqǐ" due to a tone change rule.

Structure

一起 (yīqǐ) is the easiest way to express an action being done together with other people.

Subj. + 一起 + Verb + Obj.

The subject must be plural - a plural noun or two or more nouns linked with a conjunction. You can't do things together on your own, after all.

Examples

我们 一起 吃 晚饭 吧。
Wǒmen yīqǐ chī wǎnfàn ba.
Let's eat dinner together.

早上 我 和 老公 一起 去 上班。
Zǎoshang wǒ hé lǎogōng yīqǐ qù shàngbān.
In the morning, I go to work together with my husband.

周末 我们 一起 去 看电影，好 吗？
Zhōumò wǒmen yīqǐ qù kàn diànyǐng, hǎo ma?
Let's go to the movies this weekend, shall we?

这 两 个 公司 一起 做 这个 产品。
Zhè liǎng gè gōngsī yīqǐ zuò zhège chǎnpǐn.
These two businesses made this product together.

下班 以后，你们 一起 来 我 家 吧。
Xiàbān yǐhòu, nǐmen yīqǐ lái wǒ jiā ba.
After work, why don't you all come to my home together?

下 个 月 我 和 妈妈 一起 去 旅行。
Xià gè yuè wǒ hé māma yīqǐ qù lǚxíng.
Next month I'll go on a trip together with mom.

你们 有没有 一起 玩 过 这 个 游戏？
Nǐmen yǒu méiyǒu yīqǐ wán guo zhège yóuxì?
Have you all ever played this game together?

他 想 和 他太太 一起 学 中文。
Tā xiǎng hé tā tàitai yīqǐ xué Zhōngwén.
He wants to study Chinese together with his wife.

结婚以后，你 和 父母 会 一起 住 吗？
Jiéhūn yǐhòu, nǐ hé fùmǔ huì yīqǐ zhù ma?
Will you live together with your parents after you get married?

今天 晚上 老板 要 和 我们 一起 加班。
Jīntiān wǎnshang, lǎobǎn yào hé wǒmen yīqǐ jiābān.
Tonight the boss is going to to work overtime together with us.

See also

Using "gen"

Sources and further reading

Books

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (p. 84, p88)

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 74-5)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 14-5)

Expressing duration with "le" "了"

Whether you need to express how long you lived somewhere, how long you studied astrophysics, or how long you worked as a mime, you'll need to use 了 (le) to express that time duration.

Basic Usage

Structure

Saying how long you did something for in Chinese can seem tricky, as there is no preposition as in English. Instead it's all about word order:

Subj. + Verb + 了 + Duration + Obj.

So 了 (le) is placed after the verb (to indicate that the action is completed), followed by the duration. This is how you talk about the duration of completed actions.

Examples

他 学 了 一 年 中文。
Tā xué le yī nián Zhōngwén.
He studied Chinese for a year.

我 看 了 一 个 晚上 书。
Wǒ kàn le yī gè wǎnshang shū.
I read books all evening.

妈妈 看 了 一 天 电视。
Māma kàn le yī tiān diànshì.
Mom watched TV all day.

他 在 Google 做 了 八 年 经理。
Tā zài Google zuò le bā nián jīnglǐ.
He worked as a manager at Google for eight years.

我们 坐 了 十五 个 小时 飞机 去 美国。
Wǒmen zuò le shíwǔ gè xiǎoshí fēijī qù Měiguó.
We took a fifteen hour flight to the United States.

To Express "Definitely Concluded"

Structure

Note that the previous pattern can be used to express the duration of completed actions which are no longer in progress, although strictly speaking, it's not entirely clear if the actions are still ongoing or not. To indicate that the actions are definitely concluded (not ongoing), a time word may be inserted into the sentence to indicate that you're talking about an event in the past:

Subj. + [Time Word] + Verb + 了 + Duration + Obj.

Examples

昨天 他 写 了 一 天 作业。
Zuótiān tā xiě le yī tiān zuòyè.
He did his homework all day yesterday.

我 刚才 打 了 半 个 小时 电话。
Wǒ gāngcái dǎ le bàn gè xiǎoshí diànhuà.
I was on the phone for half an hour.

他 今天 喝 了 一 个 晚上 酒。
Tā jīntiān hē le yī gè wǎnshang jiǔ.
He drank alcohol all night.

我 昨天 玩 了 一 个 下午 游戏。
Wǒ zuótiān wán le yī gè xiàwǔ yóuxì.
Yesterday, I played games all afternoon.

上 个 周末 我 和 老公 开 了 三 个 小时 车 回 老家。
Shàng gè zhōumò wǒ hé lǎogōng kāi le sān gè xiǎoshí chē huí lǎojiā.
Last weekend, my husband and I drove three hours to our hometown.

To indicate that the action is definitely still in progress, use a slightly different pattern.

See also

Expressing duration of inaction

Uses of le

Sources and further reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 118-9)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 90-1)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 173)

Expressing ongoing duration with double "le" "了"

The 了 (le) particle is used in many different ways. In this article, we will explore how to use the double 了 (le) to express the duration of an activity that is ongoing.

Ongoing Duration with Simple Verbs

Expressing how long you did something in the past is one thing, but what if the action is still ongoing?

A clarifying example (in English) is appropriate:

I lived in Shanghai for 5 years. (concluded, not ongoing)

I have lived in Shanghai for 5 years. (mostly likely ongoing)

I have been living in Shanghai for 5 years. (definitely ongoing)

This article is about expressing the third situation above, the one which is definitely ongoing.

Structure

Subj. + Verb + 了 + Duration + 了

The first 了 (le) is placed after the verb (to indicate that the action is completed), followed by the duration, followed by an additional 了 (le) which tells us that the action has not concluded and is ongoing. You can think of the second 了 (le) as communicating the meaning of "up until now."

Examples

你 睡 了 一 天 了。
Nǐ shuì le yī tiān le.
You have been sleeping for the whole day.

他 在 北京 住 了 两 年 了。
Tā zài Běijīng zhù le liǎng nián le.
He has been living in Beijing for two years.

这 个 会，他们 开 了 两 个 小时 了。
Zhège huì, tāmen kāi le liǎng gè xiǎoshí le.
They've been holding this meeting for the past two hours.

我 在 这儿 等 了 半 个 小时 了。
Wǒ zài zhèr děng le bàn gè xiǎoshí le.
I have been waiting here for half an hour.

他们 在 酒吧 待 了 一 个 晚上 了。
Tāmen zài jiǔbā dāi le yī gè wǎnshang le.
They have been staying at the bar for the whole evening.

When the Verb Takes an Object

Structure

Note that in the examples above, the verbs have no objects. When the verb has an object, the verb is often repeated:

Subj. + Verb + Obj. + Verb + 了 + Duration + 了

Examples

我 学 中文 学 了 一 年 了。
Wǒ xué Zhōngwén xué le yī nián le.
I have been learning Chinese for a year.

他 打 电话 打 了 一 个 多 小时 了。
Tā dǎ diànhuà dǎ le yī gè duō xiǎoshí le.
He has been on the phone for more than an hour.

老板 打 游戏 打 了 一 个 上午 了。
Lǎobǎn dǎ yóuxì dǎ le yī gè shàngwǔ le.
The boss has been playing video games all morning.

你 洗澡 洗 了 差不多 一 个 小时 了。
Nǐ xǐzǎo xǐ le chàbuduō yī gè xiǎoshí le.
You have been showering for almost an hour.

妈妈 看电视 看 了 一 晚上 了。
Māma kàn diànshì kàn le yī wǎnshang le.
Mom has been watching TV all evening.

Sources and Further Reading

Books

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 68)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 203-4)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 13-4)

Websites

Yale: The Perfective –Le了 Versus The Modal Particle Le了

Inability with "mei banfa" "没办法"

If you are trying to express that something is impossible, you can use the phrase 没办法 (méi bànfǎ). 没办法 (méi bànfǎ) essentially means "there is no way," and while it works just fine by itself, it can also come before verbs.

Structure

One easy way to express inability is to place the phrase 没办法 (méi bànfǎ) before the verb.

Subj. + 没办法 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

今天 太 忙 了，中午 没 办法 出去 吃饭。
Jīntiān tài máng le, zhōngwǔ méi bànfǎ chūqù chīfàn.
It's too busy today. There's no way to go out for lunch.

他 没 带 手机，没 办法 给 我 打电话。
Tā méi dài shǒujī, méi bànfǎ gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.
He didn't bring his phone, so he has no way to give me a call.

没有 水，我们 没 办法 洗 衣服。
Méiyǒu shuǐ, wǒmen méi bànfǎ xǐ yīfu.
There's no water. There's no way for us to wash clothes.

这里 太 吵 了，我 没 办法 工作。
Zhèlǐ tài chǎo le, wǒ méi bànfǎ gōngzuò.
It‘s too noisy here. I can't work.

他 不 开门，所以 她 没 办法 进去。
Tā bù kāimén, suǒyǐ tā méi bànfǎ jìnqù.
He didn't open the door, so she has no way to enter.

你 不 会 说 中文，没 办法 在 我们公司 工作。
Nǐ bù huì shuō Zhōngwén, méi bànfǎ zài wǒmen gōngsī gōngzuò.
You can't speak Chinese, so there is no way for you to work for our company.

事情 太 多 了，我 今天 没 办法 做完。
Shìqing tài duō le, wǒ jīntiān méi bànfǎ zuò wán.
There's too much to do. I have no way to finish today.

老板 不 同意，我 没 办法 帮 你。
Lǎobǎn bù tóngyì , wǒ méi bànfǎ bāng nǐ.
The boss didn't agree, so I have no way to help you.

这里 没有 wifi，我 没 办法 上网。
Zhèlǐ méiyǒu wifi，wǒ méi bànfǎ shàngwǎng.
There is no wifi here, so I have no way of going online.

他 很 笨，我 没 办法 跟 他 一起 工作。
Tā hěn bèn, wǒ méi bànfǎ gēn tā yīqǐ gōngzuò.
He's really dumb. There is no way I can work with him.

See also

Negation of "you"

Expressing ability or possibility

Sources and further reading

Exemplification of Common Sentence Patterns in Spoken Chinese 汉语口语常用句式例解 (p. 159)

Indicating location with "zai" "在" before verbs

If you need to include the place where an action takes place, you can use 在 (zài). Just pay close attention to word order, as this is one case in which Chinese word order is quite different from English.

Structure

To indicate the location that a verb takes place in, 在 (zài), followed by a location, comes before the verb.

Subj. + 在 + Place + Verb + Obj.

Notice that the location is placed before the verb in Chinese, whereas in English it appears afterwards.

Examples

我 在 上海 上大学。
Wǒ zài Shànghǎi shàng dàxué.
I went to college in Shanghai.

你 一直 在 这 家 公司 工作 吗？
Nǐ yīzhí zài zhè jiā gōngsī gōngzuò ma?
Have you always been working in this company?

我 周末 想 在 家 睡觉。
Wǒ zhōumò xiǎng zài jiā shuìjiào.
On the weekend, I want to sleep at home.

不 要 在 床 上 吃 东西。
In addition to "在" you need a "上" to indicate the location "on the bed."
Bù yào zài chuáng shàng chī dōngxi.
Don't eat food on the bed.

你 想 在 哪儿 开 生日 派对？
Nǐ xiǎng zài nǎr kāi shēngrì pàiduì?
Where do you want to have the birthday party?

他 喜欢 在 厕所 里 抽烟。
In addition to "在" you need a "里" to indicate the location "in the bathroom."
Tā xǐhuan zài cèsuǒ lǐ chōuyān.
He likes to smoke in the bathroom.

很 多 人 在 地铁 上 吃 早饭。
In addition to "在" you need a "上" to indicate the location "in the subway."
Hěn duō rén zài dìtiě shàng chī zǎofàn.
Many people eat breakfast on the subway.

现在 我们 在 KTV 唱歌。
Xiànzài wǒmen zài KTV chànggē.
Now we're singing songs at karaoke.

老板 在 会议室 见 客户。
Lǎobǎn zài huìyìshì jiàn kèhù.
The boss is seeing the client in the meeting room.

你 在 外面 吃 过 晚饭 了 吗？
Nǐ zài wàimiàn chī guo wǎnfàn le ma?
Did you eat dinner outside?

Remember: in English we usually put the location at the end of a sentence. In Chinese, we put the location after the subject but before the verb.

Getting More Specific with Locations

Rather than just using 在 (zài) to mean "at" a location, you might want to use it to mean "in," "on," or "under" a specific location. To do this, you'll need to add an extra word after the location. Learn about expressing location with "zai... shang / xia / li".

See Also

Expressing existence in a place with "zai"

Expressing location with "zai... shang / xia / li"

Special cases of "zai" following verbs

Complements with "dao," "gei," and "zai"

Sources and further reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 128)

Reduplication of verbs

One of the fun things about Chinese is that when speaking, you can repeat a verb to express "a little bit" or "briefly." This is called reduplication. It creates a casual tone, and a sense that whatever the action is, it's not going to take long.

Reduplication with the AA Pattern

Structure

In Chinese, verbs can be reduplicated to indicate that they happen briefly or "a little bit."

Subj. + Verb + Verb

Chinese grammar books frequently refer to the reduplication of a single-character word as a "AA" pattern. Note that for this pattern, the second verb's tone changes to the neutral tone.

Examples

你 看看。
Nǐ kànkan.
Take a little look.

我 试 试。
Wǒ shìshi.
I'll give it a try.

说 说 你 的 想法。
Shuōshuo nǐ de xiǎngfǎ.
Talk a little bit about your ideas.

出去 玩 玩 吧！
Chūqù wánwan ba!
Go out and have fun!

我 想 出去 走 走。
Wǒ xiǎng chūqù zǒuzou.
I want to go out and walk for a bit.

Reduplication with 一 (yī)

Structure

Another way to reduplicate verbs is to insert 一 (yī), in the following structure:

Verb + 一 + Verb

Examples

别 生气 了，笑 一 笑！
Bié shēngqì le, xiào yī xiào!
Don't be mad, gimme a smile!

你 去 问 一 问 他们 厕所 在 哪里。
Nǐ qù wèn yī wèn tāmen cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ.
Go and ask them where the bathroom is.

我 可以 用 一 用 你 的 电脑 吗？
Wǒ kěyǐ yòng yī yòng nǐ de diànnǎo ma?
Can I use your computer for a little bit?

你 现在 有时间 吗？我们 聊一聊 吧。
Nǐ xiànzài yǒu shíjiān ma? Wǒmen liáo yī liáo ba.
Do you have a second? Let's chat for a bit.

你 想 尝 一 尝 我 做 的 菜 吗？
Nǐ xiǎng cháng yī cháng wǒ zuò de cài ma?
Do you want to taste the food that I cooked?

Using this kind of structure lightens the mood and seriousness of the question. It also adds variety to sentence structure. Because these phrases are used colloquially, there is not set rule to which verbs this can be applied to. There are some verbs that are often reduplicated and some verbs that sound weird when reduplicated. With practice and exposure, you will learn which ones are often used.

ABAB Reduplication with Two-Syllable Verbs

In the examples above, all verbs are only one syllable. Those verbs get reduplicated a lot, so those examples are quite useful. Occasionally, though, two-syllable verbs get reduplicated as well. When this happens, it's important to use the "ABAB" pattern for verbs (meaning the entire word is repeated), and not the "AABB" pattern you use for adjectives (where each character is repeated individually).

Examples

考虑 考虑
kǎolǜ kǎolǜ
think it over

讨论 讨论
tǎolùn tǎolùn
discuss it

商量 商量
shāngliang shāngliang
talk it over

打听 打听
dǎting dǎting
inquire about it

See also

Softening speech with "ba"

Sources and further reading

Books

New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (p. 18)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 85)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 227-8)

Contemporary Chinese 1 (当代中文1) (p. 125)

Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) (pp. 152-160)

New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (p. 121-2)

Special cases of "zai" "在" following verbs

When used to indicate locations of actions, 在 (zài) is usually placed after the subject and before the verb. There are certain cases, however, when 在 (zài) goes after the verb.

Structure

This pattern is used regularly with special types of verbs, including: 住 (zhù), 放 (fàng), 坐 (zuò), and 站 (zhàn). These are verbs that imply movement or location. Technically, the structure is called a location complement, but it can be understood without going into that much detail. Just remember that for verbs implying movement or location like the ones above, the default sentence order changes and you get this structure:

Subj. + [Special Verb] + 在 + Location

Examples

你 住 在 上海吗？
Nǐ zhù zài Shànghǎi ma?
Do you live in Shanghai?

他 坐 在 老板 的 旁边。
Tā zuò zài lǎobǎn de pángbiān.
He sits next to the boss.

你 应该 站 在 我 后面。
Nǐ yīnggāi zhàn zài wǒ hòumiàn.
You should stand behind me.

不要 坐 在我 的 床 上。
Bùyào zuò zài wǒ de chuáng shàng.
Don't sit on my bed.

你 的 衣服 不 可以 放 在 这里。 Nǐ de yīfu bù kěyǐ fàng zài zhèlǐ.
You can't put your clothes here.

不要 站 在 路 中间。
Bùyào zhàn zài lù zhōngjiān.
Don't stand in the middle of the road.

不要 坐 在 地 上。
Bùyào zuò zài dì shàng.
Don't sit on the ground.

那 本 书 我 放 在 桌子 上 了。
Nà běn shū wǒ fàng zài zhuōzi shàng le.
I placed that book on the table.

不要 走 在 草地 上。
Búyào zǒu zài cǎodì shàng.
Don't walk on the grass.

周末 我 不 想 待 在 家 里。
Zhōumò wǒ bù xiǎng dāi zài jiā lǐ.
I don't want to stay at home on weekends.

Remember that this is an exception to the normal rule. A common mistake is to over apply this and produce incorrect sentences. Note the incorrect and correct versions below.

我 工作 在 上海。
Wǒ gōngzuò zài Shànghǎi.

我 在 上海工作。
Wǒ zài Shànghǎi gōngzuò.
I work in Shanghai.

我 学习 在 图书馆。
Wǒ xuéxí zài túshūguǎn.

我 在 图书馆 学习。
Wǒ zài túshūguǎn xuéxí.
I study in the library.

See Also

Expressing existence in a place with "zai"

Indicating location with "zai" before verbs

Complements with "dao," "gei," and "zai"

Sources and further reading

Books

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 104-105)

Special verbs with "hen" "很"

Using 很 hěn to intensify verbs that express thoughts or feeling is really easy.

Structure

Subj. + 很 + [Certain Verbs]

Certain "psychological verbs" related to feelings or emotional sates can be modified with 很 hěn to increase their intensity. This is similar to using "really" or "very much" in English. Remember that this only applies to psychological verbs, such as:

想
xiǎng
to think; to want; to miss

喜欢
xǐhuan
to like

小心
xiǎoxīn
to be careful

怕
pà
to fear; to be afraid of

了解
liǎojiě
to know a lot about

讨厌
tǎoyàn
to hate

担心
dānxīn
to worry about

希望
xīwàng
to hope

Examples

我 很 想 你。
Wǒ hěn xiǎng nǐ.
I really miss you.

他 很 喜欢 你。
Tā hěn xǐhuan nǐ.
He really likes you.

你应该很 小心 。
Nǐ yīnggāi hěn xiǎoxīn.
You should be very careful.

我 很 怕 晚上 一个人 在家。
Wǒ hěn pà wǎnshang yīgèrén zài jiā.
I fear staying home alone at night.

你 应该 很 了解 自己 的 孩子。
Nǐ yīnggāi hěn liǎojiě zìjǐ de háizi.
You should know a lot about your child.

外国 人 很 讨厌 中国 的 公共 厕所。
Wàiguó rén hěn tǎoyàn Zhōngguó de gōnggòng cèsuǒ.
Foreigners really hate public toilets in China.

你 两天 没 回家，妈妈 很 担心 你。
Nǐ liǎng tiān méi huíjiā, māma hěn dānxīn nǐ.
You haven't gone home in two days. Mom is really worried about you.

父母 都 很 希望 我 能 上 一 个 好 大学。
Fùmǔ dōu hěn xīwàng wǒ néng shàng yī gè hǎo dàxué.
Both of my parents really hope that I can go to a good college.

Did you ever notice that some Chinese people with less-than-perfect English will use the phrase "very like?" Now you know why!

See also

Expressing "excessively" with tai

The "zui" superlative

Positive adjectives with "-ji le"

Sources and further reading

Books

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 新实用汉语课本1 (p. 143)

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 新实用汉语课本1(2nd ed) (p. 166)

Using "dao" "到" to mean "to go to"

A simple and direct way to indicate that you or someone is going to a specific place or has arrived at a specific place is to use the verb 到 (dào).

到 (dào) for Arriving in a Place

Structure

The verb 到 (dào) is used to talk about arriving in places.

Subj. + 到 + Place

Examples

For these examples, it's straightforward to think of 到 (dào) as simply meaning "to arrive."

他们 已经 到 酒吧 了。
Tāmen yǐjīng dào jiǔbā le.
They have already arrived at the bar.

我 刚 到 家。
Wǒ gāng dào jiā.
I just got home.

你 到 机场 了 吗？
Nǐ dào jīchǎng le ma?
Have you arrived at the airport?

我 已经 到 火车站 了。
Wǒ yǐjīng dào huǒchēzhàn le.
I've already arrived at the train station.

我们 先 到 北京 ， 然后 到 香港。
Wǒmen xiān dào Běijīng, ránhòu dào Xiānggǎng.
First we'll arrive in Beijing, then in Hong Kong.

In some examples translating 到 (dào) as "to arrive" doesn't work as well and you might need to expand your understanding of exactly what 到 (dào) means. That's what we'll examine below.

Going to a Place and Performing an Action

Structure

If you are going to a place to do something else, you can first use 到 (dào) to indicate where you're going, then add another verb after that. This has the meaning of "going to the place to do something," and it's one case where the "arrive" translation doesn't really work anymore.

Subj. + 到 + Place + Verb Phrase

Examples

明天 我 要 到 南京 路 买 衣服。
Míngtiān wǒ yào dào Nánjīng Lù mǎi yīfu.
Tomorrow I'll go to Nanjing Road to buy clothes.

你们 晚上 到 哪儿 吃饭 啊？
Nǐmen wǎnshang dào nǎr chīfàn a?
Where will you all go to eat food this evening?

我 跟 朋友 经常 到 KTV 唱歌 。
Wǒ gēn péngyou jīngcháng dào KTV chànggē.
I often go to Karaoke to sing songs with friends.

今年 春节 我 要 到 女朋友 家 见 她 的 父母 。
Jīnnián Chūnjié wǒ yào dào nǚpéngyou jiā jiàn tā de fùmǔ.
This Spring Festival I am going to my girlfriend's house to meet her parents.

下 个 月 我 要 到 美国 出差。
Xià gè yuè wǒ yào dào Měiguó chūchāi.
Next month I need to go to the USA on a business trip.

You might be wondering: can I just use 去 (qù) instead of 到 (dào)? For sentences like this, yes, you can. But native speakers will frequently use 到 (dào) in this way, so it's still good to be familiar with this pattern. If you want to sound more native, you should use it too!

到 (dào), 去 (qù), and 走 (zǒu)

Sometimes it can be hard to figure out exactly which word to use in Chinese to mean "go." 到 (dào) is used when you talk about arriving at a place, emphasizing the destination. 去 (qù) is used when you are going to a place. The exact meaning is "to go," and it emphasizes getting to somewhere. 走 (zǒu) is used when talking about "leaving." The emphasis is on getting away from a particular place.

See also

Using "zai" with verbs

Complements with "dao," "gei," and "zai"

"From… To…" with "cong… dao…"

Sources and further reading

Books

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 200)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 72)

Using "hao" "好" to mean "easy"

Of course 好 (hǎo) means "good." But it can also be used to express that something is "easy to do" or "good to do." And it is quite... easy to do! All you need to do is place a 好 (hǎo) before a verb.

General Verbs

Just as 难 (nán) can be used to indicate that it's hard to do something, 好 (hǎo) can also come before verbs to indicate that something is easy to do.

Structure

The simple form is just:

好 + Verb

If you want to make a sentence out of it:

Subj. + (很) 好 + Verb

Examples

这 个 词 的 意思 很 好懂。
Zhège cí de yìsi hěn hǎo dǒng.
The meaning of this word is easy to understand.

这 个 汉字 很 好写。
Zhège Hànzì hěn hǎo xiě.
This Chinese character is easy to write.

三明治 很 好做。
Sānmíngzhì hěn hǎo zuò.
Sandwiches are easy to make.

苹果 手机 现在 很 好买。
Píngguǒ shǒujī xiànzài hěn hǎo mǎi.
iPhones are easy to buy now.

这 个 笔 很 好用。
Zhège bǐ hěn hǎo yòng.
This pen is easy to use.

Exceptions

好 (hǎo) can also be attached to "sense verbs" (e.g. "look," "taste," "smell," etc.) to indicate that something is 'good to do'' (rather than "easy to do").

There's a limited number of these, but some of them are super common, so just memorize them as exceptions:

好吃
hǎochī
good to taste, good to eat, delicious

好喝
hǎohē
good to taste, good to drink

好看
hǎokàn
good to look at, good-looking, attractive

好听
hǎotīng
good to listen to, pleasant to listen to, good-sounding

好闻
hǎowén
good to smell, smells good, good-smelling

The word for "fun" in Chinese is also of this form, even though it's not a sense verb:

好玩
hǎowán
fun

Examples

这 首 歌 很 好听 。
Zhè shǒu gē hěn hǎotīng.
This song is great.

这 种 茶 很 好闻 。
Zhè zhǒng chá hěn hǎowén.
This kind of tea smells good.

你 的 新 包 很 好看 。
Nǐ de xīn bāo hěn hǎokàn.
Your new bag looks good.

妈妈 做 的 菜 很 好吃 。
Māma zuò de cài hěn hǎochī.
The food mom makes is delicious.

我 觉得 上海 很 好玩 。
Wǒ juéde Shànghǎi hěn hǎowán.
I think Shanghai is a lot of fun.

See also

Expressing "difficult" with "nan"

Expressing Difficulty with "hao (bu) rongyi"

Expressing purpose with "haorang" (advanced article)

Sources and further reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 232)

卓越汉语－公司实战篇 (p. 52)

Verbing briefly with "yixia" "一下"

After briefly reading this article, you will know how to use 一下 (yīxià) to express a brief action!

Note: The pinyin for 一下 is written "yīxià" but pronounced "yíxià" due to a tone change rule.

Structure

To express that a verb is carried out briefly or "a little bit," you can add 一下 (yīxià) after it. Sometimes 一下 (yīxià) can soften the tone.

Subj. + Verb + 一下 + Obj.

Often, adding 一下 (yīxià) just makes the Chinese feel more natural. This is not something you can get a feel for quickly. You'll want to observe how native speakers use 一下 (yīxià) over a long period of time to really get used to how it is used.

Examples

请 你 等 一下。
You get the feeling that it shouldn't be a long wait.
Qǐng nǐ děng yīxià.
Please wait a little bit.

你 看 一下。
It should be quick.
Nǐ kàn yīxià.
Take a look.

试 一下 吧。
How long can trying it take?
Shì yīxià ba.
Try it.

我 要 想 一下。
You're supposed to believe that I won't need to think about it long.
Wǒ yào xiǎng yīxià.
I want to think a little.

开 一下 门 吧 。
How long can it take to open the door?
Kāi yīxià mén ba.
Please open the door.

请 你 说 一下 为什么。
I feel it should be a quick explanation.
Qǐng nǐ shuō yīxià wèishénme.
Please say why.

不要 生气 了，笑 一下！
Just one quick laugh!
Bùyào shēngqì le, xiào yīxià!
Don't be mad, laugh!

宝宝，亲 一下 爸爸。
If a baby's kiss isn't quick, it's weird for everyone.
Bǎobao, qīn yīxià bàba.
Baby, give your dad a kiss.

你 可以 来 一下 我 的 办公室 吗？
Just come real quick.
Nǐ kěyǐ lái yīxià wǒ de bàngōngshì ma?
Could you please come to my office?

你 能 介绍 一下 自己 吗 ？
Not your life story, just a brief self-introduction.
Nǐ néng jièshào yīxià zìjǐ ma?
Could you introduce yourself briefly?

See also

Verb reduplication with yi

Verb reduplication

Sources and further reading

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 126)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 206)

Verbs that take double objects

There are some common verbs in Chinese that can take two objects. In this article, we will look at how they are used.

Structure

As in English, some verbs in Chinese take two objects. A typical example for English is "to bake someone a cake," and there are countless more. The structure in Chinese is:

Subj. + Verb + [Indirect Obj.] + [Direct Obj.]

If you don't know what direct and indirect objects are, don't worry - the terms can be thought of as "object 1" and "object 2." The main point is that there are two of them. A simple way to think about it is that the direct object is the thing that the action happens to (e.g. the cake that gets baked) while the indirect object is the recipient of the direct object (e.g. the person the cake is given to).

Examples

老师，我 可以 问 你 一 个 问题 吗？
Lǎoshī, wǒ kěyǐ wèn nǐ yī gè wèntí ma?
Teacher, may I ask you a question?

大家 都 叫 他 “怪叔叔”。
Dàjiā dōu jiào tā "guài shūshu."
Everyone calls him "Uncle Weirdo."

我 想 告诉 你 一 个 好 消息 。
Wǒ xiǎng gàosu nǐ yī gè hǎo xiāoxi.
I want to tell you the good news.

他们 给 了 你 多少 钱？
Tāmen gěi le nǐ duōshao qián?
How much money did they give you?

他 送 了 女朋友 很 多 花。
Tā sòng le nǚpéngyou hěn duō huā.
He gave his girlfriend lots of flowers.

我 想 送给 你 一 本 书。
Wǒ xiǎng sòng gěi nǐ yī běn shū.
I want to give you a book.

爸爸 要 送给 我 一 个 很 贵 的 生日 礼物。
Bàba yào sòng gěi wǒ yī gè hěn guì de shēngrì lǐwù.
My dad is going to give me a very expensive birthday gift.

你 可以 借 我 两 千 块 钱 吗？
Nǐ kěyǐ jiè wǒ liǎng qiān kuài qián ma?
Can you lend me 2000 kuai?

老板 刚 发给 我 上个月 的 工资。
Lǎobǎn gāng fā gěi wǒ shàng gè yuè de gōngzī.
The boss just gave me my pay for last month.

这 个 人 骗 了 我 很 多 钱。
Zhège rén piàn le wǒ hěn duō qián.
This person cheated me out of a lot of money.

Sources and further reading

Websites

Wikipedia: "ditransitive" verbs

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 182-3)

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (pp. 165-6)

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (pp. 187-8)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 125)

Potential complement "-bu dong" "不懂" for not understanding

Chinese learners often have to express that they don't understand something, especially in the beginning when they start learning. One of the ways to express that is to use the 不懂 (bù dǒng) verb complement.

Structure

Yes, 不懂 (bù dǒng) by itself simply means "not understand," and you can use it this way. But you'll find that more often, it follows a verb. When used this way, it is a complement.

The potential complement 不懂 (bù dǒng) is used to talk about things that can't be understood. Note that this is about potential: the subject doesn't have the ability to understand.

Subj. + Verb + 不懂

The 不懂 (bù dǒng) may also be swapped out with 不明白 (bù míngbai).

Examples

我 看 不 懂 这 本 书。
Literally, "read-not-understand"
Wǒ kàn bu dǒng zhè běn shū.
I don't understand the book.

孩子们 看 不 懂 你 写 的 汉字。
Literally, "read-not-understand"
Háizi men kàn bu dǒng nǐ xiě de Hànzì.
Kids don't understand the characters that you wrote.

你 看 不 懂 我 的 邮件 吗？
Literally, "read-not-understand"
Nǐ kàn bu dǒng wǒ de yóujiàn ma?
Do you not understand my emails?

老板 的 中文 说 得 很好，可是 他 看 不 懂 中文 报纸。
Literally, "read-not-understand"
Lǎobǎn de Zhōngwén shuō de hěn hǎo, kěshì tā kàn bu dǒng Zhōngwén bàozhǐ.
The boss speaks very good Chinese, but he doesn't understand Chinese newspapers.

我 听 不 懂 上海话 。
Literally, "hear-not-understand"
Wǒ tīng bu dǒng Shànghǎi-huà.
I don't understand Shanghai dialect.

你们 听 不 懂 我 的 话 吗？
Literally, "hear-not-understand"
Nǐmen tīng bu dǒng wǒ de huà ma?
Do you not understand what I say?

我 听 不 懂 你 说 的 英语。
Literally, "hear-not-understand"
Wǒ tīng bu dǒng nǐ shuō de Yīngyǔ.
I don't understand your English.

我们 都 听 不 懂 你 的 意思。
Literally, "hear-not-understand"
Wǒmen dōu tīng bu dǒng nǐ de yìsi.
None of us understand what you mean.

很 多 人 读 不懂 这 本 书 。
Literally, "read-not-understand"
Hěn duō rén dú bu dǒng zhè běn shū.
Many people don't understand this book.

这 个 句子 很 难， 学生们 都 读 不 懂。
Literally, "read-not-understand"
Zhège jùzi hěn nán, xuéshengmen dōu dú bu dǒng.
This sentence is very difficult. None of the students understand.

See also

Potential complement "bu xia"

Positive and negative potential complements

Sources and further reading

Books

A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp. 242-3, pp. 271 - 329)

Chinese Grammar Without Tears (简明汉语语法学习手册) (Chapter 6: Complements)

New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 200 - 201)

New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 87-8)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 97-9)

Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) (pp, 186-7)

Websites

Wikipedia: Complement (linguistics)

Baidu Baike (Chinese): 补语

Blog entry (Chinese): 状态补语

Result complement "-wan" "完" for finishing

On its own, 完 (wán) means "to finish" or "to complete." Using it in this grammar structure, it expresses the idea of doing some action to completion.

Structure

As well as with 到 (dào) and 见 (jiàn), you can also form result complements with 完 (wán). This indicates that an action is finished or completed.

Subj. + Verb + 完 (+ 了) + Obj.

Frequently, you'll also see a 了 (le) at the end, indicating completion.

Examples

我 说 完 了 。
Wǒ shuō wán le.
I am finished talking.

你 吃 完 了 吗 ？
Nǐ chī wán le ma?
Are you done eating?

我 想 看 完 这个 电影 。
Wǒ xiǎng kàn wán zhège diànyǐng.
I want to finish watching the movie.

你 做 完 以后，就 可以 下班 了 。
Nǐ zuò wán yǐhòu, jiù kěyǐ xiàbān le.
After you finish doing it, you can get off work.

你 今天 可以 做 完 作业 吗？
Nǐ jīntiān kěyǐ zuò wán zuòyè ma?
Can you finish doing your homework today?

你 什么时候 可以 看 完 这 本 书？
Nǐ shénme shíhou kěyǐ kàn wán zhè běn shū?
When can you finish reading this book?

妈妈 洗 完 衣服 以后，就 去 做 晚饭 了。
Māma xǐ wán yīfu yǐhòu, jiù qù zuò wǎnfàn le.
After mom finished washing clothes, she went to cook dinner.

做 完 这些 作业 需要 两 个 小时 。
Zuò wán zhèxiē zuòyè xūyào liǎng gè xiǎoshí.
To finish your homework you will need two hours.

看 完 以后 告诉 我 。
Kàn wán yǐhòu gàosu wǒ.
Tell me when you have finished watching.

我们 学 完 了 一百 个 词 。
Wǒmen xué wán le yībǎi gè cí.
We have finished learning 100 words.

In English we say "I finished the movie," or "I finished supper," but in Chinese you should explicitly use the verb implied in English along with 完了 (wán le) to emphasize that you completed the action: "watch the movie (till the end)" or "eat (all my) supper."

我 完 了 电影。Wǒ wán le diànyǐng.

我看 完 了 电影 。To tell us that you watched it till the end.Wǒ kàn wán le diànyǐng.I finished watching the movie.

See also

Result complements "dao" and "jian"

Result complement "-cuo"

Result complement "-hao"

Sources and further reading

Books

A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp. 273-84)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 97-9)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (p. 42)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (p. 86)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 152-3)

New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 87-8)

Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) (pp. 186-7)

Result complements "-dao" "到" and "-jian" "见"

Two of the most common result complements in Chinese are 到 (dào) and 见 (jiàn). On this page we're only going to be talking about verbs related to the senses ("see," "hear," etc.), and for this usage, the two are interchangeable.

Verbs with 到 (dào) and 见 (jiàn)

Structure

Result complements are a huge topic in Chinese grammar, but you can approach them in stages. The structure you come across the most is a verb with 到 (dào):

Subj. + Verb + 到 + Obj.

What 到 (dào) does is indicate that the outcome of the verb is achieved - what its result is. Without a result complement, the sentence would describe only the action itself. To illustrate, 看 (kàn) "to look" is the action of turning your head in a particular direction and focusing your eyes, whereas 看到 (kàndào), "to see," is the result of your brain taking in the visual input. It may sound a little hokey, but it really is possible to "look but not see," and Chinese makes a clear distinction between the action and the result.

The complement 见 (jiàn) is very similar to 到 (dào), and it is used in the same way:

Subj. + Verb + 见 + Obj.

However, there is a difference. 见 (jiàn) is generally only used after verbs involving one of the senses, like 听 (tīng) and 看 (kàn), whereas 到 (dào) can be attached to a large variety of verbs, which we will discuss at a higher level later.

Examples

你 看 见 那 个 帅哥 了 吗 ？
Nǐ kànjiàn nàge shuàigē le ma?

你 看到 那 个 帅哥 了 吗 ？
Nǐ kàndào nàge shuàigē le ma?
Did you see that handsome guy?

我 看 见 了 。
Wǒ kànjiàn le.
We didn't say what "I" saw; you have to infer it from the context.

我 看 到 了 。
Wǒ kàndào le.
I saw it.

你 听 见 了 吗 ？
Nǐ tīngjiàn le ma?

你 听 到 了 吗 ？
Nǐ tīngdào le ma?
Did you hear it?

Negative Forms

Structure

Subj. + 没 + Verb + 到 / 见 + Obj.

This structure can be negated using 没 (méi) on 没有 (méiyǒu). This is because if there is a result, then it already happened. And you need to use 没 (méi) to negate past events, not 不 (bù).

Examples

你 没 看 到 那 个 帅哥 吗 ？
Nǐ méi kàndào nàge shuàigē ma?

你 没 看 见 那 个 帅哥 吗 ？
Nǐ méi kànjiàn nàge shuàigē ma?
You didn't see that handsome guy?

我 没有 看 到 。
Wǒ méiyǒu kàndào.

我 没有 看 见 。
Wǒ méiyǒu kànjiàn.
We didn't say what "I" didn't see; you have to infer it from the context.I didn't see it.

你 没 听 到 吗 ？
Nǐ méi tīngdào ma?

你 没 听 见 吗 ？
Nǐ méi tīngjiàn ma?
You didn't hear it?

See also

Result complement "-wan" for finishing

Result complement "-qilai"

Result complement "-cuo"

Sources and further reading

Books

Short-term Spoken Chinese: Threshold Vol. 2 (汉语口语入门篇下) (p. 92)

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 109)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (pp. 205-6)

Expressing "some" with "yixie" "一些"

In order to express "some" or "a few," you can use 一些 (yīxiē). To use it in this way, 一些 (yīxiē) is placed before the noun it modifies. 一些 (yīxiē) can modify the subject or the object.

Note: The pinyin for 一些 is written "yīxiē" but pronounced "yìxiē" due to a tone change rule.

Structure

一些 + Noun

Examples

妈妈 去 超市 买 了 一些 水果。
Māma qù chāoshì mǎi le yīxiē shuǐguǒ.
Mom went to the supermarket and bought some fruit.

上 个 周末 他 买了 一些 衣服。
Shàng gè zhōumò tā mǎi le yīxiē yīfu.
He bought some clothes last weekend.

我们 很 快 会 见到 一些 新 同事。
Wǒmen hěn kuài huì jiàndào yīxiē xīn tóngshì.
We're going to meet some new co-workers very soon.

你 饿 不 饿？这里 有 一些 吃的。
Nǐ è bu è? Zhèlǐ yǒu yīxiē chīde.
Are you hungry or not? There is some food here.

下课 以后， 学生们 问 了 一些 问题。
Xiàkè yǐhòu, xuéshengmen wèn le yīxiē wèntí.
After class, the students asked some questions.

给 我 一些 时间，好吗？
Gěi wǒ yīxiē shíjiān, hǎo ma?
Give me some time, OK?

他 给 我 带 了 一些 书。
Tā gěi wǒ dài le yīxiē shū.
He brought me some books.

你 可以 借 我 一些 钱 吗？
Nǐ kěyǐ jiè wǒ yīxiē qián ma?
Can you lend me some money?

你 想 在 咖啡 里 放 一些 糖 吗 ？
Nǐ xiǎng zài kāfēi lǐ fàng yīxiē táng ma?
Do you want to put some sugar in your coffee?

我 在 中国 的 时候，去 过 一些 很 漂亮 的 地方。
Wǒ zài Zhōngguó de shíhou, qù guo yīxiē hěn piàoliang de dìfang.
When I was in China, I went to some beautiful places.

Sources and further reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2

Using "youde" "有的" to mean "some"

To refer to just certain members of group, you can use 有的 (yǒude). This usage is normally translated as "some" in English. It is often used multiple times in one sentence to refer to different groups.

Structure

All you need to do is put 有的 (yǒude) before the nouns there are "some of" in the sentence. If there is already some context, you can omit the subject, and the 有的 (yǒude) can just mean "some" instead of "some of something."

有的 + (Subj.) + Predicate， 有的 + (Subj.) + Predicate

Also, you aren't limited to just two 有的 (yǒude) in the sentence. You can have multiple groups doing different things, and just precede them with a 有的 (yǒude) each time.

Examples

外国人 有的 很 有钱， 有的 没钱。
Wàiguó rén yǒude hěn yǒuqián, yǒude méi qián.
Some foreigners are rich, but some aren't.

我们 公司 有 一些 电脑， 有的 是 新的，有的 是 旧的。
Wǒmen gōngsī yǒu yīxiē diànnǎo, yǒude shì xīn de, yǒude shì jiù de.
Our company has some computers. Some are new, and some are old.

他 写 了 很多 书，有的 卖 得 很好， 有的 卖 得 不好。
Tā xiě le hěn duō shū, yǒude mài de hěn hǎo, yǒude mài de bù hǎo.
He has written a lot of books. Some sell well, but some don't.

中国菜 有的 好吃，有的 不 好吃。
Zhōngguó cài yǒude hāochī, yǒude bù hāochī.
Some Chinese foods are tasty, while some aren't.

这 家 店 的 衣服 有的 贵 ， 有的 便宜 。
Zhè jiā diàn de yīfu yǒude guì, yǒude piányi.
In this shop, some of the clothes are expensive and some are cheap.

他 有 很 多 房子， 有的 在 国内， 有的 在 国外。
Tā yǒu hěn duō fángzi, yǒude zài guónèi, yǒude zài guówài.
He has a lot of houses, some of them are within the country and some are abroad.

晚上 六点 以后，有的 人 下班了， 有的 人 在 加班。
Wǎnshang liùdiǎn yǐhòu, yǒude rén xiàbān le, yǒude rén zài jiābān.
After six o'clock some people are off work, while some are still working.

我 的 大学 老师 有的 很 年轻， 有的 很 老。
Wǒ de dàxué lǎoshī yǒude hěn niánqīng, yǒude hěn lǎo.
Some of my college teachers are young, some are old.

酒吧里， 有的人 在 喝酒 ， 有的人 在 跳舞 ， 还 有的人 在 聊天 。
Jiǔbā lǐ, yǒude rén zài hējiǔ, yǒude rén zài tiàowǔ, hái yǒude rén zài liáotiān.
In the bar, some people are drinking, some are dancing, and some are chatting.

因为 工作，我 认识 了 很 多 人 ， 有的 是 大学老师， 有的 是 CEO。
Yīnwèi gōngzuò, wǒ rènshi le hěn duō rén, yǒude shì dàxué lǎoshī, yǒude shì CEO.
I know a lot of people because of my work. Some are college teachers and some are CEOs.

See also

Expressing "some" with "yixie"

Sources and Further Reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (p. 120)

Counting money

Cash is king, even though China is now crazy for mobile payments. Either way, though, mastering how to say quantities of money is vital!

Asking "How Much Money" with 多少钱 (duōshao qián)

Before you learn how to count money in Chinese, make sure you know how to ask "how much money" when you go shopping in China.

Structure

Subj. + 多少钱 ?

Examples

多少 钱 ？
Duōshao qián?
How much?

你 的 手机 多少 钱？
Nǐ de shǒujī duōshao qián?
How much was your cell phone?

我们 的 午饭 多少 钱？
Wǒmen de wǔfàn duōshao qián?
How much is our lunch?

这 杯 咖啡多少 钱？
Zhè bēi kāfēi duōshao qián?
How much for this cup of coffee?

这 件 衣服 多少 钱？
Zhè jiàn yīfu duōshao qián?
How much is this clothing?

Stating Quantities of Money

Structure

Chinese has a specific structure for talking about quantities for money:

Number + 块 + Number + 毛

Examples

两 块 五 毛
liǎng kuài wǔ máo
two kuai five mao (2.5)

三 块 八 毛
sān kuài bā máo
three kuai eight mao (3.8)

十 块 两 毛
shí kuài liǎng máo
ten kuai two mao (10.2)

二十 三 块 八毛
èrshí-sān kuài bā máo
Twenty-three kuai eight mao (23.8)

五十 块 五 毛
wǔshí kuài wǔ máo
fifty kuai five mao (50.5)

Note that "2.5 RMB" reads as 两块五 (liǎng kuài wǔ).

二 块 五
èr kuài wǔ

两 块 五
liǎng kuài wǔ
two kuai five mao (2.5)

If the smaller units are only in tens, you can just say the number of tens. So "3.8 RMB" is 三块八 (sān kuài bā). This way of giving the price is normally only used for amounts under 100 RMB.

When the smallest unit is 2, it reads as 二 (èr) instead of 两 (liǎng).

两 块 两
liǎng kuài liǎng

两 块 二
liǎng kuài èr
two kuai two mao (2.2)

五 块 两
wǔ kuài liǎng

五 块 二
wǔ kuài èr
five kuai two mao (5.2)

The first number is the amount of whole RMB (or dollars etc.), and the second is the amount smaller units (e.g. cents). So "3.86 RMB" is

三 块 八 毛 六
sān kuài bā máo liù
three kuai eight mao six fen (3.86)

And if there's no smaller unit, e.g. "3 RMB," you can just say:

三 块
sān kuài
Three kuai

块 (kuài) is the more common, informal way to talk about money. More formally you can use 元 (yuán) in exactly the same way. This is similar to the difference between "dollars" and "bucks" in American English, or "pounds" and "quid" in British English. 块 (kuài) is appropriate in more situations than "bucks" or "quid," though.

See also

Indicating a number in excess

Approximating with sequential numbers

Sources and further reading

Books

A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp. 88-9)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 233-4)

Expressing "every" with "mei" "每"

In this article we will look at the structure for saying "every" in Chinese, which is slightly more involved than just throwing in the word 每 (měi).

Structure

The pronoun 每 (měi) covers the meanings of "each" and "every." It should normally be used with a measure word and used with 都 (dōu) in a complete sentence.

每 + Measure Word + Noun + 都

Note that there are some words that don't use measure words because they themselves are already measure words. For example: 天 (tiān), 年 (nián), 周 (zhōu), 次 (cì) etc.

Examples

每 个 菜 都 好吃。
Měi gè cài dōu hěn hǎochī.
Every dish is delicious.

你 每 个 人 都 认识 吗？
Nǐ měi gè rén dōu rènshi ma?
Do you know every person?

老板 每 个 月 都 出差。
Lǎobǎn měi gè yuè dōu chūchāi.
The boss goes on business trips every month.

他 每 天 都 不 吃 早饭。
Tā měi tiān dōu bù chī zǎofàn.
Every morning he skips breakfast.

他 每 年 都 来 中国。
Tā měi nián dōu lái Zhōngguó.
He comes to China every year.

我 每 个 星期 都 给 妈妈 打电话。
Wǒ měi gè xīngqī dōu gěi māma dǎ diànhuà.
I give mom a phone call every week.

这个 班 的 每 个 学生 都 很 聪明。
Zhège bān de měi gè xuéshēng dōu hěn cōngming.
Each of the students in this class are very smart.

老师 每 天 都 给 我们 很多 作业。
Lǎoshī měi tiān dōu gěi wǒmen hěn duō zuòyè.
Every day the teacher gives us a lot of homework.

我们 每 周 都 要 开会。
Wǒmen měi zhōu dōu yào kāihuì.
Every week we need to have a meeting.

他们 每 个 周末 都 去 公园。
Tāmen měi gè zhōumò dōu qù gōngyuán.
Every weekend they go to the park.

See also

Expressing "every time" with "mei" and "dou"

Measure words for counting

Measure words for verbs

Sources and further reading

Books

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 19)

Expressing "half" with "ban" "半"

The Chinese word 半 (bàn) means "half." That's simple enough, but what can get slightly tricky is the rules for how it combines with measure words.

Basic Usage

Used Alone

Structure

You'll need to use a measure word (Measure Word) in this structure.

半 + Measure Word + Noun

Examples

The measure words are also indicated below.

半 个 小时
bàn gè xiǎoshí
half an hour

半 个 月
bàn gè yuè
half a month

半 碗 米饭
bàn wǎn mǐfàn
half a bowl of rice

半 瓶 酒
bàn píng jiǔ
half a bottle of liquor

半 份 炒面
bàn fèn chǎomiàn
half a serving of chow mein

With a Number

When it's more than just a half, then 半 (bàn) comes after the measure word instead of before. It's the difference between "half an hour" and "an hour and a half."

半 个 小时
bàn gè xiǎoshí
half an hour

一 个 半 小时
yī gè bàn xiǎoshí
an hour and a half

The order is actually basically the same as what we do in English (we just don't have so many pesky measure words to keep track of in English!).

Structure

Number + Measure Word + 半 + Noun

Examples

三 个 半 小时
sān gè bàn xiǎoshí
three and a half hours

两 个 半 月
liǎng gè bàn yuè
two and a half months

一 斤 半 水果
One "jin" = 500g yī jīn bàn shuǐguǒ
one and a half jin of fruit

一 瓶 半 白酒
yī píng bàn báijiǔ
one and a half bottles of wine

四块 半 巧克力
sì kuài bàn qiǎokèlì
four and a half pieces of chocolate

Notable Exceptions

There are some words that act as their own measure words, notably the time words 天 (tiān), meaning "day," and 年 (nián), meaning "year."

Used Alone

Structure

半 + 天 / 年

Examples

半 天
bàn tiān
half a day

半 年
bàn nián
half a year

Note that you do not need to use 个 (gè) here; in fact, it's wrong to do so:

半 个 天 bàn gè tiān half a day

半 个 年 bàn gè nián half a year

With a Number

天 (tiān) and 年 (nián) aren't the only words that take this alternate pattern, but they're the two key ones you need to learn first.

Structure

Number + 天 / 年 + 半

Examples

两 天 半
liǎng tiān bàn
two and a half days

一 年 半
yī nián bàn
a year and a half

三 天 半
sān tiān bàn
three and a half days

四 年 半
sì nián bàn
four and a half years

See also

Structure of times

Category:A2 grammar points

Measure words for counting

Chinese uses measure words, a type of word called classifiers in linguistics which are common in East Asian languages. Measure words have a number of important uses, but one of the first ways you'll need to use them is for counting. Chinese learners should master them, starting with the measure word 个 (gè).

Structure

Whenever you talk about the quantity of something in Chinese, you need a measure word.

Number + Measure Word + Noun

English does actually have measure words, it's just that most nouns usually don't need them. In English, most nouns are count nouns - they specify one instance of something. "An apple," for example. Some nouns are mass nouns and refer to something without specifying how much of it there is. Examples are "furniture," "paper," "water," etc. You can't say "a furniture"; you need a measure word: "a piece of furniture," "two sheets of paper," "three glasses of water," and so on.

In Chinese, all nouns are mass nouns so they all need measure words. Just as in English, different nouns are associated with different measure words (e.g. it wouldn't make sense to talk about "a glass of furniture" unless something went horribly wrong in the factory).

Examples

一 个 人
yī gè rén
a person

两 只 猫
liǎng zhī māo
two cats

三 条 鱼
sān tiáo yú
three fish

四 杯 牛奶
sì bēi niúnǎi
four glasses of milk

五 瓶 水
wǔ píng shuǐ
five bottles of water

六 块 巧克力
liù kuài qiǎokèlì
six pieces of chocolate

七 盒 茶叶
qī hé cháyè
seven boxes of tea leaves

八 台 电脑
bā tái diànnǎo
eight computers

九 支 玫瑰
jiǔ zhī méiguī
nine roses

十 个 美女
shí gè měinǚ
ten beautiful women

Also remember that there isn't a one-to-one relationship between nouns and measure words. One measure word can be used with several different nouns:

一 条 狗
yī tiáo gǒu
a dog

一 条 河
yī tiáo hé
a river

一 条 路
yī tiáo lù
a road

一 条 龙
yī tiáo lóng
a dragon

一 条 鱼
yī tiáo yú
a fish

一 条 短信
yī tiáo duǎnxìn
a text (message)

And one noun can take different measure words in different situations:

一 块 巧克力
yī kuài qiǎokèlì
a piece of chocolate

一 盒巧克力
yī hé qiǎokèlì
a box of chocolate

一 颗 巧克力
yī kē qiǎokèlì
a small piece of chocolate

See Also

Measure words for verbs

Measure words to differentiate

Sources and further reading

Websites

Wikipedia: Classifiers

Wikipedia: Mass noun

Books

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 33)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 232-3)

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (pp. 104-5)

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (p. 122)

Measure words in quantity questions

Quantity questions are phrases for asking questions like "how much?" or "how many?" You'll need to use the question word 几 (jǐ) with measure words for this.

Asking About Small Numbers with 几 (jǐ)

Structure

You can use the quantity question word 几 (jǐ) instead of a number to ask about quantity with measure words.

Subj. + Verb + 几 + Measure Word + Noun？

Examples

他 有 几 个 孩子？
Tā yǒu jǐ gè háizi?
How many kids does he have?

你 家 有 几 个 房间？
Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ gè fángjiān?
How many rooms are there in your house?

他们 在 这里 住 几 个 星期？
Tāmen zài zhèlǐ zhù jǐ gè xīngqī?
How many weeks are they staying here?

你 带 了 几 件 衣服？
Nǐ dài le jǐ jiàn yīfu?
How many pieces of clothing have you brought?

老板 每 天 工作 几 个 小时 ？
Lǎobǎn měi tiān gōngzuò jǐ gè xiǎoshí?
How many hours does the boss work every day?

Asking About Big Numbers with 多少 (duōshao)

When the number is not certain but you assume it's definitely more than ten, it's better to ask the question with 多少 (duōshao) instead of 几 (jǐ).

Structure

Subj. + Verb + 多少 + Measure Word + Noun ？

Examples

你 去 过 多少 个 国家？
Nǐ qù guo duōshao gè guójiā?
How many countries have you been to?

你们 班 有 多少 个 学生？
Nǐmen bān yǒu duōshao gè xuéshēng?
How many students are there in your class?

你 大学 的 时候 看 了 多少 本 书？
Nǐ dàxué de shíhou kàn le duōshao běn shū?
How many books did you read when you were in college?

他们 昨天 请 了 多少 个 朋友？
Tāmen zuótiān qǐng le duōshao gè péngyou?
How many friends did they invite yesterday?

上海 有 多少 个 外国 公司？
Shànghǎi yǒu duōshao gè wàiguó gōngsī?
How many foreign companies are there in Shanghai?

See also

Measure words to differentiate

Measure Words for Verbs

Measure words for counting

Sources and further reading

Books

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (p. 105)

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (p. 123)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 86)

Measure words with "this" and "that"

In English, when you refer to "this table" or "that girl" you only need two words: "this" or "that" plus the noun you're referring to. In Chinese, though, you also need a measure word in the middle between the two. In the very beginning you can get away with using 个 (gè) for everything, but pretty soon you're going to have to start using other measure words in these simple phrases.

Structure

If you use 这 (zhè) or 那 (nà) before a noun, you also need to include a measure word before the noun.

这 / 那 + Measure Word + Noun

Examples

Note: In this usage, the tone of 个 (gè) tends to soften, so it's represented below as a neutral tone.

那 个 人
nàge rén
that person

这 本 书
zhè běn shū
this book

那 件 事
nà jiàn shì
that matter (in the sense of business, affair, or thing)

这 瓶 啤酒
zhè píng píjiǔ
this bottle of beer

那 个 房间
nàge fángjiān
that room

那 台 电脑
nà tái diànnǎo
that new computer

这 只 猫
zhè zhī māo
that cat

那 条 河
nà tiáo hé
that river

这 件 衣服
zhè jiàn yīfu
this piece of clothing

Although we didn't get into it here, the same pattern holds true when you use 哪 (nǎ) to ask "which?"

See also

"Some" Using "yixie"

Measure words in quantity questions

Measure Words for Verbs

Sources and further reading

Books

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 33)

Ordinal numbers with "di" "第"

We use ordinal numbers to express things like "number one" or "second," so mastering them in Chinese is important. Fortunately, they are also very easy to learn by just adding the prefix 第 (dì).

Basic Usage

In English, there are four different suffixes for ordinal numbers: -st, -nd, -rd and -th. Chinese makes things a lot simpler by using one prefix for all ordinal numbers: 第 (dì). This character is simply placed in front of the number:

Structure

第 + Number

Examples

Chinese | English
第 一 dì-yī | The first
第 二 dì-èr | The second
第 三 dì-sān | The third
第 四 dì-sì | The fourth
第 五 dì-wǔ | The fifth
第 六 dì-liù | The sixth
第 七 dì-qī | The seventh
第 八 dì-bā | The eighth
第 九 dì-jiǔ | The ninth
第 十 dì-shí | The tenth

Full Pattern with Measure Words

You can also add in a measure word and a noun to make the structure a bit fuller.

Structure

第 + Number + Measure Word + Noun

Examples

我 是 第 一 个 到 公司 的 人。
Wǒ shì dì-yī gè dào gōngsī de rén.
I'm the first person that came to the office.

他 要 坐 早上 第 一 班 地铁 去 上班。
Tā yào zuò zǎoshang dì-yī bān dìtiě qù shàngbān.
He needs to take the first train in the morning to go to work.

小李 是 她 的 第 三 个 男朋友。
Xiǎo Lǐ shì tā de dì-sān gè nánpéngyou.
Little Li is her third boyfriend.

我 的 第 一 个中文 老师 是 美国 人。
Wǒ de dì-yī gè Zhōngwén lǎoshī shì Měiguó rén.
My first Chinese teacher was American.

爸爸 的 第 一 个手机 是 NOKIA。
Bàba de dì-yī gè shǒujī shì NOKIA.
Dad‘s first cell phone was a Nokia.

你 的 第 一 个工作 是 什么？
Nǐ de dì-yī gè gōngzuò shì shénme?
What was your first job?

到 美国 的 第 二个 月，我 找到 了 工作。
Dào Měiguó de dì-èr gè yuè, wǒ zhǎodào le gōngzuò .
I found a job the second month I was in the USA.

第 二 行 第 五 个 汉字 怎么 读？
Dì-èr háng dì-wǔ gè Hànzì zěnme dú?
How do you read the fifth character from the second line?

这 次 考试，我 是 我们 班 第 一。
Zhè cì kǎoshì, wǒ shì wǒmen bān dì-yī.
On this test, I was first in our class.

这 次 比赛，我们 班 第 一，他们 班 第 二。
Zhè cì bǐsài, wǒmen bān dì-yī, tāmen bān dì-èr.
In this contest, our class is the first, their class is the second.

Note that there are some words that don't use measure words because they themselves are already measure words. For example: 天 (tiān), 年 (nián), 周 (zhōu), 次 (cì), etc.

第 一 天，我们 在 宾馆 里。
Dì-yī tiān, wǒmen zài bīnguǎn lǐ.
On the first day, we will be in the hotel.

来 上海 以后 的 第 二 年，他 开 了 这 家 公司。
Lái Shànghǎi yǐhòu de dì-èr nián, tā kāi le zhè jiā gōngsī.
He started this company his second year after coming to Shanghai.

下 个 月 的 第 一 周 老板 要 出差。
Xià gè yuè de dì-yī zhōu , lǎobǎn yào chūchāi.
The boss needs to go on a business trip the first week of next month.

这 是 我 第 一 次 去 北京。
Zhè shì wǒ dì-yī cì qù Běijīng.
This is my first time going to Beijing.

Exceptions

Note that some nouns can form ordinals without 第 (dì). With these, the number can be used directly. For example, 七楼 (qī lóu) is "the seventh floor," even though there is no 第 (dì).

Chinese | English | Example
楼 lóu | floor (of a building) | 七楼 qī lóu
层 céng | floor (of a building) | 一层 yī céng

See also

Measure words for counting

Sources and further reading

A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp. 58-73)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 17-8)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 183)

Asking why with "zenme" "怎么"

Aside from just meaning "how," 怎么 (zěnme) can also be used to ask "why" or "how come."

Basic Usage

With a Verb

Structure

Similar to the question word 为什么 (wèishénme), questions can also be asked with 怎么 (zěnme).

Subj. + 怎么 + Verb + Obj. ?

This has similar connotations to saying "how come" in English. It not only asks why, but expresses some surprise at the situation, and in some cases even disagreement with it.

Examples

他 怎么 还 没 来 ？
Tā zěnme hái méi lái?
How come he's not here yet?

你们 怎么 打 人？
Nǐmen zěnme dǎ rén?
How can you hit people?

他 帮 了 你，你 怎么 不 说 “谢谢” ？
Tā bāng le nǐ, nǐ zěnme bù shuō "xièxie"?
He helped you. How come you didn't say thank you?

你 结婚 的时候 怎么 不 告诉 我？
Nǐ jiéhūn de shíhou zěnme bù gàosu wǒ?
How come you didn't tell me when you got married?

我们 还 没 开始 吃，他 怎么 已经 吃完 了？
Wǒmen hái méi kāishǐ chī, tā zěnme yǐjīng chī wán le?
We haven't started eating yet. How come he has already finished eating?

今天 是 星期一，你 怎么 不 去 上班？
Jīntiān shì Xīngqīyī, nǐ zěnme bù qù shàngbān?
Today is Monday. Why aren't you going to work?

With an Adjective

Structure

In this case, it's most common to negate the adjective after 怎么 (zěnme).

Subj. + 怎么 (+ 不) + Adj.

Examples

水 怎么 不 热？
Shuǐ zěnme bù rè?
Why is the water not hot?

这里 的 川菜 怎么 不 辣？
Zhèlǐ de chuāncài zěnme bù là?
Why is the Sichuan food here not spicy?

他 亲 了 你，你 怎么 不 高兴 ？
Tā qīn le nǐ, nǐ zěnme bù gāoxìng?
He kissed you. How come you're not happy?

她 的 小猫 死 了，她 怎么 不 难过？
Tā de xiǎomāo sǐ le, tā zěnme bù nánguò?
Her kitten died. Why isn't she sad?

每 天 工作 十二 个 小时 ，你 怎么 不 累？
Měi tiān gōngzuò shí'èr gè xiǎoshí, nǐ zěnme bù lèi?
Every day you work 12 hours. Why are you not tired?

"Why So..." Usage

Structure

One pattern this use of 怎么 (zěnme) frequently appears in is with 这么 (zhème) or 那么 nàme). (For more on 这么 (zhème) and 那么 (nàme), see adjectives with "nàme" and "zěnme.")

Subj. + 怎么 + 这么 / 那么 + Adj.

This use of 怎么 (zěnme) could be translated as either "how" or "why"; the actual meaning sort of falls in the fuzzy region between the two. In any case, it's used to express disbelief: how can (something) be so (adjective)?!

Examples

他 怎么 那么 懒？
Tā zěnme nàme lǎn?
How can he be this lazy?

昨天 怎么 那么 冷？
Zuótiān zěnme nàme lěng?
How could it be so cold yesterday?

这些人 怎么 这么 吵？
Zhèxiē rén zěnme zhème chǎo?
How can these people so loud?

北京 的 空气 怎么 那么 差？
Běijīng de kōngqì zěnme nàme chà?
How can the air in Beijing be so bad?

你的 汉语 怎么 这么 好？
Nǐ de Hànyǔ zěnme zhème hǎo?
How is your Mandarin so good?

See also

Placement of question words

Sources and further reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 191)

Questions with "le ma" "了 吗"

Asking questions about completed actions will involve using both 了 (le) and 吗 (ma). These are simply added to the end of a sentence or statement. Just make sure that 了 (le) comes first, followed by 吗 (ma).

Basic Usage

Structure

Subj. + Verb + Obj. + 了吗?

Note the order of 了 (le) and 吗 (ma).

Examples

你 吃饭 了 吗？
Nǐ chīfàn le ma?
Did you eat?

老板 走 了 吗？
Lǎobǎn zǒu le ma?
Did the boss leave?

你男朋友 找到 新 工作 了 吗？
Nǐ nánpéngyou zhǎodào xīn gōngzuò le ma?
Has your boyfriend found a new job yet?

妈妈，你 昨天 给 我 打电话 了 吗？
Māma, nǐ zuótiān gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà le ma?
Mom, did you call me yesterday?

你 今天 去 上班 了 吗？
Nǐ jīntiān qù shàngbān le ma?
Did you go to work today?

With a Topic

Structure

Topic (+ Subj.) + Verb + 了吗?

NOTE: in this structure, the topic is also the object for the verb.

Examples

晚饭 你 吃 了 吗？
Wǎnfàn nǐ chī le ma?
Did you eat dinner?

衣服 你 洗 好 了 吗？
Yīfu nǐ xǐ hǎo le ma?
Have you finished washing the clothes?

作业 你 写 完 了 吗？
Zuòyè nǐ xiě wán le ma?
Have you finishing doing homework?

这 个 电影 你 看 了 吗？
Zhège diànyǐng nǐ kàn le ma?
Have you seen this movie?

我 的 邮件 你 收到 了 吗？
Wǒ de yóujiàn nǐ shōudào le ma?
Have you received my email?

Finally, please note that this pattern is nothing more than the combination of the expressing completion with "le" pattern and the yes/no questions with "ma" pattern.

See also

Yes-no questions with "ma"

Expressing completion with "le"

Rhetorical Questions with "nandao"

Sources and further reading

Books

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (p. 229)

New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (p. 17)

A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (p. 429)

Cause and effect with "yinwei" and "suoyi" "因为……所以……"

You will often come across 因为……所以…… (yīnwèi... suǒyǐ...) in both written and spoken Chinese. This pattern will give your Chinese a clear logical structure, and can help make you more persuasive.

Using 因为 (yīnwèi) by Itself to Explain Causes

A common way to explain causes in Chinese is with 因为 (yīnwèi). This is equivalent to "because" in English. Usually 因为 (yīnwèi) will begin a new phrase in a sentence.

Structure

In this structure, we first state the result, and then give the reason in the next statement after the 因为 (yīnwèi).

Result, 因为 + Reason

Examples

他 学 得 很 快， 因为 他 很 聪明。
Tā xué de hěn kuài, yīnwèi tā hěn cōngming.
He learns fast because he is smart.

我 爱 吃 四川 菜， 因为 很 辣。
Wǒ ài chī Sìchuān cài, yīnwèi hěn là.
I love eating Sichuan food because it's very spicy.

我 在 学习 中文 ， 因为 我 想 去 中国。
Wǒ zài xuéxí Zhōngwén, yīnwèi wǒ xiǎng qù Zhōngguó.
I am studying Chinese because I want to go to China.

我 不 喜欢 她，因为 她 不 友好。
Wǒ bù xǐhuan tā, yīnwèi tā bù yǒuhǎo.
I don't like her because she is very unfriendly.

今天 我们 很 忙，因为 有 很 多 工作。
Jīntiān wǒmen hěn máng, yīnwèi yǒu hěn duō gōngzuò.
We are very busy today because we have lots of work.

Using 所以 (suǒyǐ) by Itself to Explain Results

Just as 因为 (yīnwèi) can be used to explain causes, 所以 (suǒyǐ) can be used to explain results. This is the equivalent of "so…" or "therefore…" in English.

Structure

This pattern is similar to the expression using both 因为 (yīnwèi) and 所以 (suǒyǐ), but it leaves out the beginning 因为 (yīnwèi). This structure is more informal.

Reason, 所以 + Result

Examples

汉字 太 难 了，所以 我 不 想 学 。
Hànzì tài nán le, suǒyǐ wǒ bù xiǎng xué.
Chinese characters are too hard, so I don't want to study them.

她 很 漂亮，所以 很 多 男孩 喜欢 她。
Tā hěn piàoliang, suǒyǐ hěn duō nánhái xǐhuan tā.
She is beautiful, so a lot of boys like her.

他 找到 工作 了， 所以 很 高兴。
Tā zhǎodào gōngzuò le, suǒyǐ hěn gāoxìng.
He found a job so he's happy.

我 太 忙 了，所以 没有 时间 给 你 打 电话。
Wǒ tài máng le, suǒyǐ méiyǒu shíjiān gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà.
I was too busy, so I didn't have time to give you a call.

我们 公司 有 很 多 外国人，所以 我们 要 说 英文。
Wǒmen gōngsī yǒu hěn duō wàiguó rén, suǒyǐ wǒmen yào shuō Yīngwén.
There are a lot of foreigners in our company, so we need to speak English.

Using 因为 (yīnwèi) and 所以 (suǒyǐ) Together

The full pattern 因为……所以…… (yīnwèi... suǒyǐ...) is used to clearly indicate cause and effect. They could be thought of as equating to: "Since ___ happened, so ___ happened." It sounds weird to use both "since" and "so" in one sentence in English, but it makes everything crystal clear in Chinese.

Structure

因为 + Cause, 所以 + Effect

This expresses that because of cause, therefore there is a result.

Examples

因为 我 有 一个 中国 女朋友，所以 我 要 学 中文。
Yīnwèi wǒ yǒu yī gè Zhōngguó nǚpéngyou, suǒyǐ wǒ yào xué Zhōngwén.
Since I have a Chinese girlfriend, I need to study Chinese.

因为 他 生病 了，所以 没 去 上课。
Yīnwèi tā shēngbìng le, suǒyǐ méi qù shàngkè.
Since he was sick, he didn't go to class.

因为 我 很 累，所以 要 休息。
Yīnwèi wǒ hěn lèi, suǒyǐ yào xiūxi.
I'm very tired, so I want to rest.

因为 太 远 了，所以 我 不 想 去。
Yīnwèi tài yuǎn le, suǒyǐ wǒ bù xiǎng qù.
Since it's too far, I don't want to go.

因为 太 忙， 所以 我们 没有 时间 吃 中饭。
Yīnwèi tài máng, suǒyǐ wǒmen méiyǒu shíjiān chī zhōngfàn.
We were too busy, so none of us had time to eat lunch.

See also

Stating the effect before the cause (advanced article)

Sources and further reading

Books

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 272-4)

Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 79)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 108)

Websites

Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: How to use 因为 and 由于

Expressing "about to happen" with "le" "了"

Remember that 了 (le) is not only for the past! When something is about to happen, you can also indicate this using 了 (le). Normally it is paired with a 快 (kuài), 快要(kuàiyào) or a 要 (yào). This is a special form of using 了 to indicate a change of situation.

快⋯⋯了 (kuài... le) with Verbs

When using "快 ⋯⋯了" (kuài... le) with verbs, it takes on a meaning similar to the English "just about to." Normally you can add 要 (yào) before the verb.

Structure

快 + Verb / Verb Phrase + 了

快要 + Verb / Verb Phrase + 了

Examples

我们 快 到 了。
Wǒmen kuài dào le.
We're almost there.

快 下雨 了，我们 走 吧。
Kuài xiàyǔ le, wǒmen zǒu ba.
It's going to rain soon. Let's go.

快 要 过年 了，你 什么 时候 回家？
Kuài yào guònián le, nǐ shénme shíhou huíjiā?
It's almost Chinese New Year. When are you going back to your hometown?

我 女朋友 快 要 过 生日 了。
Wǒ nǚpéngyou kuài yào guò shēngrì le.
My girlfriend is about to have her birthday.

快 下车 了 ，你 再 等 一会儿。
Kuài xiàchē le, nǐ zài děng yīhuìr.
We're about to get off. Just wait a little while.

Notice that for some translations, it's more natural to use the English word "almost" instead of "soon."

快⋯⋯了 (kuài... le) with Adjectives

In this structure, 快⋯⋯了 (kuài... le) is closer to the meaning of "almost" in English.

Structure

快 + Adj. + 了

Examples

天 快 黑 了。
Tiān kuài hēi le. I
t’s almost getting dark.

我 快 好 了。
Wǒ kuài hǎo le.
I'm almost ready.

饭 快 凉 了。
Fàn kuài liáng le. T
he food is about to be cold.

这些 脏 衣服 快 臭 了。
Zhèxiē zāng yīfu kuài chòu le.
These dirty clothes are about to smell bad.

不 能 再 喝 了，我 快 醉 了。
Bù néng zài hē le, wǒ kuài zuì le.
I can't drink another, I am almost drunk.

要⋯⋯了 (yào... le) with Verbs

Structure

You can also just use 要 (yào) before the verb, without 快 (kuài).

Subj. + 要 + Verb / Verb Phrase / Adj. + 了

Note that occasionally you'll see adjectives (instead of verbs) in this pattern as well.

Examples

我 要 生气 了！
Wǒ yào shēngqì le!
I'm going to get angry!

他们 的 孩子 要 出生 了。
Tāmen de háizi yào chūshēng le.
Their child is about to be born.

9 点 了，超市 要 关门 了。
Jiǔ diǎn le, chāoshì yào guānmén le.
It's 9 o'clock. The supermarket is about to close.

我 最好 的 朋友 要 结婚 了！
Wǒ zuìhǎo de péngyou yào jiéhūn le!
My best friend is about to get married!

圣诞节 要 到 了，你 有 什么 打算 ？
Shèngdànjié yào dào le, nǐ yǒu shénme dǎsuàn?
It's almost Christmas. What plans do you have?

See also

"Nearly" with "jihu"

Approximations with "chabuduo"

Expressing future with "jiang"

Sources and further reading

Books

Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (p.183)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 267-8)

New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 196-7)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 271)

Websites

ChinesePod: Qing Wen - 了 (le): Something's About to Happen (free podcast content)

Expressing "everything" with "shenme dou" "什么……都"

什么……都 (shénme... dōu) is a pattern often used to express "all" or "everything." Because it's not just one word, though, it can be a little tricky to get the hang of at first.

Basic Usage

Structure

In this structure, 都 (dōu) is more frequently used than 也 (yě)。

Topic (+ Subj.) + 什么 + 都 / 也 + Verb / Adj.

In some sentences, there will be a subject after the topic in the pattern above. See the following sentences for examples.

Examples

When used in the positive sense, it is more natural to follow 什么 (shénme) with 都 (dōu) rather than 也 (yě) to express "everything."

我 觉得 这里 的 菜 什么 都 好吃。
Wǒ juéde zhèlǐ de cài shénme dōu hǎochī.
I think everything is delicious here.

中国 的 历史 爸爸 什么 都 知道。
Zhōngguó de lìshǐ bàba shénme dōu zhīdào.
My dad knows everything about Chinese history.

工作 的 事情 老公 什么 都 跟 我 说。
Gōngzuò de shìqing lǎogōng shénme dōu gēn wǒ shuō.
My husband tells me everything about work stuff.

妈妈 做 的 菜 我 什么 都 喜欢。
Māma zuò de cài wǒ shénme dōu xǐhuan.
I like everything that mom cooks.

我女朋友 觉得 外国 的 东西 什么 都 好。
Wǒ nǚpéngyou juéde wàiguó de dōngxi shénme dōu hǎo.
My girlfriend thinks that all foreign things are good.

Structure with a Noun

Structure

什么 + Noun + 都 + Verb

Examples

我们 什么 果汁 都 喝。
Wǒmen shénme guǒzhī dōu hē.
We drink any kind of fruit juice.

她 什么 衣服 都 是 黑色 的。
Tā shénme yīfu dōu shì hēisè de.
All of her clothes are black.

妈妈 做 的 什么 菜 都 好吃。
Māma zuò de shénme cài dōu hǎochī.
All of the dishes mom makes are tasty.

我男朋友 什么 运动 都 喜欢。
Wǒ nánpéngyou shénme yùndòng dōu xǐhuan.
My boyfriend likes all kinds of sports.

你 不 应该 什么 话 都 跟 他 说。
Nǐ bù yīnggāi shénme huà dōu gēn tā shuō.
You shouldn't tell him everything.

Negative Structure

Structures

The negative structure simply adds a 不 (bù) or a 没 (méi) after the 都 (dōu) / 也 (yě). Instead of "all" or "everything," this expresses "none" or "not any."

什么 + Noun + 都 / 也 + 不 + Verb

什么 + Noun + 都 / 也 + 没 (有) + Verb

Examples

生病 以后，爸爸 什么 酒 都 不 能 喝 了。
Shēngbìng yǐhòu, bàba shénme jiǔ dōu bù néng hē le.
After dad got sick, he can't drink any kind of alcohol.

老板 现在 很 生气，什么 人 也 不 见。
Lǎobǎn xiànzài hěn shēngqì, shénme rén yě bù jiàn.
The boss is very angry. He's doesn't want to see anybody.

今天 我 不 舒服，什么 东西 都 没 吃。
Jīntiān wǒ bù shūfu, shénme dōngxi dōu méi chī.
Today I don't feel well, so I didn't eat anything.

昨天 开会 的时候，她 什么 话 也 没 说。
Zuótiān kāihuì de shíhou, tā shénme huà yě méi shuō.
She didn't say anything at yesterday's meeting.

你 在 家里 怎么 什么 事 都 不 做？
Nǐ zài jiālǐ zěnme shénme shì dōu bù zuò?
How come you haven't done anything at home?

See Also

Expressing "every time" with "mei" and "dou"

Expressing "every" with question words

Sources and further reading

Books

>Common Chinese Patterns 330 (汉语常用格式330例)(p. 195)

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 286-8)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 216-7)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册） (p. 314)

Expressing "stop doing" with "bie… le" "别⋯⋯了"

You may know how to make negative commands with "bie," but what if someone is already doing it? The pattern 别⋯⋯了 (bié... le) is all you need to tell someone to STOP DOING THAT (which they're already doing).

Structure

别 + Verb / Verb Phrase + 了

Instead of just a verb, it can also be a verb phrase.

Examples

别 说 了， 我 不 想 听。
Bié shuō le, wǒ bù xiǎng tīng.
Stop talking. I don't want to listen.

别 问 了， 我 不 想 说。
Bié wèn le, wǒ bù xiǎng shuō.
Stop asking. I don't want to say.

别 做 了 ，明天 再 做 吧。
Bié zuò le, míngtiān zài zuò ba.
Stop doing it. Do it tomorrow.

别 看 了，睡觉！
Bié kàn le, shuìjiào!
Stop watching. Go to sleep!

别 哭 了，烦 死 了。
Bié kū le, fán sǐ le.
Stop crying, it's so annoying.

别 笑 了，别人 都 在 看 你。
Bié xiào le, biérén dōu zài kàn nǐ.
Stop laughing. Other people are looking at you.

别 吃 了，我们 要 迟到 了。
Bié chī le, wǒmen yào chídào le.
Stop eating. We're going to be late.

别 玩 了，去 写 作业。
Bié wán le, qù xiě zuòyè.
Stop playing. Do your homework.

别 买 了，太 贵 了！
In this case, the person probably isn't actually paying, but they're about to.
Bié mǎi le, tài guì le!
Don't buy it. It's too expensive!

别 喝 了，你 已经 喝 了 五 杯 了。
Bié hē le, nǐ yǐjīng hē le wǔ bēi le.
Stop drinking. You've already drunk five glasses.

See also

Negative commands with "bie"

Sources and further reading

Books

现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. 83)

Dictionaries

现代汉语词典（第5版） (p. 92)

Expressing location with "zai... shang / xia / li"

You can use 在 (zài) to express location, but this article will explain how to use 在 (zài) to express location in relation to another object. This way, you can describe if something is "on the table" or "in the room."

在 (zài) with "Big Locations"

If you're talking about a "big place," like a country or city, then all you need is 在 (zài) and the name of the place.

Structure

在 + Place

Examples

For example, these phrases are fine just as they are:

在 中国
zài Zhōngguó
in China

在 美国
zài Měiguó
in the USA

在 上海
zài Shànghǎi
in Shanghai

在 纽约
zài Niǔyuē
in New York

You wouldn't want to add other words to the ends of these place names.

在 (zài) with Specific Locations

To show where an object is in relation to another object, make a "sandwich" starting with 在 (zài), add a place, and then add one of the following words: 上 (shàng), 下 (xià), 里 (lǐ), 旁边 (pángbiān).

Structure

在 + Place + 上 / 下 / 里 / 旁边 / etc.

Notice that the "preposition" comes after the location and object that it modifies. That is, in English we say "on the table," but in Chinese, it is more like "at the table, on." This can be somewhat confusing, but don't worry. Once you start using this construction, it gets easy really quickly.

Examples

我 在 火车 上。
Wǒ zài huǒchē shàng.
I am on the train.

他 在 楼下。
Tā zài lóuxià.
He is downstairs.

Walmart 在 我家 旁边。
Walmart zài wǒ jiā pángbiān.
Walmart is next to my house.

你 的 手机 在 包 里吗？
Nǐ de shǒujī zài bāo lǐ ma?
Is your cell phone in the bag?

在 地铁 上 有 很 多 人。
Zài dìtiě shàng yǒu hěn duō rén.
On the metro there are a lot of people.

Common Nouns of Locality

The little words that come after the location in the phrases above aren't really "prepositions." They are called "nouns of locality," or 方位词 (fāngwèicí) in Chinese. They actually tend to have several forms, which can be confusing if you're not used to them. The chart below shows their most common forms:

One-Character | Two-Character | English
上 shàng | 上面 / 上边 shàngmiàn / shàngbian | top, above
下 xià | 下面 / 下边 xiàmiàn / xiàbian | bottom, under
里 lǐ | 里面 / 里边 lǐmiàn / lǐbian | inside
外 wài | 外面 / 外边 wàimiàn / wàibian | outside
边 biān | 旁边 pángbiān | side, beside
前 qián | 前面 / 前边 qiánmiàn / qiánbian | front
后 hòu | 后面 / 后边 hòumiàn / hòubian | back, behind
左 zuǒ | 左边 zuǒbian | left
右 yòu | 右边 yòubian | right

Abstract Uses

Some prepositions can be paired with more abstract concepts to form idiomatic phrases. These kinds of phrases can really make your Chinese sound polished. Later on you will learn about these idiomatic phrases with "zai".

See Also

Indicating location with "zai" before verbs

Special cases of "zai" following verbs

Expressing existence in a place with "zai"

Sources and Further Reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 128)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (p. 191)

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 264, 325)

New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (pp. 40-1, 164-5, 185)

Comparing "bu" and "mei", "不" and "没"

Both 不 (bù) and 没 (méi) can be placed in front of a verb or adjective to negate its meaning. However, 不 (bù) and 没 (méi) are not usually interchangeable, so it's important to learn when you must use 不 (bù) as opposed to 没 (méi), and vice versa.

不 (bù) Negates in the Present and Future

不 (bù) is generally used to negate an action that you do not want to do or do not intend to do (in the future). So expressing things like "I don't want to go" or "I'm not going" would be uses of 不 (bù).

Structure

Subj. + 不 + Verb

Examples

Whether it's "don't wanna do it" or "not gonna do it," use 不 (bù):

我 今天 晚上 不 喝酒。
Wǒ jīntiān wǎnshang bù hējiǔ.
Tonight I'm not going to drink.

爸爸 不 回来 吃 晚饭。
Bàba bù huílái chī wǎnfàn.
Dad is not coming back to eat dinner.

老板 明天 不 来 。
Lǎobǎn míngtiān bù lái.
The boss won't come tomorrow.

我 知道 这 个 周末 不 下雨。
Wǒ zhīdào zhège zhōumò bù xiàyǔ.
I know it's not going to rain this weekend.

你 女朋友 不 跟 你 一起 去 吗？
Nǐ nǚpéngyou bù gēn nǐ yīqǐ qù ma?
Is your girlfriend not going with you?

不 (bù) Negates Habitual Actions

不 (bù) can be used to negate habitual actions, to express what you just aren't in the habit of doing, such as eating meat, or watching TV, or drinking alcohol. This is simply done by placing 不 (bù) in front of the verb.

Structure

Subj. + 不 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

我 不 吃 肉。
Wǒ bù chī ròu.
I don't eat meat.

你们 都 不 喝 酒 吗？
Nǐmen dōu bù hē jiǔ ma?
Do you all not drink alcohol?

他 不 喜欢 说话。
Tā bù xǐhuan shuōhuà.
He doesn't like to speak.

你 不 用 手机 看书 吗？
Nǐ bù yòng shǒujī kàn shū ma?
Do you not use your phone to read books?

你 晚上 不 洗澡 吗？
Nǐ wǎnshang bù xǐzǎo ma?
Don't you shower at night?

Please note that, while it is grammatically correct to use 没 (méi) in all the sentences above, 没 (méi) does not negate any habitual actions. The sentences above, if they contained 没 (méi) instead of 不 (bù), would express that the speaker didn't do the named activity (at one particular point in the past). So it would not be about habitual actions.

不 (bù) Is Normally Used with Adjectives

When it comes to a simple negation of an adjective (such as "not cold"), use 不 (bù).

Structure

不 + Adj.

Examples

我们 不 饿。
Wǒmen bù è.
We're not hungry.

你 不 胖。
Nǐ bù pàng.
You are not fat.

我 家 不 远。
Wǒ jiā bù yuǎn.
My home is not far.

今天 不 冷。
Jīntiān bù lěng.
Today it isn't cold.

我 觉得 Starbucks 的 咖啡 不 好喝。
Wǒ juéde Starbucks de kāfēi bù hǎohē.
I think the coffee at Starbucks isn't good.

不 (bù) Is for Asking Questions

There are couple ways to use 不 (bù) to ask questions. One such way is through affirmative-negative questions. This is done by stating a verb and then immediately repeating that verb in a negative state (with 不 (bù)).

Structure

Subj. + Verb + 不 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

你 是 不是 我 的 老师？
Nǐ shì bu shì wǒ de lǎoshī?
Are you my teacher or not?

她 想 不 想 来？
Tā xiǎng bu xiǎnglái?
Does she want to come?

你 爱 不 爱 我？
Nǐ ài bu ài wǒ?
Do you love me or not?

你们 周末 上 不 上班？
Nǐmen zhōumò shàng bu shàngbān?
Do you all go to work on weekends?

你 的 外国 朋友们 喜 不 喜欢 吃 中国菜？
Nǐ de wàiguó péngyoumen xǐ bu xǐhuan chī Zhōngguó cài?
Do your foreign friends like to eat Chinese food?

不 (bù) can also be used to form tag questions. Tag questions use the positive-negative question form, but are placed at the end of the sentence. Tag questions are used to seek approval or acceptance for a statement, very similar to the English "OK?" or "right?" You can't use 没 (méi) for this.

我们 去 吃饭 ，好 没 好？
Wǒmen qù chīfàn, hǎo méi hǎo?

我们 去 吃饭 ，好 不 好？
Wǒmen qù chīfàn, hǎo bu hǎo?
Let's go eat, is that OK?

你们 是 好 朋友 ，对 没 对？
Nǐmen shì hǎo péngyou, duì méi duì?

你们 是 好 朋友 ，对 不 对？
Nǐmen shì hǎo péngyou, duì bu duì?
You are good friends, right?

没 (méi) Negates Past Actions

没 (méi) and 没有 (méiyǒu) can both be used to negate actions that occurred in the past, or to say that something has not happened yet.

Structure

Subj. + 没(有) + Verb + Obj.

Examples

他 没有 打 电话 给 我 。
Tā méiyǒu dǎ diànhuà gěi wǒ.
He did not give me a call.

你 没 去 上班 吗 ？
Nǐ méi qù shàngbān ma?
You didn't go to work?

我 昨天 没 喝酒。
Wǒ zuótiān méi hējiǔ.
I did not drink alcohol yesterday.

妈妈 没有 做 晚饭。
Māma méiyǒu zuò wǎnfàn.
Mom did not cook dinner.

他们 吃 完 饭 以后 没 付 钱。
Tāmen chī wán fàn yǐhòu méi fù qián.
They didn't pay after they finished eating.

我 昨天 不 喝酒。
Wǒ zuótiān bù hējiǔ.
I not drink wine yesterday.

我 上个 周末 不 跟 他 见面。
Wǒ shàng gè zhōumò bù gēn tā jiànmiàn.
I not meet with him last weekend.

上个月 你 不 去 北京 吗？
Shàng gè yuè nǐ bù qù Běijīng?
You not go to Beijing last month?

There are a few things worth noting in these examples. For one, it is still grammatically correct to leave out the 有 (yǒu) in the sentences using 没有 (méiyǒu). Also, the sentences using 不 (bù) would be grammatically correct, if not for the time words telling us that it is definitely the past we're talking about.

Only 没 (méi) Negates 有 (yǒu)

没 (méi) can be used to negate the verb 有 (yǒu) ("to have") to mean "do not have." You can only use 没 (méi) to convey this meaning. It is grammatically incorrect to use 不 (bù) to negate 有 (yǒu).

Structure

Subj. + 没有 + Obj.

Examples

我 不 有 钱。
Wǒ bù yǒu qián.

我 没有 钱。
Wǒ méiyǒu qián.
I don't have money.

他 不 有 女朋友。
Tā bù yǒu nǚpéngyou.

他 没有 女朋友。
Tā méiyǒu nǚpéngyou.
He doesn't have a girlfriend.

There are times when you can leave out 有 (yǒu) entirely while still expressing 没有 (méiyǒu), (meaning "to not have" or "there is no"). One well-known example of this is 没办法 (méi bànfǎ) ("there is no way" [that's gonna happen]). Both 没 (méi) and 没有 méiyǒu) are correct, however.

我 没 办法。
Wǒ méi bànfǎ.
I don't have a way.

我 没有 办法。
Wǒ méiyǒu bànfǎ.
I don't have a way.

(You can also use 没办法 (méi bànfǎ) to express other meanings.)

没 (méi) Is for Making Comparisons

没 (méi) or 没有 (méiyǒu) can be used to make simple comparisons meaning "not as... as...":

Structure

Noun 1 + 没有 + Noun 2 + Adj.

Examples

你 不 有 我 高。
Nǐ bù yǒu wǒ gāo.

你 没有 我 高。
Nǐ méiyǒu wǒ gāo.
You are not as tall as me.

我 的 手机 不 有 他 的 手机 贵。
Wǒ de shǒujī bù yǒu tā de shǒujī guì.

我 的 手机 没有 他 的 手机 贵。
Wǒ de shǒujī méiyǒu tā de shǒujī guì.
My cell phone isn't as expensive as his.

我们 都 不 有 老板 忙。
Wǒmen dōu bù yǒu lǎobǎn máng.

我们 都 没有 老板 忙。
Wǒmen dōu méiyǒu lǎobǎn máng.
We all are not as busy as the boss.

上海 的 冬天 不 有 北京 的 冬天 冷。
Shànghǎi de dōngtiān bù yǒu Běijīng de dōngtiān lěng.

上海 的 冬天 没有 北京 的 冬天 冷。
Shànghǎi de dōngtiān méiyǒu Běijīng de dōngtiān lěng.
Shanghai winters are not as cold Beijing winters.

You can only use 没 (méi) or 没有 (méiyǒu) for this purpose, and not 不 (bù).

不 (bù) Is Used Almost Exclusively with Certain Verbs

Certain verbs just don't get negated by 没 (méi) or 没有 (méiyǒu) ever. These include the verbs 是 (shì) ("to be") and 在 (zài) ("to be (in a place)"), as well as some psychological verbs such as 知道 (zhīdào) ("to know") and 认识 (rènshi) ("to know (a person)"). For these verbs, it's best to just take them on a case-by-case basis. Being aware of their existence can save you a fair bit of confusion.

他 以前 没 是 我的 老板。
Tā yǐqián méi shì wǒ de lǎobǎn.

他 以前 不 是 我的 老板。
Tā yǐqián bù shì wǒ de lǎobǎn.
He was not my boss before.

我 没 知道 他 要 来 。
Wǒ méi zhīdào tā yào lái.

我 不 知道 他 要 来。
Wǒ bù zhīdào tā yào lái.
I didn't know he was coming.

他 小 时候 没 认识 她 。
Tā xiǎo shíhou méi rènshi tā.

他 小时候 不 认识 她。
Tā xiǎo shíhou bù rènshi tā.
He did not know her when he was young.

昨天 我 没 在 家。
Use of 没 with 在 is technically incorrect, but you sometimes hear it.
Zuótiān wǒ méi zài jiā.

昨天 我 不 在 家 。
Zuótiān wǒ bù zài jiā.
I was not home yesterday.

Note that in non-standard Mandarin you might encounter exceptions to this rule. It's still useful to know the rule!

Sources and further reading

Websites

http://www.docin.com/p-20925643.html

http://wenku.baidu.com/view/e2e8eb2ce2bd960590c67703.html

ChinesePod Qing Wen: When To Use “不” bù and “没” méi?

Videos

Yoyo Chinese: Negation word 不

Yoyo Chinese: Negation word 没

Books

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 141-4)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 137-9)

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (p. 87)

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (pp. 102, 250-1)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 54-5)

New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 33-4)

Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 51)

现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. 382)

Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) (p. 32)

现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. 383)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 31)

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (1st ed) (pp. 85-86)　

New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (p. 218)

Reference:Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级)(不 没 p.156)

40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 157-8)

Comparing "yao"要" and "xiang"想"

Both 要 (yào) and 想 (xiǎng) can essentially mean "want," but they can also be used in quite different ways, such as 想 (xiǎng) also meaning "to miss" when followed by a noun, and 要 (yào) also meaning "going to (do something)."

Followed by a Noun

Both 要 (yào) and 想 (xiǎng) may be followed by nouns, but pay attention to how the meaning of 想 (xiǎng) totally changes when used this way.

要 (yào) as "to Want"

Structure

In this pattern, 要 (yào) is directly followed by a thing (a noun), rather than by a verb. It is often used to buy something, or to order food at a restaurant.

It may be helpful to imagine a demanding child using this pattern to get stuff from his parents. This "I want x!" pattern can seem slightly impolite, but to the Chinese ear it's not as inherently rude as it may seem when translated directly into English. Tone of voice plays a key role when using this pattern in spoken Chinese.

Subj. + 要 + Noun

Examples

你 也 要 茶 吗？
ordering in a restaurant
Nǐ yě yào chá ma?
Do you also want tea?

我们 都 要 咖啡。
ordering in a cafe
Wǒmen dōu yào kāfēi.
We all want coffee.

大家 要 不 要 米饭？
ordering in a restaurant
Dàjiā yào bù yào mǐfàn?
Does everyone want rice?

你们 要 冰水 还是 热水？
ordering in a restaurant
Nǐmen yào bīng shuǐ háishì rè shuǐ?
Do you want ice water or hot water?

谢谢，我 什么 都 不 要。
ordering in a restaurant
Xièxiè, wǒ shénme dōu bù yào.
Thank you. I don't need anything.

想 (xiǎng) as "to Miss"

Pay attention here: unlike "想 (xiǎng) + Verb," the meaning of 想 (xiǎng) in the "想 (xiǎng) + Noun" pattern becomes "to miss."

Structure

Subj. + 想 + Noun = to miss

Examples

我 想 你。
Wǒ xiǎng nǐ.
I miss you.

我 有点 想 我 的 家人。
Wǒ yǒudiǎn xiǎng wǒ de jiārén.
I sort of miss my family.

你们 回 美国 以后， 会 想 中国菜 吗？
Nǐmen huí Měiguó yǐhòu, huì xiǎng Zhōngguó cài ma?
Will you all miss Chinese food after you go back to the U.S.?

你女朋友 不 在 的时候，你 会 想 她 吗？
Nǐ nǚpéngyou bù zài de shíhou, nǐ huì xiǎng tā ma?
Do you miss your girlfriend when she is not around?

妈妈 打 电话 的 时候 跟 我 说， 她 很 想 我。
Māma dǎ diànhuà de shíhou gēn wǒ shuō, tā hěn xiǎng wǒ.
Mom called me and said she misses me a lot.

Followed by a Verb

要 (yào) and 想 (xiǎng) have similar meanings when followed by verbs. The difference is rather subtle, but 要 (yào) can sound more urgent or demanding (sometimes even childish), while 想 (xiǎng) is usually a bit more mature and polite. Tone of voice plays a big role here as well, though, so don't be afraid of offending people by using 要 (yào); the word itself isn't rude.

要 (yào) as "Want to"

Structure

It might help to think of 要 (yào) in this sense as meaning "want to" and 想 (xiǎng) as meaning "would like to."

Subj. + 要 + Verb

Examples

我 要 休息 。
Wǒ yào xiūxi.
I want to rest.

你 也 要 回家 吗 ？
Nǐ yě yào huíjiā ma?
Do you also want to go home?

你们 要 喝 什么 ？
Nǐmen yào hē shénme?
What do you want to drink?

我 要 帮 老板 做 完 这些 工作 。
Wǒ yào bāng lǎobǎn zuò wán zhèxiē gōngzuò.
I want to help the boss finish this work.

大家 晚上 要 不 要 出去 吃 ？
Dàjiā wǎnshang yào bu yào chūqù chī?
Does everyone want to go out to eat tonight?

想 (xiǎng) as "Would Like to"

Structure

It might help to think of 想 (xiǎng) as meaning "would like to" instead of "want to." In English, as well, "would like to" feels more indirect, and thus less demanding and more more polite.

Subj. + 想 + Verb

Examples

你 想 去 吗 ？
Nǐ xiǎng qù ma?
Would you like to go?

我 不 想 见 她 。
Wǒ bù xiǎng jiàn tā.
I wouldn't like to see her.

周末 你们 想 看 电影 吗 ？
Zhōumò nǐmen xiǎng kàn diànyǐng ma?
Would you like to see a movie this weekend?

我 想 请 你 吃饭 。
Wǒ xiǎng qǐng nǐ chīfàn.
I'd like to treat you to dinner.

他们 春节 不 想 回家 吗 ？
Tāmen Chūnjié bù xiǎng huíjiā ma?
Don't they want to go back home for Spring Festival?

要 (yào) as "Going to"

要 is used to indicate plans for the near future, much like "going to" in English. 想 (xiǎng) is not used in this way.

Structure

Subj. + 要 + Verb

Examples

星期六 我 要 去 北京。
Xīngqīliù wǒ yào qù Běijīng.
I'm going to Beijing on Saturday.

下 个 月 她 要 找 新 工作。
Xià gè yuè tā yào zhǎo xīn gōngzuò.
She is going to look for a new job next month.

这个 周末 你们 要 出去 玩 吗？
Zhège zhōumò nǐmen yào chūqù wán ma?
Are you going out partying this weekend?

结婚 以后，你 要 跟 父母 住 在 一起 吗？
Jiéhūn yǐhòu, nǐ yào gēn nǐ fùmǔ zhù zài yīqǐ ma?
Are you going to live together with your parents after you get married?

生 完 孩子 以后，你 太太 要 回去 工作 吗？
Shēng wán háizi yǐhòu, nǐ tàitai yào huíqù gōngzuò ma?
Is your wife going back to work after she finishes giving birth to the baby?

想要 (xiǎngyào) as "Want"

Structure

You can put 要 (yào) and 想 (xiǎng) together to make the word 想要 (xiǎngyào), which means "to want." You can put either nouns or verbs after it.

Subj. + 想要 + Noun I Verb

Examples

你 想要 几 个 孩子 ？
Nǐ xiǎngyào jǐ gè háizi?
How many kids do you want to have?

我 老婆 总是 想要 最 贵 的 包。
Wǒ lǎopo zǒngshì xiǎngyào zuì guì de bāo.
My wife always wants the most expensive bags.

她 想要 找 一 个 有钱 的 男朋友 。
Tā xiǎngyào zhǎo yī gè yǒuqián de nánpéngyou.
She wants to find a rich boyfriend.

你们 为什么 想要 离开 北京 ？
Nǐmen wèishénme xiǎngyào líkāi Běijīng?
Why do you all want to leave Beijing?

他 想要 帮 你 找 一 个 更好 的 工作。
Tā xiǎngyào bāng nǐ zhǎo yī gè gèng hǎo de gōngzuò.
He wants to help you find a better job.

See also

Wanting to do something with yao

"Would like to" with xiang

Auxiliary verb "yao" and its multiple meanings

Negative commands with "bu yao"

Expressing determination with "feiyao"

Sources and further reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 154-5)