10 basic Chinese grammar points for beginners
Here are ten basic Chinese grammar points that everyone interested in the language should know. If you've recently started learning Chinese, it's a good idea to make sure you're familiar with these points.
The grammar points listed here might make a nice refresher if you've already got a few Chinese lessons under your belt. Once you've been studying for a while, they'll probably seem very obvious!
Basic Chinese Grammar 101
Talk about locations with 在 (zài)
To talk about things being in places, use the word 在 (zài). This is actually a verb, so you don't need to use any other words to talk about something being somewhere.
The structure is:
Have a look at some example:
我在这里。
你在那里。
上海在中国。
猫在沙发上。
Notice how English uses the verb “to be” where Chinese uses 在. English also uses prepositions - “to be in” - whereas Chinese often just uses 在.
Use measure words with nouns
Measure words are used whenever you talk about quantities in Chinese. You can't attach numbers directly to nouns - you have to put a measure word in between.
There are different measure words for different categories of things. For example, the measure word for books is 本 (běn), whilst the measure word for flat things is 张 (zhāng).
Luckily, there is also a general purpose measure word: 个 (ge). This can be used for pretty much everything, but it's better to use more specific measure words when you can.
Talk about having things with 有 (yǒu)
You can talk about having things with the word 有 (yǒu) - “to have”. Remember that you don't need to conjugate (change) verbs in Chinese, so 有 is always 有 no matter whom you're talking about.
The structure is simply:
Let's have a look at some example sentences. Notice that the nouns in the sentences have measure words before them: 个 (ge), 本 (běn) and 把 (bǎ).
我有一个妹妹。
我有一本书。
他有一把枪!
Hopefully you won't ever have to use the last example sentence there.
是 (shì) is not exactly the same as “to be”
The closest equivalent of the English word “to be” in Chinese is 是 (shì). This is used to link nouns to other nouns. The structure is:
Let's have a look at some examples:
我是学生。
他是老师。
她是医生。
这是书。
Notice how 是 is used to talk about one noun being another. You can't use 是 to link adjectives to nouns, though, as in “this book is heavy”. To do that, you have to use 很 (hěn).
The basic structure for 很 (hěn) is the same as for 是, but 很 is used with adjectives. Have a look at some example sentences:
这本书很重。
她很高。
我们很高兴。
Sometimes 很 is translated as “very”, but opinions vary on how accurate this is. We think it's simply used to link adjectives to nouns, whilst others think it also intensifies the adjectives.
Talk about wanting things with 要 (yào)
You can talk about directly wanting something with the word 要 (yào). This word is also used to talk about the future, as in “I'm going to do” something.
要 is quite versatile and can be used with nouns or verbs:
Have a look at some examples:
我要一个三明治。
我要吃三明治。
她要去北京。
我们要走了。
Be careful when using 要 to mean “to want”, as it could be quite abrupt, just as in English.
Negate 有 (yǒu) with 没 (méi)
To talk about “not having” something, you negate the word 有 (yǒu) with 没 (méi). Remember this important point: if you negate 有, always use 没. The two words go together.
Examples:
我没有车。
他们没有钱。
他没有学位。
That's how you negate 有. But there's a different word for everything else!
Negate everything else with 不 (bù)
Every other verb apart from 有 is negated with 不 (bù). 不 is pretty much equivalent to “not” or “don't” in English. It goes before a verb and negates it.
Some examples:
我不喜欢啤酒。
我不要去纽约。
我不想念他们。
Remember to negate 有 with 没, and everything else with 不.
Mark possession with 的 (de)
The most common character in Chinese is 的 (de). That's because 的 is used all the time to mark possession. That means that it's used to talk about things belonging to other things, or to attach qualities to things.
的 is extremely versatile in Chinese. Pretty much any relationship where one thing belongs to another, or is the property of another, can be described with 的.
的 is kind of equivalent to ‘s (apostrophe s) in English. It goes between two things to indicate possession. But it's used very widely to attach any kind of quality or possession.
Some examples:
这是你的。
那是小李的书。
这是我的电话号码。
这是他们的房子。
这条裤子是黑色的。
她是一个很重要的人。
You might want to have a look at a more challenging example sentence for 的. Don't worry if this is beyond your ability at the moment, though:
我今天学的东西很有意思。
The main point to remember is that 的 can attach pretty much anything to anything else. You'll get more used to it the more you read and listen to Chinese.
Link nouns with 和 (hé)
The most common way to express “and” in Chinese is probably 和 (hé). Remember, though, that 和 can only be used to link nouns. You can't link verbs together with 和.
和 is used to link nouns in the same way “and” is used in English. Some examples:
我和我哥哥要去北京。
我喜欢米饭和面条。
我和你一样。
Link nouns with 和 but not verbs. Linking verbs in Chinese is a bit more complicated so we won't look at it here.
Ask yes/no questions with 吗 (ma)
Finally, use 吗 (ma) to ask yes / no questions in Chinese. These questions are also known as polar questions or binary questions. You can turn any statement into a yes / no question simply by putting 吗 at the end.
Some examples:
你喜欢他吗?
这是你的吗?
你要去上海吗?
More A1 articles
- How to use the particles 吗 (ma) and 呢 (ne) in Chinese grammar A1
- Key Chinese grammar structure: modifier + de + noun (的) A1
- The sentence particles 吧 (ba) and 吗 (ma) in Chinese grammar A1
Other articles for 吗
- How to use the particles 吗 (ma) and 呢 (ne) in Chinese grammar A1
- The sentence particles 吧 (ba) and 吗 (ma) in Chinese grammar A1
- 10 basic Chinese grammar points for beginners A1
Other articles for 在
- When 在 (zài) comes after the verb in Chinese grammar A2
- 10 basic Chinese grammar points for beginners A1
Other articles for 是
- The 是…的 (shì…de) construction vs 了 (le) in Chinese grammar A2
- The 要是…就 (yàoshi…jiù) construction in Chinese grammar A2
- The 是…的 (shì…de) construction in Chinese grammar B1
Other articles for 要
- Five uses of 要 (yào) in Chinese grammar A2
- The difference between 想 (xiǎng), 要 (yào) and 想要 (xiǎngyào) in Chinese grammar B2
- The 要是…就 (yàoshi…jiù) construction in Chinese grammar A2