Chinese example sentences

Every whole sentence used as an example in the Chinese Boost grammar articles has a page here. Each one shows the sentence in simplified and traditional characters, its pinyin under both the mainland and Taiwan standards, bopomofo, and what it means.

The articles use plenty of shorter examples too — 半个小时, 好吃的菜, a pattern with slots in it — and those stay in the article they explain rather than getting a page of their own.

The sentences come from the grammar articles rather than from a corpus, so each page also links back to the grammar point it was written to demonstrate.

968 sentences, showing 10 of 10.

这辆自行车是我在网上买的。

Zhè liàng zìxíngchē shì wǒ zài wǎngshàng mǎi de.

I bought this bike online.
这篇文章不太长。

Zhè piān wénzhāng bú tài zhǎng.

This article is not very long.
这事跟我一点也没关系。

Zhè shì gēn wǒ yìdiǎn yě méiguānxi.

This issue has nothing to do with me.
这是你的吗？

Zhè shì nǐ de ma?

Is this yours?
这是你的。

Zhè shì nǐ de.

This is yours.
这是你的书。

Zhè shì nǐ de shū.

This is your book.
这是书。

Zhè shì shū.

This is a book.
这是谁想出来的主意？

Zhè shì shuí xiǎng chūlái de zhǔyi?

Whose idea was this?
这是他们的房子。

Zhè shì tāmen de fángzi.

This is their house.
这是我的电话号码。

Zhè shì wǒ de diànhuàhàomǎ.

This is my phone number.
这是我看过最好看的书。

Zhè shì wǒ kànguò zuì hǎokàn de shū.

This is the best book I've ever read.
这是一件黑色的衬衫。

Zhè shì yī jiàn hēisè de chènshān.

This is a black shirt.
这是一辆黑色的车。

Zhè shì yī liàng hēisè de chē.

This is a black car.
这是一篇有关于太阳能的文章。

Zhè shì yīpiān yǒu guānyú tàiyángnéng de wénzhāng.

This is an article about solar power.
这是一种很浓的咖啡。

Zhè shì yīzhǒng hěn nóng de kāfēi.

This is a very strong kind of coffee.
这是因为中国文化对于教育的高度重视。

Zhè shì yīnwèi Zhōngguó wénhuà duìyú jiàoyù de gāodù zhòngshì.

This is due to the importance that Chinese culture places on education.
这是中国的产品。

Zhè shì Zhōngguó de chǎnpǐn.

This is a Chinese product.
这是最后一招。

Zhè shì zuìhòu yìzhāo.

This is a last resort.
这算不了什么。

Zhè suànbùliǎo shénme.

This doesn't amount to much.
这台电脑很旧，所以比较便宜。

Zhè tái diànnǎo hěn jiù, suǒyǐ bǐjiào piányi.

This computer is old, so it's cheaper.
这条裤子是黑色的。

Zhè tiáo kùzi shì hēisè de.

These trousers are black.
这一点儿也不好。

Zhè yìdiǎnr yě bù hǎo.

This is not good at all.
这只狗可臭了！

Zhè zhǐ gǒu kě chòule!

This dog stinks!
这个不卖给一般人。

Zhège bú mài gěi yìbān rén.

This isn't on sale to the general public.
这个菜是怎么做的？

Zhège cài shì zěnme zuò de?

How is this dish made? ⇒ What is it that this dish is made with?
这个产品很受欢迎 - 我们已经卖了一盒半了！

Zhège chǎnpǐn hěn shòuhuānyíng - wǒmen yǐjīng màile yì hé bàn le!

This product is very popular - we've already sold a box and a half!
这个东西是干嘛的？

Zhège dōngxī shì gànmá de?

What's this thing for?
这个房子的地下室太恐怖了，我不敢下去。

Zhège fángzi de dìxiàshì tài kǒngbùle, wǒ bùgǎn xiàqù.

The basement in this house is too scary, I don't dare go down.
这个故事是老张给我讲的。

Zhège gùshì shì lǎo zhāng gěi wǒ jiǎng de.

Lao Zhang told me this story.
这个盒子太大了。

Zhège hézi tài dàle.

This box is too big.
这个很划算。

Zhège hěn huásuàn.

This is a bargain.
这个很难学会。

Zhège hěn nán xuéhuì.

This is difficult to master.
这个很难懂嘛。

Zhège hěn nándǒng ma.

This is hard to understand!
这个假期她出去旅行。

Zhège jiàqī tā chūqù lǚxíng.

She went travelling during the holiday.
这个嘛，我也不知道。

Zhège ma, wǒ yě bù zhīdào.

That... I don't know either.
这个问题太难了，我说不出来答案。

Zhège wèntí tài nánle, wǒ shuō bù chūlái dá'àn.

The question is too hard - I can't answer it.
这个我没听说过。

Zhège wǒ méi tīngshuōguò.

I haven't heard about that.
这个项链是我奶奶送给我的。

Zhège xiàngliàn shì wǒ nǎinai sònggěi wǒ de.

This necklace was given to me by my grandma.
这个字我一直学不会。

Zhège zì wǒ yìzhí xué búhuì.

I can never learn (remember) this character.
这里有洗手间吗？

Zhèlǐ yǒu xǐshǒujiān ma?

Is there a toilet here?
这里有洗手间。

Zhèlǐ yǒu xǐshǒujiān.

There is a toilet here.
这么多单词我记不住。

Zhème duō dāncí wǒ jìbúzhù.

I can't remember this many words.
这么多饭 - 你吃得了吗？

Zhème duō fàn - nǐ chī dé le ma?

There's so much food - can you eat it all?
这么多饭 - 你能吃得完吗？

Zhème duō fàn - nǐ néng chī de wán ma?

There's so much food - can you eat it all?
这么难的动作，小孩子学不会。

Zhème nán de dòngzuò, xiǎoháizi xué búhuì.

Children can't learn movements this difficult.
这么一点儿饭我们怎么吃饱呢？

Zhème yìdiǎnr fàn wǒmen zěnme chībǎo ne?

How can we be satisfied with such a tiny amount of food?
这些东西呢？

Zhèxiē dōngxī ne?

What about these things?
这样做才对。

Zhèyàng zuò cái duì.

That's the way to do it. ["It's not right until you do it this way."]
这种病如何以飲食療法加以治疗？

Zhèzhǒng bìng rúhé yǐ yǐnshíliáofǎ jiāyǐ zhìliáo?

How can this illness be addressed through diet?
这种所谓的翻译非常不好。

Zhèzhǒng suǒwèi de fānyì fēicháng bù hǎo.

This so-called "translation" is terrible.
政府必须对枪支的买卖加以限制。

Zhèngfǔ bìxū duì qiāngzhī de mǎimài jiāyǐ xiànzhì.

The government must implement limits on the sale of firearms.
政府将在2015年对旅游行业加以规范。

Zhèngfǔ jiāng zài èr líng yī wǔ nián duì lǚyóu hángyè jiāyǐ guīfàn.

The government is going to apply regulations to the tourism industry in 2015.
政治家对听众讲话。

Zhèngzhìjiā duì tīngzhòng jiǎnghuà.

The politician spoke to the audience.
政治家跟听众讲话。

Zhèngzhìjiā gēn tīngzhòng jiǎnghuà.

The politician spoke with the audience.
至少你试过了。

Zhìshǎo nǐ shìguòle.

At least you've tried.
中国人口大约是英国人口的二十一倍。

Zhōngguó rénkǒu dàyuē shì Yīngguó rénkǒu de èrshí yībèi.

The population of China is about twenty-one times that of the UK.
祝您健康长寿。

Zhù nín jiànkāng Chángshòu.

I wish you health and a long life.
走开！

Zǒukāi!

Go away!
走路对身体好。

Zǒulù duì shēntǐ hǎo.

Walking is healthy.
最大的鹰的翅膀展开长达一米半。

Zuì dà de yīng de chìbǎng zhǎnkāi cháng dá yì mǐ bàn.

The largest eagles have a wingspan of one and a half meters.
最好早点儿离开。

Zuìhǎo zǎodiǎnr líkāi.

It would be best to leave early.
最好早点儿去。

Zuìhǎo zǎodiǎnr qù.

It would be best to leave early.
最好早点儿走。

Zuìhǎo zǎodiǎnr zǒu.

It would be best to leave early.
最后，他们只得放弃了。

Zuìhòu, tāmen zhǐdé fàngqìle.

In the end, they had to give up.
最后，我们的项目成了拍卖会上最特别的一项。

Zuìhòu, wǒmen de xiàngmù chéng le pāimàihuì shàng zuì tèbié de yí xiàng.

Finally, we come to the most special item in this auction.
昨天发生了一件有趣的事。

Zuótiān fāshēngle yí jiàn yǒuqù de shì.

Something interesting happened yesterday.
昨天我偷了三辆车。

Zuótiān wǒ tōule sān liàng chē.

I stole three cars yesterday.
做这件事划算。

Zuò zhè jiàn shì huásuàn.

It's very worthwhile to do this.