每个人都有他的作战策略，直到脸上中了一拳。
Měigerén dōu yǒu tā de zuòzhàn cèlüè, zhídào liǎn shàng zhōng le yī quán.
Everyone has a plan til they get punched in the face.
Source:
Chinese Boost
这是我年轻时候住的房子。
Zhè shì wǒ niánqīng shíhou zhù de fángzi.
This is the house I lived in when I was young.
Source:
Tatoeba.org
这首歌使我想起了我年轻的时候。
Zhè shǒu gē shǐ wǒ xiǎngqǐ le wǒ niánqīng de shíhou.
This song makes me think of when I was young.
Source:
Tatoeba.org
我不允许你用我的钢笔。
Wǒ bù yǔnxǔ nǐ yòng wǒ de gāngbǐ.
I will not allow you to use my pen.
Source:
Tatoeba.org
他走出了房間。
Tā zǒuchū le fángjiān.
He left the room.
Source:
Tatoeba.org
寫日記是一個好習慣。
Xiě rìjì shì yī gè hǎo xíguàn.
Writing in a diary is a good habit.
Source:
Tatoeba.org
起初我們並不熟悉，漸漸地就熟悉起來了。
Qǐchū wǒmen bìngbù shúxī, jiànjiàn de jiù shúxī qǐlai le.
At first, we weren’t familiar at all. Over time we got to know each other.
Source:
Tatoeba.org
马在路上小跑着。
Mǎ zài lùshang xiǎo pǎo zhe.
The horse trotted down the road.
Source:
Tatoeba.org
我想預定一個房間。
Wǒ xiǎng yùdìng yī gè fángjiān.
I want to reserve a room.
Source:
Tatoeba.org
她年轻时很美丽。
Tā niánqīng shí hěn měilì.
She was beautiful when she was young.
Source:
Tatoeba.org
他喜欢中国吗?
Tā xǐhuan Zhōngguó ma?
Does he like China?
Source:
Tatoeba.org
不要哭。我爱你。
Bù yào kū. wǒ ài nǐ.
Don’t cry. I love you.
Source:
Tatoeba.org
今天你要干什么？
Jīntiān nǐ yào gànshénme?
What are you doing today?
Source:
Tatoeba.org
你欠湯姆多少錢？
Nǐ qiàn Tāngmǔ duōshao qián?
How much money do you owe Tom?
Source:
Tatoeba.org
汤姆不能自已。
Tāngmǔ bùnéngzìyǐ.
Tom couldn’t control himself.
Source:
Tatoeba.org
那人饿着呢.
Nà rén è zhen‘e.
The man is starving.
Source:
Tatoeba.org
我确实喜欢我的同事。
Wǒ quèshí xǐhuan wǒ de tóngshì.
I really like my coworkers.
Source:
Tatoeba.org
汤姆应当被责备。
Tāngmǔ yīngdāng bèi zébèi.
Tom deserves to be blamed.
Source:
Tatoeba.org
汤姆假装没听见。
Tāngmǔ jiǎzhuāng méi tīngjiàn.
Tom pretended to not hear a thing.
Source:
Tatoeba.org
汤姆做了一个侧空翻。
Tāngmǔ zuò le yī gè cèkōngfān.
Tom did a cartwheel.
Source:
Tatoeba.org
Language is an art, and learning one can become frustrating due to their complicated and flexible nature. We totally understand your pain as a new Chinese language learner!
How about simplifying it a little bit, and applying some formulas like we do in math?
Table of Contents
- Linking Two Nouns
- Using Adjectives to Describe Nouns
- Expressing “Want”
- Expressing “Need”
- Expressing “Like”
- Politely Asking Someone to Do Something
- Expressing Something in the Past Tense
- Asking for Information About Something
- Asking About Time
- Asking About Location or Position
- Conclusion
1. Linking Two Nouns
Some of the simplest and most common Chinese phrases are those used to connect to nouns. Let’s see how it’s done.
Sentence pattern:
In Chinese: [主语] 是 [宾语]。
Pinyin: [Zhǔ yǔ] shì [bīn yǔ].
In English: “[Subject] is [object].”
Example 1
In Chinese: 约翰是我的哥哥。
Pinyin: Yuē hàn shì wǒ de gē ge.
In English: “John is my older brother.”
Example 2
In Chinese: 我的妈妈是一个十分善良的人。
Pinyin: Wǒ de mā ma shì yī gè shí fēn shàn liáng de rén.
In English: “My mom is a very kind person.”
Example 3
In Chinese: 这只手表是爸爸送给我的毕业礼物。
Pinyin: Zhè zhī shǒu biǎo shì bà ba sòng gěi wǒ de bì yè lǐ wù.
In English: “This watch is a present from my dad for my graduation.”
Example 4
In Chinese: 她是一名老师。
Pinyin: Tā shì yī míng lǎo shī.
In English: “She is a teacher.”
Example 5
In Chinese: 狗是我最喜欢的动物。
Pinyin: Gǒu shì wǒ zuì xǐ huān de dòng wù.
In English: “Dogs are my favorite animal.”
2. Using Adjectives to Describe Nouns
Let’s think about how to describe this…
Sentence pattern:
In Chinese: [主语] (是) 非常/很/太/真 [形容词]。
Pinyin: [Zhǔ yǔ] (shì) fēi cháng/hěn/tài/zhēn [xíng róng cí].
In English: “[Subject] (is) very/so [adjective].”
Additional notes: In Chinese, when we use adjectives to describe things, “is” is omitted most of the time.
Example 1
In Chinese: 你真美。
Pinyin: Nǐ zhēn měi.
In English: “You are so beautiful.”
Example 2
In Chinese: 我们昨晚看的电影实在是太恐怖了。
Pinyin: Wǒ men zuó wǎn kàn de diàn yǐng shí zài shì tài kǒng bù le.
In English: “The movie we watched last night was so scary.”
Example 3
In Chinese: 这道甜点真好吃。
Pinyin: Zhè dào tián diǎn zhēn hǎo chī.
In English: “This dessert is so delicious.”
Example 4
In Chinese: 他可真是个聪明人。
Pinyin: Tā kě zhēn shì gè cōng míng rén.
In English: “He is such a wise person.”
Example 5
In Chinese: 这本书真是太感人了，我看的时候都忍不住哭了。
Pinyin: Zhè běn shū zhēn shì tài gǎn rén le, wǒ kàn de shí hòu dōu rěn bú zhù kū le.
In English: “This book is so touching, I couldn’t help crying when I was reading it.”
3. Expressing “Want”
This Chinese sentence structure is very useful for day-to-day interactions. Let’s take a look:
Sentence pattern:
In Chinese: 我想……
Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎng…
In English: “I want (to)…”
Example 1
In Chinese: 我想吃东西了。
Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎng chī dōng xi le.
In English: “I want to eat some food.”
Don’t we all crave food all the time?
Example 2
In Chinese: 在国外留学了三年之后，我想回家。
Pinyin: Zài guó wài liú xué le sān nián zhī hòu, wǒ xiǎng huí jiā.
In English: “After studying abroad for three years, I want to go back to my hometown.”
Example 3
In Chinese: 今天复习了一天的考试，现在我只想睡觉。
Pinyin: Jīn tiān fù xí le yī tiān de kǎo shì, xiàn zài wǒ zhǐ xiǎng shuì jiào.
In English: “Today, I studied the whole time, and now I only want to go to sleep.”
Example 4
In Chinese: 我想成为一个更好的人。
Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎng chéng wéi yī gè gèng hǎo de rén.
In English: “I want to become a better person.”
Example 5
In Chinese: 夏天是让人想吃西瓜的季节。
Pinyin: Xià tiān shì ràng rén xiǎng chī xī guā de jì jié.
In English: “Summer is a season that makes people want to eat watermelons.”
4. Expressing “Need”
Sentence pattern:
In Chinese: 我需要…… / 我得……
Pinyin: Wǒ xū yào… / Wǒ děi…
In English: “I need (to)…” / “I have to…”
Example 1
In Chinese: 抱歉，现在我必须要走了。
Pinyin: Bào qiàn, xiàn zài wǒ bì xū yào zǒu le.
In English: “I am sorry, I need to go right now.”
Example 2
In Chinese: 打扰一下，我需要用一下卫生间。
Pinyin: Dǎ rǎo yī xià, wǒ xū yào yòng yī xià wèi shēng jiān.
In English: “Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom.”
Example 3
In Chinese: 我需要冷静下来，好好想想接下来应该怎么办。
Pinyin: Wǒ xū yào lěng jìng xià lái, hǎo hao xiǎng xiang jiē xià lái yīng gāi zěn me bàn.
In English: “I need to calm down and think about what I can do next.”
Example 4
In Chinese: 狗狗是人类最好的朋友，他们需要我们的陪伴与关爱。
Pinyin: Gǒu gou shì rén lèi zuì hǎo de péng you, tā men xū yào wǒ men de péi bàn yǔ guān ài.
In English: “Dogs are man’s best friend; they need our companionship and love.”
Gotta have some fun if it’s your birthday!
Example 5
In Chinese: 明天是我的生日，我得穿件漂亮的衣服。
Pinyin: Míng tiān shì wǒ de shēng rì, wǒ děi chuān jiàn piāo liang de yī fu.
In English: “Tomorrow is my birthday; I will have to wear something nice.”
5. Expressing “Like”
This is one of the most important Chinese sentence structures for beginners who want to hold basic conversations with native speakers. Let’s see how it works.
Sentence pattern:
In Chinese: 我喜欢……
Pinyin: Wǒ xǐ huan…
In English: “I like (to)…”
Example 1
In Chinese: 我非常喜欢下厨。
Pinyin: Wǒ fēi cháng xǐ huan xià chú.
In English: “I like to cook very much.”
Example 2
In Chinese: 我喜欢在海边看日落。
Pinyin: Wǒ xǐ huan zài hǎi biān kàn rì luò.
In English: “I like to watch the sunset at the beach.”
Example 3
In Chinese: 爸爸喜欢每天早上八点准时叫我起床。
Pinyin: Bà ba xǐ huan měi tiān zǎo shàng bā diǎn zhǔn shí jiào wǒ qǐ chuáng.
In English: “My dad likes to wake me up exactly at 8:00 a.m. every day.”
Example 4
In Chinese: 孩子们都很喜欢万圣节，因为他们可以得到很多糖果。
Pinyin: Hái zi men dōu hěn xǐ huan wàn shèng jié, yīn wèi tā men kě yǐ dé dào hěn duō táng guǒ.
In English: “Children all like Halloween because they can get lots of candy.”
Example 5
Tell me the truth: isn’t fast food a guilty pleasure of yours sometimes?
In Chinese: 他很喜欢吃快餐。
Pinyin: Tā hěn xǐ huan chī kuài cān.
In English: “He likes to eat fast food a lot.”
6. Politely Asking Someone to Do Something
Sentence pattern:
In Chinese: 请……
Pinyin: Qǐng…
In English: “Please…”
Example 1
Let’s try to be polite when it’s needed and use the word “please.”
In Chinese: 请问我可以进来吗？
Pinyin: Qǐng wèn wǒ kě yǐ jìn lái ma?
In English: “Can I come in, please?”
Example 2
In Chinese: 请不要在我家里穿鞋，谢谢。
Pinyin: Qǐng bú yào zài wǒ jiā lǐ chuān xié, xiè xiè.
In English: “Please don’t wear shoes at my house, thank you.”
Example 3
In Chinese: 能不能请您稍微挪一下位置？
Pinyin: Néng bu néng qǐng nín shāo wēi nuó yī xià wèi zhì.
In English: “Can you please move a little bit?”
Example 4
In Chinese: 请坐。
Pinyin: Qǐng zuò.
In English: “Please sit down.”
Example 5
In Chinese: 请你注意自己的言行。
Pinyin: Qǐng nǐ zhù yì zì jǐ de yán xíng.
In English: “Please mind your own manners.”
7. Expressing Something in the Past Tense
Next on our Chinese sentence patterns list is how to express things that happened in the past. Take a look:
Sentence pattern:
In Chinese: 我（已经）……了。
Pinyin: Wǒ (yǐ jīng)…le.
In English: “I (already)…”
Example 1
In Chinese: 我已经吃过饭了。
Pinyin: Wǒ yǐ jīng chī guò fàn le.
In English: “I already ate.”
Example 2
In Chinese: 我已经把作业做完了。
Pinyin: Wǒ yǐ jīng bǎ zuò yè zuò wán le.
In English: “I already finished my homework.”
Example 3
In Chinese: 我已经放弃了。
Pinyin: Wǒ yǐ jīng fàng qì le.
In English: “I already gave up.”
Example 4
In Chinese: 我之前已经去过这里了。
Pinyin: Wǒ zhī qián yǐ jīng qù guò zhè lǐ le.
In English: “I already went there before.”
Example 5
In Chinese: 我已经把文件传给你了。
Pinyin: Wǒ yǐ jīng bǎ wén jiàn chuán gěi nǐ le.
In English: “I already sent the files to you.”
8. Asking for Information About Something
Sentence pattern:
In Chinese: [主语] 是什么?
Pinyin: [Zhǔ yǔ] shì shén me?
In English: “What is [subject]?”
Example 1
In Chinese: 这个是什么？
Pinyin: Zhè gè shì shén me?
In English: “What is this?”
Example 2
In Chinese: 我们上次去的餐厅是哪一家？
Pinyin: Wǒ men shàng cì qù de cān tīng shì nǎ yī jiā?
In English: “What was the restaurant we went to last time?”
Example 3
In Chinese: 你的名字是什么？
Pinyin: Nǐ de míng zì shì shén me?
In English: “What is your name?”
Example 4
In Chinese: 你学的是什么专业？
Pinyin: Nǐ xué de shì shén me zhuān yè?
In English: “What is your major?”
Example 5
In Chinese: 你的爱好是什么？
Pinyin: Nǐ de ài hào shì shén me?
In English: “What is your hobby?”
9. Asking About Time
Sentence pattern:
In Chinese: [事件]是什么时候？
Pinyin: [Shì jiàn] shì shén me shí hou?
In English: “When is [event]?”
Example 1
In Chinese: 会议是什么时候？
Pinyin: Huì yì shì shén me shí hou?
In English: “When is the meeting?”
Example 2
In Chinese: 你的生日是什么时候？
Pinyin: Nǐ de shēng rì shì shén me shí hou?
In English: “When is your birthday?”
Example 3
In Chinese: 你的航班是什么时候到达机场？
Pinyin: Nǐ de háng bān shì shén me shí hou dào dá jī chǎng?
In English: “When is the arrival time for your flight?”
Example 4
In Chinese: 你想要什么时候去露营？
Pinyin: Nǐ xiǎng yào shén me shí hou qù lù yíng?
In English: “When do you want to go camping?”
Example 5
In Chinese: 我们第一次见面是什么时候？
Pinyin: Wǒ men dì yī cì jiàn miàn shì shén me shí hou?
In English: “When did we meet for the first time?”
10. Asking About Location or Position
The final Chinese language sentence structure we’ll cover today is how to ask for location or position.
Sentence pattern:
In Chinese: [地方]在哪里？
Pinyin: [Dì fang] zài nǎ lǐ?
In English: “Where is [place]?”
Example 1
In Chinese: 请问卫生间在哪里？
Pinyin: Qǐng wèn wèi shēng jiān zài nǎ lǐ?
In English: “Where is the restroom?”
Example 2
In Chinese: 你的家乡在哪里？
Pinyin: Nǐ de jiā xiāng zài nǎ lǐ?
In English: “Where is your hometown?”
Example 3
In Chinese: 请问电梯在哪里？
Pinyin: Qǐng wèn diàn tī zài nǎ lǐ?
In English: “Where is the elevator?”
Example 4
In Chinese: 你们是在哪里举办的婚礼？
Pinyin: Nǐ men shì zài nǎ lǐ jǔ bàn de hūn lǐ?
In English: “Where did you have your wedding?”
Example 5
In Chinese: 你们是在哪里遇见的？
Pinyin: nǐ men shì zài nǎ lǐ yù jiàn de?
In English: “Where did you guys meet?”
11. Conclusion
Weren’t those some incredibly convenient Chinese sentence patterns? Now that you know the “formulas,” I’m sure that soon enough you’ll be able to apply them and create sentences of your own for any situation! Of course, only knowing the basic Chinese grammar and sentence patterns isn’t enough to grasp the complex and artistic Chinese language.
I’m sure your ambition as a language-learner goes beyond this, right? If you’re ready to expand your horizon in Chinese, just visit ChineseClass101.com for the most professional, unlimited Chinese resources. You can start learning Chinese in the next thirty seconds with a free lifetime account; we promise that you won’t regret it!
Basic Chinese – 10 Easy Sentences for Beginners
Whether you just need survival Mandarin for a trip in China, or are a beginner learning the building blocks of basic Chinese, these 10 easy sentences (with video examples!) are a great start. Both pinyin and characters are provided.
1. What’s your name?
你叫什么名字？
Nǐ jiào shén me míng zì?
In English, questions usually begin with an interrogative word. However, you can see in this Chinese example that it begins with the subject. This is common in basic Chinese questions. You’ll see it again in most of the other question examples.
2. Where are you from?
你来自哪里？
Nǐ lái zì nǎ li?
3. What is this?
这是什么？
Zhè shì shén me?
“This” can also be translated as 这个 (zhè ge). However, Chinese people often leave out the 个 (ge) in spoken Mandarin.
4. I’d like to buy _____.
我想买 _____。
Wǒ xiǎng mǎi _____ 。
Good news! Just like in English, declarative sentences in Chinese usually follow the subject-verb-object order. As you build your Mandarin vocabulary, simply add any noun into this sentence structure.
5. How much is it?
多少钱？
Duō shǎo qián?
6. What time is it?
现在几点？
Xiàn zài jǐ diǎn?
几 (jǐ) can mean “how many”. Or, when referencing a list of numbers, it can mean “which (number)”. 点 (diǎn) can mean “hour”. So 几点 (jǐ diǎn) literally means “which hour”. If a Chinese person invites you to dinner, you can ask “几点?” (jǐ diǎn? – what time?)
7. Where do you want to go?
你想去哪里？
Nǐ xiǎng qù nǎ li?
To respond, just add the Chinese word for where you’d like to go into this structure:
我想去 _____ 。
Wǒ xiǎng qù _____ .
8. How do I get to the ______ ?
_____ 怎么走？
_____ Zěn me zǒu?
Remember to add your subject before the verb when asking how to get somewhere!
9. How is the weather in _____ ?
_____ 的天气怎么样？
______ de tiān qì zěn me yàng?
怎么样 (zěn me yàng) can be used to ask for someone’s opinion on anything. Just ask “(subject)怎么样?”
10. What’s wrong?
你怎么了？
Nǐ zěn me le?
You may have noticed that some of the basic Chinese words used here contain pronunciations that aren’t included in the English language. To learn how to pronounce these sounds, check out our article on the 5 Chinese pronunciations that are different from English.
If you’re interested in studying Chinese in China, you may want to read our guide on how to choose the right Chinese language school for you.
Complete Guide to Basic Chinese Grammar & Sentence Structures
Basic Chinese Grammar and Sentence Structures // The Complete Guide
Basic Chinese Grammar is not hard – honestly!
In fact, all Chinese grammar is quite easy to get your head around once you have the basics nailed.
We’ll prove this to you right now with a rundown of all the key Chinese grammar pointers you need to know.
Basic Chinese Grammar – Subject + Verb Sentence
Basic Chinese Grammar – Subject + Verb + Object Sentence
Basic Chinese Grammar – The 是 (shì) Sentence
Basic Chinese Grammar – The 有 (yǒu) Sentence
Basic Chinese Grammar – The 吗 (ma) Question?
Basic Chinese Grammar – Expressing “and” with 和 (hé)
Basic Chinese Grammar – Expressing Existence with 在 (zài)
Basic Chinese Grammar – Basic Negative Form of Verbs
Basic Chinese Grammar – Questions with Question Words?
Basic Chinese Grammar – The 把 (bǎ) Sentence
Basic Chinese Grammar – Expressing Experience with 过 (guò)
BONUS – Free Quickfire Grammar Quiz
Basic Chinese Grammar – FAQs
PSST – If you want an even more in depth look into Grammar check out our Chinese Grammar Bank here. We are adding new articles all the time so you have a one stop place to understand every bit of grammar in Mandarin
1. Subject + Verb Sentence
So for our first basic Chinese grammar point, we’re going to show you the simplest sentence structure in the Chinese language.
You can form very simple sentences with just two words, a subject + verb. For example:
- 我忙 (wǒ máng): I’m busy.
我 (wǒ) means “I” (or in some cases “me”). 忙 (máng) means “busy”. Simple!
- 我累 (wǒ lèi): I’m tired.
- 我要 (wǒ yào): I want.
- 你吃 (nǐ chī): You eat.
2. Subject + Verb + Object Sentence
The next basic sentence structure of Mandarin Chinese is the same as in English: subject + verb + object.
- 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ): I love you.
- 我吃苹果 (wǒ chī píngguǒ): I eat apples.
- 我们喜欢汉语 (wǒmen xǐhuān hànyǔ): We like Chinese.
Play
3. The 是 (shì) Sentence
This is a sentence in which the main verb is (well, obviously) the verb “shi” (是), which is best translated as the verb “to be” or “is”.
The sentence structure goes like this: subject + 是 (shì) + object.
At beginner level, 是 (shì) is usually used to identify people or objects. The position of the subject and object cannot be reversed, so for example the following sentence is incorrect:
学生是你。(The literal translation would be: “Student you are”.)
The correct form of this sentence would be:
你是学生 (nǐ shì xuéshēng): You are a student.
Here are some other examples:
- 我是老师 (wǒ shì lǎoshī): I am a teacher.
- 她是演员 (tā shì yǎnyuán): She is an actor.
- 这是电脑 (zhè shì diànnǎo): This is a computer.
- 那是手机 (nà shì shǒujī): That is a phone.
Body Parts in Chinese 👤 From Head to Toe
Identifying and naming correctly the parts of the body in Mandarin can come in handy when seeing the doctor, playing sports, going clothes shopping, and more.
4. The 有 (yǒu) Sentence
Another sentence structure common in Chinese is one where the main verb is 有 (yǒu). It means “to have” or “to possess”. For instance:
- 他有铅笔 (tā yǒu qiānbǐ): He has pencils.
- 我有中饭 (wǒ yǒu zhōngfàn): I have lunch.
- 我有生病 (wǒ yǒu shēngbìng): I am sick.
Notice how the last sentence (“I am sick”) is different from the rest. With 有, you can use nouns and adjectives as well.
The 有 sentence can also be used to express existence. In this case, it is similar to the expression “there is/there are” in the English language, when meaning that something “exists” at a certain place.
This can sometimes be confusing to learners of Chinese language (but also to Chinese people learning English, who tend to literally translate such sentences into English). Let’s take the next sentence as an example:
- 我家有五口人 (wǒ jiā yǒu wǔ kǒu rén): There are five people in my family (literally: my family has five people).
In this example, the sentence would be translated with the “there is/there are” expression and not as “my family has five people”, since the verb 有 has a different meaning here.
Note: 有 is the equivalent of the English verb “to have”. The 有 verb does not, however, change in any way to indicate subject or tense.
75 Useful Academic Vocabulary 🎓 Let’s Go back to School in Chinese
Thinking of coming to learn Chinese? Good! As a present, we are getting you ahead of the rest with our hugely useful set of Chinese school vocabulary.
5. The 吗 (ma) Question?
Asking a 吗 (ma) question is similar to asking a yes or no question in English.
To make a 吗 question, we simply add the particle 吗 at the end of the statement. This means that any statement can be turned into a question. Let’s look at a simple sentence, such as: “You like coffee.” (Who doesn’t?!)
你喜欢咖啡 (nǐ xǐhuān kāfēi): You like coffee.
We simply turn it into a question by adding the particle 吗 (ma) at the end of the sentence.
你喜欢咖啡吗? Nǐ xǐhuān kāfēi ma? Do you like coffee?
Some more examples:
| Statement | The 吗 Question |
|---|---|
| 你在看书 nǐ zài kànshū You are reading |
你在看书吗? nǐ zài kànshū ma? Are you reading? |
| 她在学习 tā zài xuéxí She is studying |
她在学习吗? tā zài xuéxí ma? Is she studying? |
| 他在喝水 tā zài hē shuǐ He is drinking water |
他在喝水吗? tā zài hē shuǐ ma? Is he drinking water? |
For some more top tips on how to order a coffee, check out our blog.
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But back to the grammar. It is important to note that we cannot add the 吗 particle at the end of a sentence that is already a question. For example:
- 你是谁? is already a question asking, “Who are you?”
- 你是谁吗？Nǐ shì shéi ma? Who are you “ma”? Doesn’t really make sense. It’s already a question without the “ma” particle.
To answer a 吗 (ma) question, one can give either an affirmative or negative answer.
In English, the word order and format of a “yes/no” question may change depending on a subject, tense and verb forms. But in Chinese, the form of the 吗 question never changes.
Pro tip – also, be careful with the use of the verbs 是 (shì) and 有 (yǒu), which we mentioned earlier.
The questions that contain the verb 是 (shì) should be answered with 是 (shì, affirmative) or 不是 (bú shì, negative) and those that contain 有 (yǒu) should be answered with 有 (yǒu, affirmative) or 没有 (méi yǒu, negative).
The question can also be affirmatively answered with 对 (duì).
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6. Expressing “and” with 和 (hé)
The character 和 (hé) is the most common way to express “and” in Chinese. But be careful! It is only used to link nouns. So don’t use it to link verse, adjectives or subordinate clauses.
The structure is the following: noun 1 + 和 (hé) + noun 2
- 你和我 (nǐ hé wǒ): You and I.
- 我有一只猫和一只狗 (Wǒ yǒuyī zhǐ māo hé yī zhǐ gǒu): I have a cat and a dog.
- 我的爷爷和奶奶都70岁了 (Wǒ de yéye hé nǎinai dōu qīshí suì le): My grandpa and grandma are both 70 years old.
7. Expressing Existence with 在 (zài)
The verb 在 (zài) can be used to express “existence in a place”. This is similar to English in which we use “to be at” or “to be in” to express the same.
The structure is the following: subject +在 (zài) + place
Let’s look at the following examples.
- 我在上海。Wǒ zài Shànghǎi. I am in Shanghai.
- 他们在英国。Tāmen zài Yīngguó. They are in England.
What do we see in these examples? Although it can be tempting to use a verb here, there’s no need for it. In fact, using a verb here would be grammatically incorrect. Here, 在 functions as a verb, so there is no need for 是 (shì) or 有 (yǒu) or any other verb.
在 can also be used as a preposition or adverb.
- 我在学中文。Wǒ zài xué zhōngwén. I am learning Chinese.
- 你在游泳。Nǐ zài yóuyǒng. You are swimming.
- 他在买菜。Tā zài mǎi cài. He is buying groceries.
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8. Basic Negative Form of Verbs
In Chinese, there are basically two adverbs used for negation: 不 (bù) and 没/有 (méi/yǒu). Both are placed before the verb in a sentence.
Note that 是 (shì) cannot be negated with 没/有 (méi/yǒu), and 有 (yǒu) cannot be negated with 不 (bù).
不 (bù) is used to negate an action done at the present:
- 我今天不学中文。Wǒ jīntiān bù xué Zhōngwén. I am not studying Chinese today.
- 我今天不去了。Wǒ jīntiān bù qùle. I won’t go today.
It can also be used to negate an action in the future:
- 明年我不去中国。Míngnián wǒ bù qù Zhōngguó. I won’t go to China next year.
- 我明天不上学。Wǒ míngtiān bù shàngxué. I will not go to school tomorrow.
Or for a habitual action:
- 周末我不看书。 Zhōumò wǒ bù kànshū. I don’t read books on the weekend.
- 我通常不唱歌。Wǒ tōngcháng bù chànggē. I don’t usually sing.
没 (méi) is used to negate 有 (yǒu) — 没有 (méiyǒu) — and means that one “does not have”. The negative form of 有 (yǒu) is always 没有 (méiyǒu), never 不有 (bùyǒu).
- 我没有中国朋友。Wǒ méiyǒu Zhòng uó péngyǒu. I don’t have Chinese friends.
- 我的卡里没有钱。Wǒ de kǎ lǐ méiyǒu qián. My card does not have money.
WANT MORE? We’ve prepared a more in depth post about negation in Mandarin here.
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9. Questions with Question Words?
First things first, let’s look at some of the most common question words in Chinese. Look closely at this list, it will come in handy often!
- 谁 (shéi): who
- 什么 (shén me): what
- 哪里 (nǎ lǐ): where*
- 哪个 (nǎ ge): which
- 什么时候 (shén me shí hou): when
- 为什么 (wèi shén me): why
- 怎么 (zěn me): how
- 多少 (duō shǎo): how many
- 几 (jǐ): how many (any number under ten)
*Note: 哪里 (nǎ lǐ) is different from 那里 (nà lǐ).
Alone, 哪里 (nǎ lǐ) is a question — 哪里? Where? 我的笔在那里？Where is my pencil?
那里 (nà lǐ) is a statement saying something is there. Where is my pencil? 那里。There. 你的笔在那里。Your pencil is there.
Now, let’s talk about the most common structure of questions which use question words.
The question word is placed in relation to (meaning, in the position of) the word you’re asking about. Here are some of the most common sentence structures:
Question word + verb + (object)
- 谁教你中文？Shéi jiào nǐ zhōngwén? Who teaches you Chinese?
- 什么东西到了? Shénme dōngxī dàole? What thing arrived?
Subject + verb + question word
- 你去全家买了什么？Nǐ qù quánjiā mǎile shénme? What did you buy at FamilyMart?
- 我的铅笔在哪里？Wǒ de qiānbǐ zài nǎlǐ? Where is my pencil?
Question word + subject + verb + (object)
- 多少人要参加明天的会？Duōshǎo rén yào cānjiā míngtiān de huì? How many people will attend tomorrow’s meeting?
- 为什么天是蓝色的？Wèishéme tiān shì lánsè de? Why is the sky blue?
Subject + verb + question word + (object)
- 你昨晚吃了什么？Nǐ zuówǎn chīle shénme? What did you eat last night?
- 这双鞋是谁的？Zhè shuāng xié shì shéi de? Whose shoes are those?
As you can see, the sentence structure of a question is the same as a statement. The main difference is that a question has the addition of question words to make it a question. This is different from English, where questions and statements have very different sentence structures.
Keep the last section in mind! The particle 吗 (ma) cannot be used in questions with question words, because 吗 (ma) is a question word itself.
WANT MORE – We’ve prepared a more in depth post about all the key questions in Chinese here.
10. The 把 (bǎ) Sentence
The 把 (bǎ) sentence is a useful structure for making longer sentences. The focus of the 把 (bǎ) sentence is on the action and its object.
This is a really common sentence pattern in Chinese, but can (at least at first) feel a bit weird for English speakers.
A basic sentence in Chinese is formed with a subject-verb-object (SVO) word order, as in English:
Subject + [verb phrase] + object
In a 把 (bǎ) sentence, things are changed and the structure goes like this:
Subject + 把 (bǎ) + object + [verb phrase]
We can see now that the object has moved, it is preceded by the 把 (bǎ) and the word order is now in fact an SOV word order.
So, why use this sentence which is somewhat weird (well, at least weird for English speakers)?
Though you may think you’ll never need the 把 (bǎ) sentence, they’re quite convenient. Let’s look at the following example:
- 把书放在桌子上 。Bǎ shū fàngzài zhuōzi shàng. Put the book on the table.
How would you say this without the 把 (bǎ) construction? You might try this: 书放在桌子上 (Shū fàng zài zhuōzi shàng.)
While this sentence is grammatically correct, the meaning may change. 书放在桌子上 (without 把, bǎ) can mean the same thing, but it could also mean “The book is on the table”. It is the answer to two questions: (1) where should I put the book?, and (2) where is the book?
The 把 (bǎ) sentence is clearer. 把书放在桌子上 is a command; you are telling someone to put the book on the table. There is less room for confusion.
Here’s another example of a 把 (bǎ) sentence.
- 她把我的手机放在她的包里了。Tā bǎ wǒde shǒujī fàngzài tāde bāo lǐ le. She put my phone in her bag.
In the 把 (bǎ) sentence, we put emphasis on the object and what happens to it. This is something that is useful to remember if you don’t know when to use this sentence structure.
11. Expressing Experience with 过 (guò)
The particle 过 (guò) is used to express that an action has been experienced in the past. The basic structure is formed so that you just place it after the verb: Subject + verb + 过. The particle “guo” can also take on an object.
- 我试过。Wǒ shì guò. I’ve tried that before.
- 我喝过。Wǒ hē guò. I’ve drank that before.
- 我弄过。Wǒ nòng guò. I’ve done that before.
The usual sentence structure with an object is the following: Subject + verb +过 (guò) + object.
This 过 (guò) expression is used to talk about if something has ever happened. In that respect it is similar to the present perfect tense in English and how it is used to express past experiences.
It is useful to think about how in English, you would say “I have been to London” or “I have travelled to Shanghai” to express past experience.
过 (guò) is used in the same manner in Chinese.
- 我也吃过日本菜。 Wǒ yě chī guò Rìběn cài. I’ve also eaten Japanese food.
- 你看过这部电影吗？ Nǐ kàn guò zhè bù diànyǐng ma? Have you watched this movie?
- 我去过加拿大。Wǒ qù guò Jiā’nádà. I’ve been to Canada.
We form the negative sentence using 没 (méi) and the structure is the following: Subject + 没 (méi) + verb + 过 (guò) + object.
You can also use 没有 (méiyǒu) for emphasis.
- 他没坐过飞机。Tā méi zuò guò fēijī. He has never flown in a plane.
- 我没学过西班牙语。Wǒ méi xué guò Xībānyáyǔ. I’ve never learned Spanish.
- 你没来过我的家。Nǐ méi lái guò wǒ de jiā. You’ve never been to my house before.
Asking questions with 过 (guò)
A few of the example sentences above were questions, but you might like to see a couple more ways you can ask questions with 过 (guò).
The following sentences are the same question structured in different ways, all grammatically correct. They’re asking, “Have you been to Japan?”
- 你去过日本吗？Nǐ qù guò Rìběn ma?
- 你有没有去过日本？Nǐ yǒu méi yǒu qù guò Rìběn?
- 你去过日本没有？Nǐ qù guò Rìběn méiyǒu?
This is a similar question: 你没去过日本？Nǐ méi qù guò Rìběn? You’ve never been to Japan?
Using 过 (guò) with 从来没有 (cónglái méiyǒu)
Since 过 (guò) is used to talk about experience in the past, it can be combined with 从来没有 (cónglái méiyǒu) to express something that has never happened.
Structure: Subject +从来没有 (cónglái méiyǒu) + verb + object
- 你从来没有去过日本？Nǐ cónglái méiyǒu qù guò Rìběn? Have you never been to Japan?
- 我从来没有吃过这么多！Wǒ cónglái méiyǒu chī guò zhème duō! I’ve never eaten this much before!
- 你从来没有看过《冰雪奇缘》？Nǐ cónglái méiyǒu kàn guò “bīngxuě qí yuán”? You’ve never watched Frozen?
We hope you found this post useful! Let us know if you want us to cover any other topic, grammatical or not!
WANT MORE? We spent hours putting together these Free HSK Quizzes which are excellent are giving you a rough idea on your Chinese level. Come check them out.
BONUS – Free Quickfire Grammar Quiz
OK, so now you’ve got the basics nailed down it’s time to see how much you remember.
To help you we’ve prepared a quick quiz which is only 15 questions long.
Get your results instantly upon submission and see how well you did. Any questions, drop us a comment below!
We hope it’s useful
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Fancy delving into the world is other languages? Check out these posts we think you’ll like also:
- Discover the basic grammar points in Korean
- Learn how to use and apply Japanese verbs
- Unearth a gem – our very own Chinese Grammar Bank
Happy studying!
Basic Chinese Grammar — FAQ’s
How do you say “grammar” in Chinese?
Grammar in Chinese is 语法 (yǔfǎ).
Is Chinese grammar easy?
Chinese grammar may be a bit confusing at first, but it’s actually far, far easier than that of other languages!
Once you understand the basic structures, Chinese grammar is pretty simple to use.
How do you ask a question in Chinese?
Quite simply by adding 吗 (ma) onto the end of a sentence allows the sentence to become a question.
For example I could say “I’m full up”.
吃饱了
Wǒ chī bǎo le.
Now simply add on “ma”.
吃饱了吗?
This has no become a question. Are you full? Simple!
How do you express negation or a negative in Chinese?
In Chinese, there are basically two adverbs used for negation…
不 (bù) and 没/有 (méi/yǒu).
Both are placed before the verb in a sentence but have different uses which you can find out more about here.
How do you say “Why” in Chinese?
Why in Chinese is 为什么.
How do you say “How” in Chinese?
How in Chinese is 怎么.
How can I learn Chinese grammar?
You should understand the basics of Chinese sentence structures first before moving on to more difficult ones.
Here, we’ve outlined basic sentence structures, questions in Chinese, negative forms of verbs, and expressing experiences.
Want more from LTL?
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Read More
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How To Memorize Chinese Characters // 8 Tips For Success
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11 comments
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[…] we’ve used the 对 grammar structure again to state the relationship between two things (you and your partner once […]
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Thanks for share this article. it’s quite helpful to me.
Best regards,
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Our pleasure Griffin!
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Honestly Chinese grammar aint hard. Korean way harder!
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Yes we’ve heard Korean can be very tricky for grammar!
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[…] – Basic Grammar with […]
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加油Gloria
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How to Learn Chinese Words | The Hack You Never Knew
Chinese is a unique language. There is no alphabet, and from the start that gives newbies a headache when learning Chinese words.
However, this can actually play to your advantage in so many ways going forward. Once you’ve gotten your head around the fact Mandarin is made up of thousands of pictograms, you’ll discover there is actually an ingenious way to learn this language…
Today we are going to teach you our favourite way to learn new Chinese words, equipped with free flashcards from our Instagram channel.
In fact, it was from our very own Instagram channel that we realised just how popular these flashcards were.
Off the back of their extraordinary feedback on Instagram, we wanted to give them further context on our website too, hence the inspiration for this blog post.
You may well be wondering what these flashcards look like. Here is a prime example.
Now, depending on your Chinese level, that may or may not make sense to you. So before going into further detail, we’ll give some background.
Most of this information was taken from our mammoth guide to the Chinese alphabet (or perhaps more accurately, how the Chinese alphabet doesn’t actually exist).
Chinese Words | A Brief Introduction to the Language
Chinese Words | An Introduction to our Flashcards
Chinese Words | Words with 水
Chinese Words | Words with 金
Chinese Words | Words with 电
Chinese Words | Words with 口
Chinese Words | Words with 中
Chinese Words | Words with 眼
Chinese Words | Words with 火
Chinese Words | Words with 钱
Chinese Words | Words with 乐
Chinese Words | Words with 快
BONUS | Free Quiz
Chinese Words | FAQs
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Chinese Words | A Brief Introduction
Without wanting to repeat ourselves, we gave a pretty extensive introduction to the “Chinese Alphabet” in another post which you can take a look at here.
Here are some key snippets of text from that article though:
Let’s take the most basic Chinese character: 一 (Yī, means one)
Great, we’ve learnt our first Chinese character. That means every time I see ‘一’ it means that it’s one of something, right? Wrong.
As there is no Chinese alphabet, the characters can be joined together to make another word.
This does follow logic generally. Let us explain:
This is the character meaning common or general: 共 Gòng
So we’ve now learnt two Chinese characters but we are about to learn our third Chinese word, and that is simply by putting these two characters together to make…
一共 (Yī Gòng)
Anyone take a guess at the meaning of 一共?
It means altogether.
Let’s do the same with two more characters: 时 (Shí means time) and 区 (Qū means Area)
So we have two characters with their own meaning individually, time and area.
But what happens when we put these two characters together?
What could the word 时区 mean?
时区: Shí Qū means Time Zone
Time and area together, mean time zone in Chinese.
So, despite the lack of a physical Chinese alphabet, there is a large element of consistent thinking when it comes to learning Mandarin.
With this introduction in mind and a great team by our side here at LTL, we started to create some rather handy flashcards for our students and followers on Instagram…
Chinese Words | Our Flashcards
We spent plenty of time researching some of the most common (and useful words), picked some equally common Chinese characters and started to get creative.
The end result, is images like this:
They immediately became hugely popular, well-shared and even downloaded by students from all over the world.
So in this blog post, we want to bring some of these Chinese words to life even further by providing some examples of sentences which relate to these flashcards.
NOTE | We haven’t included every single LTL flashcard, quite frankly there are too many and we are creating new ones every week.
In this article, we sample a few of them. For more, follow us on Instagram.
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Chinese Words | Words with 水
Our first lesson comes with the character 水 which means water in Chinese on its own.
However, we can discover a lot of new Chinese words that also include 水, some related to water, others not so much!
Let’s take a look
| Chinese Word | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 水果 | Fruit | 我最喜欢的水果是苹果 My favourite fruit is apple |
| 水星 | Mercury (planet) | 水星是第一颗行星 Mercury is the first planet |
| 水平 | Level | 我的中文水平很差 My Chinese level is bad |
| 开水 | Boiling Water | 壶里是开水 There is boiling water in the pot |
| 水母 | Jellyfish | 水母很可怕 Jellyfish are scary |
As you can see, despite the lack of an alphabet in Mandarin, the language can be hugely logical.
The key is to learn the most commonly used characters and build from there. Our video above is the perfect tool to help you there.
Once you are beyond this stage, learning new Chinese words actually becomes easier.
Chinese Words | Words with 金
Our second focal Chinese word is 金 which means gold on its own.
金 can actually also represent money, wealth or something highly respected so there are multiple meanings – all generally good ones though!
Here are some useful Chinese words with the character 金 included in them.
| Chinese Word | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 租金 | Rent | 这套房间每月租金一千元 The rent for this flat is 1,000 yuan a month |
| 罚金 | Fine | 他被罚款 He was fined |
| 金牌 | Gold Medal | 中国队获得金牌 China won the gold medal |
| 金融 | Finance | 我在金融工作 I work in finance |
| 税金 | Taxes | 税金很贵 Tax is expensive |
Chinese Words | Words with 电
Onwards we move to character number three.
This is a popular one that appears all over the place.
电 means electricity on its own and therefore has an important place in the hearts of all Mandarin learners because we get important words like these below that stem from 电.
Let’s take a look at some here.
Now let’s put some of these into context with some example sentences.
| Chinese Word | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 电视 | TV | 你喜欢看电视吗？ Do you like to watch TV? |
| 电脑 | Computer | 我有一台苹果电脑 I have an Apple computer |
| 电影 | Movie | 你昨天看过那部电影吗 Did you see that movie yesterday? |
| 电话 | Telephone | 请给他打个电话 Please give him a call |
| 充电 | Charge (Battery) | 我可以给手机充电吗？ Can I charge my phone? |
Notice the literal translations make Mandarin so logical to learn:
- Computer = Electric + Brain
- Movie = Electric + Shadow
- Phone = Electric + Speak
This is the beauty of Mandarin, even if you don’t know a word you can always have an educated guess. More often than not you will surprise yourself and be correct.
Let’s put you to the test and see if you can guess one.
Any idea what 电车 means?
Let’s break it down:
- 电 we know is electricity
- 车 means vehicle
Electric Vehicle? Hmm… what could it be.
The answer is….
Tram 🚉
Did you get it? Even if you didn’t I bet you were along the right lines (excuse the pun) 😅
256 Place Names in Chinese 🌏 Rotterdam or Anywhere, Liverpool or Rome…
What are the world’s most famous place names in Chinese? We’ve got a complete list here, 256 to be precise. From Rome to Rio, Japan to Jakarta!
Chinese Words | Words with 口
Another essential Chinese character here.
口 means mouth on its own (an easier one to remember given it’s shape and resemblance to an open mouth also).
口 is also a commonly used Chinese radical which you’ll see in many instances.
Can you spot the 口 in these Chinese words?
- 说 | To speak
- 和 | And
- 可 | Can, May
- 后 | Back, Behind, After
All of these words are essential Chinese words.
Let’s take a look at some words that directly include 口 now.
| Chinese Word | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 口罩 | Mask | 你带口罩了吗？ Did you bring your mask? |
| 口红 | Lipstick | 你喜欢这款口红吗? Do you like this lipstick? |
| 人口 | Population | 人口在增长 The population is growing |
| 出口 | Exit | 出口在哪里？ Where is the exit? |
| 门口 | Entrance | 在门口等候 Wait at the entrance |
You’ll often see 出口 when you go to a shop, supermarket or restaurant in China.
Look out for it next time.
To discover more about radicals, check out our guide super handy video guide here.
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Chinese Words | Words with 中
Another very widely used character (and radical) next.
It’s time to learn about 中.
中 is a key character to learn, not least because it’s one-half of the name for China.
中国 literally means middle kingdom and is the name of China.
There are plenty more Chinese words including 中, and here is just a small handful of them.
| Chinese Word | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 其中 | Among | 其中有位老爷爷 Among them was an elderly man |
| 心中 | In the heart / mind | 你在我心中的地位 You have a place in my heart |
| 折中 | Compromise | 他不会折中 He wouldn’t compromise |
| 途中 | En route | 我在途中 I’m on my way |
| 暗中 | In the dark / secret | 我在暗中什么也看不见 I couldn’t see anything in the dark |
Chinese Words | Words with 眼
眼 means eye so you can imagine there are many eye-based vocabulary that include this character.
Here are some of the more useful ones to learn.
| Chinese Word | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 眼睛 | Eye | 我有蓝色的眼睛 I have blue eyes |
| 眼镜 | Glasses | 你喜欢我的眼镜吗？ Do you like my glasses? |
| 眼皮 | Eyelid | 你喜欢单眼皮还是双眼皮？ Do you like single eyelids or double eye lids? |
| 眼影 | Eyeshadow | 我喜欢这个眼影 I like this eyeshadow |
| 眼罩 | Eye patch | 我必须戴上眼罩 I have to wear an eye patch |
You can learn more about different body parts in Chinese here.
We teach you over 70 body parts and provide even more excellent flashcards, just like this one.
Chinese Words | Words with 火
火 is probably one of the easier Chinese words to remember.
What does 火 look like? A burning flame by any chance?
You could also remember it by thinking of a person running with their arms up in the air – away from the fire!
After all 人 does mean person so the story checks out!
Anyway, there’s far more to 火 than just fire.
Here are some of our favourites you should learn.
| Chinese Word | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 焰火 | Fireworks | 你看到焰火了吗？ Did you see the fireworks? |
| 火车 | Train | 快，我们的火车来了 Quick, our train is coming |
| 火锅 | Hotpot | 我们去吃中国火锅吧 Let’s go for Chinese hotpot |
| 火机 | Lighter | 你有打火机吗? Do you have a lighter? |
| 火星 | Mars | 火星是第四颗行星 Mars is the forth planet |
One of the great things about China is the hotpot.
火锅 is easy to remember because the literal translation is the same – hot pot.
TOP TIP | If you come to China, get yourself to 海底捞火锅 and experience hotpot like you never have before.
Be sure to ask for the “dancing noodles”…!
Chinese Words | Words with 钱
It’s time to talk money!
There are plenty of Chinese words that include 钱 and here are some of the most important you need to know.
| Chinese Word | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 换钱 | Exchange money | 我在哪里可以换钱？ Where can I exchange money? |
| 取钱 | Withdraw money | 您可以在银行取钱 You can withdraw money at the bank |
| 借钱 | Borrow money | 妈妈，我可以借钱吗？ Mum, can I borrow some money? |
| 省钱 | Save money | 我可以在新工作中省很多钱 I can save a lot of money at my new job |
| 存钱 | Deposit money | 我可以存点钱吗? May I please deposit some money? |
If you love learning about money (and who doesn’t), check out this video guide where we introduce you to even more words relating to money.
See how many you can spot that include 钱.
Play
Chinese Words | Words with 乐
Coming towards the end of today’s lesson but we’ve got two more popular Chinese characters to go yet.
First up 乐.
We’ve doubled up on this one because it’s such a happy word, as you’ll see below! 😃
| Chinese Word | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 可口可乐 | Coca Cola | 你喜欢可口可乐还是百事可乐？ Do you like Coca-Cola or Pepsi? |
| 星冰乐 | Frappuccino | 我喜欢夏天的星冰乐 I like having a summer frappuccino |
| 乐观 | Optimistic | 我不是很乐观 I am not very optimistic |
| 乐透 | Lottery | 你做过乐透吗 Have you ever done the lottery? |
| 乐土 | Happy Place | 去我们乐土的地方吧 Let’s go to our happy place |
You’ll have seen a few brand names include 乐.
This is actually a very smart move on their part to try and win over the Chinese market.
DID YOU KNOW | The choice of brand name in China can make or break its success factor and there are some fascinating stories.
Coca-Cola is one of our favourites though – you can find out more about their naming story in our brand names article here.
Chinese Words | Words with 快
Our final Chinese word is 快 which can mean fast, quick or soon on its own.
Let’s take a look and see how many of those words relate to speed below…
| Chinese Word | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 快嘴 | Blabbermouth | 他是个快嘴 He is a blabbermouth |
| 快步 | Fast pace | 快步走 Let’s go quick |
| 快刀 | Sharp Knife | 你有一把快刀吗? Do you have a sharp knife? |
| 快意 | Pleased | 她对自己的考试成绩很快意 She was so pleased with her exam result |
| 快乐 | Happy | 生日快乐 Happy birthday |
BONUS // Free Quiz
Now we’ve done our bit, it’s time for you to do yours!
Ready to put yourself to the test?
We’ve prepared a quick fire 20 question quiz to see how many of the above you remembered!
Results are instantly shown on the screen for you.
If you get a good score, why not share it below?
FAQs // Learning New Words in Mandarin
What does 火锅 mean?
火锅 means hotpot in Chinese.
The translation from character to English is almost exactly the same – fire (火) pot (锅).
What is money in Chinese?
钱 means money in Chinese and it’s a popular character!
There are plenty of Chinese words that include 钱 as it is one of the more common Chinese characters.
How logical is Mandarin?
Mandarin is actually a very logical language to learn.
Essentially, it is built up of thousands of building blocks (Chinese characters).
Words can be created be putting other words together.
For example:
Computer = Electric + Brain
Movie = Electric + Shadow
Phone = Electric + Speak
All the above words start with 电, the word for electricity.
What is lipstick in Chinese?
Lipstick in Chinese is 口红.
This literally means mouth-red when translated!
Is there a Chinese alphabet?
Chinese is a unique language, there is no alphabet and from the start that gives newbies a headache when learning Chinese words.
However, this can actually play to your advantage in so many ways going forward and once you’ve gotten your head around the fact Mandarin is made up of thousands of pictograms, you’ll discover there is actually an ingenious way to learn this language.
We explain that in this very blog post.
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BONUS | Want to study the local Taiwanese dialect known as Hokkien? We provide Hokkien classes in person and online.