Chinese sentence structure may seem tricky, but it’s (mostly) quite simple!
In this Chinese Grammar video we cover an essential rule to help you make accurate sentences and think in Chinese.
While this one rule doesn’t cover all possible sentence structures, it’s a great starting point for learners to grasp Chinese word order through clear example sentences and explanations!
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Summary of this video lesson
Simple statement: Subject + Verb + Object
Basic Chinese Sentences Word Order Examples:
SUBJECT | VERB | OBJECT | |
|---|---|---|---|
我 | 爱 | 你 | 。 |
你 | 学 | 中文 | 。 |
他 | 喜欢 | 蛇 | 。 |
Placement of time words in a Chinese sentence: Subject + Time + Verb + Object
Placement of Time Words Examples:
SUBJECT | TIME | VERB | OBJECT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tim | 八点 | 喝 | 咖啡 | 。 |
他 | 下午 | 打 | 篮球 | 。 |
Placement of place words in a Chinese sentence: Subject + Time + Place + Verb + Object
Placement of Place Words Examples:
SUBJECT | TIME | PLACE | VERB | OBJECT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tim | 八点 | 在家 | 喝 | 咖啡 | 。 |
他 | 下午 | 在学校 | 打 | 篮球 | 。 |
Recap of the RULE for Chinese statements: Subject (Who) + Time (When) + Place (Where) + Action (verb)
Chinese Statements Examples:
SUBJECT | TIME | PLACE | VERB | OBJECT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
她 | 六点 | 在家 | 做 | 晚饭 | 。 |
他 | 每天 | 在网上 | 学 | 中文 | 。 |
How to form QUESTIONS in Chinese
Well... In English, open questions begin with words like who, when, where and what...
In Chinese, these question words don’t always appear at the beginning.
The good news is that the word order for questions in Chinese is exactly the same as for statements. Look!
"Who" questions in Chinese Mandarin
Example:
SUBJECT | TIME | PLACE | VERB | OBJECT | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
QUESTION | 谁 | 八点 | 在家 | 喝 | 咖啡 | |
STATEMENT 。 | Tim | 八点 | 在家 | 喝 | 咖啡 | 。 |
"When" questions in Chinese Mandarin
Example:
SUBJECT | TIME | PLACE | VERB | OBJECT | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
QUESTION | Tim | 几点 | 在家 | 喝 | 咖啡 | |
STATEMENT 。 | Tim | 八点 | 在家 | 喝 | 咖啡 | 。 |
"Where" questions in Chinese Mandarin
Example:
SUBJECT | TIME | PLACE | VERB | OBJECT | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
QUESTION | Tim | 八点 | 在哪里 | 喝 | 咖啡 | |
STATEMENT 。 | Tim | 八点 | 在家 | 喝 | 咖啡 | 。 |
"What" questions in Chinese Mandarin
Example:
SUBJECT | TIME | PLACE | VERB | OBJECT | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
QUESTION | Tim | 八点 | 在家 | 做 | 什么 | |
STATEMENT 。 | Tim | 八点 | 在家 | 喝 | 咖啡 | 。 |