Do you still think in English first, then translate into Chinese?
Nǐ hái zài yòng Yīngwén xiǎng, zài fānyì chéng Zhōngwén ma?
你还在用英文想，再翻译成中文吗？
If you answered "yes," you're not alone. But here's the thing: real fluency begins when you translate less and start thinking directly in Chinese.
The good news is that you don't need thousands of words or complex grammar to start doing that.
Just use 10 simple Chinese sentence starters (句头 / jùtóu) consistently, and you will soon be well on your way!
Now that you've watched Angel teach these 10 Chinese sentence starters at the beach, let's go deeper.
Below you'll find:
Every sentence starter with Chinese characters, pinyin, and English- More examples to build your confidence
- Practice exercises to make these patterns stick
- A quick review table for memorization
Use this blog post as your study guide to review anytime.
Why Chinese Sentence Starters Work
Chinese sentence starters are like language launchpads. They give you a fixed beginning, so you only need to fill in the rest. This reduces the cognitive load of building sentences from scratch and trains your brain to think in Chinese word order.
Think of them as training wheels for your Chinese brain.
Here are the 10万能句头 (10 wànnéng jùtóu / 10 all-purpose Chinese sentence starters) you just learned in the video.
The 10 Chinese Sentence Starters (Deep Dive)
1. 我需要… (Wǒ xūyào…) – I need…
Use this Chinese sentence starter when something is necessary or required.
Examples from the video:
- Tàiyáng tài dà le, wǒ xūyào dài mòjìng.
太阳太大了，我需要戴墨镜。
"The sun is too strong, I need to wear sunglasses." - Zǒu lèi le, wǒ xūyào zuò yíhuìr xiūxi.
走累了，我需要坐一会儿休息。
"I'm tired from walking, I need to rest for a while."
More examples to practice:
- 我需要喝咖啡。 (Wǒ xūyào hē kāfēi – I need to drink coffee.)
- 我需要睡觉。 (Wǒ xūyào shuìjiào – I need to sleep.)
- 我需要一个朋友。 (Wǒ xūyào yí gè péngyou – I need a friend.)
Your turn: What do you need right now? Write your sentence below!
2. 我想要… (Wǒ xiǎng yào…) – I want…
Use this Chinese sentence pattern for wishes and desires.
Examples from the video:
- Tiānkōng zhēn měi, wǒ xiǎng yào pāi jǐ zhāng zhàopiàn.
天空真美，我想要拍几张照片。
"The sky is so beautiful, I want to take some photos." - Kàndào dàhǎi, wǒ xiǎng yào qù yóuyǒng.
看到大海，我想要去游泳。
"Seeing the sea, I want to go swimming." - Quick tip: Remember – 需要 (xūyào) = need (must have), 想要 (xiǎng yào) = want (wish).
More examples to practice:
- 我想要吃冰淇淋。 (Wǒ xiǎng yào chī bīngqílín – I want to eat ice cream.)
- 我想要一个新手机。 (Wǒ xiǎng yào yí gè xīn shǒujī – I want a new phone.)
Your turn: What do you want right now?
3. 我喜欢… (Wǒ xǐhuan…) – I like…
Use this easy Chinese sentence starter to express preferences.
Examples from the video:
- Wǒ xǐhuan jiǎn bèiké, tāmen hěn piàoliang.
我喜欢捡贝壳，它们很漂亮。
"I like collecting seashells, they're very beautiful." - Wǒ xǐhuan hǎilàng de shēngyīn, hěn fàngsōng.
我喜欢海浪的声音，很放松。
"I like the sound of the waves, it's very relaxing."
More examples to practice:
- 我喜欢学习中文。 (Wǒ xǐhuan xuéxí Zhōngwén – I like learning Chinese.)
- 我喜欢喝茶。 (Wǒ xǐhuan hē chá – I like drinking tea.)
Your turn: What do you like?
4. 我不喜欢… (Wǒ bù xǐhuan…) – I don't like…
Use this Chinese sentence starter to talk about dislikes.
Examples from the video:
- Fēng tài dà le, wǒ bù xǐhuan guā dàfēng de tiānqì.
风太大了，我不喜欢刮大风的天气。
"The wind is too strong, I don't like windy weather." - Shāzi jìn xié lǐ, wǒ bù xǐhuan jiǎodǐ xià yǒu shāzi de gǎnjué.
沙子进鞋里，我不喜欢脚底下有沙子的感觉。
"Sand gets in my shoes, I don't like the feeling of sand under my feet."
More examples to practice:
- 我不喜欢早起。 (Wǒ bù xǐhuan zǎo qǐ – I don't like waking up early.)
- 我不喜欢下雨天。 (Wǒ bù xǐhuan xiàyǔ tiān – I don't like rainy days.)
Your turn: What don't you like?
5. 我有… (Wǒ yǒu…) – I have…
Use this basic Chinese sentence pattern to talk about possession.
Examples from the video:
- Tàiyáng hěn dà, xìnghǎo wǒ yǒu mòjìng.
太阳很大，幸好我有墨镜。
"The sun is very strong, luckily I have sunglasses." - Fēngjǐng hǎo měi, wǒ yǒu shǒujī, kěyǐ pāizhào.
风景好美，我有手机，可以拍照。
"The scenery is so beautiful, I have my phone, I can take pictures."
More examples to practice:
- 我有一个问题。 (Wǒ yǒu yí gè wèntí – I have a question.)
- 我有两个哥哥。 (Wǒ yǒu liǎng gè gēge – I have two older brothers.)
Your turn: What do you have?
6. 我没有… (Wǒ méiyǒu…) – I don't have…
Use this Chinese sentence starter to talk about lack or absence.
Examples from the video:
- Wǒ xiǎng yóuyǒng, dàn wǒ méiyǒu dài yǒngyī, zhēn kěxī.
我想游泳，但我没有带泳衣，真可惜。
"I want to swim, but I didn't bring my swimsuit – what a pity." - Xiǎng mǎi yǐnliào, dàn wǒ méiyǒu xiànjīn, xīwàng néng yòng shǒujī zhīfù.
想买饮料，但我没有现金，希望能用手机支付。
"I want to buy a drink, but I don't have cash – hopefully I can pay with my phone."
More examples to practice:
- 我没有时间。 (Wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān – I don't have time.)
- 我没有钱。 (Wǒ méiyǒu qián – I don't have money.)
Your turn: What don't you have?
7. 我觉得… (Wǒ juéde…) – I think… / I feel…
This versatile Chinese sentence starter is a powerful two-in-one!
Use it for opinions (I think…):
- Wǒ juéde jīntiān de hǎifēng hěn shūfu.
我觉得今天的海风很舒服。
"I think today's sea breeze is very comfortable." - Wǒ juéde xiàwǔ kěnéng huì xiàyǔ.
我觉得下午可能会下雨。
"I think it might rain this afternoon."
Use it for feelings (I feel…):
- Wǒ juéde hěn kāixīn, yīnwèi néng zài hǎibiān sànbù.
我觉得很开心，因为能在海边散步。
"I feel happy because I can walk on the beach." - Wǒ juéde yǒudiǎn lèi, zǒu le hǎojiǔ de lù.
我觉得有点累，走了好久的路。
"I feel a little tired because I've walked a long time."
More examples to practice:
- 我觉得中文很有意思。 (Wǒ juéde Zhōngwén hěn yǒuyìsi – I think Chinese is very interesting.)
- 我觉得很饿。 (Wǒ juéde hěn è – I feel very hungry.)
Your turn: What do you think or feel right now?
8. 我想… (Wǒ xiǎng…) – I want to… / I miss…
Another two-in-one Chinese sentence pattern!
Use it for desires or plans (I want to…):
- Wǒ xiǎng duō dāi yíhuìr, xiǎngshòu hǎibiān de fēngjǐng.
我想多待一会儿，享受海边的风景。
"I want to stay a little longer and enjoy the beach view." - Wǒ xiǎng pāi jǐ zhāng zhàopiàn, jìlù jīntiān de shíguāng.
我想拍几张照片，记录今天的时光。
"I want to take some photos to capture today's moments."
Use it for missing someone (I miss…):
- Kàndào dàhǎi, wǒ xiǎng wǒ de jiārén le.
看到大海，我想我的家人了。
"Seeing the sea, I miss my family." - Wǒ xiǎng péngyǒu men, hǎojiǔ méi jiànmiàn le.
我想朋友们，好久没见面了。
"I miss my friends; it's been a long time since we met." - Note: Context tells you which meaning is intended.
More examples to practice:
- 我想学唱歌。 (Wǒ xiǎng xué chànggē – I want to learn to sing.)
- 我想我的妈妈。 (Wǒ xiǎng wǒ de māma – I miss my mom.)
Your turn: What do you want to do? Who do you miss?
9. 我要去… (Wǒ yào qù…) – I'm going to…
Use this Chinese sentence starter for plans – especially movement or actions.
Examples from the video:
- Wǒ dùzi è le, wǒ yào qù chīfàn.
我肚子饿了，我要去吃饭。
"I'm hungry, I'm going to eat." - Nàbiān fēngjǐng hěn měi, wǒ yào qù pāi zhàopiàn.
那边风景很美，我要去拍照片。
"The scenery over there is beautiful, I'm going to take pictures."
More examples to practice:
- 我要去超市。 (Wǒ yào qù chāoshì – I'm going to the supermarket.)
- 我要去睡觉。 (Wǒ yào qù shuìjiào – I'm going to sleep.)
Your turn: Where are you going?
10. 我会… (Wǒ huì…) – I can… / I will…
The final essential Chinese sentence pattern is another two-in-one powerhouse!
Use it for abilities (I can…):
- Wǒ huì yóuyǒng, suǒyǐ kěyǐ xià shuǐ wán.
我会游泳，所以可以下水玩。
"I can swim, so I can go into the water." - Wǒ huì zuò jiǎndān de Zhōngguó cài.
我会做简单的中国菜。
"I can cook simple Chinese dishes."
Use it for future intentions (I will…):
- Míngtiān huì shì hǎo tiānqì.
明天会是好天气。
"It will be good weather tomorrow." - Wǒ huì jiānchí pǎobù de.
我会坚持跑步的。
"I will keep running."
More examples to practice:
- 我会说一点中文。 (Wǒ huì shuō yìdiǎn Zhōngwén – I can speak a little Chinese.)
- 我会努力学习。 (Wǒ huì nǔlì xuéxí – I will study hard.)
Your turn: What can you do? What will you do?
Quick Review: All 10 Chinese Sentence Starters
Use this table to quiz yourself after watching the video:
| # | Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 我需要… | Wǒ xūyào… | I need… |
| 2 | 我想要… | Wǒ xiǎng yào… | I want… |
| 3 | 我喜欢… | Wǒ xǐhuan… | I like… |
| 4 | 我不喜欢… | Wǒ bù xǐhuan… | I don't like… |
| 5 | 我有… | Wǒ yǒu… | I have… |
| 6 | 我没有… | Wǒ méiyǒu… | I don't have… |
| 7 | 我觉得… | Wǒ juéde… | I think / I feel… |
| 8 | 我想… | Wǒ xiǎng… | I want to… / I miss… |
| 9 | 我要去… | Wǒ yào qù… | I'm going to… |
| 10 | 我会… | Wǒ huì… | I can… / I will… |
How to Practice These Chinese Sentence Starters (After the Video)
Now that you've watched the video and reviewed the examples, here's a simple 3-step method to master these Chinese sentence starters:
Step 1: Pick just one sentence starter each day.
Step 2: Make 5 sentences about your real life using that starter. Write them down with Chinese characters.
Step 3: Say them out loud (yes, really – speaking activates a different part of your brain).
Do this for 10 days, cycling through all 10 Chinese sentence starters for beginners. By day 10, your brain will start reaching for these patterns automatically.
Sample Dialogue (Watch → Read → Practice)
After watching the video, practice this dialogue:
Angel: Nǐ jīntiān zěnme yàng? 你今天怎么样？ (How are you today?)
You: Wǒ juéde hěn hǎo! Wǒ xūyào hē kāfēi, yīnwèi wǒ yǒudiǎn lèi.
我觉得很好！我需要喝咖啡，因为我有点累。
(I feel great! I need to drink coffee because I feel a little tired.)
Angel: Nǐ xiǎng yào qù nǎlǐ? 你想要去哪里？ (Where do you want to go?)
You: Wǒ xiǎng qù hǎibiān. Wǒ xǐhuan hǎilàng de shēngyīn.
我想去海边。我喜欢海浪的声音。
(I want to go to the beach. I like the sound of the waves.)
Angel: Wǒ yě xǐhuan! Wǒ huì dài nǐ qù.
我也喜欢！我会带你去。
(I like it too! I will take you there.)
Why Learning Chinese Sentence Starters Will Change Your Fluency
When you master these 10 Chinese sentence starters, you stop doing the hardest thing in language learning: translating word-by-word in your head.
Instead, you:
- Think directly in Chinese word order
- Speak faster with less hesitation
- Feel more confident in daily conversations
- Build a foundation for more complex sentences
These Chinese sentence patterns for beginners are used by native speakers every single day. Learn them once, use them forever.
Your Turn: Practice
Now that you've watched the video and read the guide, pick one Chinese sentence starter and make a sentence about your day today.
Examples:
Wǒ jīntiān xūyào hē kāfēi!
我今天需要喝咖啡！
(I need to drink coffee today!
Wǒ juéde jīntiān hěn kāixīn.
我觉得今天很开心。
(I feel very happy today.)
Wǒ xiǎng wǒ de péngyou.
我想我的朋友。
(I miss my friend.)
You might also find these posts interesting: