HSK1 Grammar

Locative words like 上, 下, 里, 前边, and 后边 attach after a noun to show where something is. The pattern is always Noun + Locative word — never the other way around. Use 在 or 有 to connect the location phrase to the rest of the sentence.

会 means you have learned a skill and know how to do it. 能 means you have the physical ability or the conditions allow you to do something. Both come before the main verb and are negated with 不.

想 expresses a wish, desire, or something you feel like doing — soft and optional. 要 expresses a stronger intention, a plan, or a necessity — more committed. Both come before the main verb. Negation: 不想 (don't want to) and 不要 (don't want to / don't — used as a command too).

In Chinese, question words like 谁 (who), 什么 (what), 哪儿 (where), 几 (how many), 多少 (how much), 怎么 (how), and 为什么 (why) do NOT move to the front of the sentence. They stay in the same position where the answer would appear. No subject-verb inversion needed.

Personal pronouns replace people: 我 (I/me), 你/您 (you), 他/她 (he/she), and plural forms with 们. They can be subjects, objects, or appear before nouns like 我妈妈 and 他朋友.

Chinese demonstrative pronouns point to nearby things (这 this, 这里 here, 这些 these) or farther things (那 that, 那里 there, 那些 those). When used before a countable noun, a measure word is usually needed: 这个人, 那本书.

Chinese numerals are used to count objects, express time, and show order. Key rule for HSK 1: use 两 before measure words in everyday counting (两个人, 两本书), but use 二 in compound numbers like 二十 and in ordinals like 第二.

Chinese always requires a measure word between a number and a noun. You cannot say 三书 — you must say 三本书 (three books). Each noun category has its own measure word: 个 for people/general objects, 本 for books, 杯 for drinks, 口 for family members, 块 for money.

Degree adverbs (很, 非常, 太, 真, 最) come before adjectives or some psychological verbs (like 喜欢, 想念) to express how much or to what degree. In affirmative sentences, 很 is often grammatically required before adjective predicates — not just for emphasis, but to make the sentence sound complete.

都 means “all/both” and covers every person or thing already mentioned. 一起 and 一块儿 mean “together” and show that people do the same action as a group.

Time adverbs like 马上 (right away), 先 (first), 有时 (sometimes), 在/正/正在 (currently doing) tell you WHEN or in what ORDER something happens. They always come right before the verb they describe.

常 and 常常 both mean 'often' and describe frequent habits. 再 means 'again' or 'once more' but only for actions that haven't happened yet — use it for future repetition, suggestions, or continued actions.

也 (yě) means 'also/too' — it links two parallel facts about the same or different subjects. 还 (hái) means 'also/in addition/still' — it adds something extra or shows a state continues. Both come before the verb, never before the subject.

Chinese has three main negative adverbs: 不 (bù) for habits, preferences, and present/future negation; 没/没有 (méi/méiyǒu) for completed actions and negating 有; and 别 (bié) for negative commands ('don't...'). Each one has a specific job — they are NOT interchangeable.

从 introduces the starting point of a movement, route, or time span.

在 works as a preposition meaning 'at/in/on a place'. Put it before a location word to say where an action happens. The word order is: Subject + 在 + place + verb.

跟 and 和 both mean 'with' when used as prepositions. They introduce the person who does an action together with the subject. Place them before the person's name, then say the verb. Both are interchangeable in most daily speech.

比 means 'more than' and is used to compare two things. Put A before 比, B after it, and then the adjective that describes how A differs from B. Formula: A 比 B + adjective.

和/跟 are conjunctions that connect two nouns or people ('and / with'). 还是 is used in choice questions to mean 'or'. Use 和/跟 to join things together; use 还是 when offering two options and asking someone to choose.

的 (de) links a modifier to a noun: adjective/pronoun + 的 + noun. 地 (de) links an adverb to a verb: adverb/adjective + 地 + verb. Both are pronounced the same neutral tone 'de', but their functions are completely different.

了 placed directly after a verb marks that an action has been completed. It does NOT simply mean 'past tense' — it signals that something specific happened and is done. To negate, use 没/没有 and drop 了.

These four sentence-final particles add tone and nuance: 吗 turns statements into yes-no questions, 吧 softens suggestions or seeks confirmation, 呢 continues a line of questioning or marks an ongoing state, and 了 signals a new or changed situation.

In Chinese, you cannot place a numeral directly before a noun. You must insert a measure word (量词) between them: Number + Measure Word + Noun. Every noun category has its own measure word — 个 is the most flexible default.

The subject (主语) is the topic or 'actor' of a sentence — what the sentence is about. In Chinese, the subject comes before the predicate. It can be a pronoun, a noun, a noun phrase, or even a verb phrase, and it can sometimes be omitted when context makes it clear.

The predicate is the core part of a sentence that tells what the subject does, what it is like, or what it equals. In Chinese, predicates can be verbs, adjectives, or even nouns (for time, age, nationality).

The object is the person or thing that receives the action of the verb or completes its meaning.

An attributive modifier (定语) is a word or phrase placed before a noun to describe or specify it. It can be an adjective (新书包), a number-measure word (两本书), another noun (中文书), or a possessive with 的 (我的书).

An adverbial modifier (状语) comes before the verb or adjective predicate and describes how, when, where, or in what manner the action happens. Common adverbials include negation words (不/没), time words (明天/下午), manner words (认真/快点), and frequency words (常常/已经).

A verbal-predicate sentence (动词谓语句) uses a verb or verb phrase as the core predicate. It is the most common sentence type in Chinese, and it tells who does what. The basic formula is: Subject + Verb (+ Object).

An adjectival-predicate sentence (形容词谓语句) uses an adjective or adjective phrase to describe the subject. In affirmative sentences, a degree adverb (很, 太, 真, 最) is required between the subject and the adjective — you cannot leave the adjective alone.

A non-subject-predicate sentence can stand alone without a full subject-predicate structure.

A declarative sentence gives information or describes a fact. It normally ends with a period in writing.

Chinese has four main question types: 吗 questions (yes/no), question-word questions (who/what/where), 还是 questions (choice), and A-not-A questions (yes/no, more colloquial).

An imperative sentence tells someone to do something or not to do something. Use 请 + verb for polite requests and invitations. Use 别 + verb to tell someone not to do something. The subject (you) is usually dropped.

An exclamatory sentence expresses a strong emotion — surprise, admiration, or delight. The most common patterns are 太 + adjective + 了! and 真 + adjective! Both end with an exclamation mark and show feeling that goes beyond a simple statement.

是 works like an equals sign: A 是 B means 'A is B.' Use it to identify people, things, or relationships. The pattern A 是 adjective 的 highlights a specific feature. Never use 是 before a plain adjective — use 很 instead.

有 means 'have' (possession) or 'there is/there are' (existence). When the subject is a person, 有 shows what they own. When the subject is a place, 有 shows what exists there. The negative is always 没有 — never 不有.

Use 比 to say A is more than B in one quality. Use 没有 to say A is not as much as B.

A coordinate compound sentence joins two clauses that have equal status — two simultaneous actions (一边...一边...), two parallel facts (clause + clause), or shared qualities (也). Think of it as the 'and' sentence in Chinese.

A sentence-final 了 signals that a situation has changed — something new has happened or a state has shifted from before. It is not past tense. It means 'things are different now.'

Place 了 directly after a verb to show the action has been completed. Note: 了 marks completion of an action, NOT past tense.

To say an action is happening right now, put 在 or 正在 before the verb. Adding 呢 at the end makes it feel more natural in speech. Think of it as the Chinese '-ing' — but placed before the verb, not after.

Chinese uses 块 (kuài), 毛 (máo), and 分 (fēn) for spoken money — like yuan, jiao, and fen. The key rule: go from large to small, and you can drop the smaller unit when it is obvious. 八块五 means 8.50 yuan.

Chinese time expressions usually go from larger units to smaller units: year, month, day, then hour and minute.

To ask a yes-or-no question in Chinese, simply keep the normal statement word order and add 吗 at the very end. No other changes needed — no word reordering, no extra words.

In Chinese, question words like 什么 (what), 谁 (who), 哪儿 (where), 怎么 (how), 几 (how many), and 多少 (how much) simply replace the unknown part of a sentence — no word order change needed and no 吗 required.

Use 还是 between two options to force a choice: 'A or B?' The listener must pick one. This is different from 或者 (or), which is used in statements, not questions.

An affirmative-negative question (正反问句) repeats the verb or adjective in both its positive and negative forms — V + 不/没 + V — to ask a natural yes/no question. It sounds more conversational than a 吗 question and must NEVER have 吗 added to it.