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HSK 1 Declarative Sentences (陈述句): Stating Facts and Descriptions in Chinese
A declarative sentence (陈述句, chénshùjù) is used to state a fact, describe a state or quality, or express a viewpoint, in either an affirmative or negative form. At the HSK 1 level, mastering declarative sentences means placing subjects, time words, negators, verbs, and adjectives in their standard order without adding question particles or changing word order.
我明天去学校。
An affirmative declarative sentence with an action verb. Notice that the time word 明天 (míngtiān) is placed before the verb 去 (qù).
× 今天天气是好。
Incorrect as a neutral descriptive statement. Do not use 是 (shì) to link a subject to a simple adjective; replace it with 今天天气很好 (jīntiān tiānqì hěn hǎo).
Corrected example: 今天天气很好。
Read the full explanation and examples
What Is a Declarative Sentence (陈述句)?
In the HSK 1 grammar syllabus under sentence types (句类, jùlèi), the declarative sentence (陈述句, chénshùjù) is the foundational category used to deliver information. Whenever you tell someone who you are, what you do, how something looks, or what did not happen, you are using a declarative sentence. In writing, a neutral declarative sentence normally ends with 。. Sentence intonation varies with emphasis and context, so punctuation or pitch alone does not establish the communicative type.
Building Affirmative Declarative Sentences
Many basic statements use Subject + Predicate. Normally place a time expression before the main predicate, either before or after the subject: 我明天去学校 or 明天我去学校. These are reliable neutral orders, not a ban on spoken afterthoughts or other constructions. The following examples use action verbs, 是 or adjectives; declarative sentences are classified by purpose, so they need not all have this same internal structure.
我明天去学校。
An affirmative declarative sentence with an action verb. Notice that the time word 明天 (míngtiān) is placed before the verb 去 (qù).
他是我的中文老师。
An affirmative declarative sentence using the linking verb 是 (shì) to identify a noun phrase.
When the statement describes a quality or state using an adjective—such as 好 (hǎo, good), 忙 (máng, busy), or 冷 (lěng, cold)—Chinese does not use 是 (shì) to connect the subject and the adjective in a neutral statement. Instead, the adjective functions directly as the predicate, typically preceded by the degree adverb 很 (hěn). Here, 很 often acts as a natural rhythmic link rather than an emphatic 'very'.
今天天气很好。
An affirmative declarative sentence with an adjectival predicate. 很 (hěn) links the subject to the adjective 好 (hǎo).
Negative Declarative Sentences
To state that something is not the case, you place a negation adverb directly before the verb or adjective predicate. The sentence remains a declarative sentence (陈述句) because its purpose is still to report a fact or state of affairs. At HSK 1, the two core negators are 不 (bù) and 没 (méi), which can also appear as 没有 (méiyǒu).
- Use 不 (bù) to negate habitual actions, present or future intentions, the linking verb 是 (shì), and adjectives.
- Use 没 or 没有 for an action that did not occur or has not yet occurred, and use 没有 to negate 有. 没 is not simply an English-style past-tense marker; choose it according to the intended non-occurrence and context.
- Keep time words before the negator: Subject + Time + 不/没 + Verb + Object.
我不喝咖啡。
A negative declarative sentence using 不 (bù) to state a habitual fact.
王先生昨天没去医院。
A negative declarative sentence using 没 (méi) to state that an action did not occur in the past.
How Statements Contrast with Other Sentence Types
Basic Mandarin yes-no questions can retain a statement's word order and add 吗. Question words can also form direct questions, but their mere presence does not determine the whole sentence type: 我不知道谁来了 is a statement containing an embedded question. Judge the speaker's purpose and the complete construction.
- Function: A declarative sentence (陈述句) gives information, whereas an interrogative sentence seeks information and an imperative sentence issues a request or command.
- Word order stability: The Subject + Verb + Object order of a declarative sentence stays intact across basic sentence types; therefore, mastering statement word order is the foundation for all other patterns.
- Intonation and punctuation help signal a sentence's function, but do not classify it mechanically from rising or falling pitch. Consider the whole wording, context and whether the speaker is asserting information or asking for it.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
When forming simple statements at the beginner level, learners most often make mistakes in two areas: translating the English verb 'to be' directly before an adjective, or accidentally leaving a question particle at the end of a sentence meant to declare a fact.
× 今天天气是好。
Incorrect as a neutral descriptive statement. Do not use 是 (shì) to link a subject to a simple adjective; replace it with 今天天气很好 (jīntiān tiānqì hěn hǎo).
Corrected example: 今天天气很好。
× 我明天去学校吗。
Incorrect when stating a fact. Adding 吗 (ma) turns the sentence into a yes-no question; remove 吗 to state the fact as 我明天去学校 (wǒ míngtiān qù xuéxiào).
Corrected example: 我明天去学校。
Frequently asked questions
Is a negative sentence with 不 (bù) or 没 (méi) still considered a declarative sentence (陈述句)?
A negative statement is still declarative if it asserts information rather than asking for it. But negation alone does not determine the category: 你不去吗？ is a question, and 别去！ is a command. Judge communicative purpose, not simply whether a negative word appears.
Can a declarative sentence ever have a particle at the end?
Yes. While basic statements often end directly after the object or adjective, declarative sentences frequently use particles like 了 (le) to indicate a new situation or completed action, or 呢 (ne) to express an ongoing state, without turning the sentence into a question.
Where do time words go in an HSK 1 declarative sentence?
For a neutral basic statement, put the time expression before the main predicate, either before or after the subject: 今天我去学校 or 我今天去学校. This is the reliable beginner pattern. Spoken afterthoughts can appear later, but they do not provide the default order for an ordinary written statement.
