# HSK 1 Grammar: Verbal and Adjectival Predicates (谓语) | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-1-predicates-e949c0d0e2 Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-1-predicates-e949c0d0e2 HSK levels: 1 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:55:24.958Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Learn how verbs, verbal phrases, adjectives, and adjectival phrases function as predicates in Mandarin Chinese for HSK 1. Grammar [HSK 1 · Sentence components › Predicate](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-1#hsk-1-g037) # HSK 1 Predicates: Using Verbs and Adjectives as Sentence Predicates In Mandarin Chinese, the predicate tells us what the subject does, what it is, or how it is described. At the foundational level, two core predicate types are formed directly with verbs (or verbal phrases) and adjectives (or adjectival phrases), without requiring an English-style linking verb before adjectives. Subject Verb / Verbal Phrase Example sentence 他来。 Tā lái. He is coming. / He comes. The single verb 来 (lái) acts directly as the predicate after the subject 他 (tā). A common mistake × 我爸爸是忙。 Wǒ bàba shì máng. Intended: My dad is busy. (Incorrect in a neutral descriptive statement) Incorrect: In a neutral statement describing someone's state, do not use 是 (shì) directly before a bare adjective like 忙 (máng). Use the adjectival phrase 很忙 (hěn máng) instead. Corrected example: 我爸爸很忙。 **Read the full explanation and examples** ## What Is a Predicate in Chinese? In the basic subject–predicate sentences practised here, the subject (主语, zhǔyǔ) names who or what is being discussed, and the following predicate (谓语, wèiyǔ) says what it does, what it is, or what state it is in. Chinese also has complete utterances with an understood subject or no ordinary subject, so this is a useful sentence pattern rather than a definition of every Chinese sentence. In the HSK 1 grammar outline under sentence constituents (句子成分), the predicate (谓语) is specifically introduced as being formed by verbs or verbal phrases, and by adjectives or adjectival phrases. Mastering this distinction early prevents direct word-for-word translation errors from English, because Chinese allows both action words and descriptive words to serve directly as the main predicate engine of a clause. ## Verbs and Verbal Phrases as Predicates When you want to state what someone does, where someone goes, or identify what something is, you use a verb or a verbal phrase as the predicate. A single verb can stand alone as the predicate when no object is needed, especially in brief answers or clear conversational contexts. Subject Verb / Verbal Phrase 他来。 Tā lái. He is coming. / He comes. The single verb 来 (lái) acts directly as the predicate after the subject 他 (tā). More often in everyday speech, the predicate is not a single isolated word, but a verbal phrase (动词性短语). At the beginner level, a verbal phrase typically consists of a verb plus its object (such as drinking tea or speaking Chinese), or a verb preceded by an adverb or modal verb. Linking sentences that equate the subject to a noun using 是 (shì) also belong to verbal-phrase predicates because 是 functions as a linking verb connecting the subject to a noun object. 我喝茶。 Wǒ hē chá. I drink tea. The verb-object phrase 喝茶 (hē chá) serves as a verbal-phrase predicate. 她是老师。 Tā shì lǎoshī. She is a teacher. The linking verb 是 (shì) plus the noun 老师 (lǎoshī) forms a verbal-phrase predicate identifying the subject. ## Adjectives and Adjectival Phrases as Predicates A core feature of Chinese grammar is that adjectives (形容词) and adjectival phrases (形容词性短语) can function directly as the predicate of a sentence without any linking verb. Simple English descriptions often use a form of “to be” before an adjective, as in “is cold” or “am busy”. In Chinese, the adjective itself already carries the predicative force of "to be [adjective]". Subject Adverb (e.g., 很 / 不) Adjective In normal positive statements, a single syllable or two-syllable adjective rarely stands completely alone as the predicate unless a comparison is being made. Instead, speakers normally use an adjectival phrase formed by placing a degree adverb like 很 (hěn, very / quite) or 太 (tài, too) or a negation adverb like 不 (bù, not) directly before the adjective. When 很 (hěn) is spoken without heavy stress in a simple statement, it often acts mainly as a natural grammatical buffer rather than emphasizing an extreme degree. 今天很冷。 Jīntiān hěn lěng. Today is cold. The adjectival phrase 很冷 (hěn lěng) functions directly as the predicate with no linking verb. 这个菜不贵。 Zhège cài bù guì. This dish is not expensive. The negated adjectival phrase 不贵 (bù guì) acts directly as the predicate. ## When Bare Adjectives Stand Alone Because the syllabus specifically lists both single adjectives and adjectival phrases as predicates, you should know why a bare adjective without 很 (hěn) is used. When a positive adjective acts as a predicate all by itself without a degree adverb, it usually signals a direct comparison, a contrast between two things, or a short answer to a question. 哥哥高，弟弟矮。 Gēge gāo, dìdi ǎi. My older brother is tall, and my younger brother is short. Bare adjectives 高 (gāo) and 矮 (ǎi) stand alone as predicates because the two clauses directly contrast two people. Tip: If you simply want to make a neutral observation about a state (for example, saying that the weather is cold), use an adjectival phrase with 很 (hěn). Save bare adjectives for clear contrasts or short answers. ## Common Learner Mistake: Adding 是 Before Adjectives A common beginner error with Chinese predicates is translating English "am / is / are" as 是 (shì) right before a simple descriptive adjective. In neutral descriptive sentences, 是 links a subject to a noun or noun phrase, not to a plain adjective. To describe a state such as someone being busy, tired, or tall in a standard neutral statement, replace 是 with a degree adverb like 很 (hěn) so that the adjectival phrase serves directly as the predicate. × 我爸爸是忙。 Wǒ bàba shì máng. Intended: My dad is busy. (Incorrect in a neutral descriptive statement) Incorrect: In a neutral statement describing someone's state, do not use 是 (shì) directly before a bare adjective like 忙 (máng). Use the adjectival phrase 很忙 (hěn máng) instead. Corrected example: 我爸爸很忙。 我爸爸很忙。 Wǒ bàba hěn máng. My dad is busy. Correct replacement: The adjectival phrase 很忙 (hěn máng) serves directly as the predicate. - Use a verb or verbal phrase as the predicate to express actions or to link the subject to a noun with 是 (shì). - Use an adjectival phrase (such as 很 + adjective or 不 + adjective) as the predicate to describe qualities and states in neutral statements. - Use a bare adjective as the predicate when contrasting two items or answering briefly. - Do not use plain 是 + adjective for simple, neutral descriptions of how someone or something is. ## Frequently asked questions **Does 很 (hěn) always mean 'very' in an adjectival predicate?** No. In a simple, non-comparative description, unstressed 很 often has a weak degree meaning and helps the adjective form a natural predicate. It remains a degree adverb; it does not become the linking verb 是. Stress and context can make “very” more prominent. **How do I decide between using 是 (shì) and using 很 (hěn)?** Look at what follows. If the word after the subject is a noun or noun phrase naming what the subject is (like 老师, teacher), use the verb 是 (shì). If it is an adjective describing a quality or state (like 忙, busy, or 冷, cold), form an adjectival predicate with an adverb like 很 (hěn) or 不 (bù) instead of 是. **Does learning this HSK 1 syllabus point guarantee what will appear on my test?** This point comes from the 2025-11 HSK outline (labeled for 2026-07 implementation) to establish your foundational grammar study scope. Because specific test centers and exam dates may administer different versions of the HSK, always check the official rules for your booked examination. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 386](https://hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com/3.0/%E6%96%B0%E7%89%88HSK%E8%80%83%E8%AF%95%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%B21219.pdf#page=386) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. [![Download on the App Store](https://hskready.app/download-on-app-store-black.svg)Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6791916440?l=en)[![Get it on Google Play](https://hskready.app/get-it-on-google-play.svg)Get it on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.curiolab.hskready&hl=en) [HSKReady App](https://hskready.app/en/app)