# Nominal Phrases as Predicates in Chinese (HSK 2 Grammar Guide) | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-2-predicates-45363ea316 Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-2-predicates-45363ea316 HSK levels: 2 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:55:49.488Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Learn how to use noun phrases directly as predicates in Mandarin Chinese to state dates, ages, prices, and origins, and understand when to use or omit 是. Grammar [HSK 2 · Sentence components › Predicate](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-2#hsk-2-g046) # Nominal Phrases as Predicates in Chinese (名词性短语作谓语) In Mandarin Chinese, a noun or nominal phrase can function directly as the predicate of a sentence without a linking verb like 是 (shì). This pattern is commonly used in everyday conversation to state time, dates, age, price, and native origin. Subject Nominal Phrase 。 Example sentence 今天星期三。 jīntiān xīngqīsān. Today is Wednesday. The time noun 星期三 acts directly as the predicate without 是. A common mistake × 我弟弟不八岁。 wǒ dìdi bù bā suì. Intended: My younger brother is not eight years old. Incorrect: You cannot negate a nominal phrase like 八岁 with 不 alone; replace it with 我弟弟不是八岁。 Corrected example: 我弟弟不是八岁。 **Read the full explanation and examples** ## What Is a Nominal Predicate? In English, linking a subject to a noun phrase requires a form of the verb to be, such as in 'Today is Wednesday' or 'She is ten years old.' In Mandarin Chinese, sentences do not always require a verb in the predicate position. Under the HSK Level 2 grammar outline, a nominal phrase—a phrase centered on a noun, number-measure word combination, or time word—can act directly as the predicate (谓语, wèiyǔ) to describe or define the subject. Subject Nominal Phrase 。 This structure is concise and extremely common in spoken Chinese. Rather than treating the missing verb as sloppy omission, Chinese grammar treats the nominal phrase itself as a complete predicate in specific semantic categories. ## Core Categories and Natural Examples You cannot turn just any noun into a predicate without a verb. In practical usage, nominal predicates are primarily restricted to a few high-frequency categories: - Days of the week, dates, and clock time - Age and measurements - Prices and quantities - Native place, nationality, or personal attributes 今天星期三。 jīntiān xīngqīsān. Today is Wednesday. The time noun 星期三 acts directly as the predicate without 是. 我妹妹今年十岁。 wǒ mèimei jīnnián shí suì. My younger sister is ten years old this year. The numeral-measure phrase 十岁 serves as the predicate stating age. 这本书二十五块钱。 zhè běn shū èrshíwǔ kuài qián. This book is twenty-five yuan. A money phrase states the price directly after the subject. 王老师北京人。 Wáng lǎoshī Běijīng rén. Teacher Wang is from Beijing. A clipped conversational statement of origin. 王老师是北京人 is the fuller, broadly usable form; the pattern without 是 depends on register and context. Notice that in the examples above, time words like 今年 (jīnnián, this year) can appear before the nominal predicate to specify the timeframe, just as they would before a verb. ## Negation and the Role of 是 (shì) A crucial rule of nominal predicates is how they form negative sentences. Even though the affirmative sentence works naturally without 是 (shì), you cannot negate a noun or number phrase directly with the adverb 不 (bù). To make a nominal predicate negative, you must insert 不是 (bú shì) before the nominal phrase. Subject 不是 Nominal Phrase 。 今天不是星期四。 jīntiān bú shì xīngqīsì. Today is not Thursday. Negative nominal predicate sentences require 不是. Learners often try to place 不 (bù) directly in front of an age or price because the affirmative sentence has no verb. This produces an ungrammatical sentence: × 我弟弟不八岁。 wǒ dìdi bù bā suì. Intended: My younger brother is not eight years old. Incorrect: You cannot negate a nominal phrase like 八岁 with 不 alone; replace it with 我弟弟不是八岁。 Corrected example: 我弟弟不是八岁。 我弟弟不是八岁。 wǒ dìdi bú shì bā suì. My younger brother is not eight years old. Correct replacement using 不是 before the nominal phrase. In affirmative sentences for dates, origins, and prices, adding 是 (shì) is often grammatical, but it changes the tone. Without 是 (shì), the sentence is a neutral, brisk statement of fact in everyday speech. Adding 是 (shì) tends to sound more emphatic, deliberate, or formal. However, when expressing age with 岁 (suì) in a basic affirmative statement, speakers normally use the nominal phrase directly without 是 (shì), unless emphasizing a contrast. ## Important Limits: When You Cannot Omit 是 (shì) Nominal predicates are not a universal replacement for 是 (shì). When you are identifying what an object is, stating a person's profession in a standard single sentence, or defining a general relationship between two nouns outside the core categories of time, age, price, and origin/attributes, you generally need to keep the verb 是 (shì). 我爸爸是医生。 wǒ bàba shì yīshēng. My father is a doctor. For general professions and identity in standard standalone sentences, keep 是. Syllabus Note: This lesson covers the Level 2 grammar item 名词性短语作谓语 (nominal phrases as predicates) in the supplied 2025-11 HSK outline. Outline levels define curriculum scope and do not guarantee which exam version is administered at a specific test center. ## Frequently asked questions **Is it wrong to use 是 (shì) when stating the day of the week or someone's hometown?** No, it is not wrong. Saying 今天是星期三 or 王老师是北京人 is completely grammatical. However, omitting 是 in these specific contexts is very natural in everyday conversation and is the core pattern taught by this grammar point. **Why can't I just add 不 (bù) before a nominal predicate to make it negative?** In the ordinary date, age, price, and identity patterns here, use 不是 to deny the stated value: 今天不是星期四, 我弟弟不是八岁. A bare 不八岁 does not form the intended neutral statement. This is a rule for these patterns, not every construction containing a number or noun. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 390](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=390) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. 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