# HSK 2 Grammar: “有” Sentences for Reaching a Quantity or Standard | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-2-sentences-2-g059 Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-2-g059 HSK levels: 2 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:55:37.344Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Learn how to use “有” (yǒu) in HSK 2 to show that something reaches a specific measurement, number, or comparison standard, with clear structures and examples. Grammar [HSK 2 · Sentence types › Special sentence patterns › 有 sentences 2](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-2#hsk-2-g059) # HSK 2 Special Sentence Patterns: “有” Sentences Expressing Reaching a Degree or Quantity Beyond basic possession and existence, the verb 有 (yǒu) is used in Chinese to state that a subject reaches, equals, or measures up to a certain quantity, dimension, or benchmark. This lesson covers how to form statements, questions, and negations with this pattern at HSK Level 2. Subject / Topic 有 Number + Measure Word Dimension Adjective Example sentence 那棵树有三米高。 Nà kē shù yǒu sān mǐ gāo. That tree is (reaches) three meters tall. Uses 有 + quantity + dimension adjective 高 to show the tree reaches that height. A common mistake × 她不有三十岁。 Tā bù yǒu sānshí suì. Incorrect: She is not thirty years old. Incorrect: 有 cannot be negated with 不. Replace 不有 with 没有 as shown in the correct example. Corrected example: 她没有三十岁。 **Read the full explanation and examples** ## What “Expressing Reaching” Means in a “有” Sentence Early in Chinese, learners meet 有 (yǒu) as the verb for possession (having an object) or existence (there is something in a place). In the HSK Level 2 grammar syllabus, special sentence pattern “有”字句2 introduces a distinct meaning: indicating that a subject reaches or attains a certain quantity, measurement, or standard. 有 can present a measurement or ask whether something reaches a mark: 那棵树有三米高. Depending on context and tone, it may be a measurement, an estimate or emphasis on a threshold. Do not automatically read every affirmative 有 + number as a strict “at least” lower bound. ## Pattern 1: Reaching a Specific Number or Measurement The most common way to use this pattern is placing 有 between the subject (or topic) and a number-measure phrase. If you are describing a physical dimension such as height, weight, length, or width, a single-syllable adjective like 高 (gāo, tall/high), 重 (zhòng, heavy), or 远 (yuǎn, far) often follows the quantity. Subject / Topic 有 Number + Measure Word Dimension Adjective 那棵树有三米高。 Nà kē shù yǒu sān mǐ gāo. That tree is (reaches) three meters tall. Uses 有 + quantity + dimension adjective 高 to show the tree reaches that height. 这个箱子有二十公斤重。 Zhège xiāngzi yǒu èrshí gōngjīn zhòng. This suitcase weighs (reaches) twenty kilograms. Highlights that the weight of the suitcase hits twenty kilograms. When expressing age or how long an action has lasted, no adjective is needed after the time or age phrase. The particle 了 (le) frequently appears at the end of the sentence to show that the threshold has now been reached. 他学中文有两年了。 Tā xué Zhōngwén yǒu liǎng nián le. He has been studying Chinese for (reaching) two years now. Uses 有 before the time duration 两年 to emphasize reaching the two-year mark. ## Pattern 2: Reaching Another Person or Object's Standard Instead of an exact number, the benchmark after 有 can be another noun. This shows that Subject A has reached the degree or level of Standard B in some quality. In natural speech, demonstratives like 这么 (zhème, this much) or 那么 (nàme, that much) often stand right before the adjective to point to the standard's level. Subject A 有 Standard B （这么 / 那么） Dimension Adjective 弟弟有爸爸那么高了。 Dìdi yǒu bàba nàme gāo le. My younger brother is as tall as Dad now. Shows that the subject (younger brother) has reached the height standard of another person (Dad). The pattern compares the relevant quality with a benchmark. It does not itself state that A exceeds B or prove a history of catching up. In 弟弟有爸爸那么高了, final 了 adds the sense that the current situation has changed. Keep the adjective with a person benchmark: 有爸爸那么高 describes height, whereas 有爸爸 alone has a different meaning. ## Questions and Negation: Estimating and Falling Short In everyday conversation, this pattern is especially common in questions and negative statements. When you ask a question with 有, you are asking whether a subject reaches a certain figure or standard. 从这儿到火车站有五公里吗？ Cóng zhèr dào huǒchēzhàn yǒu wǔ gōnglǐ ma? Is it five kilometers from here to the train station? Asks whether the distance reaches the five-kilometer mark. To say that something does not reach a quantity or standard—meaning "less than" a number or "not as [adjective] as" a benchmark—you must negate 有 with 没 (méi), forming 没有 (méiyǒu). Just like with possessive 有, you can never use 不 (bù) to negate it. Subject / Topic 没有 Quantity or Standard B Dimension Adjective 她没有三十岁。 Tā méiyǒu sānshí suì. She is not yet thirty years old (she is under thirty). Correct negation using 没有 to show her age does not reach thirty. × 她不有三十岁。 Tā bù yǒu sānshí suì. Incorrect: She is not thirty years old. Incorrect: 有 cannot be negated with 不. Replace 不有 with 没有 as shown in the correct example. Corrected example: 她没有三十岁。 Remember: 没有 + Number means "under / less than" that number, not simply "a different number." Saying someone 没有三十岁 means they are younger than thirty. ## When to Use “有” vs. Direct Quantity Predicates Learners often wonder how a sentence with 有 differs from a sentence where the number phrase follows the subject directly. Understanding the pragmatic difference helps you sound natural. - Without 有, a quantity phrase can state a measurement directly. It may be exact or approximate according to its wording and context, for example 三米高 or 两三米高. - With 有: Highlights that the amount reaches a notable threshold, expresses an estimate, or tests whether something meets a benchmark. 这个苹果两块钱。 Zhège píngguǒ liǎng kuài qián. This apple is two yuan. States a plain, exact price directly without 有 because no estimation or threshold is being emphasized. For an ordinary price statement, 这个苹果两块钱 is straightforward. 有 can be useful when checking whether a price reaches a mark, even a small amount: 这个苹果有两块钱吗？ The amount need not be objectively high; it is a benchmark in the conversation. ## Frequently asked questions **Do I always need an adjective like 高 or 重 at the end of the sentence?** No. You use an adjective when specifying physical dimensions like height (高), weight (重), or distance (远) if the measure word alone does not make the dimension clear. For age (岁) and time duration (年, 个月, 天), no adjective follows the quantity. **Can I use 是 (shì) instead of 有 (yǒu) to translate 'The tree is three meters tall'?** In standard Chinese measurement sentences, you either link the subject directly to the measurement (那棵树三米高) or use 有 to indicate reaching that measurement (那棵树有三米高). Using 是 here sounds unnatural unless you are contrasting or correcting a specific fact. **Does 没有二十岁 mean 'not twenty years old' (for example, twenty-two)?** No. In this age-threshold use, 没有二十岁 means the person has not reached twenty, so is under twenty. It is not the ordinary way to say “not exactly twenty, perhaps twenty-two”. **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. [![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)