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Phrases › Structural types › Basic structural types
A verb-object phrase (动宾短语) combines a verb with its object. In the basic pattern taught here, the verb precedes the object. This internal phrase pattern does not mean that every Chinese sentence places an object after the verb in every con…
View detailsPhrases › Structural types › Other structural types
A locative phrase (方位短语) combines a reference noun with a following localizer to express spatial position, turning ordinary objects into grammatically valid location expressions.
View detailsPhrases › Structural types › Other structural types
In Mandarin Chinese, numbers rarely attach directly to common nouns. Instead, a numeral and a measure word combine to form a numeral-measure phrase (数量短语), which quantifies people, objects, or time.
View detailsPhrases › Structural types › Other structural types
A prepositional phrase (介宾短语) combines a preposition with a noun or pronoun object to indicate location, time, accompaniment, recipient, or starting point. In Mandarin, these phrases usually appear before the main verb rather than at the en…
View detailsPhrases › Structural types › Basic structural types
A modifier-head phrase (偏正短语) is a fundamental Chinese phrase structure in which a describing or restricting element always comes before the main word it modifies.
View detailsSentence components › Subject
In Mandarin Chinese, the subject usually appears at the beginning of a sentence to establish who or what the statement is about. At the HSK 1 outline level, subjects are primarily formed using standalone nouns, pronouns, or multi-word noun …
View detailsMorphemes › Suffixes
In the HSK 1 grammar outline, 们 and 边 are introduced as essential word-forming suffixes (后缀). While 们 attaches to personal pronouns and human nouns to express a collective or plural group, 边 attaches to directional roots to create multi-syl…
View detailsWord classes › Verbs › Modal verbs
In English, both 会 (huì) and 能 (néng) are frequently translated as 'can'. In Mandarin, however, they serve distinct purposes. This lesson explains how to use these two essential HSK 1 modal verbs to express learned skills, likelihood, pract…
View detailsWord classes › Verbs › Modal verbs
可以 precedes an action verb to express permission, feasibility, or an available option, including a suggestion. This HSK 1 lesson shows how to ask whether an action is allowed or possible in context.
View detailsWord classes › Verbs › Modal verbs
想 and 要 can express a wish or intention before an action verb. 想 often sounds like “would like to”, while 要 can express a stronger intention or need. For negation, 不想 expresses not wanting to; 不要 can prohibit an action or refuse something, …
View detailsWord classes › Verbs › Separable words
The HSK 1 separable words in this lesson have a verb–object structure, as in 睡觉 or 说话. They can stay together or separate in suitable patterns. One common pattern inserts aspect markers and a count or duration between the parts; it is not t…
View detailsWord classes › Adjectives › Adjective reduplication
AA and AABB are common adjective reduplication patterns covered in this HSK 2 lesson. They can make descriptions more vivid or expressive. Which adjectives allow a pattern, and the exact effect of repetition, depend on the word and context.
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