Learn Chinese Sentence Structure: How to make sentences in Chinese Mandarin? Word Order in Chinese

Andy and Sarah Mandarin

DetailHSK Words

八大基本句型 8 Basic Sentence Structures

1.主语 + 程度副词 + 形容词

Subject + Degree Adverb + Adjective

你很聪明。

Nǐ hěn cōngmíng.

Literal: You very smart.

Meaning: You are (very) smart.

很 (hěn) often acts like "to be" when with adjectives, not always "very". For "real very", use 非常 (fēicháng).

他非常好。

Tā fēicháng hǎo.

He is very good.

2.主语 + 动词 + 宾语 (SVO)

Subject + Verb + Object

我爱你。

Wǒ ài nǐ.

I love you.

他学习中文。

Tā xuéxí Zhōngwén.

He learns Chinese.

Same as English SVO. Chinese verbs do not conjugate.

3.主+时+程副+形 / 时+主+程副+形

S+Time+DegAdv+Adj / Time+S+DegAdv+Adj

我昨天真开心。

Wǒ zuótiān zhēn kāixīn.

I was really happy yesterday.

4.主+时+动+宾 / 时+主+动+宾

S+Time+V+O / Time+S+V+O

我今天有时间。

Wǒ jīntiān yǒu shíjiān.

I have time today.

我们明天上午九点上课。

Wǒmen míngtiān shàngwǔ jiǔ diǎn shàngkè.

We have classes at 9 am tomorrow.

Time phrases: big unit to small unit (e.g., 明天上午九点). No "at" preposition for time.

5.主语 + 地点 + 动词 + 宾语

Subject + Place + Verb + Object

他在星巴克喝咖啡。

Tā zài Xīngbākè hē kāfēi.

He drinks coffee at Starbucks.

Place (在 + Location) comes BEFORE the verb. Logic: Be at the place, then do action. 在 (zài) = at/in.

6.主语 + 方式 + 动词 + 宾语

Subject + How (Manner/Means) + Verb + Object

我坐火车去上海。

Wǒ zuò huǒchē qù Shànghǎi.

I go to Shanghai by train.

他跟司机说中文。

Tā gēn sījī shuō Zhōngwén.

He speaks Chinese with the driver.

"How" (method/instrument/company) comes BEFORE the verb. Distinguish place of action (Str. 5) vs. destination (Str. 6 object).

7.主+时+地+动+宾 / 时+主+地+动+宾

S+Time+Place+V+O / Time+S+Place+V+O

他今天在家吃中国菜。

Tā jīntiān zài jiā chī Zhōngguó cài.

He eats Chinese food at home today.

Order: Time, then Place, then Verb. "What happens first, comes first."

8.主+时+地+方式+动+宾

(Most Complex) S+T+P+How+V+O

他今天在家用筷子吃中国菜。

Tā jīntiān zài jiā yòng kuàizi chī Zhōngguó cài.

He eats Chinese food with chopsticks at home today.

The ultimate order: Subject, Time, Place, How, Verb, Object. Time can also start the sentence.

如何造句？ How to Make Sentences?

三步法 The 3-Step Method

1. 写下对应的中文句型。 Write down the corresponding Chinese sentence structure.
2. 重新组织英文词序以匹配中文句型。 Reorganize the English word order to match the Chinese structure.
3. 进行字面翻译。 Do the literal translation.

例句 Example 1

English: I was very busy last week.

Structure: T + S + D.A. + Adj.

Reorganized English: Last week I (was) very busy.

上个星期我非常忙。

Shàng ge xīngqī wǒ fēicháng máng.

例句 Example 2

English: I go to the library by subway.

Structure: S + H + V + O

Reorganized English: I by subway go to the library.

我坐地铁去图书馆。

Wǒ zuò dìtiě qù túshūguǎn.

例句 Example 3 (Complex)

English: We can meet in a bar at 9 pm on Friday.

Structure: T + S + P + V (+O)

Reorganized English (Time: Big to Small): Friday evening 9 we can in a bar meet.

星期五晚上九点我们可以在酒吧见面。

Xīngqīwǔ wǎnshang jiǔ diǎn wǒmen kěyǐ zài jiǔbā jiànmiàn.

见面 (jiànmiàn) means "to meet" (literally "see face").

重点回顾 Key Takeaways

词汇 Vocabulary

很 (hěn) - very (often acts as 'to be')
非常 (fēicháng) - very (emphatic)
学习 (xuéxí) - to learn/study
中文 (Zhōngwén) - Chinese language
时间 (shíjiān) - time
开心 (kāixīn) - happy
忙 (máng) - busy
在 (zài) - at, in, on (location marker)
坐 (zuò) - to sit, to take (transport)
跟 (gēn) - with
用 (yòng) - to use
筷子 (kuàizi) - chopsticks
见面 (jiànmiàn) - to meet

语法要点 Grammar Points

Word Order is Key: Unlike English's reliance on inflections, Chinese relies heavily on word order to convey meaning.
No Verb Conjugation: Verbs do not change form based on tense or subject. Time words (昨天, 明天) indicate tense.
Time/Place/Manner Before Verb: Modifiers like time, place, and manner generally precede the verb they modify. (e.g., 我昨天在家 用筷子 吃饭。)
"What comes first, happens first": This is a general principle for ordering elements like Time, Place, and How.
在 (zài) as Preposition: Indicates location (at/in/on) when followed by a place word, e.g., 在家 (zài jiā - at home).
Destination vs. Location of Action: Differentiate sentences like "我去上海" (I go to Shanghai - destination) from "我在上海坐火车" (I take a train in Shanghai - location of action).

文化/语用 Cultural & Pragmatic Notes

Time Expression Order: Chinese expresses time from larger units to smaller units (e.g., Year-Month-Day, or Day-Part of Day-Clock Time: 明天上午九点 - tomorrow morning 9 o'clock). This contrasts with English which often goes small to large (9 AM tomorrow morning).
Literal Translation is a Tool: While not always producing natural English, thinking literally helps understand Chinese structure, especially for beginners.
见面 (jiànmiàn): "To meet" often implies seeing each other's faces, hence the literal "see-face."