Chinese Key Grammar Points

詞序 (Cíxù):

Word Order:

Follows a S-V-O sentence structure (SVO)

量詞 (Liàngcí):

Measure word/quantifier:

Use of measure words (classifier) when counting or specifying nouns

Some common Measure Words/Quantifiers are:

個 (gè) - General classifier for people and most objects.

只 (zhī) - Used for animals and one of a pair.

本 (běn) - Used for books, magazines, and other bound items.

張 (zhāng) - Used for flat objects like paper, photos, and tables.

杯 (bēi) - Used for cups, glasses, and drinks.

輛 (liàng) - Used for vehicles like cars, bikes, and motorcycles.

瓶 (píng) - Used for bottles and similar containers.

把 (bǎ) - Used for objects with handles, like umbrellas, chairs, and knives.

匹 (pǐ) - Used for horses and long, narrow objects like scarves or belts.

件 (jiàn) - Used for clothing and items of clothing.

方面粒子 (Fāngmiàn lìzǐ):

Aspect particles:

了 (le) - For completed actions

過 (guò) - For experienced actions

否定 (Fǒudìng):

Negations:

不 (bù) - no, not

没有 (méi yǒu) - no, have not, there is not, less than, not to exist

佔有或修改 (Zhànyǒu huò xiūgǎi):

Possession or modification:

的 (de) - Is used to indicate possession or modification

動詞補語 (Dòngcí bǔyǔ):

Verb complements:

Is used to indicate completion, possibility, or direction

句子助詞 (Jùzi zhùcí):

Sentence particles:

嗎 (ma) - For yes-no questions

呢 (ne) - For seeking further information or confirmation

情態動詞 (Qíngtài dòngcí):

Modal verbs:

可以 (kěyǐ) - For permission

能 (néng) - For ability

應該 (yīnggāi) - For obligation

連接詞 (Liánjiē cí):

Conjunctions:

Conjunctions like:

和 (hé) - For “and”

但是 (dànshì) - For “but”

因為 (yīnwèi) - For “because”

重複 (Chóngfù):

Reduplication:

Is used for emphasis or indicating repetition

時態和體標記 (Shí tài hé tǐ biāojì):

Tense and aspect markers:

While Chinese doesn’t have tense markers in the same way as many other languages, aspect markers such as:

了 (le) and 過 (guò) often convey information about the timing or completion of actions

句尾助詞 (Jù wěi zhùcí):

Sentence-final particles:

Are particles added to the end of sentences to indicate mood or attitude.

吧 (ba) - For suggestions or softening requests

呀 (ya) - For emphasis or surprise

啊 (a) - For expressing realization or drawing attention

把字句 (Bǎ zìjù):

吧 (ba) Construction:

Is used to indicate the object of an action and often implies a change in the state of the object.

表達比較 (Biǎodá bǐjiào):

Expressing comparison:

比 (bǐ) - Used to indicate comparison between two things

最 (zuì) - Is used to indicate superlatives

表達佔有 (Biǎodá zhànyǒu):

Expressing possession:

Besides 的 (de) - there are possessive pronouns like:

我的 (wǒ de) for “my”

你的 (nǐ de) for “your” and so on

表達持續時間 (Biǎodá chíxù shíjiān):

Expressing duration:

了 (le) or 著 (zhe) - Is used to indicate the duration of an action

表達條件 (Biǎodá tiáojiàn):

Expressing condition:

如果 (rúguǒ) - For “if”

要是 (yàoshi) - For “if” or “in case,”

如果…就 (rúguǒ…jiù) for “if…then” constructions

表達因果關係 (Biǎodá yīnguǒ guānxì):

Expressing cause and effect:

因為…所以 (yīnwèi…suǒyǐ) for “because…so”

由於 (yóuyú) for “due to” or “owing to”

表達目的 (Biǎodá mùdì):

Expressing purpose:

Use 為了 (wèile) - For “in order to” or “for the purpose of”

表達潛力 (Biǎodá qiánlì):

Expressing potentiality:

By using 可能 (kěnéng) - For “maybe” or “possible”

會 (huì) - For indicating future possibility or probability