OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 1 Grammar Point · HSK 1 再 zài — “Again” 再 zài goes right before a verb to say an action will happen one more time — a repeat that’s still ahead of you: a request, a plan, an instruction. 再 zài always sits before the verb (right after an…
Category: HSK 1
了1 +了2 Grammr
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 1 Grammar Point · HSK 1 了了1 + 了了2 — Progress Up to Now 了1 and 了2 can appear in the same sentence together — one right after the verb, one at the very end — to say how far something has progressed as of right now, and that it’s…
Separable Verbs – 1
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 1 Grammar Point · HSK 1 離合詞离合词 líhécí — Separable Verbs 1 Words like 看病看病 kànbìng “see a doctor” and 上課上课 shàngkè “attend class” look like single verbs, but they’re secretly a Verb glued to an Object. This lesson covers the 8 most common ones, and the one rule you…
Chinese 把 bǎ Structure
A field guide for learners The 把 bǎ Sentence English has no real equivalent for this one. 把把 bǎ pulls an object out of its usual spot after the verb and moves it in front — shifting the whole sentence’s focus onto what happened to that object. Ordinary S-V-O 我wǒ看完kànwán了le這本zhè běn書shū我wǒ看完kànwán了le这本zhè běn书shū I finished reading…
Chinese Comparison Sentences
A field guide for learners Chinese Comparison Sentences Three ways to stack one thing against another: more than, equal to, less than. Same idea, three completely different sentence shapes. greater 我wǒ比bǐ你nǐ高gāo我wǒ比bǐ你nǐ高gāo I am taller than you. equal 我wǒ跟gēn你nǐ一樣yíyàng高gāo我wǒ跟gēn你nǐ一样yíyàng高gāo I am just as tall as you. lesser 我wǒ沒有méiyǒu你nǐ那麼nàme高gāo我wǒ没有méiyǒu你nǐ那么nàme高gāo I’m not as tall as you. Greater than…
Chinese Question Words
A field guide for learners Chinese Question Words Who, what, where, how, why, how many — the whole 5W1H set has a Chinese counterpart. The words themselves are simple; the trick is knowing which of two near-synonyms fits a given sentence. The set Overview Word Meaning Asks about 誰shéi谁shéi who a person 什麼shénme什么shénme what a…
A little bit – 有一点 yǒu yìdiǎn & 一点 yìdiǎn
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 1 Grammar Point · HSK 1 有一點兒有一点儿 / 一點兒一点儿 — “A Little Bit” Both 有一點有一点 yǒuyìdiǎn and 一點一点 yìdiǎn mean “a little” or “a bit” — but they attach to different kinds of words, and one of them carries a hidden complaint. In mainland China, 有點兒有点儿 yǒudiǎnr is more commonly…
“Not very” in Chinese – 不太 bútài
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 1 Grammar Point · HSK 1 太太 tài ・ 不太不太 bútài — “Too” / “Not Very” 太太 tài on its own means “too” — an excessive degree. Add the negation 不不 bù in front and 不太不太 bútài softens a statement into “not very.” 不太不太 bútài is widely used in conversation…
How to say “Yes” and “No” in Chinese
A field guide for learners How to Say “Yes” and “No” in Chinese Chinese has no single word that translates directly to “yes” or “no.” Instead, it leans on context, repeating the verb, or explicit affirmative and negative phrases to agree or disagree. The core pattern No Direct “Yes” or “No” Words Where English answers…
Zero Pronoun
A field guide for learners Zero Pronoun Grammar point In Chinese grammar, a zero pronoun (零代詞líng dàicí零代词líng dàicí) refers to the omission of a pronoun when the context already makes it clear what the pronoun would be. This is common in conversational Chinese, and often happens with personal pronouns like: 我wǒ我wǒ — I/me · 你nǐ你nǐ…