Chinese Language Learning Program Lesson 117 – Chinese sentence structure

Chinese Language Learning Program

Lesson 117 – Chinese sentence structure

Hello, everyone. Welcome back. This is Baixue’s Chinese Language Learning Program. Last time we talked about Olympic Sports. Today, we will talk about some Chinese Grammer—Chinese sentence structure.

1.   Basic simple sentence order

(1)   Subject + Verb

You can make very simple sentences with this simple structure.

For example:

nǐ kàn

你  看 ((You) look!)

nǐ shuō.

你   说 (You talk.)

nǐ zǒu.

你  走。(You go.)

(2)   Subject + Verb + Object

For example:

wǒ xǐ huān nǐ.

 我 喜   欢   你。(I like you.)

wǒ xǐ wán.

我  洗  碗。(I do dishes.)

nǐ kàn diàn yǐng

你  看    电     影 (You watch the movies.)

tā chī bīng jī líng.

他  吃   冰  激  凌。(He eats ice cream.)

The word order for this structure is the same as it is in English. It is very easy. But when we say some complicated Chinese sentences, the word order will be different from English.

2.   Complicated sentence order

In complicated Chinese sentences,  the word order will be just like this:

Ok, let’s see some examples:

(1)  I learned how to swim at the stadium yesterday afternoon.

wǒ zuó tiān xià wǔ zài  tǐ yù guǎn xué yóu yǒng.

我    昨   天    下  午  在  体育     馆    学    游     泳。

I (subject) + yesterday afternoon (when) + at the stadium (where)+ (how)+ learned how to swim (verb).

(2)  I'll go to Beijing to visit my friend tomorrow.

wǒ míng tiān qù běi jīng bài fǎng wǒ de péng yǒu.

我     明    天    去  北   京   拜    访    我  的    朋    友。

I (subject) + tomorrow (when) + go to Beijing (where)+ (how) + visit (verb) + my friend (object).

(3)   They go to work by bus.

tā men zuò gōng gòng qì chē qù shàng bān.

他   们    做     公      共   汽   车   去      上     班。

They (subject) + by bus (how) + go to work (verb).

(4)  He cut his right hand by knife at my home yesterday.

tā zuó tiān zài wǒ jiā yòng dāo gē pò le yòu shǒu.

他  昨   天    在  我  家   用     刀   割  破 了  右     手   。

He (subject) + yesterday (when) + at my home (where) + by knife (how) + cut (verb) + his right hand (object).

Sometimes, we put time in the front of the sentence which is just like in English.

For example,

In English, you can say

“I learned how to swim at the stadium yesterday afternoon.”

Or you also can say:

Yesterday afternoon I learned how to swim at the stadium.

The same goes with Chinese:

wǒ zuó tiān xià wǔ zài  tǐ yù guǎn xué yóu yǒng.

我    昨   天    下  午  在  体育     馆    学    游     泳。

We can say:

zuó tiān xià wǔ wǒ zài  tǐ yù guǎn xué yóu yǒng.

  昨   天    下  午  我  在  体育     馆    学    游     泳。

I have to say that only “When” can be placed in the front of the sentence, “where” and “how” can not. Please remember this rule.

So, how do you think these Chinese word orders? It is very simple, right? You just need to remember the orders above and think sentences with Chinese style, then you can speak the sentences very correctly.

Try the following example:

I work at Science Center. ----think in Chinese way---- I at Science center work. (wǒ zài kējì guǎn gōngzuò.我在科技馆工作。)

I drink water every day.-----think in Chinese way---- I every day drink water. (wǒ měi tiān hē shuǐ. 我每天喝水。)

See, you are doing great!

Ok, today’s idiom is:

jǔ yī fǎn sān

举一 反    三 (From one sample you may judge of the whole; infer other things from one fact)

lǎo shī yào shàn yú jǔ yī fǎn sān.

 老   师  要     善    于举 一  反   三。

(A teacher should be good at drawing inferences about other cases from one instance.)

Ok, that is all for today.

xiè  xiè!

 谢   谢 ! (Thanks!)

xià  cì  jiàn

 下  次  见!  (See you next time!)