HSK 1Lesson 1 of 13 · 3 grammar points
Building words and locating things
Recognize the difference between a word-forming element and an independent word. Build ordinary location phrases and distinguish a person's familiar form of address from a statement about age. Read the head of a phrase before interpreting its modifiers.
Learning goals (3)
- Prefixes: 小 and 第.
- Suffixes: 们 and 边.
- Position words.
小—、第—
Prefixes: 小 and 第
小 before a surname can make a familiar form of address; 第 before a number creates an ordinal. Do not use familiar address indiscriminately with strangers.
这是我第一次来中国。
This is my first visit to China.
More
小王 is a familiar address for someone surnamed Wang; 第一课 identifies lesson one. The prefix functions differ: familiarity is social, whereas ordinal 第 expresses order.
Pitfall: 小王 is an address form; 第一个 means the first one.
—们、—边
Suffixes: 们 and 边
们 forms familiar human plurals, especially pronouns. 边 builds location words such as 前边. Neither suffix attaches freely to every noun.
我们在学校前边。
We are in front of the school.
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我们、你们、他们、她们、它们 form common pronoun plurals. 前边、后边、里边、外边 are conventional location words. Do not add 们 to every inanimate noun or attach 边 to an arbitrary noun.
Pitfall: Do not normally combine a numeral with noun+们: 三个学生, not 三个学生们.
上、下、里、外、前、后
Position words
Place 上、下、里、外、前、后 after a place or object to locate something relative to it.
书在桌子上。
The book is on the table.
More
桌子上 on the table; 桌子下 under the table; 房间里 inside the room; 门外 outside the door; 学校前 in front of the school; 学校后 behind the school. In natural speech, 边 or 面 may accompany several position words.
Pitfall: Chinese puts the reference object before the position word: 桌子上.
Source details (official syllabus)
Prefixes: 小 and 第
- Syllabus item
- 小—、第—
- Grammar ID
- grammar-L1-001
- PDF page
- 386 (printed 383)
Suffixes: 们 and 边
- Syllabus item
- —们、—边
- Grammar ID
- grammar-L1-002
- PDF page
- 386 (printed 383)
Position words
- Syllabus item
- 上、下、里、外、前、后
- Category
- 方位名词
- Grammar ID
- grammar-L1-003
- PDF page
- 386 (printed 383)
- 1FILL BLANK
这是我次来中国。
Choose the expression that completes the sentence.
“This is my first visit to China.”
- 2FILL BLANK
书在桌子。
Choose the expression that completes the sentence.
“The book is on the table.”
- 3MATCH
Tap a sentence, then tap its meaning.
Tap a sentence, then tap its meaning.
- 4CHOOSE
Choose the ordinary phrase meaning on the table.
- 5CHOOSE
猫在桌子下，书在桌子上。
Where is the cat?
- 6ORDER
Tap the chunks to build the sentence.
“This is my first visit to China.”
Tap the chunks in order. - 7ORDER
Tap the chunks to build the sentence.
“We are in front of the school.”
Tap the chunks in order.
0 of 7 tasks answered.
Next lesson: Skills, intentions and permission →—们、—边Suffixes: 们 and 边
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上、下、里、外、前、后Position words
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