RealHSK

HSK 1Lesson 9 of 13 · 5 grammar points

Making statements

Chinese allows action predicates, adjective predicates, some nominal predicates and complete utterances without an overt subject. Do not force every sentence into an English subject-plus-be template. Ask what the speaker is actually asserting about the topic.

Learning goals (5)
  • Verb-predicate sentences.
  • Adjective-predicate sentences.
  • Nominal-predicate sentences.
  • Sentences without an expressed subject.
  • Statements.

喝

Verb-predicate sentences

Build the core statement as subject+verb+object, adding time or location before the action when needed.

弟弟喝牛奶。

Dì di hē niú nǎi.

My younger brother drinks milk.

More

Pitfall: Chinese verbs do not change form merely because the subject changes.

不贵

Adjective-predicate sentences

Describe qualities with subject+degree word+adjective. 不 can negate the quality directly.

这本书不贵。

Zhè běn shū bù guì.

This book is not expensive.

More

Pitfall: 不是贵 is not the neutral basic negation of expensive.

星期一

Nominal-predicate sentences

Short predicates can give dates, times or ages directly. The context makes their relation to the subject clear.

今天星期一。

Jīn tiān xīng qī yī.

Today is Monday.

More

Pitfall: Do not generalize this pattern to every noun: identification commonly uses 是.

请进

Sentences without an expressed subject

Greetings, commands and brief situational utterances can function without an explicit subject. Recover meaning from the setting.

请进！

Qǐng jìn!

Please come in!

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Pitfall: A complete utterance need not always have an overt subject.

住在北京

Statements

A statement supplies information rather than directly requesting it. Its predicate can describe action, identity, location or a quality.

我住在北京。

Wǒ zhù zài běi jīng.

I live in Beijing.

More

Pitfall: No question particle is needed in a plain statement.

Source details (official syllabus)

  • Verb-predicate sentences

    Syllabus item
    主谓句1：动词谓语句
    Category
    单句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L1-042
    PDF page
    387 (printed 384)

  • Adjective-predicate sentences

    Syllabus item
    主谓句2：形容词谓语句
    Category
    单句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L1-043
    PDF page
    387 (printed 384)

  • Nominal-predicate sentences

    Syllabus item
    主谓句3：名词谓语句
    Category
    单句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L1-044
    PDF page
    387 (printed 384)

  • Sentences without an expressed subject

    Syllabus item
    非主谓句
    Category
    单句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L1-045
    PDF page
    387 (printed 384)

  • Statements

    Syllabus item
    陈述句
    Category
    陈述句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L1-046
    PDF page
    387 (printed 384)