Chinese Grammar

CHINESE
GRAMMAR
Constructing Chinese sentences is not
that difficult.
 Don’t need to distinguish between singular and plural
nouns
 Don’t have to deal with gender-specific nouns

Constructing Chinese sentences is not
that difficult.
 Don’t need to conjugate verbs
 Don’t need to master verb tenses

BASICS OF
CHINESE NOUNS,
ARTICLES, AND
ADJECTIVES
Nouns
 Name of a place, person or thing
 Proper nouns (names of countries or people)

Nouns
 Name of a place, person or thing
 Material nouns (non-discrete things)
Toothbrush 牙刷 (yá shuā)
Washer 洗衣机 (xǐ yī jī)

Television Microwave
电视 (diàn shì) 微波炉 (wēi bō lú)
Refrigerator Fan
冰箱 (bīng xiāng) 风扇 (fēng shàn)
Air Conditioner Hair Dryer

空调 (kōng tiáo) 吹风机 (chuī fēng jī)
Computer 电脑
(diàn nǎo) Headphones 耳机
(ěr jī)
Laptop 笔记本电脑
(bǐ jì běn diàn nǎo) Charger 充电器
(chōng diàn qì)
Tablet 平板电脑
(píng bǎn diàn nǎo) Wifi – Wifi (Wifi)
Cellphone Application 软件
手机 (shǒu jī) (ruǎn jiàn)
College – 大学 Class – 班级
(dà xué) (bān jí)
High School – 高中 Book – 书

(gāo zhōng) (shū)
Middle School – 初中 Teacher – 老师

(chū zhōng) (lǎo shī)
Elementary School – Student – 学生
小学 (xiǎo xué) (xué shēng)
Classmate – 同班同学
(tóng bān tóng xué)
Major – 专业
(zhuān yè)
Exam – 考试
(kǎo shì)
Homework – 作业
(zuò yè)
Pronouns
I, me: You (formal) He, Him

wǒ: 我 nín: 您 tā: 他
You: She, Her:

nǐ - 你 tā: 她
It:
tā: 它
Pronouns (Plural)
*we add “men”
We, us: You (plural) They/them

wǒmen nǐ men tāmen: 他
PLS TAKE NOTE:
“men”
 Particle word
 Cannot be used alone
 Must be attached to other words
Pronouns (Possessive)
*we add “de”
my, mine: your, yours his, her, hers
wǒ de nǐ de tā de:
our, ours: your guys‘ their, theirs

wǒ men de nǐ men de tā men de
Adjective
adjectives describe nouns.
The general rule:

if the adjective is pronounced with only one syllable, it
appears immediately in front of the noun it qualifies:
Adjective
cháng zhītiáo 长枝条 ( 長枝

條)
(chahng jir-tyaow)
(long stick)
lǜ chá 绿茶 ( 綠
茶)
(lyew chah)
(green tea)
Adjective
If the adjective has two syllables, though, the

possessive particle de 的 (duh) comes between it
and
Adjective
cāozá de wǎnhuì 嘈杂的晚会 ( 嘈雜的晚

會)
(tsaow-dzah duh wahn-hway) \
(noisy party)
gānjìng de yīfu 干净的衣服 ( 乾淨的衣服 )
(gahn-jeeng duh ee-foo)
(clean clothes)
Starting a Simple
Conversation in
Chinese
One-to-one conversation
nǐ 你好 nín hǎo 您好
hǎo
Hello
Lit. You good/ok
When to use nǐ & nín?
You will use nǐ if you’re talking to…
family, friends, or colleagues
casual social situations
people near your age – even if they are strangers.
You will use nín if you’re talking to…

teacher, manager, officer
business partners, clients, or customers
One to a group
dàjiā hǎo nǐ
Hello everyone hǎo
Hello
Lit. Everyone good Lit. You good/ok
NAME/
NICKNAME
You can add a lead-in before you start
wǒ lái jiè sháo yí xià wǒ zì jĭ

Let me introduce (a little bit) myself
Let’s now come to self-introduction
Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi
You are called what name?
Nǐ de míngzi jiào shénme
Your name is called what?
Responses
Wǒ jiào
My name is ________.
Lit. I to be called ____.
Responses
Nǐ / Nǐ men kĕ yǐ jiào wǒ
You can call me ________.
Lit. You/you (plural) call me____.
Responses
Dà jiā dōu jiào wǒ
Everyone calls me ________.
Lit. Everyone calls me____.
Exercise
Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi
You are called what name?
Wǒ jiào
BACKGROUND
Exercise
Wǒ shí + nationality
Wǒ shì Fēilǜbīn rén

Wǒ lái zì + place

Wǒ lái zì Fēilǜbīn
One to a group
dàjiā hǎo nǐ
Hello everyone hǎo
Hello
Lit. Everyone good Lit. You good/ok
Exercise
Nǐ / Nǐ men kĕ yǐ jiào wǒ
You can call me ________.
Wǒ jiào

Chinese Grammar

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CHINESE

 Don’t have to deal with gender-specific nouns

 Don’t need to conjugate verbs

 Don’t need to master verb tenses

 Proper nouns (names of countries or people)

 Material nouns (non-discrete things)

Toothbrush 牙刷 (yá shuā)

Washer 洗衣机 (xǐ yī jī)

Air Conditioner Hair Dryer

High School – 高中 Book – 书

Middle School – 初中 Teacher – 老师

I, me: You (formal) He, Him

You: She, Her:

We, us: You (plural) They/them

our, ours: your guys‘ their, theirs

adjectives describe nouns.

The general rule:

cháng zhītiáo 长枝条 ( 長枝

If the adjective has two syllables, though, the

cāozá de wǎnhuì 嘈杂的晚会 ( 嘈雜的晚

You will use nín if you’re talking to…

wǒ lái jiè sháo yí xià wǒ zì jĭ

Wǒ shì Fēilǜbīn rén

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