In Mandarin Chinese, sentences are usually made using a simple structure called Subject-Verb-Object (SVO).
Here's an example:
- 我吃苹果。(Wǒ chī píngguǒ.) - I eat an apple.
Important Grammar Points:
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Measure Words (量词):
In Mandarin, you need to use special words called measure words with nouns.
For instance:
- 一个苹果 (yī gè píngguǒ) - an apple.
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Particles:
- 的 (de): shows ownership.
- 我的书 (wǒ de shū) - my book.
- 吗 (ma): turns statements into questions.
- 你好吗? (Nǐ hǎo ma?) - Are you well?
- 吧 (ba): suggests something.
- 我们走吧! (Wǒmen zǒu ba!) - Let’s go!
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Negation:
- 不 (bù): means no or not.
- 我不吃。(Wǒ bù chī.) - I do not eat.
- 没（有）(méi): means don’t have or didn’t.
- 我没有苹果。(Wǒ méiyǒu píngguǒ.) - I do not have an apple.
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Location vs. Completed Action:
- 在 (zài): tells where something is.
- 我在家。(Wǒ zài jiā.) - I am at home.
- 了 (le): shows that something has happened.
- 我吃了。(Wǒ chī le.) - I have eaten.
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Simple Verb Tenses:
- Present: 我吃 (Wǒ chī) - I eat.
- Past: 我吃了 (Wǒ chī le) - I ate.
- Future: 我会吃 (Wǒ huì chī) - I will eat.
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Forming Questions:
- 什么 (shénme): means what.
- 你要什么? (Nǐ yào shénme?) - What do you want?
- 谁 (shéi): means who.
- 谁有问题? (Shéi yǒu wèntí?) - Who has a question?
- 哪里 (nǎlǐ): means where.
- 你在哪里? (Nǐ zài nǎlǐ?) - Where are you?
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Conjunctions:
- 和 (hé): means and.
- 你和我 (Nǐ hé wǒ) - You and I.
- 但是 (dànshì): means but.
- 我喜欢水，但我不喜欢盐。(Wǒ xǐhuān shuǐ, dàn wǒ bù xǐhuān yán.) - I like water, but I don’t like salt.
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Pronouns:
- 我 (wǒ) - I
- 你 (nǐ) - you
- 他 (tā) - he
- 她 (tā) - she
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Changing Sentences:
- To change a positive sentence to a negative one:
- Positive: 我喜欢。(Wǒ xǐhuān.) - I like.
- Negative: 我不喜欢。(Wǒ bù xǐhuān.) - I do not like.
- To change a statement into a question:
- Statement: 你来了。(Nǐ lái le.) - You have come.
- Question: 你了吗?(Nǐ lái ma?) - Have you come?
This guide makes it easier to understand how to form sentences in Mandarin!