HSK Guide/HSK 2 Grammar

Parts of Speech

These following grammar points fit pretty neatly into one part of speech category.

Adverbs

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Continuation with "hai"	Subj. + 还 + Verb Phrase / Adj.	你 还在 看 书 ？ You are still reading?
Emphasis with "jiushi"	就是 + Verb	我 父母 就是 不 让 我 一个人 去 。 My parents wouldn't let me go alone.
Emphasizing quantity with "dou"	大家 / 很多人 + 都⋯⋯	很 多 地方 都 有 wifi。 There are internet in lots of places.
Expressing "about to" with "jiuyao"	还有 + Time Period + 就要 + Verb Phrase + 了	还有 五 天 就要 放假 了 。 Holidays are going to start in 5 more days.
Expressing "again" in the future with "zai"	再 + Verb	我 下 次 再 来。 I'll come next time.
Expressing "already" with "dou"	都 + Time + 了	都 九点 了 ，快点 起床 ！ It's already 9 o'clock, quickly wake up!
Expressing "already" with "yijing"	已经⋯⋯了	他 已经 走 了 。 He left.
Expressing "and also" with "hai"	还 + Verb	她 有 一个 弟弟，还 有 一个 妹妹。 She has a younger brother and a younger sister.
Expressing earliness with "jiu"	Subj. + Time + 就 + Verb + 了	我 昨晚 八 点 半 就 睡觉 了 。 I slept at half past 8 yesterday.
Expressing "then" with "jiu"	就 + Verb Phrase	我们 现在 有 时间，就 去吧。 We have the time now, so let's go.
Negative commands with "bie"	别 + Verb	别走。 Don't leave.

Adverbs with Adjectives

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Asking about degree with "duo"	Subj. + 多 + Adj. ?	他 多 高？ How tall is he?
Expressing "a little too" with "you dian"	有点(儿) + Adj.	我 有点 饿 。 I'm a little hungry.
Expressing distance with "li"	Place 1 + 离 + Place 2 + Adv. + 近 / 远	我 家 离 大学 很 近。 My home is quite close to a university.
Expressing "even more" with "geng"	更 + Adj.	我 想 找 一个 更 有钱 的 男朋友。 I want to find a richer boyfriend.
Expressing "really" with "zhen"	真 + Adj.	你 女朋友 真 漂亮 。 Your girlfriend is very pretty.
Moderating positive adjectives with "hai"	还 + Adj.	还 可以。还 好。 Still allowed. Still good.
Modifying nouns with phrase + "de"	Phrase + 的 + Noun	去 北京 的 火车。今天 来 的 人。 The train to Beijing. The person who came today.
Superlative "zui"	最 + Adj. (+ 了)	谁 最 有钱 ？ Who is the richest?

Conjunctions

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
The filler word "neige"	⋯⋯那个⋯⋯	那个⋯⋯你 可以 做 我 的 女 朋友 吗？ Um... Can you be my girlfriend?

Measure Words

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Reduplication of measure words	MW + MW	个 个 都 很 好。 Everyone of them is good.

Nouns

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Expressing "when" with "de shihou"	⋯⋯的时候	你 不在 的 时候，我 会 想 你。 I will miss you when you are not here.

Numbers

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Indicating a number in excess	Number + 多	三 十 多 岁 around 30 years old

Numbers and Measure Words

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Using "ji" to mean "several"	几 + Measure Word + Noun	桌子 上 有 几 本 书。 There are a few books on the table.

Particles

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Aspect particle "zhe"	Verb + 着	我 读 ，你 听 着 。 I'm reading, you listen.
Conceding with "ba"	⋯⋯吧	那 好 吧。 Fine then.
Expressing "already" with just "le"	Subj. + Verb Phrase + 了	你 应该 问 老师 。我 问 了 。 I should ask the teacher. I already asked.
Expressing experiences with "guo"	Verb + 过	我 去 过 中国 。 I went to China before.
Modal particle "ne"	⋯⋯呢 ?	我 不 要 回家 。还 早 呢 ！ I don't want to return home, it's still early!
Using "guo" with "le"	Verb + 过 + 了	她 吃 过 了 。 She ate that before.

Prepositions

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Basic comparisons with "bi"	Noun 1 + 比 + Noun 2 + Adj.	你 比 我 胖 。 You are fatter than me.
Expressing "for" with "gei"	Subj. + 给 + Recipient + Verb Phrase	妈妈 在 给 孩子 们 做饭 。 The mother is cooking for her children.
Expressing "from… to…" with "cong… dao…"	从⋯⋯到⋯⋯	从1 号 到 5 号 我 在 上海。 I'll be at Shanghai from the 1st to the 5th day.
Expressing "toward" with "wang"	往 + Direction Word	往 右 转。 Turn towards the right.
Using "dui" with verbs	Subj. + 对 + Person + Verb	宝宝 对 我 笑 了。 The baby laughed at me.

Verbs

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Using the verb "xing"	姓 + Surname	你 姓 什么 ？ What's your surname?

Auxiliary verbs

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Auxiliary verb "yao" and its multiple meanings	要 + Noun / 要 + Verb	我 要 一 杯 水。 I want a glass of water.
Expressing "be going to" with "yao"	Subj. + 要 + Verb (+ 了)	我 要 去 吃饭，你 去 吗？ I'm going to eat rice, are you coming along?
Expressing permission with "keyi"	可以 + Verb	这里 可以 吸烟 吗? Can I smoke here?
Wanting to do something with "yao"	要 + Verb	我 要 吃饭 。 I want to eat rice.

Verb phrases

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Actions in a row	(Verb Phrase 1) + (Verb Phrase 2)	我们 去 咖啡店 喝 咖啡 吧。 Let's go to a café to drink coffee.
Expressing "together" with "yiqi"	一起 + Verb	我们 一起 去 吧！要 不 要 一起 吃饭？ Let's go together! Wanna eat together?
Measure words for verbs	Verb + Number + Measure Word	做 三 次。读 两 遍 。 Do it 3 times. Read it 2 times.
Negative commands with "buyao"	不要 + Verb	不要 说 英文！ Don't speak English!
Reduplication of verbs	Verb + Verb	你 看看。 Look at this.
Special cases of "zai" following verbs	Verb + 在 + Place	我 住 在 北京。放 在 这里。 I live in Beijing. Put it here.
Using "dao" to mean "to go to"	到 + Place	我 到 上海。 I'm going to Shanghai.
Using "hao" to mean "easy"	好 + Verb	好 做。好 买。 Easy to do. Easy to buy.
Verbing briefly with "yixia"	Verb + 一下	你 看 一下 。 You look at this for a moment.
Verbs followed by "gei"	Subj. + Verb + 给 + Recipient + Obj.	他 送给 我 一 束 花 。 He sent me a bouquet of flowers.
Verbs preceded by "gei"	Subj. + 给 + Target + Verb + Obj.	现在 不要 给 他 打 电话 。 Don't call him now.
Verbs that take double objects	Subj. + Verb + Indirect Obj. + Direct Obj.	我 问 了 老师 一 个 问题。 I asked the teacher a question.

Grammatical Structures

These are grammatical structures that do not correspond to one particular part of speech.

Complements

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Degree complement	Verb + 得⋯⋯	你 做 得 不错 。 You did great.
Potential complement "-bu dong" for not understanding	Verb + 不懂	我 听不懂 。 I don't understand.
Result complements	Verb + 好 / 完 / 错	我们 吃 好 了 。 We're finished eating.
Result complements "-dao" and "-jian"	Verb + 到 / 见	听 到 了 吗 ？ Heard that?
Result complement "-wan" for finishing	Verb + 完 (+ 了)	我 说 完 了。 I finished talking.

Numbers and Measure Words

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Expressing "every" with "mei"	每 + Measure Word (+ Noun)	每 个 人。每 天。 Everybody. Everyday.
Measure words for counting	Number + Measure Word + Noun	一 个 人。一 杯 水。 1 person. 1 cup of water.
Measure words with "this" and "that"	这 / 那 + Measure Word (+ Noun)	那 个 人。这 杯 水。 That person. This cup of water.
Ordinal numbers with "di"	第 + Number (+ Measure Word)	你 是 我 的 第 一 个 朋友。 You are my first friend.

Question Forms

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Affirmative-negative question	Verb + 不 + Verb / Adj. + 不 + Adj.	去 不 去？好 不 好 ? Should I go? Is that good?
Asking why with "zenme"	怎么⋯⋯？	你 怎么 没 来？ You haven't came yet?
Simple rhetorical questions	不 是…… 吗 ？	不 是 说好 了 吗 ？怎么 会 这样 ？ Didn't we discuss about this? How did it happen?
Tag questions with "bu"	⋯⋯是不是 / 对不对 / 好不好 ?	你们 明天 来，好 不 好 ? You guys come tomorrow, OK?
Tag questions with "ma"	⋯⋯是吗 / 对吗 / 好吗 ?	这样 做， 对 吗 ? Is it right to do like this?

Sentence Patterns

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Cause and effect with "yinwei" and "suoyi"	因为⋯⋯ 所以⋯⋯	因为 饿 了，所以 吃饭。 Because I'm hungry, so I ate rice.
Expressing "about to happen" with "le"	快 + Verb / Adj. + 了	快 下雨 了 。 It's going to rain.
Expressing "everything" with "shenme dou"	什么 + 都 / 也⋯⋯	爸爸 什么 都 知道。 Dad knows everything.
Expressing "stop doing" with "bie… le"	别 + Verb + 了	别 哭 了，烦 死了 。 Don't cry, it's annoying.
The "shi... de" construction for indicating purpose	是⋯⋯ 的	我 是 来 上海 旅游 的 。 I came to Shanghai to travel.
The "shi... de" patterns: an overview	是⋯⋯ 的	你 是 哪个 学校 的 ？ Which school are you from?

Basic/Simple Sentence Patterns

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Expressing "every time" with "mei" and "dou"	每次 + Event 1 + 都 + Event 2	为什么 每 次 我 来 他 都 不 在。 Why he isn't here every time I come?

Comparison Patterns

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Expressing "much more" in comparisons	Noun 1 + 比 + Noun 2 + Adj. + 多了	拼音 比 汉字 容易 多了 。 Pinyin is easier than Chinese characters.

Complex Sentence Patterns

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Expressing "although" with "suiran" and "danshi"	虽然⋯⋯ ，但是 / 可是⋯⋯	虽然 渴 了，但是 不 想 喝 啤酒。 Although I'm thirsty, but I don't want to drink beer.

Comparisons of Similar Grammar Points

What's the difference between this grammar point and that grammar point? Check here.

Auxiliary verbs

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Comparing "yao" and "xiang"	要 vs 想	我 要 一 杯 水 。 我 想 你 。 I want a cup of water. I miss you.

Auxiliary Verbs

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Comparing "hui," "neng," "keyi"	会 vs. 能 vs. 可以	我 会 跳舞 。这里 不 能 跳舞 。我 可以 请 你 跳舞 吗 ？ I can dance. You can't dance here. Shall we dance together?

Numbers

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Comparing "er" and "liang"	二 vs 两	两 个 人。二 十 二。 2 people. 22.