HSK Guide/HSK 2 Grammar
Parts of Speech edit
These following grammar points fit pretty neatly into one part of speech category.
Adverbs edit
| 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 edit
| 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 edit
| 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 edit
| Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Reduplication of measure words | MW + MW | 个 个 都 很 好。
Everyone of them is good. |
Nouns edit
| 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 edit
| Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Indicating a number in excess | Number + 多 | 三 十 多 岁
around 30 years old |
Numbers and Measure Words edit
| 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 edit
| 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 edit
| 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 edit
| Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Using the verb "xing" | 姓 + Surname | 你 姓 什么 ？
What's your surname? |
Auxiliary verbs edit
| 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 edit
| 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 edit
These are grammatical structures that do not correspond to one particular part of speech.
Complements edit
| 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 edit
| 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 edit
| 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 edit
| 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 edit
| 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 edit
| 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 edit
| 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 edit
What's the difference between this grammar point and that grammar point? Check here.
Auxiliary verbs edit
| 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 edit
| 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 edit
| Grammar Point (English) | Pattern | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Comparing "er" and "liang" | 二 vs 两 | 两 个 人。二 十 二。
2 people. 22. |