Here are Pi's own notes for the Mandarin sentence structures. They are for the entire syllabus, so try searching only the ones you need. Pi does not guarantee that everything is correct, but good enough is good enough. Use at your own risk.
You can click on the example sentences to hear them.
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两
两 (liǎnɡ) means two and it is used instead of (二) before the measure word (个).
Show Examples
1. 我有两个弟弟。(I have two younger brothers)
有...吗 and 有没有
你有...吗? is equivalent to 你有没有...?
Show Examples
1. 你有弟弟吗? (Do you have younger brother?)2. 你有没有弟弟?(Do you have younger brother?)
都
都 (dōu) means both.
Show Examples
1. 她和我都上十二年级。(Both I and her are in 12th Grade)2. 我们都是中学生。 (We are all secondary school students)
几
几 (jī) means how much, usually for small numbers less than 10.
Show Examples
1. 你有几个兄弟姐妹? (How many siblings do you have?)2. 你家有几口人？ (How many family members do you have?)
哪
哪 (nǎ) means which.
Show Examples
1. 你是哪国人? (Which nationality are you?)2. 你是哪一年出生的? (Which year were you born?)
哪儿
哪儿 (nǎr) means where.
Show Examples
1. 你在哪儿出生?(Where were you born ?)2. 你住在哪儿? (Where do you live?)
也 and 还
Both 也 (yě) and 还 (hái) means also. 也 is for dfferent person and 还 is for the same person.
Show Examples
1. 我喜欢功夫电影。我还喜欢爱情电影。(I like Kung Fu films. I also like Romance films.)2. 我的爸爸会说英语。妈妈也会说英语 。(My father can speak English. Mother can also speak English.)
有
有 (yǒu) has two meanings - have and about. It can mean have as in I have a brother. Or it can mean about to say approximate quantities such as heights and weight.
Show Examples
1. 我没有男朋友。(I do not have a girlfriend)2. 你哥哥有多重? (About how heavy is your elder brother?)3. 我爸爸有一米九。 (My father is about 1.9 metres tall)4. LPC 有三十多位老师和二百多个学生 。(LPC has thirty teachers and two hundred students)
年纪
年纪 (nián jì) is a more polite way to ask the age of elders.
Show Examples
1. 你奶奶有多大年纪?(How old - approximately - is your grandmother?)
又
又...又... (yòu ... yòu ...) structure is used for joining two similar words together. They must have the same number of syllables and must be the same type of words to use
this structure.
Show Examples
1. 他的眼睛又大又圆。 (His eyes are big and round)2. 她长得又漂亮又可爱。(She is cute and beautiful.)3. 我又会说英语 又会 说法语。(I can speak both English and French.)4. 我们的学校园又美有大。 （Our school campus is big and beautiful.)
是...吗? and 是不是?
这是...吗? is equivalent to 这是不是...?
Show Examples
1. 你是日本人吗? (Are you a Japanese person?)2. 你是不是日本人?(Are you a Japanese person?)
像
像 (xiànɡ) means look like.
Show Examples
1. 我长得像妈妈。(I look like my mother.)
不 and 没
Although both 不 (bù) and 没 (méi) adds negative meaning to verbs, 没 means did not and 不 implies can not.
Show Examples
1. 这太多了，吃不完! (The food is too much, I can’t finish this)
过
A verb + 过 (ɡuò) means have + verb.
Show Examples
1. 我去过英国。 (I have been to England.)
然后
然后 (rán hòu) means then.
Show Examples
1. 今天早上，我起床， 然后 刷牙。(This morning, I get up and then brush my teeth.)
从...到
从...到... (cónɡ...dào...) means from something to something when used together.
Show Examples
1. 我每天从早上八点到下午三点上课。(Everyday, I attend class from 8 o' clock in the morning to 3 o' clock in the afternoon.)2. 从星期一到星期五，我穿校服上学。(F rom Monday to Friday, I go to school wearing school uniform.)
以后
以后 (yǐ hòu) means after.
Show Examples
1. 吃 完 饭 以后，我做作业。(After eating, I do my homework.)2. 昨天唱完民歌以后，我画了半个小时 油画。(Yesterday, after singing the folk song, I painted oil painting for half an
hour.)
以前
以前 (yǐ qián) means before.
Show Examples
1. 我比以前高。(I am taller than before.)2. 两天以前 (Two days ago)
先...,再...
先...,再... (xiān ... zài) structure is for saying I do something first, then do other thing.
Show Examples
1. 我先洗脸刷牙，再吃早饭。(First, I wash my face and brush my teeth, then had breakfast.)
Describing Time Taken
Structures to tell about duration are Subject + Time + Verb + Noun + Verb + 了 + Duration (Variation 1) and Subject + Time + Verb + 了 + Duration + Noun (Variation 2)
Show Examples
1. 我洗脸洗了三分钟。(I washed my face for three minutes.)2. 我昨天弹钢琴弹了一个小时。(I play the piano for 1 hour yesterday - Variation 1)3. 昨天, 我弹了一个小时钢琴。/ 我昨天弹了一个小时钢 琴。(I play the piano for one hour yesterday -
Variation 2)
到
到 (dào) alone means arrive. However, it is used in describing temperature when discussing weather, to say from this degree to that degree Celsius.
Show Examples
1. 现在我们到。(Now, we have arrived)2. 北京今天气温十二到二十度。(Today, Beijing's temperature is between 12 degrees Celsius to 20 degrees Celsius.)
一边
一边...一边 (yī biān...yī biān) structure is used for saying somebody is doing something while doing something else.
Show Examples
1. 他经常一边洗澡一边唱歌。(He often sings while taking a shower.)
多长时间
多长时间 is the question word for asking the duration of an activity with the form Subject + Time + Verb + Noun + Verb + 了 多长时间?
Show Examples
1. 你昨天弹钢琴弹了 多长时间? (How long did you play the piano yesterday?)
完
完 (wán) means finish doing something. It is often used with 以后 (yǐ hòu).
Show Examples
1. 吃 完 饭 以后，我做作业。(After eating, I do my homework.)2. 做完作业以后，我洗澡。(After finishing my homework, I take a shower.)3. 每天吃完晚饭以后，我 看一个小时电视。(Every
day, I watch television for one hour after finishing my dinner.)
给
给 (ɡěi) means give. As a preposition, it also means 'for.' (see examples)
Show Examples
1. 给我。(Give me.)2. 我的朋友给我一个花。(My friend give me a flower.)3. 奶奶给我们做饭。(Grandmother is preparing meal for us.)4. 你可以给我那个吉他吗？(Can you give me that guitar?)
得
得 has multiple meanings and sounds. 得 (de) is used to
describe appearance as in 长得 . 得 (děi) means have to and used in the structure - subject + 得 + Verb +了! Finally it is used to describe ability of a skill in the structure -
Subject + Verb + Noun + Verb +得+ adj.
Show Examples
1. 他长得高高的。(He is tall.)2. 我得走了。(I have to go.)3. 我滑冰滑得好。(My ice- skating skill is good.)
就
就 (jiù) implies that the routine is earlier than usual. Note that we need 了 after the sentence.
Show Examples
1. 他们早上七点就去上学了。 (They went to school at seven o'clock in the morning, which is earlier than usual.)2. 我从小就弹吉他。(I played guitar from an early age.)
才
才 (cái) implies that the routine is later than usual.
Show Examples
1. 哥哥今天早上十点才起床。(Elder brother get up at 10 o' clock this morning, which is later than usual.)
只好
只好 (zhǐ hǎo) is an adverb used to express that one has no choice but to - or - has no other option but to. The option is one the speaker is not fond of. The structure is ...,
Subj + 只好 + Verb Phrase
Show Examples
1. 她不在家，我只好走了。(She is not at home, I have to go back.)
最
最 (zuì) means the most.
Show Examples
1. 汽车很快，火车更快，飞机最快。(Car is fast, train is faster, plane is fastest.)2. 一年有四个季节，我最喜欢冬天。(Among the four seasons of the year, my most favourite is Winter.)3. 你最喜欢什么月饼? (Which type of mooncake do you like the most?)4. 我最不喜欢做饭。（I do not like cooking the most. Make sure that 最 comes before 喜欢.)
比
比 (bǐ) is used for comparison between two subjects, in the sentence structure - A+比+B+adj.
Show Examples
1. 飞机比火车快。(The plane is faster than the train.)2. 我比十年前重十公斤。 (I am 10 kg heavier than myself 10 years ago)3. 我比他大。(I am older than him.)4. 我比他大三岁。(I am 3 years older than him.)
非常
非常 (fēi chánɡ) means extremely and it is used with an adjective.
Show Examples
1. 非常好!(Excellent!)2. 我非常喜欢画画。(I like painting very much.)
工作
工作 (ɡōnɡ zuò) means to work.
Show Examples
1. 他做什么工作?(What is his job?)2. 她工作忙不忙? (Is her job busy or not?)3. 警察在警察局工作。(Police works in a police station.)
哪里
哪里 (nǎ li) means where.
Show Examples
1. 护士在哪里工作?(Where does a nurse work?)
家
家 has two meanings - home and measure word for places. It is used as a measure word for most places, except for schools.
Show Examples
1. 我爸爸在一家工厂工作. (My father works at a factory.)
所
所 (suǒ) is a measure word for schools.
Show Examples
1. 我在一所国际学校学习. (I study in an international school.)
多个
多个 (duō ɡè) means more than.
Show Examples
1. 这所学校有 200 多个学生。 (There are more than 200 students in this school.)
除了...以外
除了...以外,... (chú le...yǐ wài,...) structure is used to say apart from something, I also something. It is used along
with 还 to mean also.
Show Examples
1. 除了跳舞以外，我还喜欢画油画。 (Apart from dancing, I also like painting oil painting.)
特别
特别 (tè bié) means especially. Do not forget 是 after 特别。
Show Examples
1. 我喜欢听音乐，特别是古典音乐。(I like listening to music, especially classical music)
一会儿
一会儿 (yī huìr) means for a while.
Show Examples
1. 做完作业以后，我看 一会儿 书. (After doing homework, I will read a book for a while.)
得怎么样
你 + Verb + Noun + Verb + 得怎么样? Structure is used to ask someone about the ability of their skills.
Show Examples
1. 你滑冰滑得怎么样? (How good is your ice-skating?)
要
要 (yào) means want/need.
Show Examples
1. 他要学中文。(He wants to study Chinese.)2. 你要吃什么? (What do you want to eat?)3. 这个周末你们要做什么? (This weekend， what do you want to do?)
几点
几点 means what time, but it asks for more specific time. The answer should be something like 10 minutes past 10 o'clock.
Show Examples
No example sentences.
什么时候
什么时候 also asks what time, but it is more general. The answer can be just the date - such as 5th of June.
Show Examples
No example sentences.
怎么样
怎么样? (zěn me yàng) is a question word asking about your opinion. It means what do you think about something?
Show Examples
1. 香港怎么样? (What is your opinion on Hong Kong?)
什么样
什么样 is a question word to ask about physical appearance.
Show Examples
1. 香港什么样? (What does Hong Kong look like?)2. 他/她长什么样? (What is his/her appearance?)
的时候
的时候 (de shí hou) means while. It can be used with 正 (zhènɡ) to mean something is happening right now (present participle form).
Show Examples
1. 妹妹看电视的时候，哥哥正在踢足球。(While younger sister is watching television, elder brother is playing football.)
会
会 (huì) has three meanings. It means can (or) will (or) for a while in 一会儿.
Show Examples
1. 我会说英语。(I can speak English.)2. 我明天会去中国。 (I will go to China tomorrow.)3. 我看了一会儿看电视。 (I will watch TV for a while.)
差
差 has three meanings and three sounds. 差 (chāi) is used in 出差 to say business trip. 差 (chā) is used to indicate a number of minutes before an hour when describing time.
差 (chà) is used to mean bad ability.
Show Examples
1. 他工作很忙，经常去英国出差。(He is very busy with his work and often goes to England on business trip.)2. 差七分十点 (Seven minutes to 10 o' clock.)3. 我滑冰滑得差。(My Ice- skating skill is bad.)
太
太 (tài) means too. The general structure is 太 + adj + 了! 了 is not needed if 不 is used at front.
Show Examples
1. 我太喜欢她了! (I like her so much)2. 我不太喜欢她! (I do not like her really that much。)3. 太晚了! (It is too late!)
更
更 (ɡènɡ) means more. It is also used in structure - Subject + 更喜欢 + a hobby - to say someone prefer doing a hobby.
Show Examples
1. 坐地铁很慢, 骑自行车更慢。(Taking the subway is slow, riding the bike is slower.)2. 你喜欢弹吉他吗? 不喜欢， 我更喜欢听音乐。 (Do you like playing guitar? No, but I prefer listening to music.)
左右
左右 (zuǒ yòu) means around. It literally means left and right.
Show Examples
1. 她十八多左右。 (She is around 18 years old.)2. 香港今天阴天，气温二十五度左右。(Today, Hong Kong is cloudy, and its temperature is around 25 degrees
Celsius.)
可以
可以 (kě yǐ) means okay or able to. It is used in the structure - 我喜欢 + weather ，因为 + weather + 的时候，我可以 + verb.
Show Examples
1. 我喜欢热的天气，因为热的天气的时候，我可以玩游戏。(I like hot weather, because when it is hot, I can play games.)
和
和 has multiple sounds. 和 (hé) means and. 和 (huō) is used in 暖和 (nuǎn huō) - warm.
Show Examples
1. 我爱我的爸爸和妈妈。(I love my dad and mom.)2. 春天很暖和。(It is warm in spring time.)
应该
应该 (yīnɡ ɡāi) means should.
Show Examples
1. 冬天应该穿围巾。(In winter, you should wear a scarf.)
网
网 (wǎnɡ) literally means net, but it also means the internet or online related things. 网上 - noun - online / 上网 - verb - surf the internet
Show Examples
1. 我网上有很多朋友。(I have a lot of friends online.)2. 我喜欢上网。(I love surfing the internet.)
一般
一般 (yī bān) means normally.
Show Examples
1. 爸爸一般怎么去广州? (How does father normally travel to Guangzhou?)
在
在 (zài) literally means at. But, it can be used in two contexts. If used with places, it means at, but when it is combined with a verb, it implies the -ing form. See the
examples below.
Show Examples
1. 我现在住在香港。(I currently live in Hong Kong.)2. 现在在下雪。(It is snowing now.)
着
着 (zhe) can also be used to imply the meaning of right now. Nice structures to set up the story.
Show Examples
1. 现在下着雪，刮着风。(Now it is snowing and the wind is blowing.)
经常
经常 (jīnɡ chánɡ) is a frequency word meaning often.
Show Examples
1. 香港夏天经常晴天。(Hong Kong summer time is often sunny.)
越来越
越来越 (yuè lái yuè) means more and more. We can also use the structure - 越 + verb + 越 + adjective (see example 3 below.) Take care of which adjective refers to which
noun.
Show Examples
1. 你的中文会越来越好! (Your Chinese will be better and better.)2. 天越来越黑。(It grows darker and darker.)3. 你越吃越胖。 (The more you eat, the fatter you become.)4. 雪越下，我越冷。 (The more it snows, the colder I feel.)5. 雨越下越大。(The rain is getting more and more heavier.)6. 你越说，你的中文越好！ (The more you speak, the better your Chinese will be.)
高
高 - means tall as in the height of a person : opposite meaning - 矮 (short) , or high as in high temperature: opposite meaning - 低 (low)
Show Examples
1. 他长得高高的。(He is tall.)2. 西安今天最高气温五度。(Today, Xi'an 's maximum temperature will be 5 degrees Celsius.)
虽然...但是
虽然...但是 (suī rán...dàn shì) structure means although,... But... .
Show Examples
1. 黑老师的中文比我们的好很多了，但是他的英语没我们的好 。 (Although Helen's Chinese is a lot better than us, but her English is not as good as us.)2. 她虽然长得很胖， 但是她长得很漂亮。 (Although she looks fat, she is beautiful.)
穿
穿 (chuān) means to wear clothes.
Show Examples
1. 我爸爸喜欢穿黑色的长 裤. (My father likes wearing black trousers.)
戴
戴 (dài) means to wear accessory - such as scarf, gloves.
Show Examples
1. 她戴着棕色的围巾。(She is wearing a brown scarf.)
带
带 (dài) means to bring any object.
Show Examples
1. 今天你带中文书了吗?(Did you bring your Chinese book today?)
出差
出差 (chū chāi) means business trip. The sentence structure is 去 + place + 出差.
Show Examples
1. 爸爸昨天去北京出差了。(Father went to Beijing for business trip yesterday.)
上班
上班 (shànɡ bān) means to go to work.
Show Examples
1. 你爸爸怎么上班? (How does your father go to work?)2. 我爸爸开车上班。 (My father drives to work.)3. 我妈妈坐地铁上班。( My mother takes the subway to work.)
Describing duration of stay/work
To describe duration of stay or work, use the structure - Subject+在+Place+住(or工作) +了+time duration.
Show Examples
1. 我在 LPC 住了一年。(I lived in LPC for one year.)2. 黑老师在 LPC 工作了四年。(Helen worked at LPC for four years.)3. 我的朋友在这里住了一 年半。(My friend lived here for one and a half
years.)
Describing Ability
Question: 你 + Verb + Noun + Verb + 得怎么样? Ans: Subject + Verb + Noun + Verb +得+ adj. (好 - good，不太好- not too good，不错 - not bad, 差 - bad)
Show Examples
1. 你滑冰滑得怎么样? (How is your ice-skating skill?)2. 我滑冰滑得好。(My ice-skating skill is good.)3. 我滑冰滑得不太好。(My ice-skating skill is not so good.)4. 我滑冰滑得差。(My ice-skating skill is bad.)
转
转 (zhuàn) means changing from one state to another.
Show Examples
1. 北京今天晴转多云。(Today, Beijing's weather will change from clear sky to cloudy.)
度
度 (dù) is the measure word for temperatures - in degrees Celsius.
Show Examples
1. 今天气温多少度? (What is the temperature today?)2. 今天零下八度。(Today's temperature is - 8 degrees Celsius.)
这里
这里 (zhè lǐ) means here or this place.
Show Examples
1. 我的朋友在这里住了一年半。(My friend lived here for 1 and a half year.)
不用
不用 (bù yònɡ) means do not need to.
Show Examples
1. 不用谢。(You are welcome - no need to thank.)2. 不用了！谢谢。(No,thanks. - responding to would you like something?)
用
用 (yònɡ) alone means use.
Show Examples
1. 我用我的手吃饭。(I use my hands to eat.)2. 我用耳朵听。 (I use my ears to listen.)
不能
不能 (bù nénɡ) means cannot do something due to condition.
Show Examples
1. 妹妹不能做路。(My younger sister cannot walk - reason is because she is now in library.)
不会
不会 (bù huì) also mean cannot do something, bue due to lack of skill.
Show Examples
1. 妹妹不会做路。(My younger sister cannot walk - reason is because she is only one year old.)
些
些 (xiē)gives a plural form to a word.
Show Examples
1. 哪些老师?(Which teachers?)
This/that/these/those
这个 (zhè ɡe) - this, 那个 (nà ɡe) - that, 这些 (zhè xiē) - these, 那些 (nà xiē) - those
Show Examples
1. 这个老师 (this teacher)2. 那个老师 (that teacher)3. 这些老师 (these teachers)4. 那些老师 (those teachers)
正在
正在 (zhènɡ zài) means something is happening right now (present participle form).
Show Examples
1. 我正在看书。(I am reading right now.)2. 妹妹看电视的时候，哥哥正在踢足球 。(While younger sister is watching television, elder brother is playing
football.)
一起
一起 (yī qǐ) means together.
Show Examples
1. 你跟谁一起打篮球? (With whom do you play basketball together with?)
觉得
觉得 (jué dé) is used to say somebody feel or sense or think that - such as saying 'I think that she is very humble'. It is used to avoid judgement when talking about others.
Show Examples
1. 我觉得她很谦虚。(I think that she is humble.)2. 我觉得她是一个谦虚的人。 (I think that she is a humble person.)3. 我觉得经济课很实用。（I think the economic class is very practical.）
全职/兼职
全职 (quán zhí) means full time job and 兼职 (jiān zhí) means part time job. Add a job after 全职 or 兼职 to say full time or part time job.
Show Examples
1. 他是全职老师。(He is a full-time teacher.)2. 我是兼职工人。(I am a part-time worker.)
Before/Now
Use the following structures to compare between the past and present. The general structure is : Subject + 以前 + verb , 但是 + subject + 现在 + verb.
Show Examples
1. 我以前想做医生，但是我现在想做银行家。(Before I wanted to be a doctor, but now I want to be a banker.)2. 我以前想去美国上大学，但是我现在想去欧洲上大学。(Before, I wanted to go to United States for university, but now I want to go to Europe.)
Difference between 节 and 门
节 (jié) and 门 (mén) are both used as measure words for classes. However, 节 (jié) refers to the time period, but 门 (mén) refers to the subjects.
Show Examples
1. 你今天有几节课？(How many classes - time periods - do you have today?)2. 你今年有几门课？（How many subjects do you take this year?）
让
让 （ràng）means to let/ to allow/ to ask.
Show Examples
1. 黑老师让我们多说汉语。(Helen asks us to speak more Chinese.)2. 他让我等一下。(He asked me to wait.)3. 他让我等一等。 (He asked me to wait.)4. Helen 让你马上去办公室。(Helen wants you to go to the office right away.)
一样
一样 （yī yàng）can be used to compare and contrast two different things in the structures : A 跟 B 一样 (similar)。 (or) A 跟 B 不一样 (difference)。You need to give reason after saying whether two things are similar or different.
Show Examples
1. 我跟你一样，我们都是男生。（I am similar to you in terms that we are both schoolboys.)2. 中国人跟欧洲人不一样。中国人有黑色的头发，但是欧洲人有金色的头发。(Chinese and the Europeans are different. Chinese people have black hair, but Europeans have blonde hair.)
开始
开始 (Kāi shǐ) means to start something. It is often used to say I started doing something at a particular age.
Show Examples
1. 我五岁开始上学。(I started school at the age of five.)2. 我十一岁开始弹吉他。（I started playing guitar at the age of eleven.)
对
对 (duì) means correct. But as a preposition, it also means 'to.'
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1. 老师对我们很好。(The teacher is very good to us.)
一点
一点 (Yī diǎn) means a little or a bit. It is used with nouns. (Compare with 有点 - Yǒu diǎn - which is used with adjectiies.）
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1. 我会说一点汉语。(I can speak a little bit of Chinese.)
有点
有点 （yǒu diǎn）also means a little or a bit. It is used with adjectives but not nouns. Compare with 一点 （yī diǎn）which is used with nouns.
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1. 中文有点难。（Chinese is a bit difficult.）
毕业
毕业 （bì yè）means graduate.
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1. 我毕业以后想当一个经济学家。(I want to become an economist after I graduate.)
Prepositions
The general structure is: A 在 B 的 + preposition.
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1. A在B的左面;B在A的右边。(A is on the left side of B; B is on the right side of A.) 2. A在B的下面;B在A的上边。(A is below B; B is above A.)3. A在B的后面;B在A的前边。(A is behind B; B is at the front of A.)
Prepositions - 2
Another structure for prepositions is: A + 的 + prep + 有 一个 + B.
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1. 李宝椿的附近有一个地铁站。(There is an MTR station near LPC.)
Questioning how far?
To question how far the distance is between the places, use the structure: A + 离 + B + 多远/多近?
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1. 我们的学校离地铁站多远？走路五分钟。 (How far is our school from the MTR station? Five minutes walk.)2. 我们的学校离沙田多远？坐地铁半小时。(How far is our school from Sha Tin? Take the MTR for half an hour.)
很好
很好 + verb = an adjective.
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1. 非洲舞很好跳。(African dance is easy to dance.)2. 她很好看。(She is so beautiful.)3. 这个游戏很好玩。(This game is very fun.)4. 她不好看。(She is not good looking. - still friendly)5. 她难好看。(She is ugly - note that this is an offensive expression.)
Expressing Percentage
To express percentages, use the expression : 百分之 (Bǎi fēn zhī) + percentage. There are also other ways to say fractions in the example.
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1. 百分之八十五 (85 %)2. 二分之一 (1/2)3. 一半 (50%)4. 三分之二 (2/3)5. 百分之七十五 (75%)6. 四分之三 (75%)
名
名 (Míng) + noun means that something is famous. Note that the noun must be 1 syllable only. If it is more than 1 syllable, use the expression: 有名的 + noun.
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1. 名人 (celebrity)2. 名校 (prestigious schools)3. 名师 (famous teacher)4. 有名的电影 (famous movies)5. 有名的篮球运动员 (famous basketball players)6. 有名的科学家 (famous scientist)
多于
多于 (Duō yú) also means more than. It is used in front of the percentage expressions. The general structure is : 多于 + percentage.
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1. 在李宝椿，多于四分之三的学生是女生。(At LPC, more than 3/4 of the students are girls.)2. 在李宝椿，多于一半的学生是香港人。(At LPC, more than half of the students are from Hong Kong.)
次
次 (cì) means times.
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1. 一次 (once)2. 两次 (twice)3. 下次 (Next time)4. 上次 (Last time)5. 下次再见。(See you next time.)6. 下次再聊。(Talk to you next time.)7. 下次再来。(Come again next time.)
Showing Attitude
Attitude of a person on a particular action can be shown with the structure: Subject + verb + 很 + attitude.
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1. 他学习很努力。 (He studies so hard.)2. 他工作很努力。(He is so hardworking at work.)
一点儿都
Subject + 一点儿都不 + ... (or) Subject + 一点儿都没 + ... means not at all. When combined with 不, it means not at all (now). When combined with 没, it means did not ... at all.
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1. 我一点儿都不怕考试。（I am not afraid of the exam at all.）2. 中文作业一点儿都不难。(Chinese homework is not difficult at all.)3. 这次考试，我一点儿都没复习。(For this exam, I did not revise at all.)4. 这个连衣裙一点儿都不贵。(This dress is not expensive at all.)5. 我一点儿都没有时间。(I have no time at all.)
为
为 (wèi) also means for. Also see 给 (gěi).
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1. 奶奶为我做晚饭。（Grandma made dinner for me.）2. 去年, 爸爸为我请数学家教因为我的数学成绩不好。(Last year, my father hired me a maths tutor because my maths grades were not good.)
Describing sports score / exam grades
Use 得了 before the score to describe it.
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1. 这次中文考试，我得了七分。(For this Chinese exam, I got seven.)2. 在足球比赛，李宝椿得了三分。(In this football match, LPC scored three goals.)
不在
不在（Bù zài）literally means not here. However, it is also an euphemism for dead.
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1. 他不在了。(He is not here - meaning he is dead.)
梦
梦 (Mèng) alone means dreaming (in sleep). However, when we say 梦想 (Mèng xiǎng) it means dream as in ambition (something you want to be in the future.)
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1. 昨晚，我做了一个梦，我梦见你了。(Last night, I had a dream, I dreamed of you.)2. 做梦！(a phrase saying - you wish! - in other words, your dream will not come true.)
经历 vs 经验
经历 (jīng lì) vs 经验 (jīng yàn) both mean experience. However, 经历 means experience in everyday life, but 经验 means experience which you can learn from (experience from which you grow).
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1. 他有二十八年的工作经验。 (He has 28 years of work experience.)2. 他是一个有经历的老师。(He is a teacher with experience.)3. 她很有经验。(She is very experienced.)4. 他经历了很多。（He has experienced a lot.）
吃
吃 (chī) alone is a verb and it means to eat. However, when we say 吃的 (chī de), it becomes a noun and it means food.
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1. 你喜欢吃什么? (What would you like to eat?)2. 你喜欢什么吃的？(What food do you like?)
果
水果 (shuǐ guǒ) and 果实 (guǒ shí) both means fruit. 水果 is a noun meaning the fruit (apple, banana.etc) and 果实 means fruitage (result or outcome of something) originally.
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1. 苹果是一种水果 (Apple is a kind of fruit - correct.) 2. 苹果是一种果实。 (Incorrect)3. 吃点水果！(Eat some fruit - correct)4. 吃点果实。(Eat some fruit - incorrect)5. 苹果树长出了果实。 (The apple tree has born fruits. - Correct) 6. 苹果树长出了水果。 (The apple tree has born fruits. - Incorrect)
黑
黑 means the colour black, or illegal.
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1. 黑车(Illegal Vehicle)2. 黑店(Illegal shop)3. 黑市(Black market)
和...比
和+subject+比 (hé + subject + bǐ) means compared to the subject.
Show Examples
1. 和海鲜比，我更喜欢吃鸡肉，但是我最喜欢吃猪肉。(Compared with seafood, I prefer eating chicken, but I like eating pork the most.)
还是
还是 (hái shì) means - or - and it is used in the question.
Show Examples
1. 你喜欢猪肉还是鸡肉? (Do you like pork or chicken?)
或
或 (huò) means - or - and it is used in the answer.
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1. 猪肉或鸡肉都可以。(Pork or chicken is fine.)
Describing scale of meal
To describe the number of dishes in the meal, we can use the structure : number of dish + 菜 + number of soup + 湯
Show Examples
1. 四菜一汤 (Four dishes and one soup)
饿
饿 (è) means hungry.
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1. 我饿了！你有什么吃的? (I am hungry! What food do you have?)
渴
渴 (kě) means thirsty.
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1. 我渴了！你有什么喝的？ (I am thirsty, what drink do you have?)
比如
比如 (Bǐ rú) means such as. Compare with等等(.etc)
Show Examples
1. 我们食堂的汤不错，有蔬菜汤比如西红柿汤，萝卜汤和南瓜汤。(The soup in our cafeteria is good, with vegetable soups such as tomato soup, radish soup and pumpkin soup.)
吃醋
吃醋 (Chī cù) literally means eat vinegar. However, it also has an implied meaning of somebody being jealous of something.
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1. 你在吃醋因为我的女朋友很漂亮。(You are jealous because my girlfriend is very beautiful.)
点
One of the meanings of 点 (diǎn) is to order food.
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1. 你点了什么？(What did you order?)2. 我点了牛排，你呢？(I ordered the steak, what about you?)3. 点外卖 (to order takeaway)
如果
如果 (rú guǒ) means if. It is used with a dependent clause. Compare with 是否 (shì fǒu).
Show Examples
1. 如果你不吃肉，我们有素菜。(If you do not eat meat, we have vegetarian dishes.)
是否
是否 (shì fǒu) means whether or not. It is used in a complete sentence. Compare with 如果 (rú guǒ).
Show Examples
1. 他问我咖啡是否要加牛奶和糖。(He asked me whether or not I want to added sugar and milk in my coffee.)2. 我不知道她是否喜欢。(I do not know whether she likes it or not.)
只有
只有 (zhǐ yǒu) means only have.
Show Examples
1. 我们只有猪肉炒面。(We only have pork noodles.)
试试
试试 (shì shì) means to try something new (e.g. food, or experience).
Show Examples
1. 你可以试试。(You can try it.)
把
把 (bǎ) is a grammar word used to give order.
Show Examples
1. 把手机给我！(Give me the phone!)2. 他把鸡肉炒面换成猪肉炒面。(He replaced the chicken noodles with pork noodles.)
等
等 (děng) means to wait.
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1. 他们等了很长时间，所以他们很生气。(They waited for a long time, so they are very angry.)2. 他让我等一下。(He asked me to wait.)3. 他让我等一等。 (He asked me to wait.)4. 你可以等我吗？(Can you wait for me?)
的
的 (De) is also used to construct clauses.
Show Examples
1. 爸爸开的车。(The car that dad drives)2. 我妈妈穿着的那双皮鞋。(The pair of leather shoes my mother is wearing.)
Speaking
Speaking can be described by 告诉 (Gàosù), 说 (Shuō) or 说话(Shuō huà). To say someone tells someone else to do something, use 告诉 (Gàosù). To say someone is speaking alone, use 说 (Shuō). If you want to say someone speaks, use 说话(Shuō huà). Note that if you use 说 (Shuō) for conversation between two people, it means scold. See examples.
Show Examples
1. 他告诉我早点睡觉。(He told me to go to bed early.)2. 他说我喜欢饺子。(He said I like dumplings.)3. 他说话很多。(He talks a lot.)
一直
一直 (Yī zhí) means always.
Show Examples
1. 他一直学习。(He studies all the time.)
不要
不要 (Bù yào) means do not. It is interchangeable with 别 (Bié)
Show Examples
1. 不要吃油的东西。(Do not eat oily things.)
厉害
厉害 (lì hài) means so much. It is used to express the intensity in the form : adjective + 得很厉害.
Show Examples
1. 他的肚子疼得很厉害。(His stomach hurts a lot / very badly)
少
少 (shǎo) means less.
Show Examples
1. 他睡觉太少。(He sleeps too little.)2. 他睡觉很少。(He sleeps very little.)
够
够 (gòu) means enough.
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1. 他睡觉不够了。(He did not sleep enough.)
吧
吧 (Ba) means Lets do something.
Show Examples
1. 我们快点去医院吧。（Lets go quickly to the hospital.）2. 别吃油的东西。(Do not eat oily things.)
For
To express if an action is good/bad for something, use the structure: statement ，对 + object + 好/不好
Show Examples
1. 睡觉少，对身体不好。（Sleeping less is bad for your health.）
好几
好几 - Hǎo jǐ means several.
Show Examples
1. 马鞍山有好几家饭店。（There are several restaurants in Ma On Shan.）2. 香港哟好几所国际学校。(There are several international schools in Hong Kong.)
花
花 - huā , as a noun means flower. As a verb means to spend time or money.
Show Examples
1. 我花了 299 元买了这副眼镜。（I bought these glasses for 299 RMB.）2. 我花了 299 元买了一本书。(I bought a book for 299 RMB.)3. 他花一个小时吃早饭。（He spends an hour eating breakfast.）4. 我上周跟朋友在书店花了六十块给姐姐买一本书。(I spent sixty RMB with my friend in a bookstore last week to buy a book for my sister.)
超
超- chāo - means super. It can be used to say someone is exceptionally good at something.
Show Examples
1. 他超级好。 (He is super good.)
一
verb + 一 + verb means the same as verb + verb. It forms a phrase.
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1. 看一看/看看 (look around)2. 说一说/说说 (talk about)3. 试一试/试试 (have a try)4. 坐一坐/坐坐 (visit)5. 等一等/等等 (wait)6. 尝一尝/尝尝 (taste)7. 你可以尝一尝这个汤咸不咸吗？(Can you taste and see if this soup is salty or not?)8. 你可以说一说你的国家吗？(Can you talk about your country?)
配
配 - Pèi means match, whether a clothes suit a person or someone is a match for someone.
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1. 穿这条裤子，可以配这双鞋。(The pants are matching with these shoes.)2. 他不配。(He does not deserve - a person or a thing. Note that this is a very strong comment.)
Discount
Chinese Discounts are expressed in 10 and not 100. Also, they talk about the % you pay of the original price out of 10. The structure is ： 打 + amount you pay out of 10 + 折
Show Examples
1. 打九折 (10% Off)2. 打八折 (20% off)3. 打九五折 (5% off)4. 打八五折 (15% off)
挺
挺 (Tǐng) implies quite or pretty for adjectives. e.g. quite good/ pretty good.
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1. 地铁挺快了。(MTR is quite fast.)2. 她挺可爱的。(She is pretty cute.)3. 香港挺方便的。(Hong Kong is pretty convenient.)
打
打 (Dǎ) - literally means hit. However, its exact meaning depends on context.
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1. 打篮球 (play basketball)2. 打人 (hit a person)3. 打电话 (make a phonecall)4. 打电话 (make a phonecall)5. 打车 （take a taxi）
Whenever/Wherever/ Whoever
When the question words are used as noun, they imply the meaning of whenever/wherever/whoever. See examples.
Show Examples
1. 什么时候都可以。(Anytime is fine)2. 你什么时候有空？(When are you free?)3. 我们今天下午去哪儿？(Where shall we go this afternoon. In here, 哪儿 is a question word.)4. 哪儿都可以。(Anywhere is fine. In here, 哪儿 is used as a noun, meaning wherever.)5. 你想和谁去看电影? （Who do you want to go to the movies with? In here, 谁 is used as a question word.）6. 谁都可以。(Whoever is fine. In here, 谁 is used as noun, meaning whoever. )
Visiting
看了(Kàn le) means visiting people. 参观 (Cān guān) is for visiting places.
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No example sentences.
刚
刚 （gāng）means just.
Show Examples
1. 我们刚到了。（We have just arrived.）
created by Pi @ LPCUWC/NYUAD, 2018-
2024 
