Mandarin Chinese Grammar Syllabus

Grammar syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Grammar in Mandarin Chinese, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Sentence Basics

   4 topics

   • Basic Word Order: Subject-Verb-Object
   • The Verbs shi and hen
   • Yes/No Questions with ma
   • Question Words
2. 2

   Nouns, Measure Words, and Pronouns

   4 topics

   • Personal Pronouns and Plurals
   • Measure Words (Classifiers)
   • Possession with de
   • Numbers, Dates, and Time
3. 3

   Verbs and Aspect

   4 topics

   • Completed Action with le
   • Experience with guo
   • Ongoing Action with zai and zhe
   • Modal and Auxiliary Verbs
4. 4

   Adjectives and Comparison

   3 topics

   • Adjectives as Predicates
   • Comparisons with bi
   • Degree Complements
5. 5

   Prepositions and Location

   3 topics

   • Coverbs
   • Existence with you and zai
   • Directional Words
6. 6

   Complex Sentence Patterns

   4 topics

   • The ba Construction
   • The bei Passive
   • Resultative and Directional Complements
   • Connectives

Grammar flashcards for Mandarin Chinese

24 of 51 cards from the Grammar deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the basic word order of a Mandarin Chinese sentence?

   Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), the same basic order as English. Example: 我吃饭 (wǒ chī fàn) = "I eat food."

2. In the sentence 他学中文 (tā xué zhōngwén), identify the subject, verb, and object.

   Subject = 他 (tā, "he"); Verb = 学 (xué, "study"); Object = 中文 (zhōngwén, "Chinese"). Meaning: "He studies Chinese."

3. What is the function of the verb 是 (shì), and with what kind of complement is it used?

   是 (shì) means "to be" and links a noun to another noun (identity/equation): A 是 B. Example: 我是学生 (wǒ shì xuéshēng) = "I am a student." It is NOT used before adjectives.

4. Why is 是 (shì) generally NOT used before adjectives, and what word is used instead?

   Adjectives in Mandarin act as predicates on their own and don't need "to be." Instead, 很 (hěn) typically precedes the adjective. Example: 她很高 (tā hěn gāo) = "She is tall," not 她是高.

5. What is the literal meaning of 很 (hěn), and what is its actual function before an adjective in a simple statement?

   很 literally means "very," but in a plain adjectival sentence it is a neutral linking word carrying little emphasis. 我很忙 (wǒ hěn máng) usually just means "I am busy," not necessarily "very busy."

6. How do you turn a statement into a yes/no question using 吗 (ma)?

   Add the particle 吗 (ma) to the end of a declarative sentence without changing word order. Example: 你是老师吗？(nǐ shì lǎoshī ma?) = "Are you a teacher?"

7. How do you answer a 吗-question affirmatively and negatively in Mandarin (there is no single word for "yes")?

   Repeat the verb: affirmative = the verb itself (是 / 有 / 会), negative = 不 or 没 + verb. Q: 你是学生吗？ A(yes): 是 / 我是. A(no): 不是 / 我不是.

8. What is the affirmative-negative (A-not-A) question form, and give an example with 是.

   Repeat the verb in affirmative then negative: Verb + 不 + Verb. Example: 你是不是学生？(nǐ shì bú shì xuéshēng?) = "Are you a student (or not)?" It has the same meaning as a 吗-question.

9. List the Mandarin question words for who, what, where, when, why, and how.

   谁 (shéi) = who; 什么 (shénme) = what; 哪儿/哪里 (nǎr/nǎlǐ) = where; 什么时候 (shénme shíhou) = when; 为什么 (wèishénme) = why; 怎么 (zěnme) = how.

10. In a Mandarin question-word question, where does the question word go relative to normal word order?

    The question word stays in the same position the answer would occupy (no fronting/movement as in English). Example: 你去哪儿？(nǐ qù nǎr?) = "Where do you go?" — 哪儿 sits in the object slot. No 吗 is added.

11. Give the three singular Mandarin personal pronouns and their pinyin.

    我 (wǒ) = I/me; 你 (nǐ) = you (singular); 他/她/它 (tā) = he/she/it. All three third-person forms are pronounced tā.

12. How are plural personal pronouns formed in Mandarin?

    Add the suffix 们 (men): 我们 (wǒmen) = we/us; 你们 (nǐmen) = you (plural); 他们/她们 (tāmen) = they. Example: 我 → 我们.

13. What is the difference between 我们 (wǒmen) and 咱们 (zánmen)?

    Both mean "we/us," but 咱们 is inclusive — it specifically includes the listener. 我们 may be inclusive or exclusive of the listener.

14. What is a measure word (classifier), and where does it go in a noun phrase?

    A measure word is a classifier required between a number/demonstrative and a noun. Structure: Number/Demonstrative + Measure Word + Noun. Example: 三本书 (sān běn shū) = "three books."

15. What is the default/general-purpose measure word in Mandarin, and give an example?

    个 (gè) is the general measure word used when no specific classifier applies. Example: 一个人 (yí ge rén) = "one person," 三个苹果 (sān ge píngguǒ) = "three apples."

16. Match these nouns to their specific measure words: books, flat objects (paper/tables), long thin objects (rivers/roads), vehicles/machines.

    Books = 本 (běn); flat objects = 张 (zhāng); long thin objects = 条 (tiáo); vehicles/machines = 辆 (liàng, vehicles) / 台 (tái, machines). E.g. 一张纸 (yì zhāng zhǐ) = "one sheet of paper."

17. How is possession/modification expressed with 的 (de)? Give the structure.

    Possessor + 的 + Possessed noun. Example: 我的书 (wǒ de shū) = "my book," 老师的车 (lǎoshī de chē) = "the teacher's car."

18. When can 的 be omitted in a possessive phrase in Mandarin?

    With close/personal relationships and institutions (family, friends, one's country/school). Example: 我妈妈 (wǒ māma) = "my mom," 我们学校 (wǒmen xuéxiào) = "our school" — 的 is usually dropped.

19. How do 的, 得, and 地 (all pronounced "de") differ in function?

    的 = possessive/attributive marker (noun modifier). 得 = links a verb/adjective to a degree or manner complement. 地 = adverbial marker turning a word into a manner adverb before a verb.

20. How are the numbers 11, 20, and 25 formed from the base ten in Mandarin?

    11 = 十一 (shí yī, "ten-one"); 20 = 二十 (èr shí, "two-ten"); 25 = 二十五 (èr shí wǔ, "two-ten-five"). Tens are built as multiplier-十-units.

21. What is the correct order for stating a full date in Mandarin?

    Largest to smallest: Year + 年 + Month + 月 + Day + 日/号. Example: 2026年7月1日 = "July 1, 2026" (二零二六年七月一日).

22. How are days of the week expressed in Mandarin, and what is the exception for Sunday?

    星期 (xīngqī) + number: 星期一 (Monday) ... 星期六 (Saturday). Sunday is 星期日 or 星期天 (xīngqī rì / tiān), NOT 星期七.

23. How do you tell time on the hour and half-past in Mandarin (e.g. 2:00 and 2:30)?

    点 (diǎn) = o'clock, 分 (fēn) = minutes, 半 (bàn) = half. 2:00 = 两点 (liǎng diǎn); 2:30 = 两点半 (liǎng diǎn bàn). Note 2 o'clock uses 两 (liǎng), not 二.

24. What does the aspect particle 了 (le) after a verb indicate, and where is it placed?

    Verb + 了 marks a completed/realized action (perfective aspect). Example: 我买了一本书 (wǒ mǎi le yì běn shū) = "I bought a book." It marks completion, not necessarily past tense.

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