Making Statements
Making statements in Mandarin Chinese is straightforward: you typically say the subject followed by the verb and then the object or complement. This guide covers basic sentence patterns and key particles that shape meaning.
Basic Sentence Pattern
The basic sentence pattern in Mandarin is Subject (S) + Verb (V) + Object (O), and this order stays consistent even when you add time expressions or adverbs. For example, wǒ chī fàn 我 吃 饭 means "I eat (a) meal."
| 🏙️ Context Example | Mandarin Chinese | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌇 I eat breakfast in the park. | 我在公园吃早饭。 | Wǒ zài gōngyuán chī zǎofàn. | I eat breakfast in the park. |
| 🚶 She walks to the park. | 她走路去公园。 | Tā zǒulù qù gōngyuán. | She walks to the park. |
| 🧺 They have a picnic. | 他们在公园野餐。 | Tāmen zài gōngyuán yěcān. | They have a picnic in the park. |
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Using 时间 (Time) Words
时间 (time) words usually come before the verb to show when an action happens, and they modify the sentence so listeners know exactly when something occurred. For example, zuótiān wǒ kàn diànyǐng 昨天 我 看 电影 means "I watched a movie yesterday."
| 🏙️ Context Example | Mandarin Chinese | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☀️ I went to the park this morning. | 我今天早上去了公园。 | Wǒ jīntiān zǎoshang qùle gōngyuán. | I went to the park this morning. |
| 🌇 She will go to the park at sunset. | 她会在日落时去公园。 | Tā huì zài rìluò shí qù gōyuán. | She will go to the park at sunset. |
| 🕒 They are playing in the park now. | 他们现在在公园玩。 | Tāmen xiànzài zài gōngyuán wán. | They are playing in the park now. |
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Particles for Completed Actions
The particle le 了 indicates that an action is completed or that there is a change of state, and it typically appears right after the verb or at the end of the sentence depending on the nuance. For example, wǒ chī le fàn 我 吃 了 饭 means "I have eaten."
| 🏙️ Context Example | Mandarin Chinese | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🏃 I have already left the house. | 我已经出门了。 | Wǒ yǐjīng chūmén le. | I have already left the house. |
| 🌧️ It started raining after we got to the park. | 我们到公园后雨就下了。 | Wǒmen dào gōngyuán hòu yǔ jiù xiàle. | It started raining after we got to the park. |
| 🗑️ She has cleaned up the picnic trash. | 她已经收拾了野餐垃圾。 | Tā yǐjīng shōushi le yěcān lājī. | She has cleaned up the picnic trash. |
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Negation Particles
Negation particles like bù 不 and méi 没 split different kinds of negatives: bù 不 is for habitual or future actions, while méi 没 negates past completed actions and possession. For example, wǒ bù chī 我 不 吃 means "I don't eat" and wǒ méi chī 我 没 吃 means "I didn't eat."
| 🏙️ Context Example | Mandarin Chinese | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🚫 I did not bring a ball. | 我没带球。 | Wǒ méi dài qiú. | I did not bring a ball. |
| ❌ There is no food on the blanket. | 毯子上没有食物。 | Tǎnzi shàng méiyǒu shíwù. | There is no food on the blanket. |
| 🙅 They are not playing tag. | 他们没玩捉人游戏。 | Tāmen méi wán zhuōrén yóuxì. | They are not playing tag. |
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Expressing "Have" and "There Is"
To express "have" you use yǒu 有 for existence or possession, and to say someone has done something you combine yǒu 有 with a noun or use other verbs depending on context. For example, wǒ yǒu shū 我 有 书 means "I have books."
| 🏙️ Context Example | Mandarin Chinese | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🧺 We have sandwiches and fruit. | 我们有三明治和水果。 | Wǒmen yǒu sānmíngzhì hé shuǐguǒ. | We have sandwiches and fruit. |
| 🐶 There is a dog in the park. | 公园里有一只狗。 | Gōngyuán lǐ yǒu yì zhī gǒu. | There is a dog in the park. |
| 🎈 They have many balloons. | 他们有很多气球。 | Tāmen yǒu hěn duō qìqiú. | They have many balloons. |
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Making Sentences More Natural
Adding adverbs like yīnggāi 应该, xiǎng 想, or time phrases makes sentences more natural and specific about intention, necessity, or timing. For example, wǒ yīnggāi qù 我 应该 去 means "I should go."
| 🏙️ Context Example | Mandarin Chinese | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌬️ It’s getting chilly as the sun sets. | 太阳落山，空气变凉了。 | Tàiyáng luòshān, kōngqì biàn liáng le. | The sun is setting, and the air is getting chilly. |
| 👧 The girl is feeding birds. | 女孩正在喂鸟。 | Nǚhái zhèngzài wèi niǎo. | The girl is feeding birds. |
| 🧍 People are standing in line for ice cream. | 人们排队买冰淇淋。 | Rénmen páiduì mǎi bīngqílín. | People are lining up to buy ice cream. |
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Summary
Mandarin statements follow a clear SVO order, time words come before the verb, le 了 marks completed actions, bù 不 and méi 没 handle different negations, and yǒu 有 shows possession or existence.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025