Simple Chinese sentences usually consist of a subject and a predicate. The predicate can be a verb, an adjective, or a noun phrase. A sentence may have an object, or it may not have an object.

The subject is the topic of the sentence, often placed at the front. The subject can be a person, thing, place, or time. The subject determines the person of the predicate and affects the natural fluency of some sentences.

The predicate is the core of the sentence, expressing action, change, or state. Verbs as predicates express action; adjectives as predicates express state. Chinese predicates do not carry tense; time is indicated by time words or context.

The object is the recipient of the action, usually placed after the verb. A verb can be followed by an object to form a Subject–Verb–Object structure. Some verbs can take double objects, but this module focuses on single objects first.

A subject-predicate sentence expresses a complete meaning using a subject and a predicate. It is common in describing states, weather, time, and existence. It can be very short, or lengthen with additional components.

The subject–predicate–object structure is 'subject + verb + object'. This is the most common basic sentence pattern in daily communication. Clear subject and object make the meaning clear.

Adjectives can directly serve as predicates, expressing property or feeling. In Chinese, 'very' is often omitted but the meaning still holds. Adding 'very' usually avoids turning it into a contrast, rather than simply intensifying.

Noun-phrase predicates are commonly connected with '是', indicating identity, category, or explanation. In Chinese, using '是' is not the same as English 'be'; it mainly connects the subject and the predicative. The predicative can be a noun phrase or a pronoun.

Time words and location words are often placed after the subject and before the predicate, but can also appear at the beginning of the sentence. Chinese uses word order to express time and place, not morphological changes. When rearranging, ensure the sentence remains clear and natural.

In Chinese, 'not' is commonly used to negate general actions or states, using 'not' before a verb or adjective. 'Mei' negates past actions or 'have'. Negation words usually appear before the verb or adjective. Negation does not change the basic sentence order.

The 'ma' question turns a statement into a general question, placed at the end. 'What', 'who', 'where' and other question words are used to inquire information; their position is typically at the component being questioned. The sentence order usually remains unchanged, with questions formed by 'ma' or question words.