Vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 去 | qù | to go |
| 回 | huí | to return, go back |
| 买 | mǎi | to buy |
| 看 | kàn | to see, to watch |
| 书 | shū | book |
| 东西 | dōng xi | thing, stuff |
| 饭 | fàn | food, meal |
| 和 | hé | and |
| 一起 | yì qǐ | together |
| 然后 | rán hòu | then, afterwards |
Basic Sentence Order: Subject + Verb + Object (SVO)
As mentioned earlier, Chinese word order is generally Subject + Verb + Object, similar to English.
Examples:
- 我看书。
(Wǒ kàn shū.) → I read books. - 他吃饭。
(Tā chī fàn.) → He eats (a meal). - 我们学中文。
(Wǒ men xué zhōng wén.) → We study Chinese.
Serial Verb Constructions (One Subject, Multiple Verbs)
In Chinese, it’s common to use more than one verb in a row without connectors. This is called a serial verb construction.
Structure:
[Subject] + [Verb 1] + [Verb 2] (+ Object)
This shows a sequence of actions by the same person.
Examples:
- 我去学校学习。
(Wǒ qù xué xiào xué xí.) → I go to school to study. - 他回家吃饭。
(Tā huí jiā chī fàn.) → He goes home to eat. - 我们去超市买东西。
(Wǒ men qù chāo shì mǎi dōng xi.) → We go to the supermarket to buy things.
Note: There are no linking words like “to” or “and then” — the verbs flow naturally.
4. Using 一起 (yì qǐ) for “Together”
Structure:
[Subject] + 一起 + [Verb] + [Object]
Examples:
- 我们一起吃饭。
(Wǒ men yì qǐ chī fàn.) → We eat together. - 他们一起去学校。
(Tā men yì qǐ qù xué xiào.) → They go to school together.
5. Using 然后 (rán hòu) for “Then / After that”
Use 然后 to show a sequence of actions with a slight pause between them (like “and then” in English).
Structure:
[Action 1]，然后 [Action 2]
Examples:
- 我起床，然后吃饭。
(Wǒ qǐ chuáng, rán hòu chī fàn.) → I get up, then eat. - 他去超市，然后回家。
(Tā qù chāo shì, rán hòu huí jiā.) → He goes to the supermarket, then goes home.
Notes
- Chinese is a highly structured language with fixed word order. Word order matters more than word endings.
- SVO is the default pattern, even in complex sentences.
- Serial verbs are natural in Chinese and don’t require extra words like “to” or “in order to.”
- Words like 一起 and 然后 are optional, but useful for adding clarity and fluency.
- 我们一起吃饭。 (Wǒ men yì qǐ chī fàn.)
- 她在学校看书。 (Tā zài xué xiào kàn shū.)
- 他买东西，然后回家。 (Tā mǎi dōng xi, rán hòu huí jiā.)
- 他们学习中文。 (Tā men xué xí zhōng wén.)