基本语序

A1 — 句子结构

Basic Subject-Verb-Object word order in Chinese

Can form basic SVO sentences and place time expressions correctly

Basic Subject-Verb-Object word order in Chinese

Examples

我喝水。 — I drink water.
他今天学中文。 — He studies Chinese today.
我们吃米饭。 — We eat rice.

句子结构A1

Basic Word Order

Basic Subject-Verb-Object word order in Chinese

Learning Goal

I can form basic SVO sentences

Exam Skills:HSK 1 SpeakingHSK 1 Writing

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

我喝水。

I drink water.

他今天学中文。

He studies Chinese today.

我们吃米饭。

We eat rice.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

Basic SVO Word Order

Chinese uses Subject + Verb + Object order, just like English. Verbs never change form. Time expressions go before the verb.

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Time expressions go BEFORE the verb, not after. Verbs never conjugate.

我喝水。

I drink water.

我 (S) + 喝 (V) + 水 (O) — classic SVO, same as English/German.

他今天学中文。

He studies Chinese today.

Time word 今天 goes BEFORE the verb: 他今天学中文 (not *他学中文今天).

我们吃米饭。

We eat rice.

我们吃米饭 — same verb 吃 for all persons. No conjugation ever!

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

A1 Course

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Put it into practice

Try a free exercise from the course

Frequently asked questions

When is 基本语序 used?: Chinese uses Subject + Verb + Object order, just like English.
How is 基本语序 formed?: No conjugation! Verbs never change form. No tense endings, no person agreement: 我吃, 你吃, 他吃 — always 吃. Time before verb: Time words go before the verb: 我今天吃苹果 (I eat apples today ). Adverbs also precede the verb.
What are common mistakes with 基本语序?: The biggest advantage: SVO is natural for English speakers. The main pitfall is placing time expressions — they go BEFORE the verb, not after. English speakers: May put time at the end ('I eat apples today') instead of before the verb (我今天吃苹果). Russian speakers: Russian's flexible word order may cause hesitation about strict SVO; Chinese word order is relatively fixed. Czech speakers: Czech's free word order contrasts with Chinese's fixed SVO; time expressions must precede the verb.

Frequently asked questions

When is 基本语序 used?

Chinese uses Subject + Verb + Object order, just like English.

How is 基本语序 formed?

No conjugation! Verbs never change form. No tense endings, no person agreement: 我吃, 你吃, 他吃 — always 吃. Time before verb: Time words go before the verb: 我今天吃苹果 (I eat apples today ). Adverbs also precede the verb.

What are common mistakes with 基本语序?

The biggest advantage: SVO is natural for English speakers. The main pitfall is placing time expressions — they go BEFORE the verb, not after. English speakers: May put time at the end ('I eat apples today') instead of before the verb (我今天吃苹果). Russian speakers: Russian's flexible word order may cause hesitation about strict SVO; Chinese word order is relatively fixed. Czech speakers: Czech's free word order contrasts with Chinese's fixed SVO; time expressions must precede the verb.