Difference between revisions of "Basic sentence order"

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=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
  
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<div class="liju">
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<table class="table table-striped table-bordered" style="font-size:120%">
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<tr><th>Subject</th><th>Verb</th><th>Translation</th></tr>
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{| class="wikitable"  
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<tr><td>你<br>Nǐ</td><td>吃。<br>chī.</td><td>You eat.</td></tr>
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! Subject !! Verb !! Translation
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<tr><td>他<br>Tā</td><td>笑。<br>xiào.</td>He laughs.<td></td></tr>
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|-
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<tr><td>我<br>Wǒ</td><td>读。<br>dú.</td><td>I read.</td></tr>
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| 你<br>Nǐ || 吃。<br>chī.||<span class="spaced">You eat.</span>
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<tr><td>我 <br>Wǒ</td><td>去。<br>qù.</td><td>I go.</td></tr>
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|-
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<tr><td>你 <br>Nǐ</td><td>看。<br>kàn.</td><td>You look.</td></tr>
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| 他<br>Tā || 笑。<br>xiào.||<span class="spaced">He laughs.</span>
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<tr><td>你 <br>Nǐ</td><td>滚 !<br>gǔn!</td><td>You get out of here!</td></tr>
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|-
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<tr><td>你<br>Nǐ</td><td>说。<br>shuō.</td><td>You speak.</td></tr>
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| 我<br>Wǒ|| 读。<br>dú.||<span class="spaced">I read.</span>
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<tr><td>孩子 <br>Háizi</td><td>哭。<br>kū.</td><td>Children cry.</td></tr>
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|-
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<tr><td>谁 <br>Shuí</td><td>要 学？<br>yào xué?</td><td>Who wants to study?</td></tr>
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| 我 <br>Wǒ|| 去。<br>qù.||<span class="spaced">I go.</span>
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<tr><td>谁<br>Shuí</td><td>想 做？<br>xiǎng zuò?</td><td>Who wants to do (it)?</td></tr>
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</table>
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| 你 <br>Nǐ|| 看。<br>kàn.||<span class="spaced">You look.</span>
 
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|-
 
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| 你 <br>Nǐ|| 滚 !<br>gǔn! ||<span class="spaced">You get out of here! </span>
 
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|-
 
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| 你<br>Nǐ || 说。<br>shuō.||<span class="spaced">You speak. </span>
 
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|-
 
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| 孩子 <br>Háizi|| 哭。<br>kū.||<span class="spaced">Children cry.</span>
 
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|-
 
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| 谁 <br>Shuí|| 要 学？<br><span class="spaced">yào xué?</span>||<span class="spaced">Who wants to study?</span>
 
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|-
 
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| 谁<br>Shuí || 想 做？<br><span class="spaced">xiǎng zuò?</span>||<span class="spaced">Who wants to do?</span>
 
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|}
 
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</div>
 
  
 
== Subject-verb-object ==
 
== Subject-verb-object ==
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=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
  
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<div class="liju">
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<table class="table table-striped table-bordered" style="font-size:120%">
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<caption>Simple SVO sentences</caption>
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{| class="wikitable"  style="width:100%"
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<tr><th>Subject</th><th>Verb</th><th>Object</th><th>Translation</th></tr>
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|+Simple SVO sentences
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<tr><td>我<br>Wǒ</td><td>吃<br>chī</td><td>肉。<br>ròu.</td><td>I eat mean.</td></tr>
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|-
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<tr><td>你<br>Nǐ</td><td>喝<br>hē</td><td>汤。<br>tāng.</td><td>You drink soup.</td></tr>
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! Subject !! Verb !! Object !! Translation
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<tr><td>我<br>Wǒ</td><td>去<br>qù</td><td>学校。<br>xuéxiào.</td><td>I go to school.</td></tr>
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|-
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<tr><td>他<br>Tā</td><td>说<br>shuō</td><td>中文。<br>Zhōngwén.</td><td>He speaks Chinese.</td></tr>
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| 我<br>Wǒ || 吃<br>chī || 肉。<br>ròu.||<span class="spaced">I eat meat.</span>
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<tr><td>我们<br>Wǒmen</td><td>要 买<br>yào mǎi</td><td>电脑。<br>diànnǎo.</td><td>We want to buy a computer.</td></tr>
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<tr><td>我<br>Wǒ</td><td>想 吃<br>xiǎng chī</td><td>中国 菜。<br>Zhōngguó cài.</td><td>I want to eat Chinese food.</td></tr>
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| 你<br>Nǐ || 喝<br>hē || 汤。<br>tāng.||<span class="spaced">You drink soup.</span>
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<tr><td>我<br>Wǒ</td><td>喜欢<br>xǐhuān</td><td>那 个 小 孩子。<br>nà gè xiǎo háizi.</td><td>I like that child.</td></tr>
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<tr><td>我<br>Wǒ</td><td>爱<br>ài</td><td>你 和 爸爸。<br>nǐ hé bàba.</td><td>I love you and dad.</td></tr>
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| 我<br>Wǒ || 去<br>qù || 学校。<br>xuéxiào.||<span class="spaced">I go to school.</span>
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<tr><td>你<br>Nǐ</td><td>要 做<br>yào zuò</td><td>什么？<br> shénme?</td><td>What do you want to do?</td></tr>
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<tr><td>你<br>Nǐ</td><td>想 吃<br>xiǎng chī</td><td>什么 菜？<br>shénme cài?</td><td>What food do you want to eat?</td></tr>
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| 他<br>Tā || 说<br>shuō || 中文。<br>Zhōngwén.||<span class="spaced">He speaks Chinese.</span>
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</table>
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|-
 
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| 我们<br>Wǒmen || 要 买<br><span class="spaced">yào mǎi</span> || 电脑。<br>diànnǎo.||<span class="spaced">We are going to buy a computer.</span>
 
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|-
 
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| 我<br>Wǒ || 想 吃<br><span class="spaced">xiǎng chī</span> || 中国 菜。<br><span class="spaced">Zhōngguó cài.</span>||<span class="spaced">I want to eat Chinese food.</span>
 
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|-
 
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| 我<br>Wǒ || 喜欢<br>xǐhuān || 那 个 小 孩子。<br><span class="spaced">nà gè xiǎo háizi.</span>|| <span class="spaced">I like that child.</span>
 
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|-
 
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| 我<br>Wǒ || 爱<br>ài || 你 和 爸爸。<br><span class="spaced">nǐ hé bàba.</span>|| <span class="spaced">I love you and dad.</span>
 
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|-
 
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| 你<br>Nǐ || 要 做<br><span class="spaced">yào zuò</span> || 什么？<br> shénme?||<span class="spaced">What do you want to do?</span>
 
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|-
 
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| 你<br>Nǐ || 想 吃<br><span class="spaced">xiǎng chī</span>|| 什么 菜？<br><span class="spaced">shénme cài?</span>|| <span class="spaced">What food do you want to eat?</span>
 
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|}
 
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</div>
 
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==

Revision as of 08:59, 15 July 2015

In its most basic form, Chinese word order is very similar to English word order. Don't expect these similarities to hold true for anything past the very basic sentence order outlined below.

Subject-predicate

The most basic word order in Chinese is:

Structure

Subject + Verb

You can form very simple sentences with just two words.

Examples

He laughs.
SubjectVerbTranslation
你
Nǐ		吃。
chī.		You eat.
他
Tā		笑。
xiào.
我
Wǒ		读。
dú.		I read.
我
Wǒ		去。
qù.		I go.
你
Nǐ		看。
kàn.		You look.
你
Nǐ		滚 !
gǔn!		You get out of here!
你
Nǐ		说。
shuō.		You speak.
孩子
Háizi		哭。
kū.		Children cry.
谁
Shuí		要 学？
yào xué?		Who wants to study?
谁
Shuí		想 做？
xiǎng zuò?		Who wants to do (it)?

Subject-verb-object

A basic sentence usually has an object, and is formed with this structure:

Structure

Subject + Verb + Object

This is the same as in English, and is commonly referred to as SVO word order. You can express a huge variety of things with this simple structure.

Examples

Simple SVO sentences
SubjectVerbObjectTranslation
我
Wǒ		吃
chī		肉。
ròu.		I eat mean.
你
Nǐ		喝
hē		汤。
tāng.		You drink soup.
我
Wǒ		去
qù		学校。
xuéxiào.		I go to school.
他
Tā		说
shuō		中文。
Zhōngwén.		He speaks Chinese.
我们
Wǒmen		要 买
yào mǎi		电脑。
diànnǎo.		We want to buy a computer.
我
Wǒ		想 吃
xiǎng chī		中国 菜。
Zhōngguó cài.		I want to eat Chinese food.
我
Wǒ		喜欢
xǐhuān		那 个 小 孩子。
nà gè xiǎo háizi.		I like that child.
我
Wǒ		爱
ài		你 和 爸爸。
nǐ hé bàba.		I love you and dad.
你
Nǐ		要 做
yào zuò		什么？
shénme?		What do you want to do?
你
Nǐ		想 吃
xiǎng chī		什么 菜？
shénme cài?		What food do you want to eat?

See also

Sources and further reading

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