Grammar A1&2 Flashcards by Pere Fuster Escrivà

要 (yào)

Used for saying that you want (Or want to do) something. It can also mean “Need to do sth”
你要茶还是咖啡？(Nǐ yào chá háishì kāfēi) / 我要跟你一起去 (Wǒ yào gēn nǐ yīqǐ qù)
This use of 要 (yào) is like “going to” (similar to 会 (huì)) - it often includes a mention of a time when something is going to happen
星期五我们要开会 - Xīngqīwǔ wǒmen yào kāihuì (We’re going to have a meeting on Friday)

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怎么 (zěnme)

Used to ask how. It is inserted in front of the verb that’s being asked about:

Subj. + 怎么 + Verb + Obj -> 你们 + 怎么 + 学 + 中文？

(你怎么知道我喜欢旅行？Nǐ zěnme zhīdào wǒ xǐhuan lǚxíng?)

Note that the subject can often be omitted from general “how to” questions, and there doesn’t always have to be an object

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没有 / 没

Negate past actions (to say that someone didn’t do something, or something didn’t happen)
You can shorten 没有 (méiyǒu) to just 没 (méi)

他们没有说话 - Tāmen méiyǒu shuōhuà
她没有看到你 - Tā méiyǒu kàndào nǐ
妈妈晚上没做饭 - Māma wǎnshang méi zuòfàn - Mom didn’t cook food this evening

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不要 (bùyào) y 别 (bié)

“do not” with 不要 (bùyào), we can say “don’t” a little more quickly and forcefully by using 别 (bié)

不要很晚睡觉！
Bùyào hěn wǎn shuìjiào - Don’t go to bed too late

别喝太多。
Bié hē tài duō.
Don’t drink too much

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差不多 (chàbuduō)

Translated literally, means “the difference is not much.” In practice, it means something like “more or less,”. Useful for expressing rough approximations.

MORE OR LESS THE SAME
When several things are 差不多 (chàbuduō), it means they are “more or less the same.” So actually 差不多 (chàbuduō) is often understood to mean 差不多一样 (chàbuduō yīyàng), but you don’t say the 一样 (yīyàng) part. You just say 差不多 (chàbuduō)

Subj. + 差不多 OR A + 跟 / 和 + B + 差不多

上海和纽约差不多 Shànghǎi hé Niǔyuē chàbuduō. Shanghai and New York are basically the same

MORE OR LESS / ROUGHLY
After 差不多 (chàbuduō) you can also add a phrase that expresses quantity or time. This makes it clear that you’re giving a rough estimate.
差不多＋ [Quantity Phrase] / [Time Phrase]

他住在上海差不多三个月了。Tā zhù zài Shànghǎi chàbuduō sān gè yuè le. He has lived in Shanghai for about three months.

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二 (èr) and 两 (liǎng)

二 (èr) -> The digit “2”
- Used in numbers, when counting to ten, giving out a phone number, etc. Not used for
quantities, and not with measure words.
- Numbers like 十二 (12) (shí’èr) and 二十二 (22) (èrshí-èr) end with a “2” and can still be combined with measure words

两 (liǎng) - “two of something” or “both.”
When specifying quantities (and using measure words to do it).

两个小时 / liǎng gè xiǎoshí / two hours
两点 / liǎng diǎn / 2 o’clock
两天 / liǎng tiān / two days
两个星期 / liǎng gè xīngqī / two weeks
两个月 / liǎng gè yuè

二月 / Èryuè / February (the second month)
二号线 / èr hào xiàn / Line 2 (of the metro)

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Expressing “Which” with 哪个 (nǎge)

STRUCTURE: Subj. + Verb + 哪个 (+ Noun)?

你要哪个？- Nǐ yào nǎge? - Which one do you want?
你喜欢哪个菜？- Nǐ xǐhuan nǎge cài? - Which dish do you like?
我们去哪个饭店？- Wǒmen qù nǎge fàndiàn? - Which restaurant are we going to?
你住在哪个区？- Nǐ zhù zài nǎge qū? - Which district do you live in?

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“When” with 什么时候

ONLY FUTURE (Not true)

Subj. + 什么时候 + Predicate
- 你什么时候来？Nǐ shénme shíhou lái? When are you coming?
- 我们什么时候吃饭？Wǒmen shénme shíhou chīfàn? When are we eating?

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“Who” with 谁

Subj. + 是 + 谁 ?
你不喜欢谁？Nǐ bù xǐhuan shéi? Who do you not like?

谁 + Verb ?
谁想去？Shéi xiǎng qù? Who wants to go?

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哪里、哪儿

Subj. + Verb + 哪里 / 哪儿 ?

这个周末你想去哪儿？Zhège zhōumò nǐ xiǎng qù nǎr?
Where do you want to go this weekend?

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Questions with “bu”

Affirmative-negative question: Verb + 不 + Verb | Subj + Verb + 不 + Verb + Obj | Adj. + 不 + Adj
- 我们要去酒吧，你去不去？Wǒmen yào qù jiǔbā (the bar), nǐ qù bu qù?
- 你们要不要米饭？Nǐmen yào bu yào mǐfàn? (Do you want rice?)
- 他帅不帅？Tā shuài bu shuài? Is he handsome?

Tag questions:
Tag questions seek confirmation or acceptance of what has been said. In English, “right?” and “OK?” are often used as tag questions
- 你会说中文，对不对？Nǐ huì shuō Zhōngwén, duì bu duì?
- 你有新女朋友了，是不是？Nǐ yǒu xīn nǚpéngyou le, shì bu shì? You have a new girlfriend, right?
- 周末去看电影，好不好？Zhōumò qù kàn diànyǐng, hǎo bu hǎo? Let’s go to a movie this weekend, OK?

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在 (zài) and 正在 (zhèngzài)

They an be used as auxiliary verbs to express that an action is ongoing or in progress. This is often the equivalent of present continuous in English, which is how we express that an activity is happening now.

There is no need to worry too much about when to use 在 (zài) or 正在 (zhèngzài), since they basically mean the same thing. 正在 (zhèngzài) usually shows that the action is in progress (right now). “在 (zài) + Verb” is more commonly used than “正在 (zhèngzài) + Verb,” but both are fine to use.

STRUCTURE: Subj. + 在/正在 + Verb + Obj

她在看书 - Tā zài kànshū - She is reading.
谁在里面洗澡？- Shéi zài lǐmiàn xǐzǎo? - Who is taking a shower in there?
我们正在上课，请你等一会儿 - Wǒmen zhèngzài shàngkè, qǐng nǐ děng yīhuìr (We are in class right now; please wait a moment)

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一直 (yīzhí)

IMPORTANT MEANING (adverb) - (DURING) ALLTHE X TIME OR ALWAYS
Express that you have been doing something all along, have been continuously doing something since a certain time, or that something will continuously happen in the future.

Subj. + 一直 + Predicate

昨天晚上我一直在做作业 Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒ yīzhí zài zuò zuòyè.
Yesterday evening I was continuously doing homework

我一直很喜欢你。Wǒ yīzhí hěn xǐhuan nǐ.
I’ve always liked you a lot.

18 岁以后，他一直一个人住。Shíbā suì yǐhòu, tā yīzhí yīgèrén zhù.
Since he was 18, he has always lived alone.

你一直在这家公司工作吗？Nǐ yīzhí zài zhè jiā gōngsī gōngzuò ma?
Have you always worked in this company?

OTHERS
一直 (yīzhí) literally means “straight.”
Used to emphasize

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已经⋯⋯了 (yǐjīng… le)

IMPORTANT! YOU CAN SAY ALREADY WITH JUST 了!!!!!!!!!!!!
When “already” is impliedWITH JUST 了, it is usually (if not always) in response to a preceding question or statement. Therefore, the following examples are in dialog format.

A: 老板呢？ Lǎobǎn ne? Where is the boss?
B:他走了。Tā zǒu le. He has (already) left.

A: 孩子还在上大学吗？Háizi hái zài shàng dàxué ma? Are your kids still in college?
B:他们工作了。(This expression emphasizes that they’re not students anymore, and have already entered the workforce)
Tāmen gōngzuò le.
They (already) work.

ALREADY: 已经⋯⋯了 (yǐjīng… le) is the basic pattern used to express “already” in Chinese. It’s easy to forget the 了 (le) on the end, but using it will make your Chinese more natural. But to be honest it feels to be a kind of approximation

已经 + [Verb Phrase] + 了

我已经有男朋友了 (with a verb phrase) I already have a boyfriend.
Wǒ yǐjīng yǒu nánpéngyou le.

宝宝已经会说话了 (with a verb phrase) The baby can already speak.
Bǎobao yǐjīng huì shuōhuà le.

妈妈已经回来了 (with just a verb) - Mom has already come back.
Māma yǐjīng huílái le.

已经 + (很 +) Adj. + 了

爸爸妈妈已经老了 Mom and dad are already old.
Bàba māma yǐjīng lǎo le.

已经很便宜了 It is already very cheap.
Yǐjīng hěn piányi le.

已经 + Time + 了

爷爷已经八十五岁了 (Grandpa is already eighty-five years old)
Yéye yǐjīng bāshí-wǔ suì le.

已经 11点了，女儿还没回来 . It is already 11 o’clock, and my daughter has not returned
Yǐjīng shíyī diǎn le, nǚ’ér hái méi huílái.

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总是 (zǒngshì)

ALWAYS: 总是 (zǒngshì) is and adverb (Therefore before the verb, like Subj. + 总是 + Verb) means ALWAYS

IMPORTANT When can be used?
To describe a daily routine, a habit, or just something that consistently happens.

WITH VERBS
他总是迟到。Tā zǒngshì chídào.
He is always late

我总是忘记这个词。Wǒ zǒngshì wàngjì zhège cí.
I always forget this word.

我的学生总是问我很多有意思的问题。Wǒ de xuéshēng zǒngshì wèn wǒ hěn duō yǒu yìsi de wèntí.
My students always ask me lots of interesting questions.

WITH ADJECTIVES
When 总是 (zǒngshì) is used together with an adjective, you will need to add a modifier in the middle, such as 很 (hěn), 特别 (tèbié), 这么 (zhème), 那么 (nàme), etc.

总是 + Adv. + Adj.

你家总是很干净。Nǐ jiā zǒngshì hěn gānjìng.
Your house is always very clean

你为什么总是很忙？Nǐ wèishénme zǒngshì hěn máng?
Why are you always very busy?

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一边 (yībiān) AND 的时候 (de shíhou)

To express that one thing is done WHILE doing something else.
- Shortened to 边 (biān) as well, which has a less formal feel

Subj. + 一边 + Verb (，) + 一边 + Verb

不要一边吃东西，一边说话 - Bùyào yībiān chī dōngxi, yībiān shuōhuà.
(Don’t speak while eating)

孩子喜欢一边吃饭，一边玩 Háizi xǐhuan yībiān chīfàn, yībiān wán.
(Children like to play while eating)

你喜欢一边听音乐，一边做作业吗？Nǐ xǐhuan yībiān tīng yīnyuè, yībiān zuò zuòyè ma?
(Do you like to listen to music while doing homework?)

很多人都一边上班，一边玩手机 Hěn duō rén dōu yībiān shàngbān, yībiān wán shǒujī.
Many people play with their cell phones while working.

SOMETHING HAPPENED WHILE ANOTHER THING WAS HAPPENING
If you want to say something happened while another thing was happening, it would be better to use 的时候 (de shíhou).

Events that happened at or during a particular time, 的时候 (de shíhou) is often used. This is simply attached to the word or phrase indicating the time:

2.1. WHEN: “when I was a child”: (Subj.) + Verb / Adj. + 的时候, ….

As time words can appear before or after the subject, you can also place the “Time + 的时候 (de shíhou)” after the subject. Also future:

你不在的时候，我会想你 Nǐ bù zài de shíhou, wǒ huì xiǎng nǐ (When you are not here, I’ll miss you)

我上大学的时候，有很多朋友。Wǒ shàng dàxué de shíhou, yǒu hěn duō péngyou.
When I was in college, I had a lot of friends.

2.2. (VERY SIMILAR TO 一边）Time Word + 的时候, ….

上课的时候不要吃东西 Shàngkè de shíhou bùyào chī dōngxi.
Don’t eat when you are in class.

你开车的时候会打电话吗？Nǐ kāichē de shíhou huì dǎ diànhuà ma?
Do you talk on the phone when you’re driving?

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只

只 (zhǐ) - It is one and simplest of the many ways to say ONLY

It’s an adverb, so it normally comes before verbs, or it can also go before an auxiliary verb like 会 (huì) or 能 (néng).

只 + Verb

只 + 会 / 能 + Verb

我只有一个哥哥 - I only have one older brother.

他们只会说英文 - They can only speak English

我只能说两句中文 - Wǒ zhǐ néng shuō liǎng jù Zhōngwén - I can only say two sentences in Chinese

我只要一个孩子 - Wǒ zhǐ yào yī gè háizi - My wife only wants one child

Bla… , Is only that (只是）
…, 只是他没有说 - Is only that she doesn’t say

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刚/刚刚 + 刚才

刚 (gāng) or 刚刚 (gānggāng)

Expressing “Just” Happened

我们刚知道 Wǒmen gāng zhīdào - We just found out.
我老婆刚生完孩子 Wǒ lǎopo gāng shēng wán háizi - My wife just finished giving birth to our baby
你刚刚下班吗？Nǐ gānggāng xiàbān ma? Did you just get off work?

“Just” Within a Specific Time Period (when the event “just” occurred, specifically)
刚 (gāng) can also express “from the time an action happens until the present time.”

STRUCTURE: Subj. + 刚 + Verb (+ Obj.) + Duration
Note that although we need to say “ago” in English, in this pattern there’s no need for a word that means “ago.”

我刚认识她十天 - Wǒ gāng rènshi tā shí tiān. I just met her ten days ago.
他刚来中国两个月 - Tā gāng lái Zhōngguó liǎng gè yuè. He just (Or precisely) got to China two months ago.
她刚结婚三个月 - Tā gāng jiéhūn sān gè yuè. She just got married three months ago.

Expressing “just now” with “gangcai”:

刚才 is a time noun (like 今天 and 现在), and it expresses that the time elapsed is really short, in near-absolute terms. We’re talking no more than 1-30 minutes in most situations, and often less than 5 minutes. When used before a verb, 刚才 emphasizes something happened “just now.”

It’s a time noun, not an adverb like 刚, so needs to be used accordingly (You’ll learn and will write here :) )

他刚才哭了 Tā gāngcái kū le.
He was crying just now (He was crying a moment ago but he stopped)

我刚才看到他了 Wǒ gāngcái kàndào tā le.
I just now saw him. Sounds like he’s not here anymore; I just saw him, but don’t see him now.

现在我感觉比刚才好一点了 - Xiànzài wǒ gǎnjué bǐ gāngcái hǎo yīdiǎn le.
I feel a little better now than just before.

老板刚走 (lǎobǎn gāng zǒu) is correct, using 刚才 would be incorrect if you don’t write this way: 老板干菜走了

There are other cases but I’m too lazy

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就

就 (jiù): THEN or SO or AS REASONABLE - Although it has much more, and more advanced, uses

你最有经验，就听你的吧 Nǐ zuì yǒu jīngyàn, jiù tīng nǐ de ba.
You have the most experience. We’ll just listen to you

你喜欢喝奶茶，我们就买奶茶吧 Nǐ xǐhuan hē nǎichá, wǒmen jiù mǎi nǎichá ba.
So you like milk tea. Then we’ll buy milk tea.

你现在身体不好，就不要喝酒了。
Nǐ xiànzài shēntǐ bù hǎo, jiù bùyào hē jiǔ le.

就去看电影吧 Jiù qù kàn diànyǐng ba
Let’s just go watch a movie.

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还

hái

AND ALSO

When we want to connect separate and different thoughts with “and also”.
还 (hái) begins a new phrase or clause: Subj. + Verb + Obj. 1，还 + Verb + Obj. 2
With 还 (hái), ONE subject is doing TWO different things, whereas when 也 (yě) is used, TWO subjects are doing ONE thing

爸爸有一个小米手机，还有一个 iPhone。Bàba yǒu yī gè Xiǎomǐ shǒujī, hái yǒu yī gè iPhone.
Dad has a Xiaomi phone and also has an iPhone.

生日的时候，我们会吃蛋糕，还要送礼物。Shēngrì de shíhou, wǒmen huì chī dàngāo, hái yào sòng lǐwù.
During a birthday, we eat cake and also give presents.

VS 也:

HAI: 他做了饭，还洗了碗 Tā zuò le fàn, hái xǐ le wǎn.
He fixed dinner and also washed the dishes.

YE: 她也洗了碗 Tā yě xǐ le wǎn.
She washed the dishes too.

HAI: 我洗了澡，还洗了衣服。Wǒ xǐ le zǎo, hái xǐ le yīfu.
I took a shower and also did my laundry.

YE: 她也洗了衣服。Tā yě xǐ le yīfu.
She did her laundry too.

还有 = Furthermore?

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吧

MAKE SUGGESTION MORE POLITE (So, it’s more of a request)

In Chinese, whenever you have a command with the subject “we,” you’re basically just saying, “let’s (do something).” 吧 (ba) just makes the suggestion sound more tentative and more polite.

快点吃吧 - Kuài diǎn chī ba.
Hurry up and eat (This is a suggestion)

喝水吧 - Hē shuǐ ba.
Have some water.

老板，便宜一点吧。Lǎobǎn, piányi yīdiǎn ba.
Boss, can you make it cheaper? (This is more of a request, made to a shopkeeper.)

CONCEDING: 行吧 (Allright) and 好吧 (Allright), and potencially others.

Examples with conversations:

A: 太贵了！ That’s too expensive!
B: 好吧，我们可以看看别的。Hǎo ba, wǒmen kěyǐ kànkan biéde.
All right, we can take a look at something else.

A:下午我不在家，你可以晚上来吗 This afternoon I won’t be home. Can you come by this evening
B: 行吧。Xíng ba. All right.

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别⋯⋯了

Expressing “stop doing” with “bie… le”

The pattern 别⋯⋯了 (bié… le) is all you need to tell someone to STOP DOING THAT (which they’re already doing).

别 + Verb / [Verb Phrase] + 了

别说了，我不想听。Bié shuō le, wǒ bù xiǎng tīng.
Stop talking. I don’t want to listen.

别做了，明天做吧。Bié zuò le, míngtiān zuò ba.
Stop doing it. Do it tomorrow.

别哭了！Bié kū le! Stop crying!

别笑了，别人都在看你。Bié xiào le, biérén dōu zài kàn nǐ.
Stop laughing. Other people are looking at you.

The “别 verb 了“ pattern can also be used to negate the other person’s suggestion or try to change their idea. The difference between this usage and the previous example is that the action has not happened yet. A few examples:

别买了，太贵了 In this case, the person probably isn’t actually paying, but she or he is thinking about it.
Bié mǎi le, tài guì le Don’t buy it. It’s too expensive!

别做饭了，出去吃吧。In this case, the person probably isn’t actually cooking, but she or he is thinking about it.
Bié zuòfàn le, chūqù chī ba. Let’s go out for dinner instead of cook.

下雨了，别出去了。In this case, the person hasn’t left yet, but she or he is thinking about going out.
Xiàyǔ le, bié chūqù le. It’s raining. Let’s stay inside instead of going out.

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要 vs 想

only 要 can mean going to
only 想 (xiǎng) can mean miss
Subj. + 要 + Noun means I want, but if you use 想 (xiǎng) the means that is missed

要 (yào) and 想 (xiǎng) have similar meanings when followed by verbs. The difference is rather subtle, but 要 (yào) can sound more urgent or demanding (sometimes even childish), while 想 (xiǎng) is usually a bit more mature and polite. Tone of voice plays a big role here as well, though, so don’t be afraid of offending people by using 要 (yào); the word itself isn’t rude

我要休息。Wǒ yào xiūxi. I want to rest.
我想请你吃饭。Wǒ xiǎng qǐng nǐ chīfàn. I’d like to treat you to dinner.

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不 vs 没

VERBS

不

Present and future
Habitual actions
Some “irregular” verbs

Certain verbs just don’t get negated by 没 (méi) or 没有 (méiyǒu) ever. These include the verbs 是 (shì) (“to be”) and 在 (zài) (“to be (in a place)”), as well as some psychological verbs such as 知道 (zhīdào) (“to know”) and 认识 (rènshi) (“to know (a person)”). For these verbs, it’s best to just take them on a case-by-case basis. Being aware of their existence can save you a fair bit of confusion.

没
- Past actions
- You (有: 我没有钱。Wǒ méiyǒu qián. I don’t have money.

ADJECTIVES

没 for comparisons (SB as X as SB, or not as X as if negative)

You could think of 没有 (méiyǒu) as the opposite of 比 (bǐ) - it works in the same way, but rather than expressing “more… than…” it expresses “not as… as…”:

你没有我高。Nǐ méiyǒu wǒ gāo. You are not as tall as me.
你有我帅吗 - Are you as good-looking as me?

不 Most common in adjectives (You know already)

在 (zài) with “Big Locations”

在 (zài) with Specific Locations

在 (zài) with Specific Occasion

比

比 (bǐ)

To say that one thing is more adjective than another, the structure is:

Noun 1 + 比 + Noun 2 + Adj.

The noun that’s placed first is the one that comes out on top in the comparison.

她比她妈妈漂亮。Tā bǐ tā māma piàoliang .
She is prettier than her mother.

You can also use 没有 (méiyǒu) as the opposite of 比 (bǐ) - it works in the same way, but rather than expressing “more… than…” it expresses “not as… as…”:

你没有我高。Nǐ méiyǒu wǒ gāo.
You are not as tall as me.

什么……都

I don’t know how it’s diferent from 都

I think it is like everything that, instead of all (but very similar)

我觉得这里的菜什么都好吃。
Wǒ juéde zhèlǐ de cài shénme dōu hǎochī.
I think everything is delicious here.

快 ⋯ 了 or 快要 ⋯ 了 or 要 ⋯ 了

“just/almost about to”

快+ Verb/adj + 了
快要 + Verb/adj + 了
要 + Verb/adj + 了

VERBS
- 快下雨了 Kuài xiàyǔ le. It’s about to reain / It’s going to rain soon.
- 快要过年了，你什么时候回家？Kuài yào guònián le, nǐ shénme shíhou huíjiā?
It’s almost Chinese New Year. When are you going back to your hometown?
- 我要生气了！Wǒ yào shēngqì le! I’m going to get angry!

ADJECTIVES
- 饭快凉了。Fàn kuài liáng le. The food is about to be cold (Here we’d say almost cold)
- 不能再喝了，我快醉了。Bù néng zài hē le, wǒ kuài zuì le.
I can’t drink another, I am almost drunk.

你觉得 + Topic + 怎么样 ?

This is like asking, “what do you think of…?”

你觉得我怎么样？Nǐ juéde wǒ zěnmeyàng ? What do you think of me?
你觉得中文怎么样？难学吗？Nǐ juéde Zhōngwén zěnmeyàng? Nánxué ma?
What do you think of Chinese? Is it difficult to learn?

You can make it without “you think”, but I’m not sure (TBC)
北京冬天怎么样？Běijīng dōngtiān zěnmeyàng ? How is Beijing in the winter?

Money basics

Chinese money is called RMB. This is an abbreviation of 人民币 rénmínbì (“people’s currency”). In an exchange rate table, the unit for RMB is always “yuán” (元). However, in daily life, people often use 块 kuài instead of 元 yuán. The answer is very simple: 元 is used in formal writings, and 块 is used in colloquial, everyday language.

The same rule applies to 角 jiǎo and 毛 máo. 角 jiǎo is the formal “10 cents.” 1角=0.1 元 (yì jiǎo děngyú líng diǎn yī yuán, “1 Jiao equals to 0.1 Yuan”). The more casual way of saying 角 is 毛 máo

Number + 块 + Number + 毛

两块五毛 liǎng kuài wǔ máo

Measure words

Measure words are used together with numerals to indicate the quantity of a noun, and sometimes even of an action. The general term for “measure word” in linguistics is “classifier,” because measure words involve some kind of classification of the noun (or action) being counted.

Measure words can be reduplicated to act as a sentence element. This has the meaning of ‘every’.
Used after numerals or demonstrative pronouns.
If the number is just one, it can be omitted; just the measure word is OK.
半 before measure word means “half of.” 半 after measure word means .”.. and a half”
多 and measure words 多 in between numeral and measure word e.g. 十多个 means more than the number given but less than the next whole number. Like ‘odd’ in English e.g. “thirty-odd.”
多 after the measure word simply means more than the number given
Most measure words are single characters, but not all (need list of two-character measure words)

只 =

Measure word 只

Measure word used mostly for animals. Including cats, dogs and birds

Some examples, but there are some non-animal cases
一只小狗
两只鸡
三只鞋子
四只船

Some in Chinese

一些 (yīxiē) + Noun

It’s literally some sth.

妈妈去超市买了一些水果。
Māma qù chāoshì mǎi le yīxiē shuǐguǒ.
Mom went to the supermarket and bought some fruit.

我们很快会见到一些新同事。
Wǒmen hěn kuài huì jiàndào yīxiē xīn tóngshì.
We’re going to meet some new co-workers very soon.

有的 (yǒude) + (Subj.) + Predicate，有的 + (Subj.) + Predicate

Some are sth, and/but some are sth else

外国人有的很有钱，有的没钱。
Wàiguó rén yǒude hěn yǒuqián, yǒude méi qián.
Some foreigners are rich, but some aren’t.

我们公司有一些电脑，有的是新的，有的是旧的。
Wǒmen gōngsī yǒu yīxiē diànnǎo, yǒude shì xīn de, yǒude shì jiù de.
Our company has some computers. Some are new, and some are old.

他写了很多书，有的卖得很好，有的卖得不好。
Tā xiě le hěn duō shū, yǒude mài de hěn hǎo, yǒude mài de bù hǎo.
He has written a lot of books. Some sell well, but some don’t.

有时候 or 有的时候
yǒu de shí hòu

YOUSHIHOU

Sometimes

Asking about degree with “duo”

多 (duō) is often used to ask about the degree or extent of something.

Subj. + 多 + Adj. ?

This is an easy way to ask “How [adjective] is [subject]?”

黄河多长？
Huánghé duō cháng?
How long is the Yellow River?

你家多大？
Nǐ jiā duō dà?
How large is your house?

你知道上海的房子多贵吗？
Nǐ zhīdào Shànghǎi de fángzi duō guì ma?
Do you know how expensive housing is in Shanghai?

Did you know?

大 (dà) and 小 (xiǎo) can also be used to describe ages. The question phrase 多大 (duō dà) is often used to ask “how old.” However, it is an informal way to ask, usually reserved for peers, close friends, or children. The phrase 几岁 (jǐ suì) is most often used for children young enough to display their ages on one hand. Adults do not normally directly ask each other’s ages in a formal setting.

一样

Basic comparisons with “yiyang”
Q: Can you use whatever you want of 跟 (Gen) and 和

Used for stating that two things are the same:

STRUCTURE I : Noun 1 + 跟 / 和 + Noun 2 + 一样

北京的天气和上海不一样。
- Běijīng de tiānqì hé Shànghǎi bù yīyàng.
- The weather in Beijing and the weather in Shanghai are not alike.
这个词的意思和那个词一样吗？
- Zhège cí de yìsi hé nàge cí yīyàng ma?
- Are the meanings of this word and that word the same?

STRUCTURE I : Noun 1 + 跟 / 和 + Noun 2 + 一样 + Adj.

你家跟我家一样大。
- Nǐ jiā gēn wǒ jiā yīyàng dà.
- Your house is just as big as mine.
她和她哥哥一样高。
- Tā hé tā gēge yīyàng gāo.
- She and her older brother are equally tall.

有一点(儿) and 有点(儿)

To say that something is “a little too…” or “a bit too…,” 有一点 (yǒuyīdiǎn) is often used. Its northern Chinese version is 有一点儿 (yǒuyīdiǎnr).

Subj. + 有一点(儿) + Adj.

In spoken Chinese, the 一 (yī) in 有一点 (yǒuyīdiǎn) is often dropped, leaving 有点 (yǒudiǎn). In northern China, that’s usually pronounced 有点儿 (yǒudiǎnr).

Subj. + 有点(儿) + Adj.

Note that for the speaker, the adjective after 有点 (yǒudiǎn) expresses an unpleasant or undesirable meaning, so you won’t hear things like 有点高兴 (yǒudiǎn gāoxìng), 有点舒服 (yǒudiǎn shūfu), 有点好玩儿 (yǒudiǎn hǎowánr), etc., because “happy,” “comfortable,” and “fun” are all adjectives with positive connotations.

Examples:

我有点饿。 Wǒ yǒudiǎn è. I’m a little hungry.
这个菜有点辣。 Zhège cài yǒudiǎn là. This dish is a little too spicy.
昨天有一点热。 Zuótiān yǒuyīdiǎn rè. Yesterday it was a little too hot.

穿 (chuān) and 戴 (dài)

REMEMBER THE TONES

Both 穿 (chuān) and 戴 (dài) are verbs meaning to put on or wear.

穿 (chuān) is used when referring to frequent or habitual actions or behaviors, such as wearing clothes (穿衣服, chuānyīfu), trousers (穿裤子, chuān kùzi), socks (穿袜子, chuān wàzi), skirts (穿裙子, chuān qúnzi), shoes (穿鞋, chuān xié) and so on.

戴 (dài) is used to refer to accessories, for example, gloves, caps, hats, necklaces, rings, ear-rings, glasses etc.

You may notice that those articles that collocate with the word 穿 (chuān) are indispensable parts of a person’s everyday wardrobe, while those with the word 戴 (dài) are mainly decorative and in a sense, non-essential TYPE clothing - like excessive shoes, or jackets are not essential, but the type of clothes is.

Also, for scarf (围巾wéijīn), you can say 戴围巾 (dài wéijīn), or 围围巾 (wéi wéijīn) with the latter more often used. Here, the first word 围 (wéi) is a verb meaning to wrap. So, literally it refers to wrapping a scarf around your neck.

Examples:

Tā xǐhuan dài xiàngliàn. 1. 她喜欢戴项链。 She likes wearing necklaces.
Tā bù xǐhuan chuān gāogēnrxié. 2. 她不喜欢穿高跟儿鞋。 She doesn’t like wearing high heels.

太

太 Tài

About the character
Tài / ta4i

Other words
- 太平洋: tài píng yáng: Pacific Ocean
- 太空: tài kōng: outer space

About the grammar

Too something

Verb: SB + Verb + DA + adjective: 她学习太累了 (She’s too tired from studying) 他工作太忙了 (He’s too busy from work)
Adjective: SB + DA + adjective: 今天太热了 (Today is too hot)

又

The character 又 (yòu)

USE 1
- Can be used to give two qualities to something. Using the double 又 (yòu) structure is like saying that something is “both… and…” in English.
- Subj. + 又 + Adj. 1 + 又 + Adj. 2
- The two words shouldn’t contrast in feeling. It is important to note they must both be bad or both be good.
- 她男朋友又高又帅。Tā nánpéngyou yòu gāo yòu shuài.Her boyfriend is both tall and handsome.
- 这个房子又大又亮。Zhège fángzi yòu dà yòu liàng.This house is both big and bright.

部, 陪，

部 (bu4. 84), 陪 (pei. 1664)

其

qi2 (85)

I cannot find a lot on this word

应该 or just 该

The auxiliary verb 应该 (yīnggāi) is the most common way to express “should” in Chinese. The structure is:

Se puede usar también para guess

Subj. (+ 不) + 应该 + Verb + Obj.

我应该给你多少钱？Wǒ yīnggāi gěi nǐ duōshao qián?
How much money should I give you?

感冒的时候应该喝热水。Gǎnmào de shíhou yīnggāi hē rè shuǐ.
You should drink hot water when you have a cold

我们不应该迟到。Wǒmen bù yīnggāi chídào. We shouldn’t be late.

Expressing distance with 离 (lí)

Using 离 (lí)

Sentences

Unless you’re talking about a very specific distance, you’ll normally want to pair 离 (lí) with the adjective 近 (jìn) for “close,” or 远 (yuǎn) for “far.”

Place 1 + 离 + Place 2 + Adv. + 近 / 远

So this pattern is normally used to simply express that one place is (not) close or (not) far from another place. Easy, right? It’s learning the sentence pattern that usually trips learners up, because it doesn’t feel like natural word order to a speaker of English.

EXAMPLES

 -  我 家 离 公司 很 近。Wǒ jiā lí gōngsī hěn jìn. My house is close to my office.

 -  美国 离 中国 很 远。Měiguó lí Zhōngguó hěn yuǎn. The USA is far from China.

 -  这 个 酒店 离 火车站 很 近。Zhège jiǔdiàn lí huǒchēzhàn hěn jìn. This hotel is very close to the train station.

Question

These two sentence patterns are extremely common in everyday conversations when discussing distances.

Place 1 + 离 + Place 2 (+ Adv.) + 近 / 远 + 吗？

Place 1 + 离 + Place 2 (+ 有) + 多远？

Note that in English, you can actually ask, “How close is it from here?” if the distance is obviously short. But in Chinese it’s just, “How far is it from here?”

EXAMPLES

 -  你们 公司 离 地铁站 近 吗？Nǐmen gōngsī lí dìtiězhàn jìn ma? Is your company close to the metro station?
 -  你 家 离 学校 多远？Nǐ jiā lí xuéxiào duō yuǎn? How far is it from your home to school?

Expressing “Stay Away from Me” with 离 (lí)

One final example is a command, commonly heard in colloquial Chinese:

你离我远点儿！Nǐ lí wǒ yuǎn diǎnr! Stay away from me.

It’s a somewhat atypical usage when compared with the others, because it uses two people rather than two places. The sentence literally means, “Distance yourself from me further.” In other words, “Stay away from me,” or “Don’t come near me.”

这些/ 那些

This and those, when they appear. You don’t need to inject measure words

这些人 zhèxiē rén these people
那些人 nàxiē rén those people

这本书 this book –> 这些书 these book

这些自行车都是新的。
Zhèxiē zìxíngchē dōu shì xīn de.
These bikes are all new.

又

!. Expressing “both A and B” with “you” (A2)

Subj. + 又 + Adj. 1 + 又 + Adj. 2
The two words cannot contrast in feeling
The two words shouldn’t contrast in feeling. It is important to note they must both be bad or both be good.
她男朋友又高又帅。 Tā nánpéngyou yòu gāo yòu shuài.

Emphasizing negation with “you” (B1)

In this structure, 又 is used to emphasize that something “didn’t happen,” “is not” the case, or “will not happen.” It’s most often used with 不 and 没. This grammar structure is often used in an accusatory context, and when used with other expressions like 干吗 (gànmá) can show annoyance.

又 + 不 / 没 + Predicate

问我干吗？我又不知道。 Wèn wǒ gànmá? Wǒ yòu bù zhīdào. Why ask me? I definitely don’t know.
不要生气，我又不是故意的。Bùyào shēngqì, wǒ yòu bù shì gùyì de. Don’t be mad.It really wasn’t on purpose.

Expressing “again” in the past with “you” (B1)

Whenever you want to express something that has happened again, as in, “oops, I did it again!” in Chinese, you generally want to use 又 (yòu). (You’ll want to use 再 (zài) for “again” in the future.

Normally, 又 is used to express an action that has already happened again for (at least) the second time. It doesn’t have to be in quick succession; it happened before, and now it’s happened again.

3.1. Postive form: (Subj. +) 又 + Verb + 了

又下雨了！ Yòu xiàyǔ le! It rained again!
你又迟到了 Nǐ yòu chídào le. You’re late again.
我又忘了 Wǒ yòu wàng le. I forgot again.

3.2. Negative form: (Subj. +) 又 + 不 / 没 + Verb

他又没来上课。Tā yòu méi lái shàngkè. He didn’t come to class again.

3.3. Colloquial Saying 又来了 (Wo lai le)
又来了 fits the above pattern, but is also a little tricky because it expresses something that is still ongoing, and has already started as the speaker is speaking. Literally it means “here it comes again,” but it’s more accurate to translate it as “there it is again,” or “there [he] goes again.” It indicates that the speaker is a bit annoyed that it happened again.

3.4. Other Usage
When it becomes clear that something is about to happen again, you can also use 又. It’s almost as if it has already happened in your mind. In these cases, it’s quite common for 又 to be immediately followed by 是 (shì), 要 (yào), 可以 (kěyǐ), or 能 (néng), and you’ll notice that there’s often a 了, indicating that something is about to happen.

今天又要加班了！ Jīntiān yòu yào jiābān le! We’ve got to work overtime again today!
老板请客，又可以吃大餐了！ Lǎobǎn qǐngkè, yòu kěyǐ chī dàcān le! The boss is going to treat us. We can have a big meal again!

Comparing “zai” and “you” (B2)

Expressing “both… and…” with “ji…you” (B2)

Repeated actions in the past with “you” (B2)

真

zhen

adjetivo - real: Por ejemplo para decir que algo es autentico (Como joyas, o cosas caras, pinturas)

真诚 : sincero
认真; Serio. 他工作很认真 (His work is every serious)

adverbio - really
他家真有钱！Tā jiā zhēn yǒuqián! His family is really rich!

Subj. + 还 + 好 / 可以 / 行 / 不错

Todos significan “mas o menos”, not amazing, OK, normal

Pero 不错 es un poco mas fuerte: Es bueno

最

adjectivos y verbos psicologicos: Most

Most (cute way) -> We add 了

还是 (háishì) is used for “or” in questions

Option A + 还是 + Option B ?

When you’re asked a question of this form, there are two ways you’re expected to answer: either Option A or Option B.

我还是他？ Wǒ háishì tā? Me or him?
一个还是两个？Yī gè háishì liǎng gè? One or two?
辣的还是不辣的？Là de háishì bù là de? Spicy or non-spicy?

或者 (huòzhě) - Traduccion literal

星期六或者星期天，都可以。Xīngqīliù huòzhě Xīngqītiān, dōu kěyǐ. Saturday or Sunday are both OK.

你去或者她去，都可以。
Nǐ qù huòzhě tā qù, dōu kěyǐ.
You go or she goes, either way is fine.

你去或者她去？
Nǐ qù huòzhě tā qù
vas to o va ella?

还是 - Traduccion para determinadas preguntas - Option A + 还是 + Option B ? or both?

辣的还是不辣的？Là de háishì bù là de? Spicy or non-spicy?

从来 (从 alone can be used in casual conversation)

从来 (cónglái) is usually used when you want to express NEVER. In what context?

With 不 (bù): Never do something (as a habit, or as a rule) -> Subj. + 从(来) + 不 + [Verb Phrase]

她从来不喝酒。Tā cónglái bù hējiǔ. She never drinks.
我女朋友从不给我打电话 (来 has been omitted here) Wǒ nǚpéngyou cóng bù gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà. My girlfriend never calls me.

with 没 (méi) or 没有 (méiyǒu) (and 过 (guo) after the verb: You have never done something (it’s not part of your life experience).
Subj. + 从(来) + 没(有) + Verb + 过

她从来没见过她妈妈。Tā cónglái méi jiàn guo tā māma. She has never met her mother.
很多中国人从来没出过国。Hěn duō Zhōngguó rén cónglái méi chū guo guó. A lot of Chinese people have never been abroad.

那个 ⋯⋯

“ummm” and “uh” - when you’re thinking about what to say

(那个⋯⋯) (那个⋯⋯) + [anything] + (那个⋯⋯)

那个 ⋯⋯ 我不跟你们一起去了，可以吗？
Nèige… wǒ bù gēn nǐmen yīqǐ qù le, kěyǐ ma?
So, ummm… I won’t go with you guys, OK?

我想吃那个 ⋯⋯ 那个 ⋯⋯ 湖南菜。
Wǒ xiǎng chī nèige… nèige… Húnán cài.
I want to eat that… ummm, you know… Hunan cuisine.

那个 ⋯⋯ 我明天不来了。
Nèige… wǒ míngtiān bù lái le.
Ummm… I’m not coming tomorrow.

Despres, antes

I. ABANS/DESPRES QUE ->

Time / Verb + 以后/以前, …. (Can be shortened to 后/前)

As you can see they start a lot as: After this, … but it means … after this

The time can be a time or date, or an action or event. It may or may not be in the future.

下午三点以后, 我不在家。Xiàwǔ sāndiǎn yǐhòu, wǒ bù zài jiā. After three p.m., I will not be at home.
睡觉以前 , 不要吃东西。 Shuìjiào yǐqián, bùyào chī dōngxi. Don’t eat anything before you go to sleep.
老板半个小时以后回来。Lǎobǎn bàn gè xiǎoshí yǐhòu huílái. After half an hour, the boss will return.
你到家以后给我打电话。Nǐ dào jiā yǐhòu gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà. After you get home, call me.
上大学以前，你来过上海吗？Shàng dàxué yǐqián, nǐ lái guo shànghǎi ma? Before you went to college, did you ever come to Shanghai?

II. PAST AND FUTURE IN GENERAL -> En el pasado, antes, en el futuro (More weird in our language)

To talk about things happening at some unspecified time in the future or in the past, you can use 以后 (yǐhòu). The structure is:
Oor to talk about events that happened after/before other events in a story.

Structure:
- 以后/以前 + Subj. + Verb + Obj.
- Subj. + 以后/以前 + Verb + Obj. (You can also move 以后 (yǐhòu) to right after the subject, and it’s also correct)

Examples:
- 以前我不会说中文。Yǐqián wǒ bù huì shuō Zhōngwén. Before, I could not speak Chinese.
- 以后你们会想我吗？Yǐhòu nǐmen huì xiǎng wǒ ma? In the future, will you miss me?
- 以前我不认识他。Yǐqián wǒ bù rènshi tā. Before, I didn’t know him.
- 我以后不喝酒了。Wǒ yǐhòu bù hējiǔ le. I will not drink alcohol in the future.
- 我们以后不在这里工作了。Wǒmen yǐhòu bù zài zhèlǐ gōngzuò le. We will not work here in the future

Expressing number interval

An easy way to express approximate numbers is to use two sequential numbers in a row.

Structure: Number + (Number + 1)

This is similar to saying “x or y” or “about x” in English.

Examples:

三四个人. sān sì gè rén. three or four people
我等了你三四个小时。Wǒ děng le nǐ sān sì gè xiǎoshí. I waited for you for three or four hours.
这几本书花了我两三百。Zhè jǐ běn shū huā le wǒ liǎng sān bǎi. These few books cost me two or three hundred kuai.

Tell me the time exactly!

https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Structure_of_times_(advanced)

https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Using_%22ji%22to_mean%22several%22

https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Change_of_state_with_%22le%22

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