Chinese Sentence Components
After learning basic Chinese words and Chinese phrases, we have laid a solid foundation for understanding Chinese sentences. Now, let's go one step further to learn the basic components that help build a Chinese sentence.
Basic Chinese Sentence Components
| Sentence Components | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | the thing that is being discussed or considered | 1. Noun 中文很简单(zhōnɡwén hěn jiǎndān) Chinese is Easy. 2. Pronoun 他天天锻炼身体(tā tiāntiān duànliàn shēntǐ) He does physical exercises every day. 3. Phrases 学习语法很必要(xuéxí yúfǎ hěn bìyào) Learning Grammar is very necessary. |
| Predicate | words or phrases that contain the verb and gives information about the subject | 1. Verb 他走了(tā zǒu le) He has gone.
2. Phrases 他又说又笑 (tā yòu shuō yòu xiào)
He speaks and laughs. |
| Object | a noun or noun phrase that is affected by the action of a verb or that follows a preposition | 1. Noun 她喜欢读书(tā xǐhuɑn dúshū) She likes reading books 2. Pronoun 大家都讨厌他(dàjiā dōu tǎoyàn tā) Everybody dislikes him. 3. Phrases 我看见他来了(wǒ kànjiàn tā lái le) I saw him coming. |
| Complement | Words used to make something better or more attractive when combining with it | 1. Adjective 这本书写得好(zhèběn shū xiě dé hǎo) The book is well written. 2. Numeral+Quantifier 文章看了几遍 (wénzhānɡ kàn le jǐbiàn) (Someone) read the article several times 3. Phrases 鲁迅生于1881年(lǔxùn shēnɡ yú 1881 nián) Lu Xun was born in 1881. |
| Attribute | Words used to describe, explain or decorate an object | 1. Adjective 红花(hónɡ huā) red flowers 2. Numeral + Quantifier 两本书(liǎnɡběn shū) two books 3. Noun 中国的梦想(zhōnɡɡuó de mènɡxiǎnɡ) China’s dream |
| Adverbial | Words used to describe, explain or decorate an adjective or a verb | 1. Adverb 很好(hěn hǎo) very good 2. Adjective 快走(kuài zǒu) move fast 3. Preposition Phrases 从北京来(cónɡ běijīnɡ lái) coming from Beijing |
| Repetition | Two words or phrases both referring to the same thing and act as the same component of a sentence, just like the attribute clause in English. | 首都北京是一个美丽的城市 (shǒudū běijīnɡ shì yíɡè měilì de chénɡshì) Capital Beijing is a beautiful city. |
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