HSK 1 — Standard Course

3rd + 3rd → 2nd + 3rd

When two 3rd tones meet, the first becomes a 2nd tone in speech.

nǐ + hǎo → ní hǎo (written 你好, spoken ní hǎo)

不 bù — changes before 4th tone

不 (4th tone) → becomes 2nd tone before another 4th tone.

不是 bú shì (not bù shì)

一 yī — three-way change

Before 1st/2nd/3rd → 4th tone: 一个 yí gè

Before 4th → 2nd tone: 一样 yí yàng

In isolation or ordinal → keeps 1st tone: 第一 dì yī

Neutral tone (轻声)

Some suffixes lose their full tone: 你们 nǐmen · 椅子 yǐzi · 里头 lǐtou.

儿化 ér

儿 added to a final = retroflex sound: 哪儿 nǎr · 那儿 nàr · 这儿 zhèr.

1 · Interrogative "什么" — what

Used directly as object, or before a noun.

你叫什么名字？ · 你是什么人？

2 · The "是" sentence — A is B

Structure: Subject + (不)是 + Noun/Phrase

Negate with 不 before 是.

3 · Yes/no questions with 吗

Add 吗 to a statement → yes/no question.

你是美国人吗？

1 · 谁 vs 哪

谁 shéi — asks who someone is: 她是谁？

哪 nǎ — asks which one from a set: 你是哪国人？

2 · Structural particle 的 essential

Connects modifier to noun: 我的老师 (my teacher) · 中国的朋友 (Chinese friend).

3 · Question particle 呢 (1) — "what about ___?"

Echoes a topic back: 你呢？ What about you?

1 · 几 — "how many" (small numbers, under ~10)

你家有几口人？

2 · Numbers below 100

11 = 十一 shíyī · 20 = 二十 èrshí · 21 = 二十一 èrshíyī · 50 = 五十 wǔshí

3 · 了 indicating a change

她今年四岁了。 She is four years old now (she has changed/grown).

4 · Asking age: 多大 vs 几岁

多大了？ general — for adults

几岁了？ for young children

1 · Modal verb 会 (1) — learned ability key

Subject + 会/不会 + Verb

你会说汉语吗？ → 会。/ 不会。

2 · Adjectival predicate — needs 很

Subject + 很 + Adj · 中国菜很好吃。

Without 很, the sentence implies comparison/contrast.

3 · 怎么 (1) — asking manner

这个字怎么写？ How do you write this character?

1 · Date order: Year → Month → Day → Weekday

今天9月1号星期三。 Today is Wednesday, September 1st.

Weekdays: 星期一 Mon · 星期二 Tue · 星期三 Wed · 星期四 Thu · 星期五 Fri · 星期六 Sat · 星期日/天 Sun

2 · Nominal predicate — no 是 needed

Date / age / price phrases serve as predicates directly:

今天9月1号。 Today is September 1st.

3 · Serial verb: 去 + Place + Verb

Subject + 去 + Place + Verb

我去学校看书。 I go to school to read.

1 · Modal 想 — to want / would like

Subject + 想 + Verb · 我想喝茶。

Negate: 我不想吃。

2 · 多少 vs 几 distinction

多少 — any quantity (large or unknown): 多少钱？ How much money?

几 — small numbers, usually under 10.

3 · Measure words 个 and 口 essential

Chinese requires a measure word between numeral and noun:

一个学生 · 两口人 · 一本书

4 · Money

元/块 yuán/kuài (yuan) · 角/毛 jiǎo/máo (10 cents) · 分 fēn (cent)

五块钱 = ¥5 · 两块五 = ¥2.50

1 · Verb 在 — location ("to be at")

Subject + 在 + Place · 小猫在那儿。

2 · 哪儿 — where

你在哪儿工作？

3 · Preposition 在 — action at a location word order

Subject + 在 + Place + Verb

我在学校工作。 I work at a school. (在 comes before the verb — not after, unlike English.)

4 · 呢 (2) — when subject is understood

他在哪儿呢？ Where is he (then)?

1 · 有 sentence — existence

Place + 有 + Object · 桌子上有一个电脑。

Negation: 桌子上没有电脑。

2 · Conjunction 和

Connects nouns/pronouns only (NOT clauses): 电脑和书.

3 · Modal 能 vs 会 vs 可以 key distinction

会 — learned ability

能 — physical capability / permission

可以 — permission / possibility

我能坐这儿吗？ May I sit here?

4 · Polite imperatives with 请

请 + Verb · 请坐 · 请问

1 · Telling time

几点？ what time?

X点Y分 = X:Y · 三点二十分 = 3:20

半 bàn = half past · 六点半 = 6:30

差 chà = "to" / quarter to · 差五分六点 = 5:55

2 · Time words BEFORE the verb word order

Time goes before the verb (NOT after, unlike English):

我星期一去北京。 (Monday before 去)

3 · Noun 前

星期五前 = before Friday. Used after time expressions.

1 · 怎么样 — asking about state/condition

天气怎么样？ → 天气很好。/ 天气不好。

2 · Subject-predicate as predicate

天气太热了。 The weather is too hot. (天气 = topic; 太热了 = comment)

3 · 太…了 — too / extremely very common

太 + Adj + 了 · 太热了 · 太漂亮了

Note: 了 is required here.

4 · 会 (2) — probability / prediction

Distinct from learned ability (Lesson 6).

今天会下雨吗？ Will it rain today? → 不会。

1 · Interjection 喂

For answering the phone: 喂！

2 · 在…呢 — action in progress key

Subject + 在 + Verb (+ Object) + 呢

我在看书呢。 I'm reading right now.

Negation uses 没 (drop 在 and 呢): 他没看书。

3 · Phone numbers

Read digit by digit: 82304155 = 八二三零四一五五.

一 is often read as yāo in phone numbers (to distinguish from 七 qī).

4 · Particle 吧 — suggestion / request

你下午打吧。 Call in the afternoon.

1 · 了 — change OR completion critical

(a) Sentence-final 了: change/new situation. 我去商店了。 I went to the store.

(b) Verb-suffix 了: completion. Object needs a modifier. 她买了不少衣服。 She bought a lot of clothes.

Negate with 没 (drop 了): 我没买。 / 她没去商店。

2 · Noun 后 — after

40分钟后 = after 40 minutes. Use after a time-span.

3 · Particle 啊 — softening / confirmation

是啊。 Yes, indeed.

4 · Adverb 都 — all / both

Placed before the verb: 这些都是王方的东西。

1 · 是…的 — emphasizing time, place, or manner key structure

Used to emphasize when, where, or how a past action happened.

我们是2011年认识的。 (time)

我是坐飞机来的。 (manner)

你们是在哪儿认识的？ (place)

2 · Full date: Year → Month → Day

2011年9月1号 = September 1st, 2011

Reading years: digit by digit → 二零一一年 (2011).

Rule 1 — Horizontal before vertical; left-falling before right-falling

Examples: 十 (一→十), 八 (丿→八), 人 (丿→人)

Rule 2 — Top before bottom; left before right

Examples: 三 (一→二→三), 你 (亻→你)

Rule 3 — Outside before inside; middle before sides

Examples: 国 (囗→内→口), 水 (middle stroke first)