Want to start speaking Mandarin today? Master a few simple patterns, and you’ll be able to talk about yourself, ask basic questions, and describe everyday life. In this lesson, you’ll learn the core Chinese sentence structure (SVO), where to put time and place, how to make yes–no questions with 吗 (ma), how to negate with 不 (bù) and 没(有) (méi(yǒu)), and how to describe with 很 (hěn). We’ll practice right away with short, real-world examples.

我 苹果。

Time and place: where they go

A1 learners often ask: Where do time and place words go? In Chinese, time usually comes before place, and both come before the verb.

Pattern: Subject + Time + 在 (zài) + Place + Verb (+ Object)

• 我今天在学校学习。Wǒ jīntiān zài xuéxiào xuéxí. = I study at school today.
• 她晚上在家看电视。Tā wǎnshang zài jiā kàn diànshì. = She watches TV at home in the evening.

Describing with adjectives: use 很 (hěn)

When you want to say “someone is [adjective],” do not use 是 (shì) directly before an adjective. Instead, use 很 (hěn). At A1, 很 often works like a smooth link between the subject and the adjective.

• 我很忙。Wǒ hěn máng. = I’m busy.
• 她很高兴。Tā hěn gāoxìng. = She’s (very) happy.

Note: 很 can mean “very,” but in everyday sentences it often just makes the sentence natural.

我是很忙。 → 我很忙。 Adjectives don’t take 是. Use 很 between the subject and the adjective.

我今天 忙。

Yes–no questions with 吗 (ma)

To make a simple yes–no question, keep the statement and add 吗 at the end.

• 你是学生吗？Nǐ shì xuéshēng ma? = Are you a student?
• 你喜欢咖啡吗？Nǐ xǐhuan kāfēi ma? = Do you like coffee?

Answer with 是/不是 (shì/búshì), or simply 对/不对 (duì/bùduì) in some contexts.

Negation: 不 (bù) vs 没(有) (méi(yǒu))

• 不 (bù) is for general or present/future habits, states, and adjectives.
  • 我不喝酒。Wǒ bù hē jiǔ. = I don’t drink alcohol.
  • 他不忙。Tā bù máng. = He isn’t busy.
• 没(有) (méi(yǒu)) is for past actions not done and for “not have.”
  • 我昨天没去学校。Wǒ zuótiān méi qù xuéxiào. = I didn’t go to school yesterday.
  • 我没有钱。Wǒ méiyǒu qián. = I don’t have money.

我今天 喝咖啡。

昨天我 去学校。

我 姐姐。

Possession with 的 (de)

Use 的 to show “of” or “’s.” It goes after the possessor.

• 这是我的朋友。Zhè shì wǒ de péngyou. = This is my friend.
• 他的电脑。Tā de diànnǎo. = His computer.

Topic and short follow-ups with 呢 (ne)

Chinese is topic-friendly. Sometimes you can bring a topic to the front or drop the subject if it’s clear.

• 咖啡，我不喝。Kāfēi, wǒ bù hē. = Coffee? I don’t drink it. (topic: coffee)
• 你呢？Nǐ ne? = And you? (follow-up)

In everyday chat, people often omit what’s obvious.

Mini-dialog example: A: 你是学生吗？ B: 是，我是学生。 A: 你呢？ B: 我也是学生。

Quick review: put it all together

• SVO: 我吃苹果；他看电视。
• Time/place: 我今天在学校学习。
• Adjectives with 很: 我很忙；她很高兴。
• Yes–no with 吗: 你喜欢咖啡吗？
• Negation: 我不喝酒；我昨天没去；我没有钱。
• Possession with 的: 这是我的朋友。
• Topic & 呢: 你呢？我很好。

Try saying these about yourself:

• 今天我在家学习。
• 我不喝咖啡。
• 你是学生吗？
• 这是我的朋友。

Practice boost

• Change the object: 我吃苹果 → 我吃面包/米饭。
• Change the time/place: 我今天在学校学习 → 我晚上在家学习。
• Make it a question: 你在公司工作。→ 你在公司工作吗？
• Negate it: 他很忙。→ 他不忙。; 我有时间。→ 我没有时间。

Keep your sentences short and clear. Focus on word order and the small words (在, 吗, 很, 不, 没有) that unlock meaning.

You’ve got the building blocks! With SVO, time/place, 吗, 很, 不/没, and 的, you can already make lots of real-life sentences. Keep practicing out loud—and don’t worry about perfect tones yet; clarity and order come first. 加油 jiāyóu! (You’ve got this!)