Deconstructing Mandarin Chinese

Sentence Structure (Subject – Verb – Object)

The apple is red nà gè píng guǒ shìhóng sè de (nà gè= the/that)

It is John’s apple zhè shìJohn de píng guǒ (zhe shi = this is)

I give John the apple wǒ gěi John nà gè píng guǒ

We give him the apple wǒ men gěi tā nà gèpíng guǒ (ta = he/she/it)

You give the apple to him nǐ bǎ nà gè píng guǒ gei tā

He gives it to John tā bǎ zhè gè gěi John

She gives it to him tā bǎ zhè gègěi tā

Negatives

The apple is not red nà gè píng guǒ bú shìhóng sè de

He does not give it to John tā méi bǎ zhè gè gěi John

I do not give John the apple wǒ méi gěi John nà gè píng guǒ

Tenses

I gave him the apple (past) wǒ gěi le tā nà gè píng guǒ

I will give him the apple (future) wǒ huì gěi tā nà gè píng guǒ

Helping Verbs

I must give it to him wǒ bì xū bǎ tā gěi tā

I want to give it to her wǒ xiǎng bǎ tā gěi tā

I need to sleep wǒ xū yào shuìjiào le

I have to go wǒ dé zǒu le

I should get up wǒ gāi qǐ chuáng le

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Essential Verbs

shì = be / being / been / am / are / is / was / were

zuò = do / does / did

yǒu = have / had / has

yīng gāi = should / could / would / must

huì = will / can / shall

yě xǔ = may / might

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