Free Chinese grammar basics

What's inside

• Sentence orderWho, when, where, do, what: 我今天在家吃饭. Why verbs never change and time words do the work, 是 for linking nouns, and 很 for describing words like 她很高.
• Asking questionsAdd 吗 to the end, keep question words where the answer goes, 你去不去 for are you going or not, 呢 for and you, and 吧 for let's or right?
• Measure words个 when in doubt, then 本, 张, 只, 杯, 件, 辆, 位, 条 and 双 with examples, 这 and 那 with a measure word, and why two is 两 here, not 二.
• Done, ever, doing now了 for done or a change, 过 for ever done, 在 for doing it now, 要, 会 and 想 for will, can and would like, and 不 or 没 side by side.
• PracticeTen lines you hear in Chinese dramas, from 你吃饭了吗 to 别走, with the pattern in pink, then eight sentences to build yourself.

How to use it

1. Do one page a day, reading every example out loud.
2. Cover the right side of the practice page and say what each line means, then check.
3. Make your own sentences with the order bar on page one.
4. Watch something with Chinese subtitles in Kitsumi and hover a word to see what it means.

More free Chinese printables

• Next step100 Chinese drama phrasesThen pick up the lines dramas use all the time: 天哪, 我想你, 够了 and what 师傅 really means.
• Chinese numbers, time and moneyThen sort out numbers: 一 二 三 up to 万 and 亿, then prices, dates and the time.
• Chinese pinyin and tones chartStart with the sounds. The four tones, every initial and final, and the rules that tie them together.
• Basic Chinese wordsThen pick up the first 227 words: greetings, family, numbers, food, verbs and words from shows.

Questions