You’ve picked up a good amount of Chinese vocabulary and now want to take your skills further? 

Let’s learn some more basic Chinese grammar rules! This is Part 2 of our article.

Subject + 很 + Adjective

When you want to describe someone or something with an adjective in Chinese, you’ll use the 很 (hěn) structure. Unlike English, where “am,” “are,” or “is” directly connect subjects to adjectives, Chinese typically uses 很 (hěn) for this purpose.

Check out these examples:

I’m tall: 我很高 (wǒ hěn gāo) 

He’s busy: 他很忙 (tā hěn máng) 

Chinese is easy: 中文很容易 (zhōngwén hěn róngyì) 

Though 很 often means “very,” in this structure, it doesn’t add extra emphasis — it simply links the subject and adjective, serving more as a grammatical connector than implying intensity.

 

Subject + Time + Verb

This structure specifies when an action occurs by positioning the time element right after the subject and before the verb. It differs from the typical sentence construction in many European languages, including English, where time elements often come at the end.

Here are examples showcasing this structure with time expressions:

I work out every day: 我每天锻炼 (wǒ měitiān duànliàn) 

He graduates next year: 他明年毕业 (tā míngnián bìyè)

Anna will visit me tomorrow: 安娜明天来看我 (ānnà míngtiān huì lái kàn wǒ)

Usually, time words go right after the subject. But, if you want to focus more on when something happens than what happens, you can put the time at the start of the sentence.

Another twist is when you’re mentioning how long something takes, like “two hours” or “three weeks.” In these cases, the duration goes at the end of the sentence. For example:

I work out every day for two hours: 我每天锻炼两个小时 (wǒ měitiān duànliàn liǎng ge xiǎoshí) 

 

Subject + Time + Location + Verb

Adding a location into the mix, this structure lets you detail not just when but also where an action takes place, providing a fuller picture of the event.

Examples:

I work in Shanghai this year: 我今年在上海工作 (wǒ jīnnián zài shànghǎi gōngzuò)

He was born in the USA in 1996: 他1996年在美国出生 (tā yījiǔjiǔliù nián zài měiguó chūshēng) 

I’m at home now: 我现在在家 (wǒ xiànzài zài jiā) 

However, if the location is part of the action, like “go to the USA,” “come home,” or “arrive in London,” the location is placed after the verb:

I will go to the USA tomorrow: 我明天去美国 (wǒ míngtiān qù měiguó)

He will come home tomorrow: 他明天回家 (tā míngtiān huí jiā)