Basic Chinese Word Order 中文的基本语序
Learn to build natural Chinese sentences with one simple pattern: who + action + what. Then practise it yourself!
Pinyin OFF hides pronunciation lines. English translations OFF hides example translations; English teaching instructions remain visible.
The basic pattern
Good news! Many simple Mandarin sentences follow the same order as English:
This is a starting pattern for simple sentences—not a rule for every Chinese sentence. Some sentences don't need an object.
Everyday examples
Read each sentence from left to right. Notice the same subject → verb → object order.
Make your sentences useful
Once you know the basic pattern, you can add time, negatives, and questions. Here's a beginner-friendly introduction.
Common mistakes
The highlighted words show where learners often mix up the order.
Quick quiz · 6 questions
Choose one answer. You'll get feedback and a short explanation immediately.
Nice work!
Build a Chinese sentence
Tap the words in the correct order. Tap a word in your sentence to move it back. This works on phones, too!
Now it's your turn to speak!
Say a full sentence aloud for each prompt. Change the subject, verb, or object to make it personal.
- What do you drink? (I drink…)
- What do you study? (I study…)
- What do you like? (I like…)