How does Chinese work? – Understanding Chinese through basic sentence patterns.

SENTENCE PATTERN 1.

这是一项佥某。

zhè shì yī xiàng qiānmǒu。

(This is a plan unanimously agreed upon.)

Grammar:

这zhè (the opposite of  那nà that) can mean, depending upon the context, this or these.

是 is the equivalent of the English verb „to be”. Chinese verbs are not conjugated, their form stays unchanged in all situations, although the meaning varies according to the context. In the following examples, notice the invariability of the Chinese 是shì, as opposed to the English shift of form.

我是学生。I am a student.

wǒ shì xuésheng.

我们是学生。We are students.

wǒmen shì xuésheng

他是学生。He is a student.

tā shì xuésheng

SENTENCE PATTERN 2.

你的话充满智慧。

nǐdehuàchōngmǎnzhìhuì。

(Your words are full of wisdom.)

Grammar:

The genitive case is expressed in Chinese through the use of the 的 particle. Thus, a simple pronoun becomes a possessive adjective when 的is added after it.

我/我们wǒmen I/we + 的 = 我的，我们的 my/our

你/你们nǐ/nǐmen you + 的 = 你的，你们的 your

他她它/他们tā/tāmen he she it/they + 的 = 他的，她的，他们的，她们的 his her/their