Grammar • Verbs
Chinese Verbs & Aspects
No Conjugation — Aspect Markers Instead
Chinese verbs never change their form. There is no conjugation for person, number, or tense. Instead, Mandarin uses aspect markers — 了、着、过、在 — to express how an action unfolds in time. This lesson covers verbs, aspects, complements, and the most important sentence patterns.
Chinese Verbs — No Conjugation
In English, a verb like "eat" changes to "eats" (3rd person singular present) and "ate" (past). In Mandarin, 吃 (chī) is identical in every context. The same form works for all persons and all times. Time is expressed by context — time words and aspect markers — not by the verb itself.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 我吃 | wǒ chī | I eat | 1st person singular |
| 你吃 | nǐ chī | you eat | 2nd person singular |
| 他吃 | tā chī | he/she eats | 3rd person singular |
| 我们吃 | wǒmen chī | we eat | 1st person plural |
| 昨天吃 | zuótiān chī | (someone) ate yesterday | Past — verb unchanged |
| 明天吃 | míngtiān chī | (someone) will eat tomorrow | Future — verb unchanged |
Verb Aspects (Not Tenses)
Chinese grammar distinguishes aspect (how an action unfolds) rather than tense (when it happens on an absolute timeline). Four main aspect markers cover the most common situations:
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 我吃了饭 | wǒ chī le fàn | I ate / I've eaten (a meal) | 了 — completed action (post-verbal position) |
| 他来了 | tā lái le | He has come / He's here | 了 — change of state (sentence-final) |
| 他坐着 | tā zuò zhe | He is sitting (in a seated state) | 着 — continuous state, not action in progress |
| 门开着 | mén kāi zhe | The door is open | 着 — resultant state of a previous action |
| 我吃过饺子 | wǒ chīguò jiǎozi | I've eaten dumplings (at some point in my life) | 过 — lifetime past experience |
| 你去过中国吗？ | nǐ qùguò Zhōngguó ma? | Have you ever been to China? | 过 with 吗 to ask about past experience |
| 我在吃饭 | wǒ zài chīfàn | I am eating right now | 在 — action currently in progress |
| 他正在看书 | tā zhèngzài kàn shū | He is reading (at this very moment) | 正在 — emphasises current moment |
Verb Complements (补语)
Verb complements follow the verb to indicate the result, direction, potential, or degree of the action. They are one of the most important — and most distinctively Chinese — grammatical features.
Resultative Complements (结果补语)
The complement tells you the result or outcome of the verb's action. Without the complement, the result is unknown; with it, the sentence becomes precise and complete.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 写完 | xiě wán | finish writing | 写 (write) + 完 (finish/complete) |
| 说清楚 | shuō qīngchǔ | say clearly | 说 (say) + 清楚 (clear) |
| 看懂 | kàn dǒng | understand by reading/watching | 看 (read/watch) + 懂 (understand) |
| 听见 | tīng jiàn | hear (successfully) | 听 (listen) + 见 (perceive/sense) |
| 做好 | zuò hǎo | do well / complete properly | 做 (do) + 好 (good/well) |
Directional Complements (趋向补语)
Directional complements indicate the direction of the action relative to the speaker — 来 (towards speaker) or 去 (away from speaker) — combined with movement indicators like 进 (enter), 出 (exit), 上 (up), 下 (down).
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 走进来 | zǒu jìnlái | walk in (towards speaker) | 走 + 进 (enter) + 来 (towards) |
| 走出去 | zǒu chūqù | walk out (away from speaker) | 走 + 出 (exit) + 去 (away) |
| 拿出去 | ná chūqù | take out (away) | 拿 (take/hold) + 出 + 去 |
| 跑上来 | pǎo shànglái | run up (towards speaker) | 跑 (run) + 上 (up) + 来 |
Potential Complements (可能补语)
The potential complement expresses whether the result of the verb is achievable. Insert 得 (de) between verb and result for "can"; insert 不 (bu) for "cannot". This is a highly productive pattern that applies to most resultative and directional complements.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 写得完 | xiě de wán | can finish writing | V + 得 + result — achievable |
| 写不完 | xiě bu wán | cannot finish writing | V + 不 + result — not achievable |
| 听得懂 | tīng de dǒng | can understand (by listening) | 听 + 得 + 懂 |
| 听不懂 | tīng bu dǒng | cannot understand (by listening) | 听 + 不 + 懂 |
| 看得见 | kàn de jiàn | can see (it) | 看 + 得 + 见 |
| 看不见 | kàn bu jiàn | cannot see (it) | 看 + 不 + 见 |
Degree Complements (程度补语)
Degree complements use 得 to introduce a clause or phrase that describes to what extent the action occurs. These appear after verbs and adjectives and are common in both spoken and written Chinese.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 高兴得跳起来 | gāoxìng de tiào qǐlái | so happy that (one) jumps up | Adj + 得 + result clause |
| 累得不行 | lèi de bùxíng | so tired it's unbearable | Common colloquial degree complement |
| 跑得很快 | pǎo de hěn kuài | runs very fast | Verb + 得 + degree adverb |
Common Sentence Patterns with Verbs
The following patterns cover the majority of Mandarin sentences you will encounter in everyday speech and writing. Drill these structures until they are automatic.
| Pattern | Chinese Example | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| S + V | 他走。 | Tā zǒu. | He leaves / He left. |
| S + V + O | 我爱你。 | Wǒ ài nǐ. | I love you. |
| S + V + 了 + O | 我喝了茶。 | Wǒ hē le chá. | I drank tea. |
| S + 在 + V + O | 我在看书。 | Wǒ zài kàn shū. | I'm reading (a book). |
| S + V + O + 吗 | 你吃饭了吗？ | Nǐ chīfàn le ma? | Have you eaten yet? |
| S + 没有 + V + O | 我没有吃饭。 | Wǒ méiyǒu chīfàn. | I haven't eaten. |
| S + V + 过 + O | 我去过北京。 | Wǒ qùguò Běijīng. | I've been to Beijing. |
| S + V + V complement | 他跑累了。 | Tā pǎo lèi le. | He ran until tired. |
Video Lesson
You've Completed the Grammar Series
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