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太 + Adj. + 了Used to express an exclamation ('so...!') or an excessive degree ('too...'). Commonly paired with positive or negative adjectives.
When used positively (e.g. 太好了), it expresses delight. When negated with 不 (不太……), 了 is omitted (e.g. 不太好).
这道中国菜太好吃了！
Zhè dào Zhōngguó cài tài hǎochī le!
This Chinese dish is so delicious!
今天的风太大了，别出门了。
Jīntiān de fēng tài dà le, bié chūmén le.
The wind is too strong today; don't go outside.
Statement + 吗？Turns any affirmative or declarative sentence into a general Yes/No question by appending 吗 to the end without changing word order.
Do not use 吗 if the sentence already contains question words like 什么, 谁, 哪儿, or 怎么.
你是学生吗？
Nǐ shì xuésheng ma?
Are you a student?
今天天气好吗？
Jīntiān tiānqì hǎo ma?
Is the weather good today?
不 + Verb/Adj (Habitual/Future) / 没 + 有/Verb (Past/Possession)不 negates habitual actions, future intentions, and adjectives. 没 (or 没有) negates past completed actions and possession of objects.
Always use 没 (never 不) when negating 有 (没有). Use 不 for modal verbs (不想, 不能, 不会).
我不喝咖啡，我喝茶。
Wǒ bù hē kāfēi, wǒ hē chá.
I don't drink coffee; I drink tea (habitual).
他今天没有来学校。
Tā jīntiān méiyǒu lái xuéxiào.
He did not come to school today (past action).
Subj. + 在 + Place (+ Verb + Obj.)Used to indicate where someone or something is located, or the location where an action takes place.
When followed by a verb, the location phrase (在 + Place) must precede the verb in standard Mandarin word order.
李老师在学校工作。
Lǐ lǎoshī zài xuéxiào gōngzuò.
Teacher Li works at school.
我的书包在桌子上。
Wǒ de shūbāo zài zhuōzi shang.
My backpack is on the desk.
Noun/Pronoun + 的 + NounThe primary possessive and attributive marker in Mandarin, functioning like apostrophe-s ("'s") or "of".
When referring to close family members or intimate relations (爸爸, 妈妈, 朋友), 的 is frequently dropped (我爸爸, 我朋友).
这是我朋友的汉字书。
Zhè shì wǒ péngyou de hànzì shū.
This is my friend's character book.
红色的苹果很甜。
Hóngsè de píngguǒ hěn tián.
The red apple is very sweet.
Subj. + 也 / 都 + Verb / Adj.也 means 'also / too', indicating similarity. 都 means 'all / both', indicating universality across plural subjects.
Both must appear before verbs or adjectives. If used together in the same clause, 也 always precedes 都 (也 + 都 + Verb).
我也是学汉语的学生。
Wǒ yě shì xué hànyǔ de xuésheng.
I am also a student learning Chinese.
我们都是北京大学的校友。
Wǒmen dōu shì Běijīng Dàxué de xiàoyǒu.
We are all alumni of Peking University.
Noun A + 和 + Noun BConnects two or more nouns, noun phrases, or pronouns, meaning 'and'.
和 cannot connect independent clauses or sentences (do not use 和 where English uses 'and' to join two full sentences).
桌上有苹果和香蕉。
Zhuō shang yǒu píngguǒ hé xiāngjiāo.
There are apples and bananas on the table.
我和李老师一起去图书馆。
Wǒ hé Lǐ lǎoshī yìqǐ qù túshūguǎn.
Teacher Li and I go to the library together.
怎么 + Verb?Used before a verb to ask how an action is performed, inquire about method, or ask for directions.
Distinguish from 怎么样 (which asks about quality or opinion). 怎么 reads manner/means (e.g. 怎么走, 怎么写).
请问故宫怎么走？
Qǐngwèn Gùgōng zěnme zǒu?
Excuse me, how do I get to the Forbidden City?
这个汉字怎么读？
Zhè ge hànzì zěnme dú?
How do you pronounce this Chinese character?
几 + Measure Word / 多少 (+ Measure Word)Both ask 'how many / how much'. 几 is generally used for small quantities (typically under 10), while 多少 is used for any quantity.
几 strictly requires a measure word (几本书, 几个人). 多少 can be followed directly by a noun without a measure word (多少钱, 多少人).
你家里有几口人？
Nǐ jiā lǐ yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?
How many people are in your family?
这本汉字教材多少钱？
Zhè běn hànzì jiàocái duōshao qián?
How much does this Chinese character textbook cost?
Noun / Pronoun + 呢？Used at the end of a sentence to ask 'where is ...?' or to bounce back a question like 'what about ...?'
When used after a solitary noun without context, it typically asks for the whereabouts of an object or person.
我的手机呢？
Wǒ de shǒujī ne?
Where is my cell phone?
我喜欢喝绿茶，你呢？
Wǒ xǐhuan hē lǜchá, nǐ ne?
I like drinking green tea, what about you?