HSK 语法点 🔮 Grammar Points
1. ✨ (Past Simple) Time Adverbial …昨天…
Chinese verbs do not indicate tense. Regardless of the time of action or event, the verb has the same form. In the following example sentences, the time word 昨天 is used as an adverbial to talk about the past.
2. ✨ Time Adverbials (Phrases/Clauses)
In the following example sentences, we use different time phrases or adverbial clauses to describe the past events.
3. ✨ Verb + 了 + Object
The aspect particle 了 is used after the verb to indicate the completion of the action. If the verb has an object, 了 is used before the object. It's like Past Simple in English.
4. ✨ （已经+）V + 了 + Duration + 了
We use "V+了" with a period of time to refer to duration of a completed action. We use "V+了+Duration+了" to talk about the experiences up to now. It implies the action is still going on in the present. It's like Present Perfect in English.
5. ✨ 已经 + Verb/Adj. (Monosyllable) + 了
We use "已经 + Verb/Adjective + 了" to emphasize that something has been completed or changed. The particle 了 is added after a monosyllabic verb or adjective.
6. ✨ 已经 + Time/Age/Duration/Weight + 了
The adverb 已经 can be used before a numeral-measure word phrase(数量词短语) directly to express that the action or state has reached a certain degree.
7. ✨ 曾/曾经/不曾/未曾 + Verb + 过
The adverb 曾 or 曾经 describes a past action or event, meaning "in the past, but not now". Their negative form is 不曾 or 未曾. The aspect particle 过 is used after the verb to emphasize that the action has been experienced.
8. ✨ V1 + 了 …… 就 + V2 +了
We use the structure V1+了……就+V2+了 to describe two consecutive actions, with the second action immediately following the first one.
9. ✨ Verb + Result Complement + 了
Some verbs or adjectives can be used after a verb to indicate the completion of the action. They are called Result Complements, such as 完, 住, 会, 见, 清楚 and 明白 in the following examples.
10. ✨ Verb + 过 + Object
The aspect particle 过 is used after the verb to express that the action has been experienced. The adverb 没 or 没有 is used to negate the verb.
11. ✨ Verb + 过 + [Complement of Frequency]
We use Numeral-Measure Word phrase after the structure "Verb + 过" to indicate the frequency of action that occurred in the past. The Numeral-Measure Word phrase is the complement of frequency in the sentence.
12. ✨ Time in the Past + 正/在/正在 + Verb
In the following example sentences, we use the adverbs 正, 在 or 正在 before verbs to talk about actions or states happening around a particular time in the past, just like the Past Continuous tense in English.
13. ✨ Duration + 一直在 + Verb
We use "Duration + 一直在" to emphasize a continuing and ongoing action and focus on the duration of the activity. It is just like Present/Past Perfect Continuous in English.
14. ✨ 一直 (+都) + Verb | 从来没有 + Verb + 过
We use the adverbs 一直 or 从来 to emphasize that the action or state is constant and continuous through time. 从来没(有) expresses strong negation in the sentence, meaning "never".
15. ✨ 还没有 + Verb
还没有+Verb means "not yet" or "never". 呢 is optional but is often used in conversation. It refers to time up to now, just like the present perfect tense in English.
16. ✨ 刚才/刚/刚刚
刚才 is a Time Word, meaning "a short while ago; just now". 刚才 can be used as the time adverbial, attribute or object of the preposition in a sentence. The adverbs 刚 and 刚刚 can only be used before the verbs, meaning "just recently; a moment ago".
17. ✨ 以前/过去/曾/曾经 + Verb
We can use 以前, 过去, 曾 or 曾经 to mean "done or experienced in the past, but no longer done or experienced". Just like "used to" in English.
18. ✨ 就/本来 + Modal Verb + Verb
We can use "就/本来 + Modal Verb" to express actions are possibilities rather than facts, or situations are imagined. 如果/要是 is often used to introduce conditional or hypothetical clause.