HSK 2
6 min
比 Comparisons
Use 比 to compare with quick examples and a cloze drill.
HSK 2.0
HSK 2 grammar
All 61 grammar points introduced at HSK 2 (HSK 2.0), each with example sentences and a short practice drill.
Learn HSK 2 words for good
HSK 2
6 min
过 for Experience
Talk about places visited, foods tried, and things done at least once.
HSK 1
6 min
正在 vs 在 vs 着
Use 正在, 在, and 着 for actions in progress with examples and a cloze drill.
HSK 2
6 min
或者 vs 还是
Pick the right “or” with fast examples plus an interactive cloze quiz.
HSK 3
6 min
以前 and 以后
Say before class, after work, before coming, and after eating with natural sequence words.
HSK 2
6 min
一下 for Light Actions
Soften requests and describe quick tries with 一下.
HSK 2
6 min
是...的 for Details
Highlight the detail of a known past event.
HSK 2
6 min
到, 离, and 从
Talk about routes, distance, and origin with three essential place words.
HSK 1
6 min
能, 会, and 可以
Choose the right “can” for skill, possibility, and permission.
HSK 1
6 min
Serial Verb Sentences
Say go buy food, come see me, sit down eat, and other action chains.
HSK 2
6 min
Chinese Result Complements: From Doing Something to Getting a Result
Learn 听懂, 看见, 做完 and 找到, with action-versus-result comparisons, negative sentences and original practice.
HSK 1
6 min
Duration and Frequency
Say how long something lasted and how many times it happened.
HSK 3
6 min
跟...一样
Compare equality instead of difference.
HSK 2
6 min
还是 vs 吗 Questions
Pick the right question shape for open yes-or-no questions and direct choices.
HSK 2
6 min
着 for Continuing State
Describe doors open, lights on, clothes worn, and people sitting or standing.
HSK 1
6 min
Chinese Sentence-Final Particles
Understand how 吗, 呢, 吧, 啊, 了, 哦, 呀, 嘛, 啦, 咯, 喽, and 呗 shape questions, suggestions, updates, and tone.
HSK 2
6 min
The Suffix 面 in 上面, 里面, 外面
Add 面 to a direction word to make a full place word like 上面 “on top” or 外面 “outside” that can stand on its own.
HSK 2
5 min
Left and Right with 左 and 右
Say where things are with 左边 and 右边, give directions with 往左 and 往右, and name the left or right hand with 左手 and 右手.
HSK 2
6 min
Doubled Verbs: 看看, 看一看, 看了看, 休息休息
Double a verb (看看, 想一想, 休息休息) to make an action sound quick and relaxed, and use 看了看 for a quick action that already happened.
HSK 2
6 min
Doubled Adjectives: 大大, 慢慢, 高高兴兴
Double an adjective as AA (大大, 慢慢) or AABB (高高兴兴) to paint a vivid picture, and attach it with 的, 地 or 得.
HSK 2
5 min
Saying “Maybe” with 可能
Use 可能 before a verb to say something might happen or might be true, and tell it apart from 可以 and 不可能.
HSK 2
5 min
自己 for “Myself, Yourself, On My Own”
Use 自己 to say “myself” or “yourself”, to stress that someone does something on their own, and 自己的 for “my own”.
HSK 2
7 min
这么, 那么, 这样, 那样 and 每
Say “so hot” with 这么热, “like this” with 这样做, “that kind of” with 那样的, and “every day” with 每天.
HSK 2
6 min
Big and Rough Numbers with 万, 好多 and 多
Count in ten-thousands with 万, say “lots of” with 好多, and say “twenty-something” or “over an hour” with 多.
HSK 1
6 min
Counting Times with 次: 去过两次
Say how many times you did something with verb + number + 次, and put the object in the right place.
HSK 2
6 min
Degree Adverbs 最, 多 and 好
Say “the most” with 最, “how beautiful!” with 多漂亮啊, and a chatty “so cold!” with 好冷啊.
HSK 2
6 min
About to Happen: 要, 快要, 就要……了
Say something is about to happen with 要……了, 快要……了 or 就要……了, and contrast it with 已经……了 for what has already happened.
HSK 2
6 min
From and Toward with 从 and 往
Use 从 to say where a movement starts or which way it goes through, and 往 to say which direction someone is heading.
HSK 2
6 min
Prepositions 给 and 跟 Before the Verb
Use 给 to say who receives an action, like 给妈妈打电话, and 跟 to say who you do something with, like 跟朋友一起去.
HSK 2
6 min
因为 + Noun for “Because of”
Use 因为 with a short reason, like 因为这件事 or 因为生病, before the verb to say what caused something.
HSK 2
7 min
Result Complements 错, 懂, 好, 会, 完
Add 错, 懂, 好, 会 or 完 after a verb to say how an action turned out: 写错, 听懂, 做好, 学会, 吃完.
HSK 2
7 min
Direction After a Verb: 来, 去, 上, 下, 进, 出, 过, 回
Add 来 or 去 after a verb to show movement toward or away from you, and 上, 下, 进, 出, 过 or 回 to show which way something moves.
HSK 2
7 min
Verb + 得 to Say How Well Something Is Done
Use verb + 得 + adjective to comment on how someone does something, like 他跑得很快 or 你说得很对.
HSK 2
6 min
Place + Verb + 着 to Describe What Is There
Describe what is in a place and how it is placed, like 桌子上放着一本书 or 门口站着两个人.
HSK 1
5 min
...，还... for Adding Another Fact
Use 还 in a second clause to add one more thing someone did, does, or is.
HSK 2
6 min
Noun, Verb and Adjective Phrases
See how Chinese words group into noun, verb and adjective phrases, and where each type fits in a sentence.
HSK 3
6 min
一...也不 and 一点儿也不 for “Not Even One”
Say “not a single one” and “not at all” with 一...也/都 + 不/没.
HSK 2
5 min
一起 for “Together”
Use 一起 before the verb to say people do something together.
HSK 1
6 min
再 and 就 for “Again” and “Then”
Use 再 for doing something again later, and 再 and 就 to link one step to the next.
HSK 2
5 min
贵十块, 大两岁 for Adjective + Amount
To say by how much, put the amount right after the adjective: 贵十块 “ten yuan more expensive”, 大两岁 “two years older”, 晚了二十分钟 “twenty minutes late”.
HSK 2
6 min
几, 十多个 and 一个多小时 for Approximate Numbers
In statements, 几 means “a few” (几个人, 十几岁); 多 means “and more”, before the measure word after round numbers (二十多个) and after it with splittable units (一个多小时, 三块多).
HSK 2
5 min
帮忙, 游泳, 跳舞, 跑步 for Separable Verbs
帮忙, 游泳, 跳舞 and 跑步 are verb + object words that split apart: 了, 过, time words and the person you help go in the middle.
HSK 2
5 min
他比我跑得快 and 他跑得比我快 for Comparing Actions
To compare how two people do something, combine 比 with a 得 complement: 他比我跑得快 or 他跑得比我快 both mean “he runs faster than me”.
HSK 2
5 min
别 for “Don’t”
别 + verb tells someone not to do something; 别…了 tells them to stop, or to drop a plan.
HSK 2
6 min
走进来, 跑出去, 拿回来 for Two-Part Direction Complements
A compound directional complement adds a direction (进, 出, 上, 下, 回, 过, 起) plus 来 or 去 after a verb: 走进来 “walk in (toward me)”, 跑出去 “run out (away from me)”.
HSK 2
5 min
我的, 新的, 卖水果的 for 的-Phrases (“Mine”, “The New One”)
A 的-phrase is a describer + 的 with the noun left out: 我的 (mine), 大的 (the big one), 卖水果的 (the fruit seller), 妈妈做的 (what Mom made).
HSK 2
6 min
还, 正 and 有时候 for “Still”, “Right Then” and “Sometimes”
还 means “still” (还没 = “not yet”), 正 puts an action right in progress at a certain moment, and 有时候 means “sometimes”; all three go before the verb.
HSK 2
5 min
就 and 还是 for “Exactly” and “Still”
As mood adverbs, 就 stresses that something is exactly so (我就是王明), 还是 says something is still true in spite of what happened, and 都…了 means “already”.
HSK 3
6 min
可是 and 可 for “But”
Start the second clause with 可是, or the shorter, more casual 可, when what follows goes against what you just said.
HSK 3
6 min
Verb了...就... for “After …, (Then) …”
Put 了 after the first verb to mean “once this is done,” and 就 before the second verb for what follows: 我下了课就去图书馆.
HSK 2
5 min
条, 位, 间, 名 and 包 for Roads, People, Rooms and Packets
条 counts long, thin things, 位 and 名 count people politely or formally, 间 counts rooms, and 包 counts things that come in a bag or packet.
HSK 2
5 min
那 and 但 for “In That Case” and “But”
At the start of a reply, 那 means “then, in that case”; 但 is a shorter 但是 for “but”. Together with 虽然, 因为, 所以 and 还是, they join clauses.
HSK 2
5 min
今天晴天 and 他是高个子 for Describing With Noun Phrases
A noun phrase can describe a feature of the subject, with or without 是: 今天晴天, 我妹妹长头发, 他是个高个子, 这件衣服是新的.
HSK 2
5 min
三楼, 二年级, 五号 for Order Without 第
For numbered things in a series, such as floors, school years, classes and dates, a number + unit word already shows order: 三楼 “the third floor”, 二年级 “second grade”.
HSK 2
5 min
作业做完了 for Thing-First Sentences Without 被
In Chinese, the thing that receives the action can simply be the subject, with no 被: 作业做完了 means “the homework is done”.
HSK 2
5 min
今天天气很好 for Sentences With a Second Subject
In a 主谓谓语句 the predicate is a small subject + predicate: 今天 | 天气很好, 他 | 个子很高, 我们学校 | 学生很多.
HSK 3
6 min
Verb + 着 + Verb for “Doing One Thing While Doing Another”
In verb1 + 着 + verb2, the first verb with 着 describes the manner or state in which the main action (verb2) is done: 笑着说, 站着吃饭, 走着去.
HSK 2
6 min
做完, 走进来, 跑得快 for Verb-Complement Phrases
A verb-complement phrase (动补短语) is a verb plus a word after it that tells the result, direction, state or amount of the action: 做完, 走进来, 跑得很快, 等了一个小时.
HSK 2
5 min
送给他一本书 for Verb + 给 + Person + Thing
Verbs of passing something on can take 给 right after them, then the person, then the thing: 送给他一本书, 借给我一支笔, 还给你.
HSK 2
5 min
我买的书 for Describing Nouns With Actions
To describe a noun with an action, put the verb phrase or subject + verb before the noun and add 的: 来的人, 学汉语的学生, 妈妈做的菜.
HSK 2
5 min
为什么 for “Why”
为什么 asks for a reason; it sits after the subject, before the verb, and the answer usually starts with 因为.
Make HSK 2 stick
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