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HSK 2.0 Level 1+ HSK 3.0 Level 1+ 5 min read

主语 and 宾语 for the Subject and the Object

The subject comes first and the object comes right after the verb; a noun, a pronoun or a noun phrase can fill either slot, and only word order shows who does what.

Pattern

subject (noun / pronoun / noun phrase) + verb + object (noun / pronoun / noun phrase)

Chinese words do not change form: 我 is both “I” and “me.” The slot before the verb is the subject, the slot after it is the object.

我喜欢他，他也喜欢我。

When to use 主语 and 宾语 for the Subject and the Object

The subject (主语) is who or what the sentence is about, and it usually comes first. The object (宾语) is who or what the verb acts on, and it comes right after the verb. At HSK 1 both are usually a noun (老师, 苹果), a pronoun (我, 他, 这) or a noun phrase (我的朋友, 三个苹果). Chinese pronouns and nouns do not change form: 我 means “I” as the subject and “me” as the object, so word order alone shows who does what: 我认识他 is “I know him,” 他认识我 is “he knows me.”

我认识他。

I know him.

他认识我。

He knows me.

我的朋友是老师。

My friend is a teacher.

我买了三个苹果。

I bought three apples.

Common traps

  • 我 means both “I” and “me”; only its place shows the role: 他看我 vs 我看他.
  • The object goes after the verb: 我吃米饭, not 我米饭吃.
  • In questions the question word stays in its slot: 你喜欢什么？, not 什么你喜欢？

Targeted drill

Practice this exact pattern before moving on.

我买了三个 。

I bought three apples
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