🇨🇳 Chinese (Mandarin)
中文 • Han
Start here: build sentences (word order + core patterns)
Learn the default word order and memorize a handful of high‑frequency sentence patterns.
Default word order
Mandarin is typically SVO and is topic-prominent; time/place often comes early in a sentence.
- Start with short sentences and keep the pattern consistent.
- Copy a native pattern, then swap one word at a time.
Core sentences to memorize
These are extremely reusable. Read them aloud, then change one word (water → coffee, bathroom → station…).
我在这里。
Wǒ zài zhèlǐ
I am here.
我想要水。
Wǒ xiǎng yào shuǐ
I want water.
我不懂。
Wǒ bù dǒng
I don't understand.
你会说英语吗？
Nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma
Do you speak English?
厕所在哪里？
Cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ
Where is the bathroom?
这是我的朋友。
Zhè shì wǒ de péngyou
This is my friend.
Drills
Build the sentence
Wǒ xiǎng yào shuǐ
I want water.
Your sentence
Click tokens below to build the sentence.
Tokens
Build the sentence
Cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ
Where is the bathroom?
Your sentence
Click tokens below to build the sentence.
Tokens
Mini‑quiz
Mini-quiz
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Typical word order for this language is closest to…