Basic Word Order (Subject-Verb-Object)

Level: beginner (HSK 1). Mandarin builds a basic sentence in the same core order as English — Subject + Verb + Object — so your first sentences feel familiar. The big difference is where “when” and “where” go: in Chinese they come before the verb.

The rule

A simple statement puts the subject (the doer) first, then the verb (the action), then the object (what the action affects):

• 我喝水。 (wǒ hē shuǐ) — I drink water. [我 (wǒ) = I, 喝 (hē) = drink, 水 (shuǐ) = water]
• 他吃米饭。 (tā chī mǐfàn) — He eats rice.

Chinese verbs do not change for person or tense: 是 (shì), 喝 (hē) and 吃 (chī) look the same for I, you or they, and for past or present. Time is shown with separate words, not by changing the verb.

Where English puts “when” and “where” at the end, Chinese puts them before the verb, with time usually before place:

• 我今天在家工作。 (wǒ jīntiān zài jiā gōngzuò) — I work at home today. [time 今天 (jīntiān) → place 在家 (zài jiā) → verb 工作 (gōngzuò)]

The pattern at a glance

Read straight across: 我今天在家工作 (wǒ jīntiān zài jiā gōngzuò) — “I work at home today.”

Example sentences

1. 我喝水。
   Wǒ hē shuǐ.
   I drink water.
2. 他吃米饭。
   Tā chī mǐfàn.
   He eats rice.
3. 我们学中文。
   Wǒmen xué Zhōngwén.
   We study Chinese.
4. 她看书。
   Tā kàn shū.
   She reads a book.
5. 我爱你。
   Wǒ ài nǐ.
   I love you.
6. 他买苹果。
   Tā mǎi píngguǒ.
   He buys apples.
7. 我今天工作。
   Wǒ jīntiān gōngzuò.
   I work today.
   time before the verb
8. 我在家吃饭。
   Wǒ zài jiā chī fàn.
   I eat at home.
   place before the verb
9. 我今天在家工作。
   Wǒ jīntiān zài jiā gōngzuò.
   I work at home today.
   time then place
10. 他昨天来了。
    Tā zuótiān lái le.
    He came yesterday.
    时间词 shows past, verb unchanged
11. 我们明天去北京。
    Wǒmen míngtiān qù Běijīng.
    We go to Beijing tomorrow.
12. 你喝茶吗？
    Nǐ hē chá ma?
    Do you drink tea?
13. 我不吃肉。
    Wǒ bù chī ròu.
    I don't eat meat.
    不 (bù) before the verb
14. 老师教我们中文。
    Lǎoshī jiāo wǒmen Zhōngwén.
    The teacher teaches us Chinese.
15. 我在学校学习。
    Wǒ zài xuéxiào xuéxí.
    I study at school.
16. 他每天跑步。
    Tā měitiān pǎobù.
    He runs every day.

Common mistakes

• ❌ 我工作今天。 (wǒ gōngzuò jīntiān) → ✅ 我今天工作。 (wǒ jīntiān gōngzuò) Time goes before the verb, not after.
• ❌ 我吃饭在家。 (wǒ chī fàn zài jiā) → ✅ 我在家吃饭。 (wǒ zài jiā chī fàn) Place goes before the verb.
• ❌ 我喝。 (wǒ hē) as “I drink water” → ✅ 我喝水。 (wǒ hē shuǐ) Keep the object; a bare verb sounds unfinished.
• ❌ 我今天是工作。 (wǒ jīntiān shì gōngzuò) → ✅ 我今天工作。 (wǒ jīntiān gōngzuò) Don’t insert 是 (shì) before an action verb.
• ❌ 不我吃肉。 (bù wǒ chī ròu) → ✅ 我不吃肉。 (wǒ bù chī ròu) 不 (bù) goes right before the verb, after the subject.

A short conversation

A: 你今天做什么？ (Nǐ jīntiān zuò shénme?) — What are you doing today? B: 我在家工作。 (Wǒ zài jiā gōngzuò.) — I’m working at home. A: 你喝咖啡吗？ (Nǐ hē kāfēi ma?) — Do you drink coffee? B: 我喝茶。 (Wǒ hē chá.) — I drink tea.

Usage notes

• No tense on the verb: add a time word — 今天 (jīntiān) “today”, 昨天 (zuótiān) “yesterday”, 明天 (míngtiān) “tomorrow” — or the particle 了 (le) to show when; the verb itself never conjugates.
• Objects are often kept: unlike casual English, Chinese usually states the object — 我喝水 (wǒ hē shuǐ), not just 我喝 (wǒ hē).
• Negation: 不 (bù) and 没 (méi) sit directly before the verb: 我不去 (wǒ bù qù, “I’m not going”).

Compared with…

• Topic-comment order — Chinese can front a known thing as the topic: 这本书我看过 (zhè běn shū wǒ kàn guò, “this book, I’ve read it”). The object moves to the front for emphasis.
• The 把 (bǎ) construction — moves the object before the verb to show what happens to it: 我把门关了 (wǒ bǎ mén guān le, “I closed the door”). Both are introduced in the Chinese grammar section.

Quick recap before the quiz.

Practice

Practice

Word order practice

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 Build 'I drink water.'

我 (wǒ)水 (shuǐ)喝 (hē)

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我 (wǒ) 喝 (hē) 水 (shuǐ) — Subject 我 (wǒ) + verb 喝 (hē) + object 水 (shuǐ).

2 Build 'I work at home today.'

工作 (gōngzuò)我 (wǒ)在家 (zài jiā)今天 (jīntiān)

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我 (wǒ) 今天 (jīntiān) 在家 (zài jiā) 工作 (gōngzuò) — Subject, then time, then place, then verb.

3 Where does a time word like 今天 (jīntiān, 'today') go?

at the end of the sentence before the verb before the subject only after the object

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before the verb — Time comes before the verb (usually right after the subject).

4 'I eat rice' is 我吃米饭 (wǒ chī mǐfàn). Type the pinyin for the object (rice): ____

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mǐfàn — Keep the object: 我吃米饭 (wǒ chī mǐfàn).

5 Match each Chinese word to its role.

• 我 (wǒ) Match for 我 (wǒ) — choose — objectsubjecttimeverb
• 喝 (hē) Match for 喝 (hē) — choose — objectsubjecttimeverb
• 水 (shuǐ) Match for 水 (shuǐ) — choose — objectsubjecttimeverb
• 今天 (jīntiān) Match for 今天 (jīntiān) — choose — objectsubjecttimeverb

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• 我 (wǒ) → subject
• 喝 (hē) → verb
• 水 (shuǐ) → object
• 今天 (jīntiān) → time

Subject + (time/place) + verb + object.

Quiz

Check yourself

Chinese basic word order

12 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

0/12 0 answered

1. 1What is the default Mandarin word order?

   A Subject-Object-Verb B Verb-Subject-Object C Subject-Verb-Object D Object-Verb-Subject
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   Subject-Verb-Object — Chinese is SVO: 我喝水 (wǒ hē shuǐ).

2. 2Which sentence is correct for 'I drink water'?

   A 我水喝 (wǒ shuǐ hē) B 喝我水 (hē wǒ shuǐ) C 我喝水 (wǒ hē shuǐ) D 水喝我 (shuǐ hē wǒ)
   Show answer

   我喝水 (wǒ hē shuǐ) — Subject + verb + object: 我喝水 (wǒ hē shuǐ).

3. 3Where does 今天 (jīntiān, 'today') go in 'I work today'?

   A 我工作今天 (wǒ gōngzuò jīntiān) B 我今天工作 (wǒ jīntiān gōngzuò) C 今天工作我 (jīntiān gōngzuò wǒ) D 工作我今天 (gōngzuò wǒ jīntiān)
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   我今天工作 (wǒ jīntiān gōngzuò) — Time comes before the verb: 我今天工作 (wǒ jīntiān gōngzuò).

4. 4Where does the place 在家 (zài jiā, 'at home') go?

   A after the verb B before the verb C at the very end D before the subject
   Show answer

   before the verb — Place precedes the verb: 我在家吃饭 (wǒ zài jiā chī fàn).

5. 5When time and place appear together, the order is…

   A place then time B time then place C either order D both at the end
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   time then place — Time before place: 我今天在家工作 (wǒ jīntiān zài jiā gōngzuò).

6. 6How do Chinese verbs show past tense?

   A they add an ending B they change form C they stay the same; a time word or 了 (le) shows it D they double
   Show answer

   they stay the same; a time word or 了 (le) shows it — Verbs don't conjugate; 昨天 (zuótiān) or 了 (le) show time.

7. 7Where does 不 (bù, 'not') go?

   A before the subject B right before the verb C at the end D after the object
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   right before the verb — 我不吃肉 (wǒ bù chī ròu): 不 (bù) sits before the verb.

8. 8Which is the correct object sentence?

   A 他买 (tā mǎi) B 他买苹果 (tā mǎi píngguǒ) C 苹果他买 (píngguǒ tā mǎi) D 买他苹果 (mǎi tā píngguǒ)
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   他买苹果 (tā mǎi píngguǒ) — Keep the object: 他买苹果 (tā mǎi píngguǒ, 'He buys apples').

9. 9Which sentence wrongly puts time at the end?

   A 我今天工作 (wǒ jīntiān gōngzuò) B 我工作今天 (wǒ gōngzuò jīntiān) C 我喝水 (wǒ hē shuǐ) D 他吃米饭 (tā chī mǐfàn)
   Show answer

   我工作今天 (wǒ gōngzuò jīntiān) — 我工作今天 (wǒ gōngzuò jīntiān) is wrong; time goes before the verb.

10. 10Fronting the object (topic-comment) is used to…

    A ask a question B emphasise the known thing C show past tense D make a plural
    Show answer

    emphasise the known thing — 这本书我看过 (zhè běn shū wǒ kàn guò) fronts the topic for emphasis.

11. 11Type the pinyin for the verb in 我喝水 (wǒ ____ shuǐ).
    Check
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    hē — 喝 (hē) is the verb 'drink'.

12. 12The 把 (bǎ) construction moves the object…

    A to the end B before the verb C before the subject D it deletes the object
    Show answer

    before the verb — 把 (bǎ) brings the object before the verb: 我把门关了 (wǒ bǎ mén guān le).

Recap cheat-sheet

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