Top Mistakes Chinese Learners Make

Level: HSK 3. Chinese has no tenses to conjugate and no plurals to mark, so the errors learners make are different from European languages. They cluster around word order, little grammar words, measure words and tones. Here are the six that come up most, each with a fix and a link to the lesson that drills it.

By the end of this page you can…

…spot the six most common Chinese errors and apply the fix for each.

1. Using 是 (shì) for location

是 (shì) means “to be” only in the sense of identity (what something is). For where something is, Chinese uses 在 (zài).

• ❌ 我是家 (wǒ shì jiā) → ✅ 我在家 (wǒ zài jiā), “I am at home”.

The fix: ask whether you mean “what” or “where”. Where → 在 (zài). Drill it in the lesson on 在 (zài).

2. Dropping the measure word

Chinese counts nouns with a measure word between the number and the noun. English has none, so learners leave it out.

• ❌ 一人 (yī rén) → ✅ 一个人 (yí ge rén), “one person”.
• ❌ 三书 (sān shū) → ✅ 三本书 (sān běn shū), “three books”.

Learn the all-purpose 个 (gè) and the common ones in the measure words lesson.

3. Double-marking a question

A question already built with a question word — 什么 (shénme, “what”), 哪儿 (nǎr, “where”), 谁 (shéi, “who”) — does not also take the yes/no particle 吗 (ma).

• ❌ 你在哪儿吗？ (nǐ zài nǎr ma?) → ✅ 你在哪儿？ (nǐ zài nǎr?), “where are you?”.

Use 吗 (ma) only to turn a statement into a yes/no question: 你好吗？ (nǐ hǎo ma?). See the lesson on 吗 (ma) questions and question words.

4. Putting the adjective after “to be”

With a simple adjective, Chinese does not use 是 (shì). Instead the adjective acts as the verb, usually with 很 (hěn, “very / just”).

• ❌ 她是高 (tā shì gāo) → ✅ 她很高 (tā hěn gāo), “she is tall”.

The 很 (hěn) here is often not a strong “very” — it just links the subject to the adjective. See the adjective-predicate lesson.

5. Getting the time-and-place order wrong

In Chinese, time and place come before the verb, not after it as in English (“I eat at home at noon”).

• ❌ 我吃饭在家 (wǒ chīfàn zài jiā) → ✅ 我在家吃饭 (wǒ zài jiā chīfàn), “I eat at home”.

The pattern is subject + time + place + verb. Review word order in the basic word order lesson.

6. Ignoring tones

A syllable’s tone is part of the word. 买 (mǎi, third tone) is “buy”; 卖 (mài, fourth tone) is “sell” — opposite meanings from one tone.

• ❌ learning ma with no tone → ✅ learn 妈 (mā), 麻 (má), 马 (mǎ), 骂 (mà) as four different words.

How to fix mistakes for good

• Say the measure word as part of the number. Train “one-GE-person”, so 个 (gè) never goes missing.
• Fix word order with a template. Subject, then time, then place, then verb — repeat it until it is automatic.
• Shadow native audio for tones. Copy short sentences aloud so the tone pattern, not just the syllable, sticks.

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Practice

Fix the common Chinese mistakes

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

1 Which is correct for 'I am at home'?

我是家 (wǒ shì jiā) 我在家 (wǒ zài jiā) 我有家 (wǒ yǒu jiā) 我是在家 (wǒ shì zài jiā)

Check

Show answer

我在家 (wǒ zài jiā) — Location uses 在 (zài): 我在家 (wǒ zài jiā).

2 Which is correct for 'one person'?

一人 (yī rén) 一个人 (yí ge rén) 一本人 (yī běn rén) 个一人 (ge yī rén)

Check

Show answer

一个人 (yí ge rén) — Use a measure word: 一个人 (yí ge rén).

3 Fix the question 'where are you?'

你在哪儿吗？ (nǐ zài nǎr ma?) 你在哪儿？ (nǐ zài nǎr?) 你吗在哪儿？ (nǐ ma zài nǎr?) 你是哪儿？ (nǐ shì nǎr?)

Check

Show answer

你在哪儿？ (nǐ zài nǎr?) — A question word already asks the question; drop 吗 (ma): 你在哪儿？ (nǐ zài nǎr?).

4 Match each mistake to its fix.

• 我是家 (wǒ shì jiā) Match for 我是家 (wǒ shì jiā) — choose — 三本书 (sān běn shū)她很高 (tā hěn gāo)我在家 (wǒ zài jiā)我在家吃饭 (wǒ zài jiā chīfàn)
• 三书 (sān shū) Match for 三书 (sān shū) — choose — 三本书 (sān běn shū)她很高 (tā hěn gāo)我在家 (wǒ zài jiā)我在家吃饭 (wǒ zài jiā chīfàn)
• 她是高 (tā shì gāo) Match for 她是高 (tā shì gāo) — choose — 三本书 (sān běn shū)她很高 (tā hěn gāo)我在家 (wǒ zài jiā)我在家吃饭 (wǒ zài jiā chīfàn)
• 我吃饭在家 (wǒ chīfàn zài jiā) Match for 我吃饭在家 (wǒ chīfàn zài jiā) — choose — 三本书 (sān běn shū)她很高 (tā hěn gāo)我在家 (wǒ zài jiā)我在家吃饭 (wǒ zài jiā chīfàn)

Check

Show answer

• 我是家 (wǒ shì jiā) → 我在家 (wǒ zài jiā)
• 三书 (sān shū) → 三本书 (sān běn shū)
• 她是高 (tā shì gāo) → 她很高 (tā hěn gāo)
• 我吃饭在家 (wǒ chīfàn zài jiā) → 我在家吃饭 (wǒ zài jiā chīfàn)

在 (zài) for location, measure words, 很 (hěn) with adjectives, place before the verb.

5 Type the quantity word for 'two' before a measure word (pinyin).

Check

Hint: not 二 (èr)

Show answer

两 (liǎng) — 两 (liǎng) is used before a measure word: 两个人 (liǎng ge rén).

Quiz

Check yourself

Top Chinese mistakes quiz

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

0/8 0 answered

1. 1To say where something is, use…

   A 是 (shì) B 在 (zài) C 有 (yǒu) D 的 (de)
   Show answer

   在 (zài) — Location uses 在 (zài), not 是 (shì).

2. 2Between a number and a noun, Chinese needs a…

   A tone mark B measure word C plural ending D preposition
   Show answer

   measure word — A measure word like 个 (gè) goes between the number and the noun: 一个人 (yí ge rén).

3. 3'Two people' is…

   A 二个人 (èr ge rén) B 两个人 (liǎng ge rén) C 二人 (èr rén) D 两人个 (liǎng rén ge)
   Show answer

   两个人 (liǎng ge rén) — Use 两 (liǎng) before a measure word: 两个人 (liǎng ge rén).

4. 4Which question is correct?

   A 你是谁吗？ (nǐ shì shéi ma?) B 你是谁？ (nǐ shì shéi?) C 谁你是吗？ (shéi nǐ shì ma?) D 你吗是谁？ (nǐ ma shì shéi?)
   Show answer

   你是谁？ (nǐ shì shéi?) — A question word (谁, shéi) does not also take 吗 (ma).

5. 5'She is tall' is…

   A 她是高 (tā shì gāo) B 她很高 (tā hěn gāo) C 她高是 (tā gāo shì) D 她有高 (tā yǒu gāo)
   Show answer

   她很高 (tā hěn gāo) — With an adjective, use 很 (hěn), not 是 (shì): 她很高 (tā hěn gāo).

6. 6Where does a place phrase go?

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

   before the verb — Place comes before the verb: 我在家吃饭 (wǒ zài jiā chīfàn).

7. 7买 (mǎi) and 卖 (mài) differ only in…

   A the consonant B the tone C the vowel D nothing
   Show answer

   the tone — 买 (mǎi) 'buy' is third tone, 卖 (mài) 'sell' is fourth — the tone changes the word.

8. 8The best way to store a new word is…

   A without the tone B with its tone mark C in English only D with no measure word
   Show answer

   with its tone mark — Always record the tone: 好 (hǎo), not 'hao'.

Next

• Fix location with the lesson on 在 (zài)
• Stop dropping measure words in the measure words lesson
• Back to Start Learning Chinese Here