1 The basic sentence
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1.1 Subject, verb, object
A Chinese sentence starts with what it is about, its subject, and then says something about it. The verb comes before its object, as in English.
subject + verb + object
我喝茶。
I drink tea.
王明认识李月。王明認識李月。
Wang Ming knows Li Yue.
Words don't change their form. 我 is both I and me, and a verb is the same whoever does it, and whenever.
我认识他。他也认识我。我認識他。他也認識我。
I know him. He knows me too.
1.2 When comes before the verb
Words for when something happens, such as 今天, 明天 and 现在現在, go before the verb: after the subject, or before it at the start. Never at the end, where English often puts them.
subject + when + verb + object
我今天去学校。我今天去學校。
I'm going to school today.
明天我们喝茶。明天我們喝茶。
Tomorrow we'll have tea.
✗我去学校今天。我去學校今天。
I'm going to school today.
1.2.1 Where, with 在, comes before it too
Where something happens goes before the verb as well, as 在 and the place.
subject + 在 + place + verb + object
我在家喝茶。
I drink tea at home.
✗我喝茶在家。
I drink tea at home.
When and where together: when first.
我今天在家看书。我今天在家看書。
I'm reading at home today.
1.3 是, and words that describe
是 joins two things that are the same: he and a student. A word that describes, such as 高兴高興 or 好, needs no 是. It says what the subject is like all by itself, and in a plain statement usually takes 很 before it, which then says little more than is.
subject + 是 + what it is
subject + 很 + what it is like
他是学生。他是學生。
He's a student.
他很高兴。他很高興。
He's happy.
✗他是高兴。他是高興。
He's happy.
Tip
Without 很, a word that describes sounds as if it compares: 这个好，那个不好這個好，那個不好, this one is good, that one isn't.
Either kind is said no with 不 before it.
他不是老师。他不是老師。
He isn't a teacher.
她不高兴。她不高興。
She isn't happy.