📚 Year 7 WJEC Chinese: Quick Reference Handbook of Formulas and Theorems | Year 7 WJEC 中文：公式定理速查手册
This handbook presents core sentence patterns and grammatical rules of Mandarin Chinese in the form of ‘formulas’ and ‘theorems’. Just like in mathematics, once you memorise these structures, you can construct countless correct sentences. Each section gives you a clear pattern, examples in pinyin and characters, and notes on the trickiest points for Year 7 learners. Use it for quick revision, homework, or preparation for WJEC assessments. Remember that Chinese has no verb conjugations; once you master the word order, you can speak with confidence.
这本手册将普通话的核心句型与语法规则整理成“公式”和“定理”的形式。就像数学一样，一旦记住这些结构，你就能造出无数正确的句子。每个小节都提供了清晰的模式、拼音和汉字的例子，以及Year 7学习者最容易出错的要点。你可以用它来快速复习、完成作业，或是准备WJEC测评。请记住，中文没有动词变形；只要掌握了语序，你就能自信地开口说中文。
1. The Pinyin Tone Formula | 拼音声调公式
Every Mandarin syllable carries a tone, and you can think of the four tones as a pronunciation formula. The first tone is high and level (¯), like holding a musical note. The second tone rises (´), similar to the intonation used when asking a question in English. The third tone dips and then rises (ˇ), and the fourth tone falls sharply (`), like giving a command. Accurate tones are essential for meaning; for example, mā (mother) versus mǎ (horse).
普通话的每个音节都有声调，四个声调可以看作是发音公式。第一声高而平（¯），像持续的音符。第二声上扬（´），类似英语中提问时的语调。第三声先降后升（ˇ），第四声急促下降（`），如同发布命令。声调准确对意义至关重要；例如mā（妈）和mǎ（马）就完全不同。
Placement of the tone mark follows a fixed rule: if the syllable contains ‘a’, put the mark on ‘a’; if no ‘a’, then on ‘o’ or ‘e’; if ‘i’ and ‘u’ appear together, the mark goes on the second vowel. For example, in xiè, the mark sits on ‘e’, and in shuǐ, it goes on ‘i’. Never place the tone mark on a consonant.
声调符号的位置遵循固定规则：如果音节里有a，标在a上；没有a就找o或e；遇到i和u并列时，标在后一个元音上。例如xiè的调号放在e上，shuǐ的调号放在i上。绝不要把调号标在辅音上。
2. The ‘Shì’ Sentence Structure | “是”字句公式
One of the most basic formulas in Chinese is the equating sentence using the verb shì (to be). The pattern is: Subject + 是 + Noun. This links two noun phrases and is used for identification, nationality, occupation, and more. For example, Wǒ shì xuéshēng (I am a student), or Zhè shì wǒ de shū (This is my book). Unlike English, shì never changes form, no matter the subject.
中文中最基本的公式之一便是用动词“是”的同等句。公式为：主语 + 是 + 名词。它连接两个名词短语，用于表示身份、国籍、职业等。例如：我是学生，或者这是我的书。和英语不同，“是”无论主语是什么都无需变形。
The negative version is equally simple: Subject + 不是 + Noun. Just add bù before shì. Wǒ bùshì lǎoshī (I am not a teacher). Remember that ‘bù’ changes its tone to bú before a fourth tone, but pinyin often still writes ‘bù’. In spoken Chinese, you will hear a natural shift.
否定式同样简单：主语 + 不是 + 名词。在“是”前面加上“不”即可。我不是老师。记住“不”在第四声前会变成第二声，但拼音通常仍写作bù。在口语中，你会听到自然的音变。
3. The ‘Yǒu’ Possession Formula | “有”字拥有公式
To express possession or existence, Chinese uses yǒu (to have). The formula is: Subject + 有 + Noun. For instance, Wǒ yǒu yì zhī gǒu (I have a dog), or Tā yǒu sān ge jiějie (He has three older sisters). The verb yǒu does not change for person, number, or gender, which makes it much simpler than its English equivalent.
想表达拥有或存在，中文用“有”。公式是：主语 + 有 + 名词。例如：我有一只狗，或者他有三个姐姐。动词“有”不随人称、数或性别变化，比英语中的对应表达简单得多。
The negative form is 没有, created by placing méi before yǒu. Do not use bù for possession; bù yǒu is incorrect. Wǒ méiyǒu māo (I do not have a cat). The measure word after the number is also essential; yì zhī gǒu (one dog) uses zhī as the measure word, which we will explore in a later formula.
否定形式是“没有”，在“有”前加“没”。表达拥有时不要用“不”；“不有”是错误的。我没有猫。数字后的量词也必不可少；yì zhī gǒu（一只狗）中的“只”就是量词，我们会在后面的公式中详细说明。
4. Adjective Predicate Sentences | 形容词谓语句
In Chinese, adjectives can function as predicates without a linking verb like ‘am’ or ‘is’. The pattern is: Subject + (很) + Adjective. The word hěn (very) is often inserted even when no strong emphasis is intended; it acts as a grammatical stabiliser rather than an intensifier. For example, Wǒ hěn gāoxìng (I am happy), or Xuéxiào hěn dà (The school is big). Omitting hěn in a simple descriptive sentence can sound unnatural.
中文里，形容词可以直接作谓语，不需要像英语那样用系动词“是”。句型为：主语 +（很）+ 形容词。“很”这个词常常插入句中，即便没有强烈强调的意思；它起语法稳定作用，而非真正的强调。例如：我很高兴，或者学校很大。在简单描述句中省略“很”会显得不自然。
When you genuinely want to say ‘very’, you can still use hěn, or strengthen it with fēicháng (extremely) or tèbié (especially). The negative is formed by placing bù directly before the adjective: Subject + 不 + Adjective. Wǒ bù lèi (I am not tired). The structure remains Subject + 不 + Adj, with no extra verb needed.
当你真的要表达“非常”时，仍可用“很”，或用“非常”“特别”来加强语气。否定形式是把“不”直接放在形容词前：主语 + 不 + 形容词。我不累。结构保持为“主语 + 不 + 形容词”，无需额外动词。
5. The Negation Formula with ‘Bù’ | 用“不”的否定公式
Negation in Chinese is often achieved by placing bù before a verb or an adjective. The core formula is: Subject + 不 + Verb / Adjective. This covers a vast range of everyday sentences, from Wǒ bù chī ròu (I do not eat meat) to Jīntiān bù lěng (Today is not cold). The position of bù is fixed directly in front of the element it negates.
中文的否定常用“不”置于动词或形容词之前来实现。核心公式为：主语 + 不 + 动词/形容词。这涵盖了大量的日常句子，从“我不吃肉”到“今天不冷”。“不”的位置固定在被否定成分的正前方。
A key tonal rule applies: bù is typically fourth tone, but it changes to second tone (bú) when it precedes another fourth-tone syllable. For example, bù + shì becomes búshì, and bù + duì becomes búduì. However, standard pinyin often maintains the spelling ‘bù’ even when the tone changes. In your speaking, let the sound shift naturally so it flows better.
这里有一条关键的变调规则：“不”通常为第四声，但当它后面跟着另一个第四声音节时，会变成第二声（bú）。例如“不”+“是”读作búshì，“不”+“对”读作búduì。不过，标准拼音即使变调仍然写作“bù”。说话时让读音自然变化，这样会更流畅。
6. The Yes/No Question Formula with ‘Ma’ | 用“吗”的是非问句公式
Forming a yes/no question in Chinese is remarkably straightforward: take a statement and add the particle ma at the end. The formula is: Statement + 吗？ No word order changes, no auxiliary verbs appear. For instance, Nǐ shì xuéshēng ma? (Are you a student?), or Tā hěn máng ma? (Is she busy?). The original statement is entirely preserved.
中文里构成是非问句格外简单：取一个陈述句，在末尾加上语气词“吗”。公式为：陈述句 + 吗？语序不变，也无需助动词。例如：你是学生吗？或者她很忙吗？原陈述句完整保留。
To answer, you can repeat the verb or adjective for ‘yes’ and use the negative form for ‘no’. For shì, the answers are Shì (yes) and Búshì (no). For an adjective like hǎo, the positive answer is Hǎo, and the negative is Bù hǎo. There is no single word equivalent to ‘yes’ or ‘no’ that works in all situations; the verb decides the response pattern.
回答时，你可以重复动词或形容词表示肯定，用否定形式表示否定。对“是”，回答“是”或“不是”。对形容词如“好”，肯定回答“好”，否定回答“不好”。没有一个万能词对应英语的“yes”或“no”；动词决定了回答模式。
7. The Question Word Formula | 疑问词公式
Wh-questions in Chinese follow a simple in-situ pattern: the question word stays exactly where the answer would appear. The formula is: Question Word + (rest of sentence) in the same order as a statement. Common question words include shénme (what), shéi (who), nǎli (where), zěnme (how), jǐ (how many, for numbers under ten) and duōshao (how many/much, for larger numbers). For example, Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? (What is your name?) uses the statement order ‘You are called [name]’ and replaces the name with shénme.
中文的特殊疑问句遵循简单的原位模式：疑问词就放在答案会出现的位置。公式是：疑问词 +（句子的其余部分），语序与陈述句相同。常见疑问词有“什么”、“谁”、“哪里”、“怎么”、“几”（用于数字小于10的情况）和“多少”（用于较大数字）。例如：你叫什么名字？就使用了“你叫[名字]”的语序，把名字替换为“什么”。
Another example: Nǐ de shū zài nǎli? (Where is your book?) keeps the location phrase zài nǎli at the end. Never move the question word to the front as you do in English. Practice with jǐ suì? (How old are you? – for children) and Nǐ yǒu jǐ ge dìdi? (How many younger brothers do you have?). Remember that jǐ requires a measure word after it, as in jǐ ge rén (how many people).
再举一个例子：你的书在哪里？把地点短语“在哪里”放在句尾。千万不要像英语那样把疑问词移到句首。练习使用“几岁？”（你多大？—用于儿童）和“你有几个弟弟？”。记住“几”后面必须跟量词，如“几个人”。
8. The Time Expression Formula | 时间表达公式
In Chinese, time expressions generally come at the beginning of a sentence or directly after the subject, never at the end. The formula is: Time + Subject + Verb + Object. For instance, Jīntiān wǒ qù xuéxiào (Today I go to school). You may also place the time after the subject: Wǒ jīntiān qù xuéxiào, but front-loading the time is very common and always grammatically correct.
中文的时间表达通常放在句子开头，或者紧接主语之后，绝不放在句尾。公式为：时间 + 主语 + 动词 + 宾语。例如：今天我去学校。也可以把时间放在主语之后：我今天去学校，但把时间前置非常普遍，而且语法永远正确。
Days of the week follow the pattern: Xīngqī + number (1-6, with Xīngqītiān or Xīngqīrì for Sunday). To say ‘on Monday’, simply say Xīngqīyī. Clock time uses the structure: diǎn for hour, fēn for minutes. Liù diǎn bàn is ‘half past six’. Combine date and clock time: Xīngqīyī shàngwǔ bā diǎn (Monday morning at eight o’clock).
星期的表达遵循：星期 + 数字（一至六，星期日或星期天为周日）。表示“在星期一”，直接说“星期一”。时刻使用“点”表示小时，“分”表示分钟。“六点半”就是half past six。将日期和时刻组合：星期一上午八点。
9. The Number + Measure Word + Noun Formula | 数词+量词+名词公式
Whenever a number is used with a noun in Chinese, a measure word (classifier) must sit between them. The rigid formula is: Number + Measure Word + Noun. You cannot say ‘one person’ as yī rén; the correct form is yí ge rén. The most universal measure word is ge (个), but many nouns require specific ones, such as zhī for most animals and long thin objects, běn for books, zhāng for flat objects like paper or tables, and kǒu for family members in a household.
在中文中，数字与名词连用时，中间必须加量词。固定的公式是：数词 + 量词 + 名词。你不能说“一人”，正确形式是“一个人”。“个”是最通用的量词，但许多名词需要特定的量词，比如“只”用于大多数动物和细长物，“本”用于书籍，“张”用于纸、桌子等扁平物体，“口”用于人口（家庭成员）。
The number two has two forms: èr for pure counting and mathematics, and liǎng before a measure word. Thus, ‘two people’ is liǎng ge rén, never èr ge rén. For numbers above ten, èr may appear in compounds like shíèr ge yuè (twelve months). Pay attention to the tone of yī: it is first tone alone, but changes to fourth tone (yí) before a first, second or third tone, and to second tone (yì) before a fourth tone, as in yí ge and yì zhāng.
数字“二”有两种形式：“二”用于纯计数和数学，“两”用于量词前。因此“两个人”是“两个人”，绝不能是“二个人”。十以上的数字，在复合词中可能出现“二”，如“十二个月”。注意“一”的声调：单独时读第一声，但在第一、二、三声前变第四声（yí），在第四声前变第二声（yì），例如yí ge和yì zhāng。
10. The Verb + Object Structure | 动词+宾语结构
Many common Chinese actions are expressed as verb-object compounds that act like a single unit. The formula is: Verb + Object. Examples include chīfàn (eat a meal – literally ‘eat rice’), hēshuǐ (drink water), kànshū (read a book – literally ‘look at book’), and shuōhuà (speak – ‘say speech’). These units are often separable, meaning you can insert time, manner, or completion markers between the verb and its object.
许多常见的中文动作都是由动宾复合词来表达的，它们像一个整体。公式为：动词 + 宾语。例如：吃饭、喝水、看书、说话。这些单位常常可以拆开，也就是说你可以在动词和宾语之间插入时间、方式或完成态标记。
When you want to say you are doing an activity, you can use zài before the verb: Wǒ zài chīfàn (I am eating). To indicate completion, place le after the verb: Wǒ chīle fàn (I have eaten). Remember that the object can also come after le, or sometimes the whole compound stays together. For exam purposes at Year 7, Wǒ chīfàn le is also acceptable and very common in spoken Chinese.
当你想表达正在进行的活动，可以在动词前加“在”：我在吃饭。表示完成则把“了”放在动词后：我吃了饭。注意宾语也可以在“了”之后，有时整个复合词也可以不拆开。对于Year 7的考试，我吃饭了也是可以接受的，而且在口语中非常常见。
11. The Location Formula with ‘Zài’ | “在”字地点公式
To say where someone or something is located, use the formula: Subject + 在 + Place. For example, Māma zài chúfáng (Mum is in the kitchen), or Shū zài zhuōzi shàng (The book is on the desk). The verb zài functions as both ‘be at’ and ‘exist in’, so no additional verb is required. The location phrase often ends with a direction word such as shàng (on), xià (under), lǐ (inside), or qián (in front).
说明某人或某物的位置，用公式：主语 + 在 + 地点。例如：妈妈在厨房，或者书在桌子上。动词“在”既表“在”又表“存在于”，所以不需要再加其他动词。地点短语常以方位词结尾，如上、下、里、前。
Another useful pattern is the existential sentence: Place + 有 + Noun. This tells what exists in a place. Zhuōzi shàng yǒu yì běn shū (There is a book on the desk). Notice the order is completely different from the English ‘There is…’ structure; the place comes first. Master these two formulas to describe locations effortlessly.
另一个有用的句式是存现句：地点 + 有 + 名词。这表示某地存在着什么。桌子上有一本书。注意这里的语序和英语的“There is…”结构完全不同；地点要放在最前面。掌握这两种公式，你就能轻松地描述位置。
12. The Possessive ‘De’ Formula | “的”字所有格公式
To show possession or close association, Chinese uses the particle de. The pattern is: Noun/Pronoun + 的 + Noun. Wǒ de péngyou (my friend), lǎoshī de bǐ (the teacher’s pen), and māma de yīfu (mum’s clothes) all follow this structure. The possessive de can be dropped when the relationship is intimate or the phrase is very short, such as wǒ māma (my mum) instead of wǒ de māma, but for Year 7, using de is always safe.
表示所有或紧密关联时，中文用助词“的”。句型为：名词/代词 + 的 + 名词。我的朋友、老师的笔、妈妈的衣服都遵循这一结构。当关系亲密或短语很短时，“的”可以省略，说“我妈妈”而不是“我的妈妈”，但在Year 7阶段，用“的”永远没错。
When multiple attributes are joined, the modifier still comes before the noun, linked with de. This creates a left-branching structure: hěn piàoliang de huā (a very beautiful flower), where the whole descriptive phrase ‘hěn piàoliang’ is attached to huā via de. Practice by describing your family and pets: Wǒ de jiějie hěn cōngmíng (My older sister is very clever), and Wǒ yǒu yì zhī kě’ài de māo (I have a cute cat).
当多个修饰语连用时，修饰语仍置于名词之前，用“的”连接。这形成了左分支结构：很漂亮的花，整个描写短语“很漂亮”通过“的”连接到“花”。通过描述家人和宠物来练习：我的姐姐很聪明，我有一只可爱的猫。
Published by TutorHao | WJEC Chinese Revision Series | aleveler.com
更多咨询请联系16621398022（同微信）
屏轩国际教育cambridge primary/secondary checkpoint, cat4, ukiset,ukcat,igcse,alevel,PAT,STEP,MAT, ibdp,ap,ssat,sat,sat2课程辅导，国外大学本科硕士研究生博士课程论文辅导