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TongTong Grammar

Chinese grammar, point by point.

Clear explanations, structure formulas, and real examples for hundreds of grammar points — organised by HSK level. Free, no account needed.

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HSK 140 HSK 399 HSK 4143 HSK 5152 HSK 661

Easily confused

不 vs 不是HSK 1

不 negates verbs and adjectives directly (e.g., 不去, 不好). 不是 negates nouns and identity statements (e.g., 不是学生), and also appears before adjectives modified by degree adverbs like 很 or 太 (e.g., 不是很好). The key distinction is predicate type: verb/adjective uses 不; noun or degree-modified adjective uses 不是.

不想 vs 不要HSK 1

不想 (bù xiǎng) expresses a lack of desire or unwillingness, usable with any subject. 不要 (búyào) is primarily a negative imperative ('don't do something') or a strong refusal ('I won't have it'). The key difference: 不想 is about internal feeling, while 不要 asserts a command or firm decision.

长 vs 高HSK 1

In Chinese, 长 (cháng) describes horizontal length (e.g., a rope, a road), while 高 (gāo) describes vertical height or altitude (e.g., a person, a building). Unlike English, which uses 'long' for extended horizontal objects and 'tall' for vertical ones, Chinese strictly follows the dimension axis. Choosing the wrong term can change the meaning or sound unnatural.

Featured grammar

Using 的 (modal particle)

Structural particle 的

Adverbs with AdjectivesHSK 3

Modifying nouns with phrase + 的

Expressing possession with 的

大 vs 老HSK 1

In Chinese, 大 (dà) is used for relative age comparisons, such as 'older brother' or 'older than me,' while 老 (lǎo) refers to absolute old age, meaning elderly or aged. Learners often confuse them because English uses 'old' for both, but in Chinese, 大 never means elderly and 老 is not used for relative age comparisons.

都 vs 也HSK 1

都 (dōu) means “all” and quantifies over a plural subject or multiple items, expressing totality. 也 (yě) means “also” or “too” and adds an item or situation to a previous one. The two adverbs occupy the same position before the verb and are not interchangeable, though they can combine as 也都 (dōu yě) meaning “all also”.

多少 vs 几HSK 1

Both 多少 and 几 ask about quantity, but 几 is used when the expected answer is a small number (typically under 10), while 多少 can be used for any quantity. 几 implies a specific, countable small number and requires a measure word, whereas 多少 is open-ended and can also handle uncountable amounts such as money or time. Note that 几 also appears as a numeral prefix in expressions like 几十 (tens) and 几百 (hundreds), but in that role it is not an interrogative.

Adverbs with Adjectives

HSK 3

Modifying nouns with adjective + 的

Sentence PatternsHSK 4

The 是... 的 construction for indicating purpose

Sentence PatternsHSK 4

The 是...的 patterns: an overview

Sentence PatternsHSK 4

The 是... 的 construction for emphasizing details

Complex Sentence PatternsHSK 4

Conceding a point with 是

Connecting nouns with 是

Advanced 了 after an object

Verb phrasesHSK 3

Expressing ongoing duration with double 了