Level 1 Lesson 3.1 – I Learn Chinese At A School

Grammar 1: Word Order: Positioning A Place Word In A Chinese Sentence· HSK 1

Unlike in English where the "Place Word" usually goes at the end of a sentence, if we want to put a "Place Word" in a Chinese sentence, suggesting where the action occurs, we put it between the Subject and the Verb.

Subject + Place + Verb ( + Object )

• wǒ zài Běijīng xué Hànyǔ
  我在北京学汉语。
   I learn Chinese in Beijing.
• tā zài sùshè chī píngguǒ
  他在宿舍吃苹果。
   He eats apple in the dormitory.
• wǒ zài Měiguó xuéxí
  我在美国学习。
  I study in America.

Grammar 2: To Study in Chinese VS. To Learn in Chinese · HSK 1

(1) xuéxí 学习: to learn in Chinese VS. to study in Chinese

When followed by an object, 学 means to learn something in Chinese:

学习 + something = to learn something

• tā zài Zhōngguó xuéxí Hànyǔ
  他在中国学习汉语。
  He learns Chinese in China.
• wǒ zài Fǎguó xuéxí Fǎyǔ
  我在法国学习法语。
  I learn French in France.

When not followed by an object, 学 means to study in general:

学习 object = to study (in general)

• tā zài Zhōngguó xuéxí
  他在中国学习。
   He studies in China.
• wǒ zài Fǎguó xuéxí
  我在法国学习法语。
   I study in France.

(2) xuéxí 学习 VS. xué 学: to learn in Chinese

When followed by an object, 学习 and 学 are interchangeable:

学习 + something = 学 + something = to learn something

• wǒ xǐhuan xué Hànyǔ
  我喜欢学汉语。
  I like learning Chinese.
• wǒ xǐhuan xuéxí Hànyǔ
  我喜欢学习汉语。
  I like learning Chinese.

Grammar 3: Noun Modifying Another Noun · HSK 3

zài 在 to be in/on/at (+somewhere)

Sometimes a noun can be used to modify another noun in Chinese. We can just put Noun¹ before Noun²:

(Noun¹) Noun²

• Yīngyǔ shū 英语书 English book
• Hànyǔ xuéxiào 汉语学校 Chinese school
• cháshuǐ 茶水 tea water