HSK 3 Grammar Reference

Almost / Nearly

chàdiǎnr

差点儿 (chàdiǎnr) means "almost" or "nearly." For negative things, it means "almost happened but didn't" (relief). The tricky part: with undesirable events, 差点儿没 still means "almost" (the 没 is optional and doesn't change the meaning).

I'm Afraid / Probably

kǒngpà

恐怕 (kǒngpà) means "I'm afraid that..." or "probably." It softly introduces bad news or an undesirable possibility. Despite containing 怕 (afraid), it's more about expressing concern or probability than actual fear.

Seem / It Appears That

sìhū

似乎 (sìhū) means "seem" or "apparently" — it expresses uncertainty or an impression that may not be confirmed. It's more literary than 好像 (hǎoxiàng), which serves a similar function in casual speech.

Exactly That / Precisely

jiù shì

就是 emphasises that something IS exactly the case — "this is precisely the one", "that's exactly what I mean". 就 narrows; 是 affirms. Together they pin down identity unambiguously. Common in conversational confirmation and clarification.

Continuous State (Attached To)

zhe

着 (zhe) after a verb indicates a continuing state resulting from an action. Unlike 在 (progressive action happening now), 着 describes the maintained state AFTER an action. "The door is open" (ongoing state) vs. "I am opening the door" (action in progress).

Not Only...But Also

búdàn...érqiě

不但...而且 (búdàn...érqiě) means "not only...but also." The second clause (after 而且) should be a stronger or more impressive point than the first. If the subject is the same in both clauses, 不但 comes after the subject.

As Long As...Then

zhǐyào...jiù

只要...就 (zhǐyào...jiù) means "as long as...then." It sets a minimum condition — if the condition is met, the result will follow. It emphasizes that the condition is sufficient and not too demanding.

As Soon As / Whenever

yī...jiù

一...就 (yī...jiù) means "as soon as A happens, B follows." It emphasizes the immediate sequence — there's no delay between the two actions. Can also express habitual patterns: "whenever A, then B."

Simultaneous Actions

yìbiān...yìbiān...

一边...一边... (yìbiān...yìbiān...) is used to express that two actions are happening at the same time by the same subject. The two actions should be things that can physically be done simultaneously (like eating and watching TV), not long-term states.

Simultaneously

yìbiān…yìbiān…

A staple pattern for describing two actions happening simultaneously. Both verbs share the same subject. Word order is rigid — 一边 always precedes its verb. The "while" reading is automatic from the structure, no extra time word needed.

More and More

yuèláiyuè

越来越 (yuèláiyuè) expresses a continuous increase or change — "more and more." It shows a trend of something gradually intensifying. Can be used with adjectives ("more and more beautiful") or verbs ("like more and more").

About / Regarding / Concerning

guānyú

关于 (guānyú) means "about" or "regarding" and is used to introduce a topic at the beginning of a sentence. It's more formal than casual speech and works like "as for" or "concerning" in English.

Interested In

duì...gǎn xìngqù

对...感兴趣 (duì...gǎn xìngqù) means "to be interested in something." The thing you're interested in goes between 对 and 感兴趣. You can modify the degree with 很, 非常, etc.

Disposal / Object-First

bǎ

The 把 (bǎ) structure moves the object BEFORE the verb to emphasize what happens to it. Think of it as "take [object] and [do something to it]." The verb must describe a concrete action with a clear result — you can't use 把 with simple, resultless verbs.

Passive Voice (Was Done By)

bèi

被 (bèi) creates passive sentences where the subject receives the action. In Chinese, 被 often carries a negative connotation — it's commonly used for unpleasant or unfortunate events. The doer can be omitted if unknown or unimportant.

Even (Emphasis)

lián...dōu/yě

连...都 or 连...也 (lián...dōu/yě) means "even" and emphasizes something surprising or extreme. Place the most unexpected element between 连 and 都/也 to highlight how remarkable it is.

Disposal / Object-Fronting Construction

bǎ

The 把 construction moves the object before the verb to emphasise what HAPPENS to it — the disposal/result. The verb must carry a result complement (a directional, resultative, or aspect marker). HSK 3.0 promotes this from old HSK 4 down to Band 3 because it's recognised as foundational for natural narration.

Ability, Permission, and Skill

néng vs kěyǐ vs huì

All three verbs translate to "can" in English, but they are used very differently in Chinese: ### 1. 会 (huì) - Learned Skill Use 会 for skills acquired through learning or practice (knowing *how* to do something). * e.g., 我会说中文。(I can speak Chinese.) * *Future tense:* 会 also means "will" happen. (明天会下雨。) ### 2. 能 (néng) - Physical Ability & Circumstances Use 能 to express physical capability or having the circumstantial ability to do something (having the time, health, or resources). * e.g., 我能喝十瓶啤酒。(I can drink 10 bottles of beer - physical ability.) * e.g., 我今天很忙，不能去。(I am busy today, I can't go - circumstantial.) ### 3. 可以 (kěyǐ) - Permission Use 可以 to ask for or give permission ("may I"). * e.g., 这里可以抽烟吗？(Can I smoke here?) * *Overlap:* 可以 is often used interchangeably with 能 for circumstantial ability.

Just vs Just Now

gāng vs gāngcái

Both 刚 and 刚才 mean something happened a very short time ago, but grammatically they are different parts of speech. ### 1. 刚才 (gāngcái) - Noun (Time Word) 刚才 is a time noun meaning "just now" or "a moment ago." Because it's a time word, it can be placed **before or after the subject** (like 昨天 or 现在). * e.g., (刚才) 我 (刚才) 去了洗手间。 ### 2. 刚 (gāng) - Adverb 刚 (or 刚刚) is an adverb meaning "just." As an adverb, it MUST be placed **after the subject and before the verb**. * e.g., 我刚吃完饭。(Not: 刚我吃完饭)。 * *Note:* 刚 can refer to a subjective feeling of "short time" (e.g., "I just moved here 2 months ago"), while 刚才 literally means the last few minutes.

Or (Statements vs Questions)

huòzhě vs háishi

Both 或者 (huòzhě) and 还是 (háishi) mean "or," but they are used in completely different types of sentences. ### 1. 还是 (háishi) - Questions Use 还是 for offering choices in a **question** (A or B?). * e.g., 你想喝茶还是喝咖啡？(Do you want to drink tea or coffee?) ### 2. 或者 (huòzhě) - Statements Use 或者 for listing options in a declarative **statement** (A or B is fine). * e.g., 星期六或者星期天都可以。(Saturday or Sunday is fine.) *Exception:* In statements expressing uncertainty ("I don't know whether A or B"), use 还是. * e.g., 我不知道他是美国人还是英国人。(I don't know if he is American or British).

To Think / To Mistakenly Believe

rènwéi vs yǐwéi

Both 认为 (rènwéi) and 以为 (yǐwéi) translate to "to think" or "to believe" in English, but they have a crucial difference regarding the *truth* of the belief. ### 1. 认为 (rènwéi) - To Think / Believe (Opinion) Use 认为 to express a formal opinion, judgment, or firm belief. It is objective and doesn't imply whether the thought is right or wrong. * e.g., 我认为这个计划很好。(I think this plan is very good - *my opinion*). ### 2. 以为 (yǐwéi) - To Mistakenly Think Use 以为 when you thought something was true, but it turns out **you were wrong**. It strongly implies a mistaken assumption. * e.g., 我以为今天是星期五。(I thought today was Friday - *but it's actually Thursday*).