HSK 3 grammar helps you move from basic communication to connected, precise, and natural Chinese. You will learn to describe time and change, compare ideas, express results and possibility, connect logical relationships, and use more advanced sentence structures.
You can study these lessons in order or choose the grammar points you need most. If you want to build a systematic foundation, following the module order will make the progression clearer.
Each lesson goes far beyond a short grammar definition. It is designed to help you truly understand and apply the pattern through clear explanations, practical examples, common mistakes, and focused exercises.
Choose how deeply to study or review each lesson based on your current goal: Understand the Grammar → Master the Pattern → Use It Fluently.
Each lesson includes pinyin, word-for-word translation, full sentence translation, and AI audio. You will also practise through:
• Word order exercises — to build accurate Chinese sentence structure
• Translation practice — to produce complete sentences independently
• Listening practice — to understand natural spoken Chinese
Repeat the lessons and key examples until you can use them naturally. Review HSK 2 whenever a prerequisite pattern still feels uncertain.
Note:
- 🌟 Newly added or moved: These lessons were added from updated textbook content or moved into HSK 3 to create a clearer learning progression.
- Optional: These practical language points are useful, but they are not treated as core HSK 3 grammar targets in the current course structure and can be studied selectively.
🔹 Module 1: Talk About Time, Repetition, Change, and Sequence
Start here to describe when actions happen, whether they repeat, how situations change, and how several actions are ordered.
- 1.1刚刚（gānggāng） vs 刚才（gāngcái） — Talk About Recent ActionsUse this to say something happened just now and choose correctly between the adverb 刚刚 and the time noun 刚才.
- 1.2Optional又（yòu） vs 再（zài） — talk about repeated actionsUse this to talk about repeated actions and choose between 又 for repeated past events and 再 for future repetition.
- 1.3🌟 “就（jiù）” ② — Emphasise a Small Amount & Mark ExceptionsUse 就 to emphasise that a number or quantity is small, and in patterns that highlight an exception or special case.
- 1.4就（jiù） vs 才（cái） — emphasize earliness or latenessUse this to emphasize that something happened earlier, later, faster, or slower than expected.
- 1.5越来越（yuèláiyuè） + adj / mental verb — express gradual changeUse this to describe gradual change, like “more and more busy” or “more and more interesting.”
- 1.6一边（yìbiān）……一边（yìbiān）…… — do two actions at the same timeUse this to say two actions happen at the same time, like eating while watching TV.
- 1.7先（xiān）……再（zài） / 又（yòu）……然后（ránhòu）…… — describe a sequence of actionsUse this to organize several actions in a clear order: first, then, and after that.
- 1.8🌟 “一会儿（yíhuìr）……，一会儿（yíhuìr）……” — Alternate Between Actions or StatesUse this to describe two actions or states alternating within a short period of time.
- 1.9🌟 “以前（yǐqián） / 以后（yǐhòu） / 前（qián） / 后（hòu）” — Express Time Before and AfterExtend the HSK 1 use of 前 and 后 to describe time before or after an event, action, or reference point.
- 1.10🌟 从（cóng）……起（qǐ） — express a starting point in timeUse this to say something starts from a specific time point.
- 1.11🌟 不一会儿（bù yíhuìr） — express a very short timeUse this to say something happens after a very short time.
- 1.12该（gāi）……了（le） — say it is time to actUse this to say it is time to do something or something should happen now.
🔹 Module 2: Build Negation, Questions, Reference, and Comparisons
Learn stronger negation, flexible uses of question words, rhetorical questions, choices, and more precise comparison structures.
- 2.1一（yī）……也（yě） / 都（dōu） + 不（bù） / 没（méi） — express complete negationUse this to strongly say “not even one,” “nothing,” “nobody,” or “nowhere.”
- 2.2Question words as “everyone / everything / everywhere / any way”Use 谁, 什么, 哪个, 哪儿, 什么时候, and 怎么 with 都 to express everyone, everything, any one, anywhere, anytime, or any way—without asking a real question.
- 2.3哪儿 / 什么 / 谁 / 哪 — express indefinite referenceUse these question words in statements to mean somewhere, something, someone, or an unspecified time or item.
- 2.4X就（jiù）X — flexible use of question wordsUse this to make flexible “whatever X, then X” expressions in conversation.
- 2.5🌟 X什么啊（shénme a） — negation, questioning, or emphasisUse this to make informal negation, questioning, or emotional emphasis with “X什么啊.”
- 2.6Optional“能（néng）（不（bu））……吗（ma）？” — Ask a Rhetorical QuestionUse 能……吗 or 能不……吗 when the answer feels obvious, impossible, or strongly expected.
- 2.7🌟 “不是（bú shì）……吗（ma） / ……不是吗（bú shì ma）？” — Ask When You Expect AgreementUse this rhetorical question when you believe the answer is obvious and expect the listener to agree or confirm.
- 2.8还是（háishì） / 或者（huòzhě） — connect choicesUse this to connect choices correctly in questions or statements.
- 2.9A 跟（gēn） B 一样（yíyàng） — make equal comparisonsUse this to say two people or things are the same in some way.
- 2.10Comparative Sentences — “多（duō） / 少（shǎo） / 早（zǎo） / 晚（wǎn） + Quantity”Use 多、少、早 or 晚 plus a quantity to state a precise difference.
- 2.11越（yuè）A越（yuè）B — show parallel changeUse this to show two changes happening together, like “the more you learn, the easier it gets.”
🔹 Module 3: Show Results, Possibility, State, and Duration
Focus on complements and state patterns that show whether an action succeeds, can happen, continues, or has been completed for a period of time.
- 3.1OptionalVerb + 好（hǎo） — show a successful or satisfactory resultUse this to show an action is done well, finished properly, or reaches a satisfactory result.
- 3.2V + 得（de） / 不（bù） + complement — express potentialUse this to say whether someone can or cannot achieve a result through an action.
- 3.3Directional and Resultative Meanings with 起来 / 上去 / 出来Use 起来、上去 and 出来 to express physical direction and extended meanings such as a state beginning, an impression, or a result becoming visible or recognizable.
- 3.4下来（xiàlái） / 下去（xiàqù） — show change in stateUse this to describe a state becoming stable, continuing, or changing downward over time.
- 3.5Optional得（de） complement — describe extent or stateUse this to describe the extent, result, or state of an action with 得.
- 3.6V1着（zhe） + V2 — show an accompanying actionUse this to say one action continues while another action happens.
- 3.7🌟 Complement of Duration ② — Say How Long Ago an Action Was CompletedUse this to say how much time has passed from the completion of an action up to the present.
- 3.8🌟 Existential sentences — describe appearance or disappearanceUse this to describe something appearing, disappearing, or existing in a place.
🔹 Module 4: Express Degree, Description, and Approximate Quantity
Make descriptions more natural and precise with parallel qualities, degree adverbs, repeated quantities, and approximate numbers.
- 4.1又（yòu）……又（yòu）…… — describe two parallel qualitiesUse this to describe two qualities that exist together, like “both cheap and good.”
- 4.2🌟 “挺（tǐng）……的（de）” — Express a Fairly High DegreeUse 挺……的 to say something is quite, fairly, or pretty good, useful, interesting, and so on.
- 4.3极了（jíle） / 坏了（huài le） / 得很（de hěn） — express a strong degreeUse this to express a very strong degree, emotion, or evaluation.
- 4.4🌟 Measure Word Reduplication — Say “Each and Every”Use a reduplicated measure word to include every person or thing in a group.
- 4.5🌟 Repeated Numeral–Measure Word Phrases — “一点儿（yìdiǎnr）一点儿（yìdiǎnr）”Use repeated quantity phrases such as 一点儿一点儿 to show gradual change or action in small repeated amounts.
- 4.6Adjacent numbers — express approximate numbersUse this to express approximate numbers with two neighboring numbers.
- 4.7Optional左右（zuǒyòu） — express approximate numbersUse this to say “about / around” after a number.
🔹 Module 5: Connect Conditions, Purpose, Sequence, and Logic
Build longer, more logical sentences by connecting conditions, immediate sequence, inclusion, purpose, addition, and conclusions.
- 5.1如果（rúguǒ）……的话（de huà），就（jiù）…… — make conditional sentencesUse this to make “if… then…” sentences for conditions and results.
- 5.2只要（zhǐyào）……就（jiù）…… — express a sufficient conditionUse this to say one condition is enough for something to happen.
- 5.3只有（zhǐyǒu）……才（cái）…… — express the only conditionUse this to say only one condition can make something happen.
- 5.4V1了（le）……就（jiù）V2…… — express immediate sequenceUse this to say one action happens immediately after another.
- 5.5除了（chúle）……以外（yǐwài），都（dōu） / 还（hái） / 也（yě）…… — express inclusion or exceptionUse this to express “besides,” “except for,” or “in addition to.”
- 5.6为了（wèile）…… — express purposeUse this to explain the purpose of an action, like “in order to….”
- 5.7🌟 “不但（bùdàn）……，而且（érqiě）……” — Add a Stronger Related PointUse this to connect two related ideas and show that the second point adds stronger or more important information.
- 5.8🌟 “更（gèng）” — Express a Deeper Degree in a Progressive Complex SentenceUse 更 in the following clause to add a deeper or more advanced level of meaning.
- 5.9Optional那（nà） — indicate a result or conclusionUse this to connect a situation with a natural result or conclusion.
🔹 Module 6: Use 把, Passive, and Causative Sentences
Learn how an object is handled or changed, how someone is affected by an action, and how one person causes another to act.
- 6.1把（bǎ） Sentence ① — 把（bǎ） + 在（zài） / 到（dào） / 给（gěi）Use 把 to place or move an object somewhere with 在 or 到, or transfer it to someone with 给.
- 6.2把（bǎ） Sentence ② — 把（bǎ） + Result / Directional / State ComplementUse 把 with a result, directional, or state complement to show what result an object reaches, where it moves, or what state it enters.
- 6.3被（bèi） / 叫（jiào） / 让（ràng） — make passive sentencesUse this to say someone or something is affected by an action, often negatively.
- 6.4Optional使（shǐ） / 让（ràng） / 叫（jiào） — make pivotal sentencesUse this to say one person or thing causes another person to do something or change.
🔹 Module 7: Describe Topics, Viewpoints, Direction, and Possibility
Finish with practical structures for interests, detailed noun descriptions, viewpoints, topics, direction, location ranges, and confident predictions.
- 7.1Optional对（duì）……有（yǒu） / 感兴趣（gǎn xìngqù） — express interestUse this to say someone is interested in a topic, activity, or field.
- 7.2🌟 Multiple attributives — use several descriptions before a nounUse this to place several descriptions before one noun in a natural order.
- 7.3关于（guānyú）…… — introduce a topicUse this to introduce the topic that a sentence, discussion, or text is about.
- 7.4根据（gēnjù）…… — say “according to”Use this to say information or a conclusion is based on a source, rule, or situation.
- 7.5🌟 看来（kànlái） / 在（zài）……看来（kànlái） / 对（duì）……来说（láishuō） / 一般来说（yìbān láishuō） — express viewpointsUse this to express viewpoints from a person, group, or general perspective.
- 7.6🌟 “在（zài）……上（shàng） / 中（zhōng） / 下（xià）” — Specify a Context, Area, or ConditionUse this pattern to limit a statement to a particular topic, process, area, or condition.
- 7.7🌟 “向（xiàng）” — Express Direction or a TargetUse 向 before a place, direction, person, or organisation to show where an action is directed.
- 7.8Optional会（huì）……的（de） — express possibility or confidenceUse this to express confidence that something will happen or be possible.