Basic words: numbers, time, verbs

What holds these lists together

These lists belong to no area, which is to say they belong to all of them: the question words, numbers and time, the measure words, the basic verbs and adjectives, and the adverbs that set the tone of a sentence. Chinese adds two reasons English does not have. A number cannot stand directly before a noun: a measure word goes between them, chosen by the kind of thing counted — 一(yì)张(zhāng)票(piào) for something flat such as a ticket, 一(yì)条(tiáo)河(hé) for something long such as a river, and 个(gè) for a great many others. And two has two words: 二(èr) when counting, 两(liǎng) before a measure word, so two books are 两(liǎng)本(běn)书(shū) and never èr běn shū. The question words, finally, stay where the answer will stand: 你(nǐ)去(qù)哪儿(nǎr)？ is literally "you go where?", with nothing moved to the front. Anyone wondering where to start starts here.

For example: 零(líng) (zero), 点(diǎn) (o'clock), 我(wǒ) (I; me), 是(shì) (to be), 大(dà) (big; old (in age)), 个(gè) (measure word for people and most things)

Spread across the levels

The category runs across the levels — it is an area, not a difficulty. If you practise it, you can also choose a level at the top of the practice page and then get only the part that sits there.