Mandarin Chinese reference
开始
kāishǐ
to start
Verb pattern · 10 form tables
Mandarin verbs do not change for tense. These tables show aspect, negation, questions and sentence patterns. Short phrases omit the subject; full examples retain theirs.
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Aspect
Plain statement
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | kāishǐstart |
Completed action
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | kāishǐ lestarted |
Experience
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | kāishǐ guohave started before |
In progress
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | zài kāishǐbe starting |
Future
About to
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | yào kāishǐ lebe about to start |
Will / can
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | huì kāishǐwill start |
Negative
Not
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | bù kāishǐdo not start |
Did not
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | méi kāishǐdid not start |
Questions
Yes no question
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | kāishǐ ma?do you start? |
A not A question
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | kāishǐ bu kāishǐ?do you start? |
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all Mandarin Chinese entries.