Mandarin Chinese reference
说话
shuōhuà
to speak; to talk
Verb pattern · 11 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) | shuōhuàspeak |
Completed action
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | shuō le huàspoke |
Experience
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | shuō guo huàhave spoken before |
In progress
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | zài shuōhuàbe speaking |
Ongoing state
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | shuō zhe huàbe speaking |
Future
About to
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | yào shuōhuà lebe about to speak |
Will / can
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | huì shuōhuàwill speak |
Negative
Not
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | bù shuōhuàdo not speak |
Did not
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | méi shuōhuàdid not speak |
Questions
Yes no question
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | shuōhuà ma?do you speak? |
A not A question
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | shuō bu shuō huà?do you speak? |
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all Mandarin Chinese entries.