This chapter introduces the term Chinese and the differences between Mandarin and Chinese dialects. There are seven major dialects: Northern dialect, Cantonese, Wu, Xiang, Gan, Min, and Hakka in China. The variation between these dialects causes comprehension problems in oral communication, and as such, Mandarin (Chinese in this book), which is based on the Northern dialect as a national standard language, has become popular in present-day China.

The optional component of complements in a sentence is introduced in this chapter. Information on the meaning and structure of various complements, especially when and how they are used, are provided.

This chapter aims to build an understanding of the differences between words and characters in Chinese by introducing the ways that words and Chinese characters are formed. Particular attention is paid to learning and writing Chinese characters.

This chapter gives an overview of the grammatical features of Chinese adjectives and how to use them, specifically the way they can be used as the main predicate in a sentence. The forms and functions of the reduplication of adjectives are also discussed.

This chapter introduces the basic patterns of Chinese comparison sentences, emphasizing that there are no comparative adjectives in Chinese. Attention is drawn to the features of the special constructions of 比 bǐ and 跟 gēn constructions and their negation forms.

This chapter introduces the two types of modification in a sentence: attributive and adverbial. Attributive modification generally assigns properties to nouns, and adverbial modification generally assigns properties to predicates. Special attention is paid to the uses of the marker 的 de for attributive modifications and the marker 地 de for adverbial modifications.

This chapter introduces pronouns in Chinese. Pronouns stand for full nouns in sentences. Pronouns in Chinese can be classified according to their uses in interrogative or declarative sentences.

This chapter introduces nouns in Chinese and provides specific characteristics, including meaning and use. Noun affixes and their usages are also introduced. These are supplemented by discussions on the functions of nouns in a sentence.

The use of adverbs is introduced in this chapter, specifically how they modify verbs and adjectives. Their meanings and grammatical functions are given in detail, including how to differentiate the usages of adverbs with similar meanings. Further information that is provided includes the multiple positions of adverbs and the use of paired adverbs in a sentence.

This chapter introduces the two essential parts of a simple sentence: the subject and the predicate. A detailed discussion is provided on the various linguistic forms that can serve as the subject and the predicate, as well as their grammatical features.

Two types of existential sentences in Chinese are introduced in this chapter. The use of place words, instead of dummy pronouns such as it or there, is emphasized, and the compositions of these place words are discussed. Explanations are also given regarding the differences between existential sentences in Chinese and in their English equivalents.