Reaching HSK 4 marks a significant step up in your Chinese journey. You move beyond simple sentences and start expressing more complex ideas. This involves mastering several essential grammar structures. Let's break down the most important ones you'll encounter.

1. Result Complements (结果补语 - Jiéguǒ Bǔyǔ)

• What it is: Adding a verb or adjective after the main verb to show the result or outcome of the action.

• Why HSK 4: Crucial for expressing whether an action was successful or what its effect was.

• Structure: Verb + Result Complement (Verb/Adj)

• Key Examples:

• 把水果洗干净。 (Bǎ shuǐguǒ xǐ gānjìng.) - Wash the fruit clean.

• 作业做完了吗？ (Zuòyè zuòwán le ma?) - Is the homework finished?

• 我找到我的手机了。 (Wǒ zhǎodào wǒ de shǒujī le.) - I found my phone.

• 你听见了吗？ (Nǐ tīngjiàn le ma?) - Did you hear it?

• 我看见他了。 (Wǒ kànjiàn tā le.) - I saw him. (I looked and succeeded in seeing)

• 看 + 见 = 看见 (kànjiàn) - To see (successfully perceive with eyes)

• 听 + 见 = 听见 (tīngjiàn) - To hear

• 找 + 到 = 找到 (zhǎodào) - To find

• 做 + 完 = 做完 (zuòwán) - To finish doing

• 洗 + 干净 = 洗干净 (xǐ gānjìng) - To wash clean

• Negation: Place 没(有) before the main verb. Don't use 了 (le) with 没 for result complements.

• 我没看见他。 (Wǒ méi kànjiàn tā.) - I didn't see him. (NOT 我没看见他了)

2. Directional Complements (趋向补语 - Qūxiàng Bǔyǔ)

• What it is: Adding directional words (like 来, 去, 上, 下, 进, 出, 回, 过, 起) after a verb to show the direction of the action relative to the speaker or a reference point.

• Why HSK 4: Essential for describing movement clearly.

• Structure: Verb + Directional Complement(s)

• Simple (One Direction):

• 上 (shàng): Up / Onto

• 下 (xià): Down / Off

• 进 (jìn): Into

• 出 (chū): Out of

• 回 (huí): Back (to)

• 过 (guò): Over / Across / Past

• 起 (qǐ): Up (indicating start or lifting)

• 他跑进房间了。 (Tā pǎo jìn fángjiān le.) - He ran into the room.

• 请坐下。 (Qǐng zuò xià.) - Please sit down.

• Compound (来/去 Showing Movement Towards/Away from Speaker):

• Verb + Direction + 来 (lái): Movement towards the speaker.

• Verb + Direction + 去 (qù): Movement away from the speaker.

• 他走上来了。 (Tā zǒu shànglái le.) - He walked up (towards me).

• 飞机飞过去了。 (Fēijī fēi guòqù le.) - The plane flew over/past (away from us).

• 把书拿进来。 (Bǎ shū ná jìnlái.) - Bring the book in (here).

3. The 把 (Bǎ) Sentence

• What it is: A very common structure used to emphasize the disposal or handling of an object – what happened to it. The object is moved before the verb.

• Why HSK 4: A core structure for clear, natural-sounding Chinese, especially when describing actions affecting objects.

• Structure: Subject + 把 + Object + Verb Phrase + (了/Other)

• The Verb Phrase MUST include something that shows the result or effect on the object (like a complement, 在, 给, 到, another verb, or sometimes 了).

• Key Points:

• The object is usually definite (known to both speaker & listener - e.g., "the book", "my coffee", "that letter").

• The verb usually implies some kind of change or effect on the object.

• Negation or adverbs go before 把.

• Examples:

• 请把门关上。 (Qǐng bǎ mén guān shàng.) - Please close the door. (Result Comp: 上)

• 我把作业做完了。 (Wǒ bǎ zuòyè zuò wán le.) - I finished the homework. (Result Comp: 完 + 了)

• 他把礼物放在桌子上了。 (Tā bǎ lǐwù fàng zài zhuōzi shàng le.) - He put the gift on the table. (在)

• 别把钱花光！ (Bié bǎ qián huā guāng!) - Don't spend all the money! (Result Comp: 光)

• 妈妈把房间打扫干净了。 (Māma bǎ fángjiān dǎsǎo gānjìng le.) - Mom cleaned the room (and now it's) clean. (Adj Result)

4. The Passive Voice (被动句 - Bèidòng Jù)

• What it is: Focusing on the receiver of the action, not the doer. HSK4 introduces more ways than just 被 (bèi).

• Why HSK 4: Needed for situations where the doer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious, or when emphasizing the receiver.

• Common Structures:

• 我的手机给(他)弄坏了。 (Wǒ de shǒujī gěi (tā) nònghuài le.) - My phone got broken (by him).

• 我的计划让天气破坏了。 (Wǒ de jìhuà ràng tiānqì pòhuài le.) - My plan was ruined by the weather.

• 我的杯子叫弟弟打碎了。 (Wǒ de bēizi jiào dìdi dǎsuì le.) - My cup was broken by my younger brother.

• 我的自行车被(人)偷走了。 (Wǒ de zìxíngchē bèi (rén) tōu zǒu le.) - My bike was stolen (by someone). (Doer often omitted if unknown)

• 1. 被 (bèi) + [Doer] + Verb Phrase:

• 2. 叫 (jiào) + [Doer] + Verb Phrase: (More colloquial than 被)

• 3. 让 (ràng) + [Doer] + Verb Phrase: (Similar to 叫, common in spoken Chinese)

• 4. 给 (gěi) + [Doer] + Verb Phrase: (Very colloquial, often used without a doer)

• Important: Like 把 sentences, the verb phrase usually needs something extra (了, complement) to show the result.

5. More Complex Comparisons

• What it is: Building on HSK3 comparisons (比), HSK4 adds structures like:

• A 比 B + Adj + 多了/得多/一点儿/一些: (Emphasizing the degree of difference)

• 今天比昨天冷多了。 (Jīntiān bǐ zuótiān lěng duō le.) - Today is much colder than yesterday.

• 这本书比那本有趣一点儿。 (Zhè běn shū bǐ nà běn yǒuqù yìdiǎnr.) - This book is a little more interesting than that one.

• A 没有 B (这么/那么) + Adj: (A is not as Adj as B)

• 北京没有上海那么热闹。 (Běijīng méiyǒu Shànghǎi nàme rènào.) - Beijing is not as bustling as Shanghai.

• 跟/和 A (不) 一样 (Adj): (Similarity/Difference - Adj is optional)

• 他的想法跟我不一样。 (Tā de xiǎngfǎ gēn wǒ bù yīyàng.) - His idea is different from mine.

• 这个菜的味道和妈妈做的一样好。 (Zhège cài de wèidào hé māma zuò de yīyàng hǎo.) - This dish tastes as good as mom's cooking.

6. Duration & Frequency Complements (时量补语 - Shíliàng Bǔyǔ)

• What it is: Placing time words after the verb to show how long an action lasted or how many times it happened.

• Why HSK 4: Essential for precise descriptions of time spent or actions repeated.

• Structure 1 (Duration): Subject + Verb + 了 + [Time Period] + (的) + Object

• 我学了 三年 (的)中文。 (Wǒ xué le sān nián (de) Zhōngwén.) - I have studied Chinese for three years. (Object present)

• Structure 2 (Duration): Subject + Verb + Object + Verb + 了 + [Time Period]

• 我学中文学了 三年。 (Wǒ xué Zhōngwén xué le sān nián.) - I have studied Chinese for three years. (Verb repeated)

• Structure 3 (Frequency): Subject + Verb + 了 + [Number] + 次/遍/趟...

• 这个电影我看了 两次。 (Zhège diànyǐng wǒ kàn le liǎng cì.) - I have watched this movie twice.

• 请说 一遍。 (Qǐng shuō yī biàn.) - Please say it one time (once more).

7. 着 (zhe) for Continuous State

• What it is: Added after a verb to indicate an ongoing state or background action.

• Why HSK 4: Used for descriptions and setting scenes.

• Structure: Verb + 着

• 门开着。 (Mén kāi zhe.) - The door is open. (State)

• 她笑着说“你好”。 (Tā xiào zhe shuō “nǐhǎo”.) - She said "hello" while smiling. (Background action for main verb "say")

• 墙上挂着一幅画。 (Qiáng shàng guà zhe yī fú huà.) - A painting is hanging on the wall. (State resulting from an action)