Noun-Predicate Sentences (主谓句3)
名词谓语句
Drop 是 and let a noun, number, or age stand as the predicate
In casual Chinese, a noun, number, age, time, weight, price, or nationality can ITSELF serve as the predicate — no verb 是 needed. "Today (is) Monday" becomes 今天星期一; "I (am) twenty" becomes 我二十岁.
Restricted to age, time, date, weather, price, weight/height, and nationality slots. For negation, you MUST put 是 back in and use 不是: 今天不是星期一.
Lesson Targets
Podcast
Podcast: Noun-Predicate Sentences (主谓句3) (名词谓语句)
Listen to Jason & Amy explain the 名词谓语句 pattern
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Understanding 名词谓语句
In English, sentences obsess over the verb "to be": "I am twenty," "Today is Monday," "Three apples is fifteen yuan." Chinese saves the breath. When the predicate is a number, age, date, time, weather, or nationality, you can drop 是 entirely and let the noun do the work. 我二十岁 — that's a full sentence, no verb required. The 大纲 calls this 主谓句3 (noun-predicate sentence), the third major sentence type alongside verb-predicates and adjective-predicates. It's one of the first places HSK 1 learners feel Chinese's "less is more" personality. Just remember: this shortcut only works in affirmative statements. The moment you negate, 是 jumps back in: 今天不是星期一.
Key Points
- Affirmative noun-predicate sentences DROP 是: 今天星期三 (Today is Wednesday).
- Common predicate types: age, date, day, time, weather, price, weight, nationality.
- For negation, you MUST add 是 back: 今天不是星期三 (NOT 今天不星期三).
- Age: 我二十岁 ✓ — never 我是二十岁 ✗ when stating a plain age.
- Date / weekday: 明天三月五号; 后天星期六.
- Price: 这本书三十块 ✓ (This book is thirty yuan).
- Nationality / origin: 他北京人 ✓ — though 他是北京人 with 是 is also very common.
- Weather + temperature: 今天三十度 (It's 30 degrees today).
You'll hear this constantly at markets and on the street: 多少钱？— 十五. (How much? — Fifteen.) No 是, no measure word, just a number standing alone. Same with age: 你几岁？— 八岁. Embracing this brevity makes your Chinese sound natural rather than textbook-translated.
Key Vocabulary
Example Sentences
今天星期一。
Today is Monday.
No 是 needed — date / day works as the predicate.
我二十岁。
I am twenty years old.
Age is the classic noun-predicate slot.
现在三点半。
It's 3:30 right now.
Clock time as a bare predicate.
这本书三十块。
This book is 30 yuan.
Prices skip 是 in conversation.
他北京人。
He is from Beijing.
Place + 人 = nationality / origin predicate.
明天我的生日。
Tomorrow is my birthday.
今天三十度。
It's 30 degrees today.
Weather / temperature.
今天不是星期一。
Today is not Monday.
Negation forces 是 back into the sentence.
我妹妹十岁，我十八岁。
My little sister is ten; I am eighteen.
一斤苹果五块钱。
A jin of apples is five yuan.
Market-stall Chinese in its purest form.
Common Mistakes
When stating a plain age, drop 是 — let 二十岁 stand on its own as the predicate. Adding 是 sounds bookish and unnatural.
Negation REQUIRES 是. You can drop 是 in affirmative noun-predicate sentences, but you must restore it whenever you say "not."
很 only modifies adjectives, never noun predicates. Time, age, and quantity stand on their own without a degree adverb.
Practice Exercises
Tips & Tricks
Five quick categories take noun predicates without 是: AGE, DATE, TIME, PRICE, WEIGHT/TEMPERATURE. Memorise this list and you'll know when to drop 是.
Negation is the override switch: the moment you say "not," 是 comes BACK. There is no 不 + bare noun-predicate sentence in standard Mandarin.
Listening for 是 in age/time/price contexts is a tell that someone is translating from English. Drop it and your Chinese instantly sounds more native.
Test your sentence: can you replace the noun-predicate with an adjective and have it still make sense? If yes (he old, he tall…), you might be in adjective-predicate territory — that's the OTHER 主谓句 type.
Homework
Write six noun-predicate sentences covering all five categories — age, date, time, price, weight/temperature — plus one bonus (nationality). Then rewrite three of them as negatives to practice restoring 是.