Past Tense

Chinese Lesson 14 (Past Tense & Colors)

Duration: 30 mins

Lessons Chinese Lessons
Linguistic Chinese Vocabulary
Culture Chinese Phrases
Structure Chinese Grammar

This 14th lesson deals with the past tense in Chinese. In addition I included a vocabulary list about colors, as well as some basic phrases. I will try to give examples using both vocabulary and grammar. That way it will be easy for you to see the words when they are separate and when they are in a sentence. Going through the whole page should take about 30 min. Make sure to read the pronunciation and hear the audio as well. If you have any question about this course, please email me directly at Chinese Classes.

Past

The past is one of the 3 tenses (present, past, and future) we will be discussing in the next 3 lessons. So it is recommended not to skip any of them because they are all related.

Below is a list of 15 sentences conjugated into the past tense. I focused on the examples you might come across or use very often. The table contains 3 columns (English, Chinese, and Audio). Make sure you repeat each word after hearing it by either clicking on the audio button or by reading the pronunciation. That should help with memorization as well as improving your pronunciation.

Past Tense in Chinese

Past Chinese Audio
I saw you我看到你了
wǒ kàn dào nǐle
I wrote with a pen我用钢笔写
wǒ yòng gāngbǐ xiě
You loved apples我喜欢苹果
wǒ xǐhuān píngguǒ
You gave money你付钱
nǐ fù qián
You played tennis你打网球
nǐ dǎ wǎngqiú
He read (past tense) a book他看了一本书
tā kànle yī běn shū
He understood me他能理解我
tā néng lǐjiě wǒ
She had a cat她有只猫
tā yǒu zhǐ māo
She knew my friend她认识我朋友
tā rènshì wǒ péngyǒu
We wanted to learn我们想学
wǒmen xiǎng xué
We thought Spanish is easy我们以为西班牙语容易
wǒmen yǐwéi xībānyá yǔ róngyì
You (plural) worked here你在这工作
nǐ zài zhè gōngzuò
You (plural) spoke French你说法语
nǐ shuō fǎyǔ
They drove a car他们开了辆车
tāmen kāile liàng chē
They smiled他们微笑
tāmen wéixiào

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact me using the Chinese contact form on the header above.

List of Colors in Chinese

Below is a list of 18 words and expressions related to colors.

Colors in Chinese

Colors Chinese Audio
Black黑色
hēisè
Blue蓝色
lán sè
Brown棕色
zōngsè
Colors颜色
yánsè
Dark color深颜色
shēn yánsè
Gray灰色
huīsè
Green绿色
lǜsè
Light color淡颜色
dàn yánsè
Orange橙色
chéngsè
Red红色
hóngsè
White白色
báisè
Yellow黄色
huángsè

Daily Conversation in Chinese

Finally, here are some common sentences to strengthen your conversation skills. For a complete list of commonly used sentences, please visit our Chinese Phrases page. Enjoy!

Common Expressions in Chinese

English Chinese Audio
Black is his favorite color他最喜欢黑色。
tā zuì xǐhuān hēisè.
I have black hair我有黑色的头发。
Wǒ yǒu hēisè de tóufǎ.
Red is not his favorite color红色不是他最喜欢的颜色。
Hóngsè bùshì tā zuì xǐhuān de yánsè.
She drives a yellow car她开一台黄色的汽车。
Tā kāi yī tái huángsè de qìchē.
The sky is blue天空是蓝色的。
Tiānkōng shì lán sè de.
Your cat is white你的猫是白色的。
Nǐ de māo shì báisè de.
I enjoyed myself very much我很喜欢一个人
Wǒ hěn xǐhuān yīgè rén
I agree with you我同意
wǒ tóngyì
Are you sure?你确定?
nǐ quèdìng?
Be careful!小心点
Xiǎoxīn diǎn
Cheers!干杯
gānbēi
Would you like to go for a walk?想出去走走吗?
xiǎng chūqù zǒu zǒu ma?

Fun Facts

Language Quote: ❝To have another language is to possess a second soul.❞ ‒Charlemagne

Congratulations! You finished your 14th lesson in Chinese about the past tense, and a vocabulary list about colors. Are you ready for the next lesson? We recommend Chinese Lesson 15. You can also simply click on one of the links below or go back to our Learn Chinese homepage.

Lessons Chinese Lessons
Linguistic Chinese Vocabulary
Culture Chinese Phrases
Structure Chinese Grammar