HSK 2
主谓句3：名词谓语句
zhǔ wèi jù 3 ： míng cí wèi yǔ jù
Nominal-predicate sentences (主谓句3: 名词谓语句)
Explanation
The noun-predicate sentence (名词谓语句 (míngcí wèiyǔ jù)) is a sentence in which the predicate (the part that states the characteristics of the subject) is itself a noun or noun phrase, used to describe the subject without needing the verb 是 (shì) (to be).
Subject (the doer, placed at the start of the sentence) + noun / noun phrase. For example 他中国人 (tā Zhōngguórén) = He (is) Chinese.
To state weather, time of day, dates, nationality, age… concisely in colloquial speech.
This sentence differs from the 是-sentence (是字句): the same idea "He is Chinese," but the noun-predicate sentence drops 是, whereas the more formal sentence is 他是中国人 (tā shì Zhōngguórén). When emphasizing or negating, you must go back to using 是 / 不是.
Vietnamese learners often insert 是 in the middle (making 现在是八点二十分 when you only need to state the time concisely) or use the 是-dropped sentence for negation — negation MUST have 不是 (bú shì).
Examples
Tomorrow is overcast.
He is Chinese.
It's now eight twenty.
Practice
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The grammar point “主谓句3：名词谓语句” (Nominal-predicate sentences (主谓句3: 名词谓语句)) is one of the key structures at HSK 2. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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