Nominal Expressions as Predicates in Chinese
名词性词语作谓语
A nominal expression can serve directly as a Mandarin predicate in restricted contexts, especially for dates, time, age, price, nationality, or quantity. The predicate may be a noun, pronoun, numeral, quantity phrase, or nominal phrase. This lesson describes the unmarked pattern; adding 是 can change the information structure or emphasis.
Published August 7, 2026
Reviewed August 7, 2026
01 / PATTERN
See the Structure
MODEL
Subject + Nominal Expression
Read the structure
A nominal expression can serve directly as a Mandarin predicate in restricted contexts, especially for dates, time, age, price, nationality, or quantity. The predicate may be a noun, pronoun, numeral, quantity phrase, or nominal phrase. This lesson describes the unmarked pattern; adding 是 can change the information structure or emphasis. Keep the model Subject + Nominal Expression visible while you compare each sentence.
今天星期五。
Today is Friday.
Choose the right context
State a date, weekday, age, price, or quantity directly. Identify a person's origin or category in a compact context. Use a complete nominal phrase as the comment about the subject.
我妹妹十八岁。
My younger sister is eighteen.
Respect the boundary
Do not assume every noun can predicate without context. Do not reverse the subject and its nominal comment. Do not append 是 after the completed nominal predicate.
今天星期五是。
(Today Friday is.)
Repair the pattern
是 trails the completed predicate: The nominal expression 星期五 already fills the predicate position; 是 cannot trail it. The price phrase is scrambled: The price predicate keeps the quantity phrase 二十块钱 in its normal internal order.
今天星期五。
Use the repaired structure without changing the intended meaning.
02 / MAP
Read the Sentence
Read from left to right and notice the job performed by each part. The labels describe this example; they are not a rule that every Chinese sentence must copy.
今天星期五。
Today is Friday.
今天
Subject
This part occupies the Subject position in the model pattern.
星期五
Nominal Expression
This part occupies the Nominal Expression position in the model pattern.
03 / EXAMPLES
Examples You Can Reuse
Keep the structure stable while changing the people, objects, times, or conditions. Pinyin is shown as reading support; use the Chinese sentence and translation to confirm the grammar relationship.
今天星期五。
Today is Friday.
我妹妹十八岁。
My younger sister is eighteen.
这本书二十块钱。
This book costs twenty yuan.
04 / LIMITS
When to Use It — and When Not To
Use it when
- State a date, weekday, age, price, or quantity directly.
- Identify a person's origin or category in a compact context.
- Use a complete nominal phrase as the comment about the subject.
Do not use it when
- Do not assume every noun can predicate without context.
- Do not reverse the subject and its nominal comment.
- Do not append 是 after the completed nominal predicate.
05 / REPAIR
Compare Right and Wrong
Compare the smallest meaningful change. Each explanation identifies a placement, scope, form, or clause relationship instead of treating the whole sentence as one undifferentiated mistake.
今天星期五是。
今天星期五。
是 trails the completed predicate
The nominal expression 星期五 already fills the predicate position; 是 cannot trail it.
这本书钱二十块。
这本书二十块钱。
The price phrase is scrambled
The price predicate keeps the quantity phrase 二十块钱 in its normal internal order.
今天星期五是。
The nominal expression 星期五 already fills the predicate position; 是 cannot trail it.
这本书钱二十块。
The price predicate keeps the quantity phrase 二十块钱 in its normal internal order.
06 / PRACTICE
Practice the Grammar Point
Complete three short tasks in order: judge the pattern, repair a common error, and build the sentence. Feedback is fixed and reviewed, so these activities do not use a checker allowance.
1. Judge the sentence
2. Choose the correction
3. Build the sentence
Build a complete sentence with 名词性词语作谓语.
07 / APPLY
Apply It in Your Sentence
Write one original sentence with 名词性词语作谓语. Your draft moves to the checker through this browser session, selects this grammar point as the first review focus, and waits for you to submit.
08 / QUESTIONS
Nominal Expressions as Predicates Questions
Can I also say 今天是星期五?
Yes. The copular sentence is grammatical, but the bare nominal predicate is a common compact way to state calendar, age, price, and similar information.
Can any noun appear as a bare predicate?
No. The pattern is strongly favored by conventional identifying and measuring contexts; other noun predicates may require 是 or additional context.
09 / SOURCES
Sources and Review Notes
These references support different parts of the lesson. GF0025-2021 supports level placement only; professional grammar works support the explanation, limits, examples, and cross-checks. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement.
Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (GF0025-2021)
Ministry of Education and State Language Commission · Ministry of Education of the PRC · 2021
Locator: Appendix A, Level 2 item 【二48】, PDF pp. 191-192 (printed pp. 185-186)
Places nominal, pronoun, numeral, quantity, and nominal-phrase predicates at Level 2 with date, age, price, and identity examples.
Official source现代汉语语法课程讲义
包头师范学院 · 包头师范学院 · 2024
Locator: Sentence constituents and sentence patterns, slides 34 and 43
States that nominal expressions can predicate under appropriate conditions and defines noun-predicate sentences.
Official source10 / CONTINUE
Continue with a Connected Rule
Easy to confuse
动词/形容词作谓语Basic Verb and Adjective Predicates
Add nominal predicates to the basic contrast between verbal and adjectival predicate forms.
Learn first
名词性短语Nominal Phrases and Their Sentence Roles
Recognize the complete nominal constituent before using it directly as a sentence predicate.
Compare
形容词谓语句Adjective Predicate Sentence
A bare adjective predicate describes a property, while a nominal predicate identifies or measures.
Easy to confuse
是字句是 Sentences: Identification
Compare compact bare nominal predication with explicit copular identification through 是.
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Add nominal predicates to the basic contrast between verbal and adjectival predicate forms.