Topic-Comment Predicate Sentences in Chinese
主谓谓语句
In a topic-comment sentence, an initial noun phrase establishes what the clause is about, and a following subject-predicate unit comments on it. In 他身体很好, 他 is the topic and 身体很好 is the comment. The topic must have a clear semantic relation to the inner subject; simple juxtaposition cannot link unrelated nouns.
Published July 23, 2026
Reviewed July 23, 2026
01 / PATTERN
See the Structure
MODEL
Topic + Subject + Predicate
Read the structure
In a topic-comment sentence, an initial noun phrase establishes what the clause is about, and a following subject-predicate unit comments on it. In 他身体很好, 他 is the topic and 身体很好 is the comment. The topic must have a clear semantic relation to the inner subject; simple juxtaposition cannot link unrelated nouns. Keep the model Topic + Subject + Predicate visible while you compare each sentence.
他身体很好。
He is in good health.
Choose the right context
Use a person as topic and a body part as the inner subject. Use a place as topic and its weather, people, or conditions as the comment. Use an object as topic and one of its properties as the inner subject.
北京冬天很冷。
Winters in Beijing are cold.
Respect the boundary
Do not insert 是 between the topic and an adjectival subject-predicate comment. Do not reverse the inner subject and its predicate. Do not juxtapose an unrelated topic and comment without a recoverable relationship.
他很身体好。
(He is in good health.)
Repair the pattern
Degree adverb precedes the inner subject: 身体 is the inner subject and must precede its adjectival predicate 很好; 很 cannot stand before that inner subject. Degree adverb follows the adjective: Within the comment, degree adverb 很 must precede the adjectival predicate 冷.
他身体很好。
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.
他身体很好。
He is in good health.
他
Topic
This part occupies the Topic position in the model pattern.
身体
Subject
This part occupies the Subject position in the model pattern.
很好
Predicate
This part occupies the Predicate 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.
他身体很好。
He is in good health.
北京冬天很冷。
Winters in Beijing are cold.
这本书内容很有意思。
This book has very interesting content.
04 / LIMITS
When to Use It — and When Not To
Use it when
- Use a person as topic and a body part as the inner subject.
- Use a place as topic and its weather, people, or conditions as the comment.
- Use an object as topic and one of its properties as the inner subject.
Do not use it when
- Do not insert 是 between the topic and an adjectival subject-predicate comment.
- Do not reverse the inner subject and its predicate.
- Do not juxtapose an unrelated topic and comment without a recoverable relationship.
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.
他很身体好。
他身体很好。
Degree adverb precedes the inner subject
身体 is the inner subject and must precede its adjectival predicate 很好; 很 cannot stand before that inner subject.
北京冬天冷很。
北京冬天很冷。
Degree adverb follows the adjective
Within the comment, degree adverb 很 must precede the adjectival predicate 冷.
他很身体好。
身体 is the inner subject and must precede its adjectival predicate 很好; 很 cannot stand before that inner subject.
北京冬天冷很。
Within the comment, degree adverb 很 must precede the adjectival predicate 冷.
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 主谓谓语句.
07 / APPLY
Apply It in Your Sentence
Write one original sentence with 主谓谓语句. 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
Topic-Comment Predicate Sentences Questions
Is the first noun always the grammatical subject?
No. It may be a broader topic followed by its own subject-predicate comment.
Does the topic need a marker?
Not necessarily. Position and a clear semantic relation often identify it.
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: GF0025-2021 Appendix A, Level 3 item 【三53】 (PDF p. 206)
Provides official Level 3 directory placement and examples only; it does not establish the learner-facing usage explanation.
Official sourceModern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide, 3rd ed.
Ross, Ma, Chen, He and Yeh · Routledge · 2024
Locator: Chapter 57, Topic, Focus, and Emphasis; topic-comment organization
Defines an outer topic followed by an inner subject-predicate comment and requires a meaningful relation between them.
Official source10 / CONTINUE
Continue with a Connected Rule
Compare
兼语句Pivotal Sentences
A topic-comment sentence contains an inner subject-predicate comment; a pivotal sentence makes one noun both object and following subject.
Easy to confuse
受事主语Patient-Initial Clauses
Distinguish the topic comment level of 主谓谓语句 from the argument preposition of 受事主语 sentence. The nouns at the beginning of the sentence may not all be subject.
Continue learning
动词/形容词作谓语Basic Verb and Adjective Predicates
Extend basic predicate analysis to an inner subject-predicate phrase serving as the outer sentence's predicate.
Continue learning
对于Topic Frame with 对于
Compare an unmarked outer topic with a discussion object explicitly introduced by 对于.
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Extend basic predicate analysis to an inner subject-predicate phrase serving as the outer sentence's predicate.