Mandarin Chinese: Using Verb Phrases as Sentence Subjects ("Swimming Is Good Exercise")
Learn to put an action phrase at the start of a Mandarin sentence as its subject, the equivalent of English -ing subjects like "Swimming is good exercise," using 我喜欢跑步 and 学中文很有意思.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In English you can say "Swimming is good exercise," where the -ing form acts as the subject. Mandarin has no -ing ending, so it uses a different strategy: a verb or verb phrase simply stands at the front of the sentence and functions as the subject. No word like "it" or "to" is needed. For example, 跑步很好 (pǎobù hěn hǎo) means "Running is good," and 学中文很有意思 (xué Zhōngwén hěn yǒu yìsi) means "Learning Chinese is interesting." This lesson focuses only on that subject position: putting an action at the start of a sentence and then commenting on it with words like 好, 有意思, 重要, or 累.
By the end, you can…
- put a verb phrase at the start of a Mandarin sentence so it works as the subject.
- comment on an activity using 好, 有意思, 重要, or 累.
- tell the difference between an activity as subject and an activity as object after a verb like 喜欢.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
跑步很好。
Running is good.
pǎobù hěn hǎo
A basic subject-first sentence: the activity 跑步 is the subject, and 很好 comments on it.
学中文很有意思。
Learning Chinese is interesting.
xué Zhōngwén hěn yǒu yìsi
The whole phrase 学中文 acts as the subject; 很有意思 is the comment.
游泳对身体好。
Swimming is good for your health.
yóuyǒng duì shēntǐ hǎo
Use 对 + noun + 好 to say an activity is good for something.
每天早起很累。
Getting up early every day is tiring.
měitiān zǎoqǐ hěn lèi
A longer activity phrase can still be the subject; 很累 is the comment.
看书比看电视有意思。
Reading is more interesting than watching TV.
kàn shū bǐ kàn diànshì yǒu yìsi
Two activity phrases can be compared with 比, both in subject position.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern is: Activity phrase + comment. The activity phrase is the subject, and the comment is usually an adjective phrase with 很, such as 很好, 很有意思, 很重要, or 很累. Examples: 跑步很好 (Running is good); 学中文很有意思 (Learning Chinese is interesting); 游泳对身体好 (Swimming is good for your health). Notice that Mandarin does not add an -ing ending or a dummy subject like English "it." The verb phrase itself sits in the subject slot.
When to use it
Use this pattern when you want to evaluate or describe an activity in general, not a specific person doing it. 跑步很好 states a general opinion about running. If you mean a specific person, name that person: 他跑步很好 means "He runs well." Also compare subject position with object position: in 我喜欢跑步 (wǒ xǐhuan pǎobù), 跑步 is the object of 喜欢; in 跑步很好, 跑步 is the subject. The words are the same, but the position changes the grammar.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
你平时喜欢做什么运动？
What sports do you usually like to do?nǐ píngshí xǐhuan zuò shénme yùndòng我喜欢游泳。游泳对身体好。
I like swimming. Swimming is good for your health.wǒ xǐhuan yóuyǒng. yóuyǒng duì shēntǐ hǎo学中文也很有意思。
Learning Chinese is also interesting.xué Zhōngwén yě hěn yǒu yìsi对，可是每天早起很累。
Right, but getting up early every day is tiring.duì, kěshì měitiān zǎoqǐ hěn lèiA little context goes a long way
Mandarin often states general opinions about activities without a subject like English "it." In everyday conversation, a short activity phrase plus 很好 or 很有意思 sounds natural and neutral. When you give a personal opinion, adding 我觉得 (wǒ juéde, "I think") is common and polite: 我觉得跑步很好.
One thing to watch for
Adding a dummy subject like 它 before the activity: 它跑步很好.
Try this instead: Do not use 它 as an English-style dummy subject. Say 跑步很好 (pǎobù hěn hǎo), where 跑步 itself is the subject. If you mean a specific person or animal, name it: 他跑步很好 (tā pǎobù hěn hǎo) means "He runs well."
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say "Swimming is good exercise" in Mandarin?
Show a sample answer
游泳是好运动。
游泳 is the subject and 是好运动 comments on it. A very common alternative is 游泳对身体好, which means "Swimming is good for your health."
2In 我喜欢跑步, is 跑步 the subject or the object?
Show a sample answer
It is the object.
跑步 follows the verb 喜欢, so it is the object. In 跑步很好, 跑步 comes first and is the subject.
3Make a sentence with 学中文 as the subject and 有意思 as the comment.
Show a sample answer
学中文很有意思。
The activity phrase 学中文 is the subject, and 很有意思 is the comment. You may also say 我觉得学中文很有意思 to make it a personal opinion.
To express an English -ing subject in Mandarin, put the verb phrase first and comment on it: 跑步很好, 学中文很有意思. No -ing ending and no dummy subject are needed.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Chinese into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr