Sentence Builder — Chinese Word Order Game
Read the English, then rebuild the Chinese sentence from scrambled hanzi tiles. Can you master Chinese word order?
Grammar you can touch
Chinese puts time before the verb, location before the action, and uses patterns like 把 and 比 that English never does. Physically placing each word makes those rules concrete instead of abstract.
Active retrieval, not recognition
Multiple-choice quizzes only ask you to recognize a correct sentence. Building one from scratch forces you to retrieve the word-order rule yourself — the kind of practice that actually sticks.
Instant correction
Misplaced words flash red the moment you finish, you get one retry, and then the correct sentence is revealed. At game over, every missed sentence is listed so you can review and replay.
Don't translate word by word: where does tomorrow go?
Watch the short challenge and choose between two tile placements before each reveal. Then try a Level 2 round in the game above, which includes time expressions.
Time comes before the verb. These examples come from our Chinese Grammar Patterns guide:
- 我明天去北京。
wǒ míng tiān qù běi jīng — I’m going to Beijing tomorrow. - 她每天学中文。
tā měi tiān xué zhōng wén — She studies Chinese every day.
The highlighted time tiles are 明天 and 每天. Read the sentence aloud after placing its words, then compare your order with the feedback.
Transcript
- Chinese word order, where does tomorrow go?
- Don't translate word by word, choose A or B.
- A, before the verb.
- 我明天去北京。 (wǒ míng tiān qù běi jīng)
- 我明天去北京。 (wǒ míng tiān qù běi jīng)
- Now place every day, choose before the reveal.
- B, before the verb again.
- 她每天学中文。 (tā měi tiān xué zhōng wén)
- 她每天学中文。 (tā měi tiān xué zhōng wén)
- Put time before the verb, then build your own sentence.
- Choose Level two, tap the tiles, and check your order.
- Try Sentence Builder, free, at The Pure Language dot com.
Put time before the verb, then build your own sentence.
Your turn: choose Level 2 and build a sentence. A round practises several patterns; the two video examples are a warm-up, rather than a guaranteed pair of game questions.
- Find the subject first — most Chinese sentences start with who or what; anchor it, then build outward.
- Time before the verb — words like 明天, 昨天 and 每天 come before the verb; try placing them after the subject in Level 2.
- Read the pinyin aloud — saying the sentence as you build it ties word order to how the language actually sounds.
- Use hints sparingly — a hint places the next correct word for 5 points; better to guess and learn from the red flash.
- Chase the combo — consecutive correct sentences multiply your score, and chasing combos is efficient grammar review.
- Pair it with the guide — patterns you keep missing are explained in Chinese Grammar Patterns for Beginners.
Sentence Builder questions
How do you play Sentence Builder?
An English sentence is shown and the Chinese words that translate it appear as scrambled tiles, each with its pinyin. Tap the tiles in the right order to rebuild the Chinese sentence — it checks automatically when the last tile is placed. A wrong order costs one of your three hearts and gives you one retry before the answer is revealed. Each round has 10 sentences and unlocks harder grammar.
Why is Chinese word order hard for English speakers?
Chinese is broadly subject-verb-object like English, but time words come before the verb (我明天来 = I tomorrow come), location phrases come before the action, and patterns like 把, 被, 比 and 是…的 rearrange the sentence in ways English never does. Physically rebuilding sentences tile by tile trains these patterns far better than reading grammar rules.
What grammar does Sentence Builder cover?
Level 1 drills basic subject-verb-object sentences with 是, 有 and 很. Level 2 adds time expressions, 了, 在, comparisons with 比 and the 得 complement. Level 3 covers complex patterns: 如果…就, 虽然…但是, the 把 and 被 constructions, 一…就 and multi-clause sentences. Rounds automatically escalate to the next level.
Does building sentences actually teach grammar?
Yes — this is retrieval practice applied to syntax. Choosing where each word goes forces you to actively apply word-order rules instead of passively recognizing them, and the instant feedback (wrong tiles flash red, then the correct sentence is revealed) corrects mistakes on the spot. Missed sentences are listed at game over for review.