Chinese sentences can be either complete or incomplete.
A complete sentence must have a subject and a predicate. An incomplete consists of only the subject or only the predicate.
Incomplete sentences in Chinese may be also called one-part sentences. They consist of a short phrase or one word.
Examples
赢了！
I won!
yíng le
冬天
It’s winter
dōngtiān
Complete sentences
Complete sentences in Chinese are similar to English and should have both a subject and a predicate. There are several types of complete sentences:
Sentences with a verbal predicate
In these sentences, the predicate is expressed by a verb.
Examples
他写了一封信
He wrote the letter
tā xiě le yì fēng xìn
今天我不去上课
I'm not going to school today
jīntiān wǒ bú qù shàngkè
Sometimes there are sentences with a compound verbal predicate. This is when the predicate consists not of a single verb, but of several verbs or verb phrases that are stated one by one.
Examples
他有事不能来
He has some things to do, so he can't come
tā yǒu shì bù néng lái
Sentences with a predicate adjective
In these sentences, the predicate is expressed by an adjective.
Examples
我很忙
I'm busy
wǒ hěn máng
椅子不重
The chair is not heavy
yǐzi bú zhòng
Sentences with a nominal predicate
In these sentences, the predicate is expressed by a noun or a numeral.
Examples
明天周末
It’s the weekend tomorrow
míngtiān zhōumò
明天三号
Tomorrow is the 3rd
míngtiān sān hào
You can learn more about sentences with an adjective predicate or sentences with a nominal predicate here ↓