HSK 5 grammar

By Carson 木林森 · Updated October 2026

HSK 5 grammar is multi-clause sentences, adverb stacking, discourse cohesion, register — 27 points in all, listed here in the order GraphChinese teaches them. Each one carries the pattern, worked examples with pinyin, and the topics it depends on.

Other levels: HSK 1 · HSK 2 · HSK 3 · HSK 4 · HSK 5 · HSK 6 · All 195

HSK 5 · 27 points

• Agent Prepositions: 将、由 引出施受介词 将 (jiāng) and 由 (yóu) are two formal prepositions that introduce who or what is acted on, or who does the work. 将 is the written form of 把 and moves the object before the verb, while 由 names the person or unit responsible.
• 把-Sentences & Notional Passive 把字句与意念被动句 The 把 construction moves a known object before the verb to show what is done to it, and at HSK 5 it is set against the notional passive. A notional passive makes the receiver the subject with no 被, as in 衣服洗干净了.
• Comparison Sentences: 跟…相比 比较句 跟…相比 (compared with…) opens a sentence by naming the baseline, and the comparison result follows the comma. 跟去年相比，今年的销量增加了很多 sets this year against last year, and 相比之下 continues the contrast without naming the baseline again.
• Degree Adverbs: 过于、尤其、稍微 程度副词 过于 (excessively), 尤其 (especially) and 稍微 (slightly) are degree adverbs that go before an adjective or verb. They set the level at three different points, from too much for 过于 to a small amount for 稍微.
• Demonstratives & Measure Words 指示代词与量词 某 (mǒu) is a word meaning a certain or some that points to a person or thing without naming it, as in 某天 and 某位老师. HSK 5 also adds the measure words 届, 项, 幅, 颗 and 批 for events, items, pictures, small round things and batches.
• Directional Complements: Temporal Meaning 趋向补语表时间意义 Directional complements can show time as well as movement. At HSK 5, 起来 means an action or state begins, as in 天气冷起来了, while 下去 means it carries on, as in 说下去.
• Fixed Frames: 从…来看、到…为止、在…看来 固定格式 A fixed frame is a set pair of words that wraps a clause to give a viewpoint or a limit. 从…来看 (judging from) takes evidence, 在…看来 (in someone's view) takes a person, and 到…为止 (up to) takes a point in time.
• Fixed Phrases: 不得了、用不着、得了 固定短语 不得了, 用不着 and 得了 are three set expressions with fixed meanings. 不得了 (extremely) follows 得 as a degree complement, 用不着 (no need to) is a negative potential form, and 得了 (that is enough) is a spoken remark that ends a discussion.
• Frequency & Manner Adverbs: 偶尔、再次、偷偷 频率副词 偶尔 (occasionally), 再次 (once again) and 偷偷 (secretly) are adverbs that go before the verb to say how often or in what manner something happens. 再次 is more formal than 又 or 再, and 偷偷 says nobody was meant to notice.
• Modal Adverbs: 毕竟、居然、明明、总算 语气副词 毕竟 (after all), 居然 (unexpectedly), 明明 (clearly) and 总算 (finally) are modal adverbs that show the speaker's attitude to what is said. Each marks a feeling such as justification, surprise, contradiction or relief.
• Multiple Adverbials: Ordering Rules 多项状语的顺序 When several adverbials stand before a verb, Chinese puts them in a fixed order: time, then 已经 or 都 type adverbs, then a preposition phrase, then a manner phrase ending in 地. 他昨天已经在办公室认真地写完了报告 follows that order.
• Object Semantics: Existential & Affected Objects 宾语的语义类型 The object after a verb can play different roles. An existential object is new information at a place, as in 墙上挂着一幅画. An affected object is a known thing the action changes, and it is the kind that can move in front of the verb with 把.
• Potential Complements: V+得/不得 可能补语 Bare 得 and 不得 attach directly to a verb, with no result word after them, to say something may or must not be done. 吃不得 means must not be eaten, which is different from 看不懂, the HSK 4 form that means unable.
• Preposition 随着 (along with, as) 介词 随着 (along with, as) at HSK 5 adds the written pattern 随着…而…, where the change in the 随着 part and the result are joined by 而 with no extra comma. It also takes abstract phrases such as 随着…的普及 and 随着…的加剧.
• Reduplication Patterns: A来A去、A着A着 四字格 Reduplication patterns repeat a verb inside a set frame to show repeated action. A来A去 (想来想去) means back and forth many times, while A着A着 (说着说着) means while doing A, something suddenly changes.
• Scope Adverb: 大都 范围副词 大都 (dà dōu) is an adverb meaning mostly or for the most part, and it goes before the verb with a plural subject. It says that most of the group share the trait, though not all of them do.
• Serial Verb & Pivotal Constructions 连动句与兼语句 A serial verb sentence (连动句) puts two or more verb phrases after one subject, as in 他去图书馆借书. A pivotal sentence (兼语句) has a noun that is both the object of the first verb and the subject of the second, as in 让他来.
• '有' Sentences: Existence & Attachment 有字句3 有着 and 写有 are two forms of 有 (to have) at HSK 5. 有着 is a more literary way to say have, used for lasting abstract qualities, while a verb + 有, as in 写有, says that something is written or attached.
• Basis Prepositions: 凭、依据、依照 凭借介词 凭 (píng), 依据 (yījù) and 依照 (yīzhào) are prepositions that introduce the basis for what comes next. 凭 means relying on or by virtue of, while 依据 and 依照 mean according to, and they suit rules, facts and formal writing.
• Clause Conjunctions: 从而、加上、完了、一旦 连接分句连词 从而 (thereby), 加上 (in addition) and 一旦 (once) are conjunctions that connect clauses. 从而 links a method to the result it brings, 加上 adds a further factor to a conclusion, and 一旦…就… says once it happens, a lasting result follows.
• Complex Sentences: Concession & Condition 复句 A complex sentence joins clauses with paired connectives. At HSK 5 the main ones are 即使…也… (even if) for a hypothetical concession, 尽管…还是… (although) for a fact, and the condition words 万一, 要是 and 一旦, plus 宁可…也… (would rather).
• Degree & State Complements: 不得了、坏了、得+phrase 程度补语与状态补语 A degree complement follows a verb or adjective with 得 or a fixed ending to say how extreme something is. 高兴得不得了 means extremely happy, 累坏了 means worn out, and 得 followed by a phrase can describe the resulting state.
• Discourse Cohesion: Anaphora & Ellipsis 句群 Discourse cohesion is how Chinese links a run of sentences about the same person or thing. Anaphora names them in full once and then uses pronouns such as 他, 它 or 此, and ellipsis leaves the repeated subject out entirely.
• Emphasis Patterns: 再也不、怎么都、X归X 强调方式 再也不, 怎么都 and X归X are three patterns that add emphasis. 再也不…了 means never again, 怎么都 means no matter how, and X归X (生气归生气) concedes one thing before saying that something else still holds.
• Time Adverbs: 仍旧、时常、依旧、一向 时间副词 仍旧 and 依旧 (still), 时常 (often) and 一向 (all along) are time adverbs that sit before the verb. The first two say something continues unchanged, 时常 gives frequency, and 一向 says it has been so from the past until now.
• Purpose & Consequence Clauses: 为的是、以便 目的与因果复句 为的是 (the aim is) and 以便 (so that) are two connectives that give the purpose of an action. 为的是 comes after the action and states the goal, while 以便 begins a second clause that the first action makes easier.
• Multi-Clause Compound Sentences 二重复句 A multi-clause compound sentence (二重复句) is a compound sentence in which one clause is itself a compound sentence, so two pairs of connectives are nested. 虽然他基础不好，但是因为他每天都练习… has an outer 虽然…但是 and an inner 因为.

Get these patterns into your own sentences. GraphChinese drills every HSK 5 grammar point and schedules the review that keeps it.

Frequently asked questions

How many grammar points are there in HSK 5?

GraphChinese teaches 27. The HSK publishes a vocabulary list rather than a grammar list, so any count depends on how finely you cut the patterns; these are the 27 taught as separate topics with their own prerequisites, and every one of them is on this page.

What grammar do you learn at HSK 5?

HSK 5 is multi-clause sentences, adverb stacking, discourse cohesion, register. It opens with Agent Prepositions: 将、由, 把-Sentences & Notional Passive, Comparison Sentences: 跟…相比, Degree Adverbs: 过于、尤其、稍微.

What do you need to know before HSK 5 grammar?

The patterns HSK 5 points name most often as prerequisites are 把-construction (disposal) (HSK 4), Degree adverbs: 十分/极其/稍微/格外 (HSK 4), Existential sentences: 有/是/着 + location (HSK 4). Each point below lists its own, so you can walk back from whichever one stops making sense.

Which HSK 5 grammar point is worth learning first?

By dependency, Complex Sentences: Concession & Condition: 5 later points name it among their own prerequisites, more than any other point at this level. 即使…也… = 'even if…still…' — hypothetical concession (the situation may not be true, but even if it were, the result still holds). 即使明天下雨，我们也要去爬山。(Even if it rains tomorrow, we'll still go hiking.).

Related guides: The HSK levels, explained · HSK vocabulary lists · The dictionary · The full curriculum · How to study Chinese