Key HSK-4 patterns: integrated review
HSK 4 has six sentence patterns that learners often mix up: 把, 被, 是…的, 连…都, 无论…都 and 越来越. This review compares them side by side by what each one does, so that you can choose the right one for a given sentence.
Six patterns you must discriminate at exam level:
| Pattern | Structure | Core use |
|---|---|---|
| 把 | S+把+O+V+Result | Active disposal of a definite object |
| 被 | S+被+(Agent)+V+Result | Passive — subject receives action |
| 是…的 | 是+[circumstance]+的 | Emphasise when/where/how a past action occurred |
| 越…越… | 越+V1+越+V2 | The more X, the more Y |
| 连…都/也 | 连+N+都/也+V | Even X does/can Y (emphatic) |
| 无论…都 | 无论+Q+都+V | Regardless of X, Y |
This topic tests discrimination: given a sentence context, identify which pattern is correct.
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 他是去年在北京买的这台电脑。 | Tā shì qù nián zài Běi jīng mǎi de zhè tái diàn nǎo. | It was last year in Beijing that he bought this computer. | 是…的 emphasises circumstance of a completed past action (when + where) |
| 连他妈妈都不知道他去哪里了。 | Lián tā māma dōu bù zhī dào tā qù nǎ lǐ le. | Even his own mother doesn't know where he went. | 连…都 highlights the most extreme case — if even his mother doesn't know, nobody does |
| 无论天气怎么样，她都会去跑步。 | Wú lùn tiān qì zěn me yàng, tā dōu huì qù pǎo bù. | Regardless of the weather, she goes running. | 无论…都 = regardless of any condition; 都 in the main clause is required |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
连…都 (lián … dōu)
'Even'; picks an extreme example to show how true something is.
Structure: 连 + noun + 都/也 + verb phrase
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他忙得连饭都忘了吃。 | Tā máng de lián fàn dōu wàng le chī. | He was so busy he even forgot to eat. |
| 这个字连老师都不认识。 | Zhè ge zì lián lǎo shī dōu bù rèn shi. | Even the teacher does not know this character. |
| 她连一杯水都没喝。 | Tā lián yì bēi shuǐ dōu méi hē. | She did not even drink a glass of water. |
Not: 连我不会唱歌。 连 must be followed by a noun and then 都 or 也: 连我都不会唱歌。
把 (bǎ)
Moves a known object before the verb and says what happens to it.
Structure: subject + 把 + object + verb + result
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 请把门关上。 | Qǐng bǎ mén guān shàng. | Please close the door. |
| 我把作业放在桌子上了。 | Wǒ bǎ zuò yè fàng zài zhuō zi shang le. | I put my homework on the table. |
| 他把杯子打破了。 | Tā bǎ bēi zi dǎ pò le. | He broke the cup. |
Not: 我把汉语学。 把 needs a result or an ending after the verb, and a known object.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 3, prepositions (引出施事、受事).
把 is also explained in: The 把 Construction (HSK 3) · New Classifiers: 把, 双, 台, 张, 种, 辆 (HSK 3) · 把-construction (disposal) (HSK 4) · 把-Sentences & Notional Passive (HSK 5).
Compared side by side: 越…越 vs 无论…都.
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
Questions about Key HSK-4 patterns
What does HSK4核心句型综合 (Key HSK-4 patterns) mean in Chinese?
HSK 4 has six sentence patterns that learners often mix up: 把, 被, 是…的, 连…都, 无论…都 and 越来越. This review compares them side by side by what each one does, so that you can choose the right one for a given sentence. It is an HSK 4 grammar point.
How do you use HSK4核心句型综合 (Key HSK-4 patterns) in a sentence?
他是去年在北京买的这台电脑。 — Tā shì qù nián zài Běi jīng mǎi de zhè tái diàn nǎo. — It was last year in Beijing that he bought this computer. 是…的 emphasises circumstance of a completed past action (when + where).
What do you need to know before HSK4核心句型综合 (Key HSK-4 patterns)?
把-construction (disposal) (HSK 4), 被-construction (passive) (HSK 4), 是…的 (HSK 4), 越…越… (HSK 4), 连…都/也… (HSK 4), 无论/不管…都… (HSK 4). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
How do I tell 把 from 被?
把 has the doer as the subject: 我把窗户打开了。 被 turns it round, with the receiver as the subject: 窗户被我打开了。
What is the difference between 越…越 and 无论…都?
越…越 links two changes that grow together, as in 越学越有意思. 无论…都 says the result is the same in every case, as in 无论多忙，他都来。
Key HSK-4 patterns is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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