Use 有 for possession

有 yǒu means to have or to possess. The basic pattern is subject + 有 + object. 我有书 wǒ yǒu shū means I have a book. 他有车 tā yǒu chē means he has a car.

The verb does not change for I, you, he, she, we, or they. Replace the subject and object to create many sentences from one pattern.

  • 我有一本书。— I have one book.
  • 你有朋友。— You have friends.
  • 他有两个女儿。— He has two daughters.
  • 我们有中文课。— We have Chinese class.

Use measure words with numbers

When a number or demonstrative comes before a countable noun, Mandarin normally requires a measure word. 个 ge is common, but it does not fit every noun. Books commonly use 本 běn, flat objects use 张 zhāng, and many long flexible objects use 条 tiáo.

The course introduces 个 as a useful starting pattern and then reminds learners that the measure word changes according to the noun. Say 一本书 yì běn shū for one book, not 一个书.

  • 一个人 yí ge rén — one person
  • 一本书 yì běn shū — one book
  • 两辆车 liǎng liàng chē — two cars
  • 三张纸 sān zhāng zhǐ — three sheets of paper

Ask whether someone has something

Add 吗 to a possession statement to form a yes-or-no question: 你有中文书吗 nǐ yǒu Zhōngwén shū ma, do you have a Chinese book? A short positive answer is 有. The negative is 没有 méi yǒu.

Another common question pattern repeats the verb: 你有没有中文书 nǐ yǒu méiyǒu Zhōngwén shū? Both forms ask whether the person has the item.

  • 你有车吗？— 有。
  • 你有哥哥吗？— 没有。
  • 他有没有钱？— 他有。
  • 你们有中文课吗？— 有。

Use 有 for existence

有 can also say that something exists in a place. 桌子上有一本书 zhuōzi shàng yǒu yì běn shū means there is a book on the table. This pattern begins with the location and then introduces what exists there.

Keep this existence pattern separate from 是. 是 identifies something; 有 introduces the presence of something. Compare 这是书, this is a book, with 桌子上有书, there is a book on the table.

Course practice

Build five true sentences about your family, studies, or belongings. Then turn each sentence into a question and a negative answer. Working with real information makes the vocabulary easier to remember.

This lesson is adapted from Lecture 8 of Abdul Azeem’s manuscript and retains its pattern-based approach: model, substitution, question, negative, and personal practice.

  • I have a Chinese book.
  • She has two children.
  • Do you have a car?
  • We do not have class today.
  • There is a pen on the table.