jīntiān wǒ qù xuéxiào.

Today I am going to school.

Breakdown of jīntiān wǒ qù xuéxiào.

• 我wǒ: I
• 学校xuéxiào: school
• 今天jīntiān: today
• 去qù: to go

Questions & Answers about jīntiān wǒ qù xuéxiào.

Why is 今天 at the start? Could it go elsewhere?

Yes. Time words usually go before the verb, either before or after the subject. Both 今天我去学校 and 我今天去学校 are natural. Sentence-initial 今天 slightly emphasizes “today” as the topic. Putting it after the verb is unnatural.

Do I need a word for “to” before 学校?

No. 去 already means “go to.” The pattern is 去 + place: 去学校.

Why is there no “the/a” before 学校?

Chinese has no articles. 学校 can mean “school” or “the school” depending on context. To be specific, add a demonstrative or name, e.g., 这所学校, 那所学校, 北京大学.

Should I use 是 in this sentence?

No. 是 links nouns/adjectives (e.g., 我是老师). Don’t put 是 before action verbs. 今天我是去学校 is wrong. A special past-focus pattern 是…的 exists (e.g., 我是去学校的), but that’s for emphasizing details, not a neutral statement.

How do I show past vs. future?