Log inSign up

tā jiāo wǒ shuō zhōngwén, wǒ jiāo tā xiě yīngwén.

她tā　教jiāo　我wǒ　说shuō　中文zhōngwén，　我wǒ　教jiāo　她tā　写xiě　英文yīngwén。tā jiāo wǒ shuō zhōngwén, wǒ jiāo tā xiě yīngwén.
She teaches me to speak Chinese; I teach her to write English.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Chinese grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Chinese now

Questions & Answers about tā jiāo wǒ shuō zhōngwén, wǒ jiāo tā xiě yīngwén.

How does Chinese express “teach someone to do something” without a word like “to”?

Chinese uses the pattern 教 + person + verb phrase. There is no separate word for “to.”

  • Example: 她教我说中文 = “She teaches me to speak Chinese.”
  • Similarly: 我教她写英文 = “I teach her to write English.”
Do I have to include the verbs 说 (to speak) and 写 (to write), or can I just say 她教我中文 / 我教她英文?

You can omit them:

  • 她教我中文 is fine and means “She teaches me Chinese (as a subject).”
  • 我教她英文 is “I teach her English.” Including 说 or 写 narrows the focus to the specific skill (speaking vs. writing). For instance, 教我写汉字 focuses on writing Chinese characters.
What’s the difference between 中文 and 汉语, and between 英文 and 英语? Which sounds better here?
  • 中文 (zhōngwén) vs. 汉语 (hànyǔ):
    • Both can mean “Chinese.” 中文 is very common in daily speech and can cover both spoken and written language. 汉语 is a bit more formal/linguistic and often used for the (spoken) language of the Han majority.
  • 英文 (yīngwén) vs. 英语 (yīngyǔ):
    • Both mean “English.” 英语 literally emphasizes speech (“language”), 英文 emphasizes the written language (“script/text”), but in modern usage they overlap a lot.
  • Collocation tendencies:
    • Speaking: 说中文/说汉语/说英语 are all common.
    • Writing: 写英文 and 用英语写 are both natural. 写英语 is heard, but people often specify the thing written, e.g., 用英语写邮件. In your sentence, 说中文 and 写英文 sound very natural.
Could I be more explicit and say “teach me how to speak Chinese,” using 怎么?

Yes. 教 + 人 + 怎么 + 动词 emphasizes method:

  • 她教我怎么说中文 = “She teaches me how to speak Chinese.”
  • 我教她怎么写英文 = “I teach her how to write English.” Without 怎么, it’s still correct; it just doesn’t highlight “how.”
Why is 教 pronounced jiāo here and not jiào?

As a verb meaning “to teach,” 教 is pronounced jiāo (first tone). The fourth-tone jiào appears in nouns/compounds related to teaching or religion:

  • 宗教 (zōngjiào) religion
  • 教室 (jiàoshì) classroom
  • 教学 (jiàoxué) teaching/education (as a noun)
Is the word order with two objects fixed? Can I say 她把中文教给我 or 她教给我中文?

Yes, 教 can take two objects (person + content/skill):

  • Base pattern: 她教我中文/说中文.
  • With 把/给:
    • 她把中文教给我 (natural).
    • 她教给我中文 (also natural). Note: 教给 usually takes a noun as the “content,” not a verb phrase. So avoid 她教给我说中文. If you want a verb phrase, use 怎么: 她教我怎么说中文.
Why is a comma used between the two clauses? Do I need 也, 然后, or 而且?

A comma commonly links two coordinated clauses in Chinese:

  • 她教我说中文， 我教她写英文。 You may add:
  • 也 to emphasize “also”: 她教我说中文， 我也教她写英文。
  • 然后 for sequence: ……， 然后我教她写英文。
  • 而且 for “and also” in a more formal additive sense, though it’s less common in such a short, symmetric sentence.
How do I indicate past/completed action? Should I add 了 somewhere?

Without aspect markers, it often reads as general/habitual. To show completion:

  • 她教了我中文。 (completed teaching event)
  • 她教过我中文。 (experience in the past)
  • 她教会了我说中文 / 她把中文教会了我。 (she taught me until I became able) Prefer a noun after 教了/教过 (e.g., 中文). For “teach to speak,” use 教会 or 教怎么说 rather than 教了我说中文.
Can I use 讲 instead of 说 in 说中文?

Often yes. 讲 (jiǎng) and 说 (shuō) overlap:

  • 讲中文 is common, especially regionally (e.g., in the south/Taiwan).
  • 说 is the most general verb “to speak/say.” Minor nuance: 讲 can also mean “to explain/give a talk/tell,” while 说 is the default for “say/speak.” Both work in 讲/说中文.
Could I express the “learn” perspective, like “I learn Chinese from her”?

Yes. Use 跟 … 学 …:

  • 我跟她学中文。 = I learn Chinese from her.
  • Symmetrically: 她跟我学英文。
In speech, how do I know whether 她 is “she” or “he,” since 他/她 are both pronounced tā?
You don’t—context tells you in speech. Written Chinese distinguishes 他 (he), 她 (she), and 它 (it), but all are pronounced tā.
Is 写英文 the only way to say “write in English”? What about 用英语写?

Both are fine:

  • 写英文 is concise and common.
  • 用英语写 explicitly marks the medium (“using English to write”), and is especially natural when you name what you’re writing: 用英语写简历/邮件/作文. You can also say 写英语作文 (“write an English composition”).
Can I add 的/得/地 anywhere here?

Not in the base sentence. But you can use them in expansions:

  • 地 (de) for adverbs: 她耐心地教我说中文。
  • 得 (de) for degree complements: 她教得很好。/ 我说中文说得越来越流利。
  • 的 (de) for nominalization/attribution: 她教的内容很实用。
If I want to be explicit that it’s Mandarin, should I use 普通话 instead of 中文/汉语?

Yes. Options:

  • 她教我说普通话。 (Mainland: Standard Mandarin)
  • 她教我说国语。 (Taiwan usage)
  • 她教我说华语。 (Singapore/Malaysia usage) 中文/汉语 can be general; 普通话 specifically means Standard Mandarin.
Any pronunciation or tone-sandhi tips for this sentence?
  • 教 (jiāo) here is first tone.
  • 写 (xiě) and 我 (wǒ) are third tone; before another syllable they’re usually pronounced as the “half-3rd” (low) tone: wǒ jiāo, xiě yīngwén.
  • 中文 (zhōngwén) and 英文 (yīngwén) are first + second tone.