Learn Hardcore Chinese: míngtiān de zhōngwén kǎoshì ràng wǒ yǒudiǎnr jǐnzhāng. - Tomorrow’s Chinese exam makes me a bit nervous.

明天的中文考试 literally = "tomorrow’s Chinese exam" (the exam of tomorrow).
Without 的, 明天中文考试 sounds incomplete or like a note title, not smooth everyday speech.

In general, when a noun or time word modifies another noun, you usually add 的:

明天的课 – tomorrow’s class
今天的会议 – today’s meeting

So 明天的中文考试 is the natural, standard way to say "tomorrow’s Chinese exam."

Why is the time word 明天 attached to the exam (明天的中文考试) instead of just saying something like 明天，我有中文考试?

Both patterns are possible; they just emphasize different things:

明天的中文考试让我有点儿紧张。
- Focuses on the exam itself: "Tomorrow’s Chinese exam is making me a bit nervous."
明天，我有中文考试，(让我有点儿紧张)。
- Focuses more on what’s happening tomorrow: "Tomorrow, I have a Chinese exam (which makes me a bit nervous)."

The original sentence makes the exam the topic right away by saying 明天的中文考试 and then describing its effect on you.

What exactly does 让 mean here? Is it like "let" or "make"?

In this sentence, 让 means “to make / to cause / to let (someone feel something)”.

Structure:
A 让 B + (adjective / verb phrase)
= "A makes B (adjective / do something)."

Here:

明天的中文考试 = A (the cause)
我 = B (the person affected)
有点儿紧张 = result / feeling

So: 明天的中文考试让我有点儿紧张。
= "Tomorrow’s Chinese exam makes me a bit nervous."

让 in this sense is very common in spoken Chinese and is not about permission here; it’s about causing a feeling or situation.

Could I replace 让 with 使 or 令? What’s the difference?

You can, but the tone changes:

使: more formal / written.
- 明天的中文考试使我有点儿紧张。 – sounds like written language, not casual conversation.
令: even more formal and literary.
- 明天的中文考试令我有点儿紧张。 – sounds like a formal article or speech.

In everyday spoken Mandarin, 让 is by far the most natural choice here.

Why is 有点儿 placed before 紧张? Could I say 紧张有点儿?

Degree words like 很, 有点儿, 非常 almost always come before adjectives:

很紧张 – very nervous
有点儿紧张 – a bit nervous
非常紧张 – extremely nervous

So the correct order is: 有点儿 + adjective.

紧张有点儿 is not grammatical in this meaning. You would only see something like 紧张有点儿过头了 ("the nervousness is a bit over the top"), where 紧张 is treated as a noun and 有点儿 modifies the verb phrase 过头了, not the adjective directly.

What’s the difference between 有点儿, 有点, 一点, and 一点儿?

They’re related but not interchangeable:

有点儿 / 有点 (yǒudiǎnr / yǒudiǎn)
- Usually used before adjectives or negative-sounding words.
- Often implies "a bit too / slightly (undesirable)":
  - 有点儿紧张 – a bit nervous (implies you’d rather not be so nervous)
  - 有点儿贵 – a bit too expensive
一点 / 一点儿 (yìdiǎn / yìdiǎnr)
- Often used after adjectives or before nouns, more neutral:
  - 冷一点儿 – a bit colder / a little colder
  - 给我一点儿水。 – give me a little water.

In this sentence, 有点儿紧张 is standard because nervousness is usually not a positive thing, and you’re describing a slightly undesirable feeling.

有点儿 vs 有点: in the north, people often say 有点儿 (with 儿), but in many places 有点 is more common. Both are acceptable in standard Mandarin; 儿 just adds a regional/northern flavor.

Can I omit 有点儿 and just say 明天的中文考试让我紧张?

Yes, grammatically you can, but the tone changes:

让我紧张 – "makes me nervous" (stronger, more direct)
让我有点儿紧张 – "makes me a bit nervous" (softer, milder, more natural in everyday speech)

Using 有点儿 downplays the intensity and makes the statement sound more casual and less dramatic.

Why isn’t there a verb like “to be” (是) in this sentence, like "明天的中文考试是让我有点儿紧张"?

Chinese doesn’t use 是 the same way English uses "to be."

The structure here is already complete as a cause–effect pattern:
A 让 B + (result)

A: 明天的中文考试
B: 我
Result: 有点儿紧张

If you added 是, like 明天的中文考试是让我有点儿紧张, it becomes awkward and changes the structure. You’d be saying something like "Tomorrow’s Chinese exam is (what) makes me a bit nervous," which is not how you’d normally phrase it in Chinese.

So Chinese prefers a verb or pattern (like 让) instead of a linking 是 in this context.

Can 考试 be a verb too? How is 中文考试 different from 考中文?

Yes, 考试 can be both a noun and a verb:

考试 (noun) – an exam/test
- 中文考试 – a Chinese exam
考试 (verb) – to take an exam / to test
- 明天考试。 – There’s an exam tomorrow / I have an exam tomorrow (context-dependent).

考中文 uses 考 as a verb and 中文 as its object:

明天考中文。 – (I/We) will be tested in Chinese tomorrow.

So:

明天的中文考试 – focuses on the exam as an event.
明天考中文 – focuses on the action of taking a Chinese exam.

Both are correct; choice depends on what you want to emphasize.

Could I drop 我 and say 明天的中文考试让有点儿紧张?

No. The object of 让 must be stated or very clear from context, and it can’t just disappear without anything filling its place.

You need:
A 让 B + (result)

So you must have 我 (or some other person/thing):

明天的中文考试让我有点儿紧张。 – correct
明天的中文考试让大家有点儿紧张。 – "Tomorrow’s Chinese exam makes everyone a bit nervous."

让有点儿紧张 is ungrammatical because 让 has no object (B) there.

Does 中文考试 mean "a test about Chinese culture" or "a test of the Chinese language"?

In most learning contexts, 中文考试 means a Chinese language exam (testing reading, writing, listening, speaking, grammar, etc.).

If you specifically wanted "a test about Chinese culture," you’d normally say something like:

中国文化考试 – exam on Chinese culture
中国历史考试 – Chinese history exam

中文 on its own is generally understood as "the Chinese language" in this kind of phrase.

Is 紧张 (jǐnzhāng) always "nervous," or can it also mean "tense"?

紧张 can mean both:

Nervous / anxious (of a person)
- 考试的时候我很紧张。 – I’m very nervous during exams.
Tense / strained / tight (of a situation or resource)
- 气氛很紧张。 – The atmosphere is tense.
- 时间很紧张。 – Time is very tight / we’re short on time.

In your sentence, because it’s about a person’s feeling toward an exam, 紧张 is naturally understood as "nervous."

What’s the nuance difference between 有点儿紧张 and 有一点紧张 / 有一点儿紧张?

All of them can mean "a little nervous," but the feeling is slightly different:

有点儿紧张
- Very common and natural in speech.
- Often has a slight negative / complaining nuance: "a bit too nervous."
有一点紧张 / 有一点儿紧张
- Sounds a bit more neutral or objective, like you are just stating a small amount.
- Often used when you want to sound slightly more formal or careful.

In everyday casual conversation, 有点儿紧张 is the most typical choice.

Why is there an 儿 at the end of 有点儿? Do I have to say it?

The 儿 (ér) is an “er-hua” sound, very typical of Beijing and northern speech.

有点儿 (yǒudiǎnr) and 有点 (yǒudiǎn) mean the same thing in standard Mandarin.
In the north (especially Beijing), adding 儿 is very natural and common.
In many southern areas, people usually just say 有点 without 儿.

You can safely use either 有点儿 or 有点; both are correct. The sentence remains the same in meaning.