Chinese Basic 2
Entertainment

Word order

In Chinese adverbials and adverbial phrases appear in front of the relevant verb.

Time:
周末 喜欢做什么?
(Nǐ zhōumò xǐhuan zuò shénme?)
'What are you doing at the weekend?'

Place:
在饭店吃早饭吗?
(Nǐ zài fàndiàn chī zǎofàn ma?)
'Are you having breakfast at the hotel?'

Several adverbials can be placed before a verb:
周末常常和朋友一起去看电影。
(Wǒ zhōumò chángcháng hé péngyou yīqǐ qù kàn diànyǐng.)
'At the weekend I often watch a movie with my friends.'

With multiple time or place adverbials the larger units precedes the smaller one:
我们今天晚上八点回家。
(Wǒmen jīntiān wǎnshàng bā diǎn huíjiā.)
'Tonight we are returning home at eight o'clock.'

Similarly relative clauses precede the noun they refer to:
我知道你说的地方。
(Wǒ zhīdao nǐ shuō de dìfāng)
'I know the place you are talking about'