basic mandarin chinese | lesson 8 | asking others what they do!

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Nǐ hǎo Lesson 8 on Basic Mandarin!


Revision

English Mandarin

I Wǒ

To be surnamed Xìng

To be named Jiào

Honourable Guì

Question particle Ne

What about you, and you Nǐ ne

May I ask Qǐng wèn


Revision

English Mandarin

Wáng PéngMay I ask your honorable

family name?Qǐng wèn , nín guì xìng?

Lǐ YǒuMy family name is Lǐ,

and you? Wǒ xìng Lǐ, nǐ ne?

Wáng Péng My family name is Wáng Wǒ xìng Wáng


Revision

English Mandarin

What Shénme

Name Míngzi

Miss Xiǎo jiě

Mister/ mr. Xiān sheng


Revision

English Mandarin

Lǐ YǒuMy name is Yǒu, what is

your name?

Wǒ jiào Yǒu, nǐ jiào

shénme míngzi?

Wáng Péng My name is Wáng Péng Wǒ jiào Wáng Péng


Revision

English Mandarin

Lǐ YǒuMr. Wáng , what is

your name?

Wáng xiān sheng, nǐ

jiào shénme míngzi

Wáng PéngMiss Lǐ, what is your

name?

Lǐ xiǎo jiě, nǐ jiào

shénme míngzi


Revision

English Mandarin

Wáng

Péng

May I ask your honorable family

name?

Qǐng wèn, nín guì

xìng?

Lǐ YǒuMy family name is Lǐ, and

you?Wǒ xìng Lǐ, nǐ ne?

Wáng

PéngMy family name is Wáng Wǒ xìng Péng

Lǐ YǒuMy name is Yǒu, what is

your name?

Wǒ jiào Yǒu, nǐ jiào

shénme míngzi?

Wáng

PéngI am called Wáng Péng Wǒ jiào Wáng Péng


Lesson objectives

1 Learning professions!


What's in store today?

Today we will learn how to state your profession and ask someone their own!


Professions

Student = Xuésheng

To study = xué

Coupled with ‘sheng’, ‘xuésheng’ becomes student


Tonal tip

‘xuésheng’ uses the mid rising tone (2nd tone) on ‘xué’ and a neutral

tone (5th tone) on ‘sheng’

Let’s hear you say ‘xuésheng’


Professions

Teacher = Lǎoshī

old = lǎo master = shī

The two come together to mean ‘teacher’


Tonal tip

‘lǎo’ is pronounced with a falling rising tone (3rd tone) while ‘shī’ is pronounced with a

high level tone (1st tone)

Let’s hear you say ‘Lǎoshī’


Let’s revise!

English Mandarin

Student Xuésheng

Teacher Lǎoshī


Professions

You are a teacher

↓ ↓ ↓

Nǐ shì lǎoshī


Professions

Shì = 'to-be'

You are a teacher

Nǐ shì lǎoshī


Grammar tip

Please note that there are no articles in Mandarin

While the English translates to 'You are a teacher', the Mandarin

counterpart, ‘Nǐ shì lǎo shī' only translates to ‘You are teacher'


Professions

I am a student

↓ ↓ ↓

Wǒ shì xuésheng


Professions

Shì = 'to-be'

I am a student

Wǒ shì xuésheng


Grammar tip

As stated earlier, verbs in Mandarin do not change form like verbs in English, thus,

is, are, am = Shì


Let's see if you remember…


Pick the right option

How do we say 'you are a teacher'?

1

nǐ shì lǎoshī

2

wǒ shì xuésheng

3

nǐ shì xuésheng


Moving on..

Let's see how can we convert these statements into questions!

If you recall, you will remember that 'ma' is a question particle, that changes

a sentence to a question


Professions

Are you a student question particle

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

Shì nǐ xuésheng ma


Professions

Are you a student?

Nǐ shì xuésheng ma?


Professions

Are you a teacher question particle

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

Shì nǐ lǎoshī ma


Professions

Are you a teacher?

Nǐ shì lǎoshī ma?


Moving on…

Now that we've learnt to say 'I am a student', lets see how do we say

'I am not a student'


Grammar tip

To answer a question in the negative, drop the 'ma' and insert a negative adverb—usually 'bù' before the verb

(bù means 'no, not')


Tonal tip

'bù', meaning ‘not’ uses the falling tone or the fourth tone

Let’s hear you say 'bù'


Tonal tip

'bù’, becomes ‘bú’ (it changes from fourth tone to second tone), when used alongside

another falling/ fourth tone

We say ‘bù hǎo’, and ‘bú shì’


Introducing profession

I am not a teacher

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

Wǒ shì bú lǎoshī



Literally = 'I not am a teacher'Also note the 2nd tone in ‘bú’

I'm not a teacher

Wǒ bú shì lǎoshī



I am not a student

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

Wǒ shì bú xuésheng



Literally = 'I not am a student'

I'm not a student

Wǒ bú shì xuésheng


Let's see if you remember…


Pick the right option

How do we say 'I am not a student'?

1

Wǒ bú shì xuésheng

2

Wǒ bú shì lǎo shī

3

Nǐ shì xuésheng

ma?


Now lets try and have a conversation!


Conversation

What’s his/her family name

↓ ↓ ↓

Shénme tā xìng


Conversation

We do not use the question particle 'ma' over here, as 'shénme' = 'what'

already supplies it

What's his/her family name?

Tā xìng shénme?


Conversation

Is ……. a teacher question particle

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

Shì ……. lǎoshī ma


Conversation

We use the question particle 'ma'over here, as there is no other

question particle here

Is … a teacher?

. .. shì lǎoshī ma?


Let's revise!

English Mandarin

Mark Are you a student? Nǐ shì xuésheng ma?

Lisa I am a student Wǒ shì xuésheng

Lisa Are you a teacher? Nǐ shì Lǎoshī ma?

Mark I am not a teacher Wǒ bú shì lǎo shī


Point to note

Till now, we have learnt three question particles, ma, ne and shénme

Let us go over the usage of each!


Revision

Question particle Usage English Mandarin

Ma yes/no questions You good? Nǐ hǎo ma?

Nerepetitive

questions

I’m very good,

and you?Wǒ hěn hǎo, nǐ ne?

Shénme ‘What’What’s his/her

family name ?Tā xìng shénme?


Culture leaf


Culture leaf

The Great Wall of China was built over 2,000years

ago, by Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor ofChina

during the Qin Dynasty

After subjugating and uniting China from seven Warring States, the emperor connected and

extended four old fortification walls along thenorth

of China that originated about 700 B.C.


Culture leaf

In Mandarin, the wall is called as "Wan-Li Qang-Qeng" meaning "Thousand Miles

Long City Wall"

The Great Wall is one of the largest building construction projects ever completed. It stretches across the mountains of northern China, winding

north and northwest of Beijing


Culture leaf

The great wall of China was listed as a world heritage site by

UNESCO back in 1987 only!

It is one of the most appealing attractions all around the world

owing to its architectural grandeur and

historical significance


What's next?

In the next lesson, we will learn nationalities and ask/tell nationalities!


Credits

Content Team CultureAlley, Sunny Dang

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/ http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/greatwall/Al

labout.html

Images http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_chinese_home

_decorated_for_New_Years.jpg Snowyowls


See you at the Alley!


basic mandarin chinese | lesson 8 | asking others what they do!

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