basic mandarin chinese | lesson 7 | learn to tell your surname!

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Nǐ hǎo Lesson 7 on Basic Mandarin!


Revision

Translation Mandarin

Miss Xiǎo jiě

Mister/ Mr. Xiān sheng

Mrs. Fū ren

Female friend/ girlfriend Nǚ péngyǒu

Male friend/ boyfriend Nán péngyǒu

Young friend Xiǎo péngyǒu


Revision

English Mandarin

I Wǒ

To be surnamed Xìng

To be called Jiào

My family name is Wáng Wǒ xìng Wáng

My name is Wáng Péng Wǒ jiào Wáng Péng


Lesson objectives

1 Learning family names!


What's in store today?

Today we will learn how to ask someone's name and surname!


Introductions

Let’s begin by learning the vocabulary for family names, names etc…!


Introductions

May I ask = Qǐng wèn

Pease = Qǐng Ask = Wèn

Together 'Qǐng wèn' implies, 'Please may I ask?'


Tonal tip

‘Qǐng’ is pronounced in the falling rising tone, also known as the third tone

Remember that ‘Qǐng’ starts with a ‘ch’ tone

‘Wèn’ is pronounced in the falling tone, also known as the fourth tone

Let’s hear you say ‘Qǐng Wèn’


Introductions

May I ask

Qǐng wèn


Introductions

Your name = Nín xìng

Your = Nín Name = Xìng


Introductions

Your name

Nín xìng


Introductions

Please may I ask your name ?

Qǐng wèn nín xìng ?


Grammar tip

While the previous sentence is grammatically correct, it is often polite to add the word, 'honorable' before asking

someone's name

Let's learn how to say 'honorable' in Mandarin!


Introductions

Honorable = Guì


Tonal tip

‘Guì’ is pronounced in the falling tone, also known as the fourth tone

Let’s hear you say Guì


Introductions

honorable

Guì


Etiquette conversation

May I ask your honorable family name

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

Qǐng wèn nín guì xìng



Nín = yourXìng = family name

May I ask your honorable family name?

Qǐng wèn nín guì xìng?


Grammar tip

Did you notice that 'Nin' is used both for 'your' as well as 'you' ?

This is because in Mandarin we use the samewords

for pronouns and adjectives derived from them.

Thus, Nín = your, is the same as Nín = you


Introductions

Furthermore, to ask someone else's name, one would say 'And you'? , let's see how do

we translate this in Mandarin!


Introductions

And you ? =Nǐ ne

We already know ‘Nǐ’ means you, and ‘ne’ is a question particle


Introductions

And you?

Nǐ ne?


Revision

English Mandarin

Honorable Guì

Question particle Ne

What about you, and you Nǐ ne

May I ask Qǐng wèn


Let's see if you remember…


Pick the right option

How do we say 'May I ask'?

1

Qǐng wèn

2

Nǐ ne

3

Guì ne



My family name is …….. and you

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

Wǒ xìng……..

nǐ ne



My family name is ……

Wǒ xìng.........


Grammar tip

nǐ ne? = and you?

You may remember Ne is a question particle used to convert statements to questions

Ending with ne makes a question when the context is already known

A common circumstance is when you wish torepeat

a question that was just asked for another subject, as in the case we are discussing right now



My family name is ……, and you?

Wǒ xìng......, nǐ ne?



English Mandarin

Wáng

peng

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

Peng

My family name is

WángWǒ xìng Wáng


Try yourself

How do we say 'My family name is Lǐ, and you?'

1

Wǒ xìng Lǐ, nǐ ne?

2

Wǒ hěn hǎo, nǐ ma?


Introductions

Now lets go ahead and learn how to ask someone'sname! The vocabulary required for

this will be ‘What’ and ‘Name’

Let’s start!


Introductions

What = Shénme


Tonal tip

‘Shénme’ is pronounced in the mid rising tone, also known as the second tone

Let’s hear you say Shénme


Introductions

What

Shénme


Introductions

Name = Míngzi


Tonal tip

‘Míngzi’ is pronounced in the mid rising tone, also known as the second tone

Let’s hear you say Míngzi


Introductions

Name

Míngzi


Revision

English Mandarin

What Shénme

Name Míngzi


More greetings

What's your name (called)

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

Shénme nǐ míngzi jiào


More greetings

Literally, 'you called what name? '

Jiào = to be called

What's your name?

Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?


Introductions

Now let us take a case where we have the familyname, but

want to know the first name of a person For thepurpose of

this conversation, we'll assume the surname of theperson

to be Wáng and first name to be 'Peng'

As we will see, in Chinese culture we always giveour

Surname before our First name'To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

Introductions

Mr. Wáng what is your name (called)

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

Xiān sheng Wáng shénme nǐ míngzi jiào


Introductions

Mr. Wáng , what is your name?

Wáng xiān sheng, nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?


Introductions

I am called Wáng Péng

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

Wǒ jiào Wáng Péng


Introductions

My name is Wáng Péng/I am called Wáng Péng

Wǒ jiào Wáng Péng


Introductions

Miss Li what is your name called

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

xiǎo jiě Lǐ shénme nǐ míngzi jiào


Introductions

Miss Li, what is your name?

Lǐ xiǎo jiě, nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?


Introductions

My name is Lǐ Yǒu

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

Wǒ jiào Lǐ Yǒu


Introductions

My name is Lǐ Yǒu

Wǒ jiào Lǐ Yǒu


Grammar tip

Notice that unlike English, titles (Mr./Miss) come after the name of the person,

not before!



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



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


Pick the right option

How do we say 'My name is Lǐ Yǒu'?

1

Wǒ jiào Lǐ yǒu

2

Lǐ xiǎo jiě

3

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


Culture Leaf


Culture leaf

The color Red in Chinese culture usually means good luck. Red is often worn in

weddings to ward off any bad luck to the new bride and groom


Culture Leaf

A red envelope is a monetary gift which is given inChinese society during holiday or special occasions.

The red color of the packet symbolizes good luck.

Red is strictly forbidden at funerals as ittraditionally symbolized happiness


What's next?

In the next lesson, we will discuss sentences describing professions, etc…


Credits

Content

Team CultureAlley, Sunny Dang http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_in_Chinese

_culture Images

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Laisee.jpg Oldie


See you at the Alley!


basic mandarin chinese | lesson 7 | learn to tell your surname!

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