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Nǐ hǎo Lesson 8 on Basic Mandarin!
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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
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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
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Revision
English Mandarin
What Shénme
Name Míngzi
Miss Xiǎo jiě
Mister/ mr. Xiān sheng
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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
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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
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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
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Lesson objectives
1 Learning professions!
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What's in store today?
Today we will learn how to state your profession and ask someone their own!
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Professions
Student = Xuésheng
To study = xué
Coupled with ‘sheng’, ‘xuésheng’ becomes student
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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’
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Professions
Teacher = Lǎoshī
old = lǎo master = shī
The two come together to mean ‘teacher’
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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’
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Let’s revise!
English Mandarin
Student Xuésheng
Teacher Lǎoshī
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Professions
You are a teacher
↓ ↓ ↓
Nǐ shì lǎoshī
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Professions
Shì = 'to-be'
You are a teacher
Nǐ shì lǎoshī
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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'
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Professions
I am a student
↓ ↓ ↓
Wǒ shì xuésheng
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Professions
Shì = 'to-be'
I am a student
Wǒ shì xuésheng
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Grammar tip
As stated earlier, verbs in Mandarin do not change form like verbs in English, thus,
is, are, am = Shì
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Let's see if you remember…
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Pick the right option
How do we say 'you are a teacher'?
1
nǐ shì lǎoshī
2
wǒ shì xuésheng
3
nǐ shì xuésheng
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Pick the right option
How do we say 'you are a teacher'?
1
nǐ shì lǎoshī
2
wǒ shì xuésheng
3
nǐ shì xuésheng
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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
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Professions
Are you a student question particle
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Shì nǐ xuésheng ma
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Professions
Are you a student?
Nǐ shì xuésheng ma?
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Professions
Are you a teacher question particle
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Shì nǐ lǎoshī ma
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Professions
Are you a teacher?
Nǐ shì lǎoshī ma?
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Moving on…
Now that we've learnt to say 'I am a student', lets see how do we say
'I am not a student'
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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')
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Tonal tip
'bù', meaning ‘not’ uses the falling tone or the fourth tone
Let’s hear you say 'bù'
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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’
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Introducing profession
I am not a teacher
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Wǒ shì bú lǎoshī
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Introducing profession
Literally = 'I not am a teacher'Also note the 2nd tone in ‘bú’
I'm not a teacher
Wǒ bú shì lǎoshī
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Introducing profession
I am not a student
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Wǒ shì bú xuésheng
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Introducing profession
Literally = 'I not am a student'
I'm not a student
Wǒ bú shì xuésheng
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Let's see if you remember…
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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?
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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?
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Now lets try and have a conversation!
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Conversation
What’s his/her family name
↓ ↓ ↓
Shénme tā xìng
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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?
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Conversation
Is ……. a teacher question particle
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Shì ……. lǎoshī ma
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Conversation
We use the question particle 'ma'over here, as there is no other
question particle here
Is … a teacher?
. .. shì lǎoshī ma?
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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
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Point to note
Till now, we have learnt three question particles, ma, ne and shénme
Let us go over the usage of each!
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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?
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Culture leaf
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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.
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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
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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
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What's next?
In the next lesson, we will learn nationalities and ask/tell nationalities!
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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
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See you at the Alley!
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