Sunday, March 21, 2021

D2 Mandarin: Studying Chinese

ChineseClass101 Absolute Beginners Season 1 Lesson 4

你是学生吗?
Nǐ shì xuéshēng ma?
Are you a student?

对。我学中文。你呢?
Duì. Wǒ xué Zhōngwén. Nǐ ne?
Yes, I study Chinese. How about you?

我是老师。
Wǒ shì lǎoshī.

你可以教我中文!
Nǐ kěyǐ jiāo wǒ Zhōngwén!
You can teach me Chinese!

Sample sentences

她是大学学生。
Tā shì dàxué xuéshēng.
She is a university student.

你在学什么?
Nǐ zài xué shénme?
You in study what? ➡️ What are you studying?

张老师很忙。
Zhāng lǎoshī hěn máng.
Teacher Zhang is very busy.

我较中文。
Wǒ jiāo Zhōngwén.
I teach Chinese.

对,我是美国人。
Duì, wǒ shì Měiguórén.
Yes, I am American.

我不学中文
Wǒ bù xué Zhōngwén.
I don't study Chinese.

你可以叫我丽丽。
Nǐ kěyǐ jiào wǒ Lìly.
You can call me Lili.

Hanzi note:

叫 = jiào = call
较 = jiāo = to teach

是 = shì = to be
师 = shī = teacher/master

学 = to study
学生 = xuéshēng = student
大学 = dàxué = lit: big study = university


Extra Note:

中文 = Zhōngwen = lit: Chinese text; but use to refer both spoken & written form of language. All different dialects are Zhōngwen, while commonly refer to Mandarin.

普通话 = Pǔtōnghua = lit: the common language = official language of Mainland China.

*If you want to compare langguage, for example with English or Japanese, use Zhōngwen.
* If use to compare dialects like Cantonese, use Pǔtōnghua.

汉语 = Hànyu = lit: Han language = Mandarin. 
Hànyu & Pǔtōnghua is pretty much the same, but Pǔtōnghua is more standard & better pronounce than Hànyu.

国语 = guó yǔ = lit: national language. 
Guó yǔ and pǔ tōng huà are also essentially the same. guó yǔ is used by Taiwan and sometimes Hong Kong to refer to Mandarin.

huá yǔ (华语) / huá wén (华文)
These two terms also refer to standard Mandarin but are used in Southeast Asia, particularly in Singapore and Malaysia. Both countries have adopted Mainland China’s pǔ tōng huà (普通话) along with simplified characters rather than traditional. huá yǔ (华语) / huá wén (华文) refer exclusively to spoken and written language.

Other dialects language name:
Hokkien 福建话 (Fújiàn Huà) 
Cantonese 广东话 (Guǎngdōng huà) 
Teochew 潮州話 (Cháozhōu huà) 
Hakka 客家话 (Kèjiā Huà) 
Hainanese 海南语 (Hǎinán Yǔ)
*Note that the huà character here is different than huá in huáyu character.

Reference:

D2 Mandarin: Like Chinese food?

ChineseClass101: Absolute Beginners Season 1 Lesson 3

你喜欢中国吗?
Nǐ xǐhuān Zhōngguó ma?
Do you like China?

喜欢
xǐhuān
Like

你喜欢中国菜吗?
Nǐ xǐhuān Zhōngguó cài ma?
Do you like China food?

也喜欢
Yě xǐhuān
Also like

Vocabulary Phase

中国 = Zhōngguó = China
中国人 = Zhōngguó rén = Chinese person
中国菜 = Zhōngguó cài = Chinese food

Grammar: 

Yes or No question: Add 吗 (ma) at the end of the sentence.
To answer, repeat the verb from question, e.g: xǐhuān.

To give negative answer, use 不 (bù). Example: 不喜欢 (bù xǐhuān)

也 (yě) = too / also


Sample sentences

中国菜很好吃。
Zhōngguó cài hěn hǎochī.
Chinese food is delicious.

咖啡也好。
Kāfēi yě hǎo.
Coffee is good too.

你去过中国吗?
Nǐ qù guò Zhōngguó ma?
Have you been to China before?

你是加拿大人吗?
Nǐ shì Jiānádàrén ma?
Are you Canadian?

他也是澳大利亚人。
Tā yě shì Àodàlìyà rén.

Saturday, March 20, 2021

Day 1 Absolute Beginner Mandarin

 Today lesson consist of:

• ChineseClass101 Absolute Beginner S1L1


你好,你叫什么名字?

Nǐhǎo, nǐ jiào shénme míngzì?

Hello, you called what name?

➡️ Hello, what is your name?


我叫...

Wǒ jiào...

I'm called...


我 = wǒ = I

我们 = wǒmen = we, us

你 = nǐ = you

您 = nín = you (formal)

你们 = nǐmen = you (plural)

他 = tā = he, him

她 = tā = she, her

它 = tā = it

他们 / 她们 = tāmen = they, them

好 = hǎo = good


Sample sentences

是你吗?

Shì nǐ ma?

Is it you?


你说什么?

Nǐ shuō shénme?

You say what? ➡️ What did you say?


我忘记他的名字。

Wǒ wàngji tāde míngzì.

I forget his name.


我的朋友很帅。

Wǒ de péngyǒu hěn shuài.


☆꧁✬◦°˚°◦.  .◦°˚°◦✬꧂☆

• ChineseClass101 Absolute Beginner S1L12

你是哪国人?

Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén?

You is which country person? ➡️ Which country are you from?

我是美国人。你呢?

Wǒ shì Měiguórén. Nǐ ne?

I am American. And you?

Word order: subject + verb + object


呢 = to form follow up question. Example: Ni ne?, Tāmen ne?.

哪 = na / něi = which

国 = country, state (add this to country / state name)

Country name + 人 (ren / person) = citizenship


Sample sentences

他是我哥哥。

Tā shì wǒ gēge.

He is my older brother.


这是什么国家?

Zhè shì shénme guójiā?

This is what county? ➡️ What county is this?


中国人很多。

Zhōngguóren hěnduō.

There are many Chinese people.


他们都是中国人。

Tāmen dōu shì Zhōngguóren.

They are all Chinese people.


我应该用哪吧钥匙?

Wǒ yinggāi yòng nǎ bǎ yàoshi?

I should use which key? ➡️ Which key should I use?