Abbreviations

of Grammatical Terms Cast of Characters

adj adjective pr pronoun

adv adverb prefix prefix Wang Peng Li You

conj conjunction prep preposition 王朋 李友
interj interjection qp question particle A Chinese freshman Amy Lee, an

m measure word qpr question pronoun from Beijing. He has American student

quickly adapted to from New York State.

mv modal verb t time word

American college life She and Wang Peng

n noun v verb
and likes to play and meet each other on
nu numeral vc verb plus complement
watch sports. the first day of class

p particle vo verb plus object

and soon become

pn proper noun good friends.

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The icons listed below refer to interactive content. Streaming audio is available at chengtsui.co
Gao Wenzhong Gao Xiaoyin
高文中 高小音
to readers who have purchased the print edition. All other digital content is available exclusively

to ChengTsui Web App subscribers.

Winston Gore, an Jenny Gore,

English student. Winston’s older

His parents work in sister. She has

Lesson Text, Vocabulary, Pronunciation
the United States. already graduated

Winston enjoys from college, and

singing, dancing, and is now a school

Lesson Text
Chinese cooking. He librarian.

has a secret crush on

Bai Ying’ai.

Vocabulary

Characterize It!

Bai Ying’ai Chang Laoshi

白英爱 常老师
Grammar Baek Yeung Ae, an Chang Xiaoliang,

outgoing Korean originally from China

student from Seoul. and in her forties.

She finds Wang Peng She has been

very “cool” and very teaching Chinese in

Cultural Literacy
“cute.” the United States for

ten years.

xviii xi
Mandarin and Dialects In the pinyin system, i represents two special vowels in addition to the high front vowel. One is a front apical

vowel, the other a back apical vowel—that is to say, they are articulated with the front and back part of the

tongue, respectively. Both of these vowels are homorganic with the very limited sets of initials with which

China is roughly the same size as the United States. There are numerous regional dialects of Chinese.
they can co-occur (see zc s
, , and zh ch sh r
, , , ). In other words, they are pronounced in the same area of the

These dialects, most of which are mutually unintelligible, are often divided into eight groups: Mandarin, Wu,
vocal tract as those consonants. You will learn how to pronounce i simply by prolonging the sounds of these

two groups of consonants.

Hakka, Southern Min, Northern Min, Cantonese, Xiang, and Gan.

Conventional terms for Modern Standard Chinese include Putonghua (“common language”) in Mainland

China; Guoyu (“national language”) in Taiwan; and Huayu (“language spoken by ethnic Chinese people”)

B
in other Chinese-speaking communities, such as those in Singapore and Malaysia. It is the lingua franca
Initials Audio
of intra-ethnic (among different Chinese dialect speakers) as well as inter-ethnic (among Han Chinese and

non-Han minority groups) communication in China. Its grammar is codified from the modern Chinese literary

canon, while its pronunciation is based on the Beijing dialect. Modern Standard Chinese is usually referred to
There are twenty-one initial consonants in pinyin. They are grouped as follows:
Audio
as Mandarin in English.

China officially recognizes fifty-six ethnic groups. The Han, the largest group, accounts for over 90%
1. b p m f 4. j q x
of China's population. Many of the other fifty-five ethnic groups speak their own distinct languages. 2. d t n l 5. z c s
3. g k h 6. zh ch sh r

Syllabic Structure, Pinyin, and Pronunciation

B.1 b, p, m, f
A Modern Standard Chinese syllable typically has three parts: an initial consonant, a final consisting of a
b is different from its English counterpart. It is not voiced, as the vocal cords do not vibrate upon its

vowel or a vowel and the ending consonant -n or -ng , and a tone. The tone is superimposed on the entire
pronunciation, and sounds more like the “p” in “speak.”

syllable. A syllable may also have no initial consonant. p is aspirated. In other words, there is a strong puff of breath when this consonant is pronounced.

syllable It is also voiceless, and sounds like the “p” in “pork.”

tone

syllable = (initial) + final/tone

(initial)

nà final
m is produced in the same manner as the English “m.” It is voiced.

Pronounce f as you would in English.

Only the simple finals ao i, , , and u and compound finals that start with a oi
, , , or u can be combined
In this book, Chinese sounds are represented by Hanyu Pinyin, or pinyin for short. The pinyin system uses
with bp
, , and m ; only the simple finals a o
, , and u and compound finals that start with ao
, , or u can
twenty-five of the twenty-six letters of the English alphabet. Although pinyin symbols are thus the same
be combined with f
. When these initials are combined with o , there is actually a short u sound in
as English letters, the actual sounds they represent can vary widely from their English counterparts. This
between. For instance, the syllable bo actually includes a very short u sound between b and o : it is
section is designed to raise your awareness of these distinctions. Over time, you will acquire a more nuanced
pronounced b(u)o .
understanding of Chinese pronunciation and improve your skills through listening and practice.
Practice your pronunciation with the audio exercises below:

A Simple Finals B.1.a (Initial-Final Combinations) B.1.c m vs. f

ba bi bu bo ma fa mu fu
There are six simple finals in pinyin: a o ei u ü
, , , , ,
pa pi pu po
a is a central vowel when pronounced by itself. Keep your tongue in a relaxed position to pronounce it. a sounds
B.1.d b p m f
, , ,

similar to the “a” in “fa la la.” ma mi mu mo

bo po mo fo
o is a rounded semi-high back vowel. Round your lips when pronouncing it. o seldom appears as a syllable
fa fu fo
by itself. Usually it compounds with the initials bp m
, , , and f , and should be practiced with them. Because of fu mu pu bu
the bilabial or labiodental nature of b p m
, , , and f o, sounds almost like a diphthong or the double vowel uo .

It glides from a brief u to o

.
B.1.b b vs. p
e is an unrounded semi-high back vowel. To pronounce it, first position your tongue as if you are about to ba pa bu pu
pronounce o , then unround your mouth. At the same time, spread your lips apart as if you were smiling.

This vowel is different from “e” in English, which is pronounced with the tongue raised slightly forward. po bo pi bi
i is an unrounded high front vowel. To pronounce it, smile tightly and pull the corners of your mouth straight back.

It is similar to the long vowel in “sheep.” When pronouncing it, however, you raise your tongue higher.

u is a rounded high back vowel. Pucker up your lips when pronouncing it. u is similar to the long vowel in

“coop,” but, when pronouncing it, you raise your tongue higher and retract it more.

ü is a rounded high front vowel. To produce this vowel, first position your tongue as if you are about to

pronounce i , then round your lips.

 B.2 d, t, n, l B.4
j, q, x
When pronouncing d t , , and n , touch your upper gum with the tip of your tongue. The tongue To make the j sound, first raise the flat center of your tongue to the roof of your mouth and position

is raised more to the back than it would be to pronounce their English counterparts. d and t the tip of your tongue against the back of your bottom teeth; then loosen your tongue and let the

are voiceless. Roughly, d sounds like the “t” in “stand,” and t sounds like the “t” in “tea.” When air squeeze out through the channel you’ve made. It is unaspirated and the vocal cords do not

pronouncing l , touch your palate with the tip of your tongue. n is nasal. vibrate. The pinyin j is similar to the “j” in “jeep,” but it is unvoiced and articulated with the tip of the

Only the simple finals aie , , , and u and compound finals that start with aie , , , or u can be combined with d
,
tongue resting behind the lower incisors. You also need to pull the corners of your mouth straight

tn
, , and ;ln and l can also be combined with ü and the compound finals that start with ü.
back to pronounce it.

Audio
Practice your pronunciation with the audio exercises below: q is pronounced in the same manner as j , but it is aspirated. The pinyin q is similar to the “ch” in

“cheese,” except that it is articulated with the tip of the tongue resting behind the lower incisors.

When pronouncing q, don’t forget to pull the corners of your mouth straight back.
B.2.a (Initial-Final Combinations) B.2.c l vs. n
To make the x sound, first raise the flat center of your tongue toward (but not touching) the hard

da di du de lu lü nu nü palate and then let the air squeeze out. The vocal cords do not vibrate. x , like j and q , is articulated

with the tip of the tongue resting behind the lower incisors. To pronounce x correctly, you also need
ta ti tu te lu nu lü nü to pull the corners of your mouth straight back, as if making a tight smile.

na ni nu ne nü The finals that can be combined with jq

, , and x are limited to i and ü and compound finals that start

B.2.d d tnl
, , , with i or ü
. When j q
, , and x are combined with ü or a compound final starting with ü , the umlaut is

la li lu le lü omitted and the ü appears as u .

le ne te de Audio

Practice your pronunciation with the audio exercises below:

B.2.b d vs. t du tu lu nu
B.4.a (Initial-Final Combinations) B.4.c q vs. x
da ta di ti
ji ju qi xi qu xu
du tu de te
qi qu B.4.d j vs. x
xi xu ji xi ju xu
B.3 g, k, h
g is unaspirated and voiceless, whereas k is aspirated and voiceless. When pronouncing g and k ,
B.4.b j vs. q B.4.e j q x
, ,

raise the back of your tongue against your soft palate. Roughly, g sounds like the “k” in “sky,” and k ji qi ju qu ji qi xi
sounds like the “k” in “kite.”

h is voiceless. When pronouncing h, raise the back of your tongue towards your soft palate. Unlike ju qu xu
the pronunciation of its English counterpart, the friction is noticeable.

ae u ae u
Only the simple finals

with gk
, , and h .
, , and and the compound finals that start with , , or can be combined

B.5
z, c, s
Practice your pronunciation with the audio exercises below:
z is similar to the English “ds” sound, as in “lids.”

c is similar to the English “ts” sound, as in “students.” It is aspirated.

B.3.a (Initial-Final Combinations) B.3.c g vs. h s is similar to the English “s” sound.

gu ge ga gu hu ge he To pronounce these sounds, touch the back of your upper teeth with your tongue.

The simple finals that can be combined with z c

, , and s are a eu
, , , and the front apical vowel i (not
ku ke ka i
B.3.d k vs. h the regular palatal high front vowel ).

hu he ha ke he ku hu When pronouncing the syllables zi ci

, , and si , hold your tongue in the same position; relax it slightly

as the articulation moves from the voiceless initial consonant to the voiced vowel.

B.3.b g vs. k B.3.e gkh , ,

Practice your pronunciation with the audio exercises below:

gu ku ge ke gu ku hu B.5.a (Initial-Final Combinations) B.5.b s vs. z

he ke ge za zu ze zi sa za su zu
ca cu ce ci se ze si zi
sa su se si
 B.5.c z vs. c B.5.e z cs
, , Reference Chart for Initials

za ca zi ci sa za ca Manner of

Articulation
Stop Affricative

±ricative Nasal ²ateral ³pproximant

ze ce zu cu su zu cu Place of Unaspirated Aspirated Unaspirated Aspirated

Articulation
se ze ce
B.5.d s vs. c Bilabial b p m
si zi ci
sa ca si ci Labiodentals f
za cu se
su cu se ce Apical-toothback z c s
ci sa zu
Apical-alveolar d t n l
su zi ce
Apical-

postalveolar
zh ch sh r
B.6
zh, ch, sh, r
Alveolo-palatal j q x
To make the zh sound, first curl up the tip of your tongue against your hard palate, then loosen it

and let the air squeeze out through the channel you’ve made. It is unaspirated and the vocal cords
Velar g k h
do not vibrate. zh sounds rather like the first sound in “jerk,” but it is unvoiced.

ch is pronounced like zh
, but ch is aspirated. ch sounds rather like the “ch” in “chirp.”

To make the sh sound, turn the tip of your tongue up toward (but not touching) the hard palate and then let

the air squeeze out. The vocal cords do not vibrate. sh sounds rather like the “sh” in “shirt” and “Shirley.”

C
r is pronounced in the same manner as sh , but it is voiced; therefore, the vocal cords vibrate.
Compound Finals
Pronounce it simply by prolonging sh, making sure your lips are not rounded. Audio

The finals that can be combined with zh ch sh

, , , and r are a e u
, , , and the back apical vowel i
, as

well as compound finals that start with a e u

, , or . When pronouncing the syllables zhi chi shi
, , , and Consonant finals in pinyin are grouped as follows:

ri , hold your tongue in the same position; relax it slightly as the articulation moves from the initial

consonant to the vowel.

1. ai ei ao ou
Audio Practice your pronunciation with the audio exercises below:
2. an en ang eng ong
3. ia iao ie iu* ian in iang ing iong
B.6.a (Initial-Final Combinations) B.6.f sh vs. r 4. ua uo uai ui** uan un*** uang ueng
zha zhu zhe zhi shu ru shi ri 5. üe üan ün
cha chu che chi 6. er
B.6.g r vs. l
sha shu she shi * The main vowel o is omitted in the spelling of the final iu ( iu iou
= ). Therefore, iu represents the sound iou .

lu ru li ri The o is especially conspicuous in third- and fourth-tone syllables.

ru re ri ** The main vowel e is omitted in the final ui ui uei

( = ). Like iu above, it is quite conspicuous in third- and

B.6.h sh r l
, ,
fourth- tone syllables.

B.6.b zh vs. sh *** The main vowel e is omitted in un un uen

( = ).
she re le re
sha zha shu zhu
In pinyin, compound finals are composed of a main vowel and one or two secondary vowels, or a main

B.6.c zh vs. ch B.6.i zh ch r

, , vowel and one secondary vowel followed by the nasal ending -n or -ng . When the initial vowels are ae , , or

o, they are stressed. The vowels following are soft and brief. When the initial vowels are i u
, , or ü , the main

zha cha zhu chu zhe re che re vowels come after them. i u , , and ü are transitional sounds. If there are vowels or nasal consonants after the

main vowels, they should be unstressed as well. In a compound final, the main vowel can be affected by the

B.6.d ch vs. sh B.6.j zh ch sh r

, , ,
phonemes before and after it. For instance, the a in ian is pronounced with a lower degree of aperture and a

higher position of the tongue than the a in ma ; and to pronounce the a in ang , the tongue has to be positioned

chu shu sha cha sha cha zha more to the back of the mouth than is usually the case with a .

shu zhu chu ru When pronouncing the e in ei , the tongue must be positioned a bit toward the front and a bit higher than it
B.6.e zh ch sh
, ,
would be if pronouncing the simple vowel e alone. The e in ie is pronounced with a lower position of the tongue

shi zhi chi shi zhi chi shi ri than the e in ei

. When pronouncing the e en
in and the e in a neutral tone like the second syllable of gēge , you

should position your tongue in the center of your mouth, as with the pronunciation of the “e” in “the.”

she zhe che she che zhe she re

 As noted above, in pinyin orthography some vowels are omitted for the sake of economy, e.g., i(o)u u(e)i , .

However, when pronouncing such sounds, these vowels must not be omitted.
C.4
ua uo uai ui uan un uang
Pinyin spelling rules are as follows:
C.4.a ua vs. uai C.4.d uo vs. ou
1. If there is no initial consonant before i i
, is written as a semi-vowel, y
. Thus ia ie iao iu ian
, , , , , and

iang become ya ye yao you

, , , (note that the o cannot be omitted here), yan yang
, and in . Before and shua shuai wa wai duo dou zhuo zhou
ing , add y , e.g., yin ying
and .

ü y yu yuan yue yun suo sou wo ou

2. If there is no initial consonant before , add a and drop the umlaut: , , , . C.4.b uan vs. uang
3. u becomes w if it is not preceded by an initial, e.g., wa wai wan wang wei wen weng wo u
, , , , , , , . by itself

becomes wu .
shuan shuang chuan chuang C.4.e ui vs. un
4. ueng is written as ong if preceded by an initial, e.g., tong dong nong long
, , , . Without an initial, it is weng . zhuan zhuang wan wang tui tun zhui zhun
5. To avoid confusion, an apostrophe is used to separate two syllables with connecting vowels, e.g.,

nǚ’ér (daughter) and the city Xī’ān nǚ

( and ér Xī
, and ān are separate syllables). Sometimes an C.4.c un vs. uan dui dun wei wen
apostrophe is also needed even if the two syllables are not connected by vowels, e.g., fáng’ài
(to hinder) and fāng’àn (plan, scheme). dun duan kun kuan
Practice your pronunciation with the audio exercises below:
zhun zhuan wen wan
Audio

C.1 ai ei ao ou C.3.b ian vs. iang C.5 üe üan ün

xian xiang qian qiang
pai lei dao gou C.5.a ün vs. un C.5.b üan vs. uan C.5.c üe
jian jiang yan yang
cai mei sao shou jun zhun yun wen xuan shuan juan zhuan yue que jue
Audio

quan chuan yuan wan

C.3.c in vs. ing
C.2 an en ang eng ong
bin bing pin ping
an ang
C.6
er
C.2.a vs.
jin jing yin ying
tan tang chan chang ger er
( with a first tone does not exist in Mandarin, but the word “ ger ge
” [ with the r ending] contains

the final er in first tone. See D.1 Practice III for more examples.)

zan zhang gan gang C.3.d iu vs. iong

xiu xiong you yong
C.2.b en vs. eng
D
Tones
sen seng shen sheng
C.3.e ao vs. iao
zhen zheng fen feng
zhao jiao shao xiao Every Chinese syllable has a tone.

C.2.c eng vs. ong chao qiao ao yao

Four Tones and Neutral Tone
cheng chong deng dong
D.1

zheng zhong keng kong C.3.f an vs. ian There are four tones in Modern Standard Chinese.

The first tone is a high-level tone with a pitch value of 55 (see chart below); its tone mark is “ ¯ ”.
chan qian shan xian
The second tone is a rising tone with a pitch value of 35; its tone mark is “ ́ ”.
C.3
ia iao ie iu ian in iang zhan jian an yan The citation form of the third tone has a pitch value of 214. However, in normal speech it almost

ing iong always occurs as a “half third tone” with a pitch value of 21. Its tone mark is “ ˇ ”. Please see D.2.

Tone Sandhi for a discussion of how to pronounce third-tone syllables in succession.

C.3.a ia vs. ie C.3.g ang vs. iang The fourth tone is a falling tone with a pitch value of 51; its tone mark is “ ˋ ”.

jia jie qia qie zhang jiang shang xiang In addition to the four tones, there is also a neutral tone in Modern Standard Chinese. Neutral tone

words include those that do not have fundamental tones (e.g., the question particle ma ), and those

xia xie ya ye chang qiang ang yang which do have tones when pronounced individually, but are not stressed in certain compounds

(e.g., the second ba in bàba , “father”). There are no tone marks for neutral tone syllables. A neutral

tone syllable is pronounced briefly and softly, and its pitch value is determined by the stressed
 Audio

syllable immediately before it. A neutral tone following a first-tone syllable, as in māma (mother),
D.1 Practice II: Bisyllabic Words
carries a pitch tone of 2. When it follows a second-tone syllable, a third-tone syllable, or a fourth-

tone syllable, its pitch tone will be 3, 4, and 1 respectively.

Tones are crucial in Chinese. The same initial-final combination with different tones may have Tones Examples

different meanings. For instance, mā is “mother,” má is “hemp,” mǎ is “horse,” mà is “to scold,” and
2.a 1st+1st: chūzū tūchū chūfā
ma is an interrogative particle. The four tones can be diagrammed as follows:

2.b 1st+2nd: chātú xīqí chūxí

First Tone Second Tone Third Tone Fourth Tone

2.c 1st+3rd: shēchǐ gēqǔ chūbǎn

5

4 2.d 1st+4th: chūsè hūshì jīlǜ

3

2
2.e 2nd+1st: shíshī qíjī shíchā
1
2.f 2nd+2nd: jíhé shépí pígé
Tone marks are written above the main vowel of a syllable. The main vowel can be identified

according to the following sequence: aoeiuü

- - - - - . For instance, in ao the main vowel is a . In ei the
2.g 2nd+3rd: jítǐ bóqǔ zhélǐ
main vowel is e
. There is one exception: when i and u are combined into a syllable, the tone mark is
2.h 2nd+4th: qítè fúlì chíxù
written on the second vowel: iù uì
, .

2.i 3rd+1st: zǔzhī zhǔjī lǐkē

D.1 Practice I: Monosyllabic Words

2.j 3rd+2nd: pǔjí zhǔxí chǔfá
Audio

2.k 3rd+4th: lǚkè gǔlì tǐzhì

1.a Four Tones 1.d 1st vs. 4th 1.i 3rd vs. 2nd
2.l 4th+1st: zìsī qìchē lǜshī
bī bí bǐ bì fā fà qū qù chǔ chú xǐ xí
2.m 4th+2nd: fùzá dìtú shìshí
pū pú pǔ pù dī dì kē kè kě ké qǔ qú
2.n 4th+3rd: zìjǐ bìhǔ dìzhǐ
dà dǎ dá dā 1.e 2nd vs. 1st 1.j 3rd vs. 4th
2.o 4th+4th: mùdì xùmù dàdì
shè shě shé shē hú hū zhé zhē bǒ bò chǔ chù
tí tī tǐ tì xí xī pó pō nǐ nì rě rè
kè kě kē ké D.1 Practice III: Words with “er” sound
1.f 2nd vs. 3rd 1.k 4th vs. 1st

jǐ jí jì jī gé gě jú jǔ jì jī sù sū
3.a érzi érqiě
gú gù gū gǔ tí tǐ rú rǔ là lā hè hē
3.b ěrduo mù’ěr
1.b 1st vs. 2nd 1.g 2nd vs. 4th 1.l 4th vs. 2nd
3.c shí’èr èrshí
zā zá hē hé lú lù cí cì nà ná jù jú
chū chú shī shí mó mò zhé zhè zè zé lǜ lǘ
D.2 Tone Sandhi

1.c 1st vs. 3rd 1.h 3rd vs. 1st 1.m 4th vs. 3rd
If two third-tone syllables are spoken in succession, the first third tone becomes second tone

tū tǔ xī xǐ tǎ tā gǔ gū sà sǎ kù kǔ (a tone change that linguists call tone sandhi), e.g.:

mō mǒ shā shǎ mǐ mī chě chē zì zǐ zhè zhě

xǐlǐ → xílǐ (baptism)

chǐrǔ → chírǔ (shame)

qǔshě → qúshě (accept or reject)

 Note: Following standard pinyin practice, we do not change the tone marks from third to second
Writing System
tone. Initially, the student has to consciously remember to pronounce the first syllable in the second

tone; but through practice and imitation, it will soon become habit.
Audio
Practice your pronunciation with the audio exercises below:

A Formation of Characters
chǔlǐ → chúlǐ jǔzhǐ → júzhǐ
Unlike English, Chinese is written in characters, each of which represents a syllable. Two sets of Chinese
gǔpǔ → gúpǔ zǐnǚ → zínǚ characters are in use: simplified characters and traditional characters. Simplified characters typically have

fewer strokes than their traditional counterparts, though many characters are shared between the two sets.
bǐnǐ → bínǐ zhǐshǐ → zhíshǐ Characters have historically been divided into the following six categories:

A.1 象形 (xiàngxíng) (pictographs, pictographic characters), e.g.:

人 (rén) 山 (shān) 日 (rì) 月 (yuè) 木 (mù)
D.3 Neutral Tone

person mountain sun moon tree

The neutral tone occurs in unstressed syllables, typically following a syllable with one of the four

tones. It is unmarked, e.g.:

chēzi (car), māma (mom), chúzi (cook), shūshu (uncle), lǐzi (plum), shìzi (persimmon)

Practice your pronunciation with the audio exercises below: A.2 指事 (zhǐshì) (simple ideograms), e.g.:
1st+neutral māma gēge shīfu chūqu 上 (shàng) 下 (xià)
2nd+neutral dízi bóbo bízi chúle above below

3rd+neutral lǐzi qǐzi dǐzi fǔshang

4th+neutral bàba dìdi kèqi kùzi
A.3 会意 (huìyì) (compound ideograms), e.g.:

明 (míng) 休 (xiū)
bright rest

E
Combination Exercises

A.4
形声 (xíngshēng) (pictophonetic characters [with one element
indicating meaning and the other sound]), e.g.:

江，河，饭，姑
1. shān xiān sān 2. Zhōngguó xīngqī lǜshī zhàopiàn
cháng qiáng cáng zàijiàn tóngxué xǐhuan diànshì
zhǐ jǐ zǐ yīnyuè kělè yǎnlèi shàngwǔ
lüè nüè yuè cèsuǒ chūntiān xiàwǔ bànyè A.5 转注 (zhuǎnzhù) (mutually explanatory characters), e.g.:
kè lè rè gōngkè
zuìjìn
kāishǐ
xīwàng
rìjì
yīsheng
cāntīng
chūzū
老，考
zhōumò guānxi dòufu jiéhūn
liúxué nǚ’ér shénme suīrán A.6 假借 (jiǎjiè) (phonetic loan characters), e.g.:
wǎngqiú xǐzǎo niánjí yóuyǒng 来，我
A popular myth is that Chinese writing is pictographic, and that each Chinese character represents

a picture. In fact, only a small proportion of Chinese characters evolved from pictures. The vast majority

are pictophonetic characters consisting of a radical and a phonetic element. The radical often suggests the

meaning of a character, and the phonetic element indicates its original pronunciation, which may or may not

represent its modern pronunciation.

 No. Radical Pinyin English Examples

月 期，朗
B
Basic Radicals
21. yuè moon

Although there are more than fifty thousand Chinese characters, you only need to know two or three
22.
木 mù wood
李，杯
水 (氵) 汞，洗
thousand to be considered literate. Mastering two or three thousand characters is, of course, still a rather

formidable task. However, the learning process is easier if you grasp the basic components of Chinese
23. shuǐ water

火 (灬) 烧，热
characters. Traditionally, Chinese characters are grouped according to their common components, known as

radicals, 部首 (bùshǒu) . The 214 Kangxi radicals have been the standard set of radicals since the publication
24. huǒ fire

(《 康熙字典 》) (《 Kāngxī Zìdiǎn 》)

田 男，留
of the great Kangxi Dictionary in 1716; although some

contemporary dictionaries, which treat simplified characters as primary forms, have reduced that number to
25. tián field

目 看，睡
189. If you know the radicals and other basic components well, you will find recognizing, remembering, and

reproducing characters much easier. Knowing the radicals is also a must when using dictionaries that arrange
26. mù eye

示 (礻) 票，社
characters according to their radicals. The following is a selection of forty radicals that everybody starting to

learn characters should know. As you review the chart, identify where the radicals appear in the examples.
27. shì show

28.
糸 (纟) mì fine silk
素，红
耳 聋，聊
No. Radical Pinyin English Examples

人 (亻) 今，他
29. ěr ear

1. rén person

2.
刀 (刂) dāo knife
分，到
30.
衣 (衤) yī clothing
袋，衫
3.
力 lì power
加，助
31.
言 (讠) yán speech
誓，话
4.
又 yòu right hand, again
友，取
32.
贝 bèi cowrie shell
贵，财
5.
口 kǒu mouth
叫，可
33.
走 zǒu walk
趣，起
6.
囗* wéi enclose
回，因
34.
⻊ zú foot
跳，跑
7.
土 tǔ earth
在，坐
35.
金 (钅) jīn gold
鉴，银
8.
夕 xī sunset
外，多
36.
门 mén door
间，闷
9.
大 dà big
天，太
37.
隹 zhuī short-tailed bird
难，集
10.
女 nǚ woman
婆，好
38.
雨 yǔ rain
雪，雷
11.
子 zǐ child
字，孩
39.
食 (饣) shí eat
餐，饭
12.
寸 cùn inch
寺，封
40.
马 mǎ horse
骑，骂
小 少，尖
* Used as a radical only, not as a character by itself.

13. xiǎo small

工 左，差
马马
14. gōng labor, work

15.
幺 yāo tiny, small
幻，幼
16.
弓 gōng bow
引，弟
心 (忄) 想，忙
艹草 头
17. xīn heart

戈 我，或
纟 绞丝
gē

头
18. dagger-axe

19.
手 (扌) shǒu hand
拿，打
20.
日 rì sun
早，明 Two Chinese radical charts.
C D
Basic Character Structures Basic Strokes

To help you learn Chinese characters, we present the major structures for Chinese characters below. As you review the chart, identify where the strokes appear in the examples.

However, this list is not intended to be exhaustive. Less common structures are not covered here, and some

of the components can be further divided into subcomponents. For example, by our classification, 照 is in
Basic Stroke Chinese Pinyin English Examples

日 召
the Top-Bottom structure, but its top component can be seen as a combination of on the left and

the right. Teachers are encouraged to explain the structures of individual characters whenever appropriate,
on

点 diǎn dot
小，六
横 一，六
and to emphasize that it is much easier to memorize a character by component than by individual stroke.
héng horizontal

No. Pattern Examples

竖 shù vertical
十，中
1. Unitary
上 水 人 女 山 长 东 撇 piě downward left
人，大
捺 nà downward right
八，人
提 tí upward
我，江
2. Left-Right
忙 唱 便 汉 都 找 汤 横钩 hénggōu horizontal hook
你，字
竖钩 shùgōu vertical hook
小，你
3. Top-Bottom
李 字 念 想 笔 花 紧 斜钩 xiégōu slanted hook
戈，我
横折 héngzhé horizontal bend
五，口
4.
Semi-

Enclosing 同 周 问 间 风 竖折 shùzhé vertical bend

七，亡
Note: With the exception of the “ tí piě
” stroke (which moves upward to the right) and the “ ” stroke (which

moves downward to the left), all Chinese strokes move from top to bottom, left to right.

5. Enclosing
回 因 国 图 圆 Do you know the names of the strokes below? Can you write them properly?

6.
Horizontal

Trisection 班 街 掰 粥
E Stroke Order

7.
Vertical

Trisection 鼻 幕 曼 Following these stroke order rules will make it easier for you to accurately count the number of strokes in a

character. Knowing the exact number of strokes in a character will help you find the character in a radical-

based dictionary. Finally, your Chinese characters will look better if you write them in the correct stroke order!

8.
Left-Bottom

Enclosing 这 起 过 道 适 题 1. From left to right 川，人 4. From outside to inside 月

2. From top to bottom 三 5. Middle before two sides 小
9.
Left-Top

Enclosing 床 麻 病 历 屋 3. Horizontal before vertical 十 6. Inside before closing 日，回

Note: Learn the correct stroke order of the characters introduced in this book by using the associated

Character Workbook.
Important Grammatical Features 6. When the “recipient” of an action becomes known information to both interlocutors, the “recipient” of the

action often appears at the beginning of the sentence as the “topic,” and the rest of the sentence functions

as a “comment.” So the sentence structure becomes: Topic-Comment.

Chinese grammar is relatively simple, since Chinese contains virtually no significant inflectional changes.

However, beginners of Chinese should frequently review some fundamental characteristics of the language,
爸爸 昨 天 给 了 我 一个 手机， 那个 手机 我 不 喜欢。
even though not all these characteristics are unique to Chinese. Dad yesterday give I one cell phone, that cell phone I not like

Dad bought me a cell phone yesterday, and I don’t like it.

1. The most basic sentence structure in Chinese is:

Subject + Verb + Object

王朋 喜欢 打球。 Useful Expressions

Wang Peng like play ball

Wang Peng likes to play ball.

2. In Chinese, modifiers of nouns go before the nouns. A Classroom Expressions

Audio

姐姐 给 我 买 的 衬衫。 You will hear these expressions every day in Chinese class.
older sister for me buy shirt

The shirt that my older sister bought me.

1. Nǐ hǎo! How are you? How do you do? Hello.

3. In Chinese, adverbials, which modify verbs, go before verbs. Adverbials typically follow the subject or the

topic of the sentence. 2. Lǎoshī hǎo! How are you, teacher?

王朋 昨天 看 了 一个 中国 电影。 3. Shàng kè. Let’s begin the class.

Wang Peng yesterday see one China movie

Wang Peng watched a Chinese movie yesterday.

4. Xià kè. The class is over.

Unlike in English, adverbials in Chinese never appear at the end of the sentence.
5. Dǎ kāi shū. Open the book.

4. In general, Chinese nouns do not directly follow numerals; there must be a measure word in between.
6. Wǒ shuō, nǐmen tīng. I’ll speak, you listen.

一 个 人 7. Kàn hēibǎn/báibǎn. Look at the blackboard/whiteboard.

a person
8. Duì bu duì? Is it right?

三 本 书 9. Duì! Right! Correct!

three books

10. Hěn hǎo! Very good!

5. If a sentence has multiple clauses with the same subject, the subject in the ensuing clauses is typically

omitted. If two consecutive sentences have the same subject, the subject of the second sentence is

typically represented by a pronoun.

11. Qǐng gēn wǒ shuō. Please repeat after me.

李友 在 商店 买 衣服。 她 买 了 一件 衬衫， 12. Zài shuō yí biàn. Say it again.

Li You at store buy clothes she buy one shirt

13. Dǒng bu dǒng? Do you understand?

还 买 了 一条 裤子， 花 了 六十 块 钱。 14. Dǒng le. Yes, I/we understand; I/we do.

also buy one pants spend sixty dollar money

Li You went shopping for clothes. She bought a shirt. She bought a pair of pants as well.
15. Zàijiàn! Goodbye!

She spent sixty dollars.

 B Survival Expressions
Lesson 1

第一课
These expressions will help you survive in a Chinese language environment. A good language student

constantly learns new words by asking questions. Learn the following expressions and start to acquire

Chinese on your own.

Dì yī kè
1. Duìbuqǐ! Sorry!

2. Qǐng wèn . . . Excuse me . . . May I ask . . .

3. Xièxie! Thanks!

4. Zhè shì shénme? What is this?

5. Wǒ bù dǒng. I don’t understand.

6. Qǐng zài shuō yí biàn. Please say it one more time.

7. “ . . . ” Zhōngwén zěnme shuō? How do you say “ . . . ” in Chinese?

问好
8. “ . . . ” shì shénme yìsi? What does “ . . . ” mean?

9. Qǐng nǐ gěi wǒ . . . Please give me . . .

10. Qǐng nǐ gàosu wǒ . . . Please tell me . . .

C
Wèn hǎo
Numerals

Knowing Chinese numerals will help you with basic tasks like shopping and asking for the time. You can

get a head start by memorizing 0 to 10 now. After you've memorized them, try saying your telephone
GREETINGS
Audio
number in Chinese.

〇 (líng) 一 (yī) 二 (èr) 三(sān) 四 (sì) 五 (wǔ) Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready
zero one two three four five

六 七 八 九 十
In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:

(liù) (qī) (bā) (jiǔ) (shí)

± Exchange basic greetings ± How do people greet each other

six seven eight nine ten

± Ask for a person’s family name and when meeting for the first time?

full name and provide your own ± Which do people say first, their given

± Determine whether someone is name or family name?

a teacher or a student ± How do acquaintances or close

± Ask where someone’s from friends address each other?

 B Survival Expressions
Lesson 1

第一课
These expressions will help you survive in a Chinese language environment. A good language student

constantly learns new words by asking questions. Learn the following expressions and start to acquire

Chinese on your own.

Dì yī kè
1. Duìbuqǐ! Sorry!

2. Qǐng wèn . . . Excuse me . . . May I ask . . .

3. Xièxie! Thanks!

4. Zhè shì shénme? What is this?

5. Wǒ bù dǒng. I don’t understand.

6. Qǐng zài shuō yí biàn. Please say it one more time.

7. “ . . . ” Zhōngwén zěnme shuō? How do you say “ . . . ” in Chinese?

问好
8. “ . . . ” shì shénme yìsi? What does “ . . . ” mean?

9. Qǐng nǐ gěi wǒ . . . Please give me . . .

10. Qǐng nǐ gàosu wǒ . . . Please tell me . . .

C
Wèn hǎo
Numerals

Knowing Chinese numerals will help you with basic tasks like shopping and asking for the time. You can

get a head start by memorizing 0 to 10 now. After you've memorized them, try saying your telephone
GREETINGS
Audio
number in Chinese.

〇 (líng) 一 (yī) 二 (èr) 三(sān) 四 (sì) 五 (wǔ) Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready
zero one two three four five

六 七 八 九 十
In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:

(liù) (qī) (bā) (jiǔ) (shí)

± Exchange basic greetings ± How do people greet each other

six seven eight nine ten

± Ask for a person’s family name and when meeting for the first time?

full name and provide your own ± Which do people say first, their given

± Determine whether someone is name or family name?

a teacher or a student ± How do acquaintances or close

± Ask where someone’s from friends address each other?

 Language Notes

Exchanging Greetings
a 你好! (Nǐ hǎo!)
This common greeting is used to address

strangers as well as old acquaintances. To

Dialogue 1
At school, Wang Peng and Li You meet each other for the first time. respond, simply repeat the same greeting.

请问 (qǐng wèn)
你好 ！
a b

Video This is a polite phrase used to get

你好！
Audio someone’s attention before asking a

question or making an inquiry, similar to

请问 ，你 贵姓？
b c “excuse me, may I ask” in English.

c
你 (nǐ) vs. 您 (nín)
我姓 李。你呢 ？
1 2

*
To be more polite and respectful, replace

你 (nǐ) with its honorific form, 您 (nín) .

我姓王。李小姐 ，你叫 什么名字？

d 3
[See Language Note A, Dialogue 1,

Lesson 6.]

我叫李友。王先生，你叫什么名字？ d 小姐 (xiǎojiě)
This is a word with two third-tone syllables.

我叫王朋 。
4
The tone sandhi rule applies, thus making

the first third tone, 小 (xiǎo), a second

tone. The second syllable, 姐 (jiě) , can

Pinyin Dialogue also be pronounced in the neutral tone.

Nǐ hǎo !

Nǐ hǎo!
b c

Qǐng wèn , nǐ guì xìng?

1 2

Wǒ xìng Lǐ. Nǐ ne ?
d 3

Wǒ xìng Wáng. Lĭ xiǎojiě , nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?

Wǒ jiào Lǐ Yǒu. Wáng xiānsheng, nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?

4

Wǒ jiào Wáng Péng .

* Here and throughout the book, the blue lesson text and numbers correspond to explanations in the Grammar section.
Vocabulary Grammar

Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech

姓 (xìng)
你
1 The verb
1 nǐ pr you

2
好 hǎo adj fine, good, nice, OK, it’s settled

姓 (xìng) is both a noun and a verb. When it is used as a verb, it must be followed by an object.

3
请 qǐng v
please (polite form of request), to treat or to invite

(somebody)

4
问 wèn v to ask (a question)
A Q: 你姓什么？ A: 我姓李。
5
贵 guì adj honorable, expensive
Nǐ xìng shénme? Wǒ xìng Lǐ.

姓
What is your family name? My family name is Li.

6 xìng v/n (one’s) family name is . . . ; family name [See Grammar 1.]

姓 (xìng) 不 (bù)
我
is usually negated with . [See Grammar 7.]
7 wǒ pr I, me

8
呢 ne qp (question particle) [See Grammar 2.]
B Q: 你姓李吗？ A: 我不姓李。 [ 我不姓。]
9
小姐 xiǎojiě n Miss, young lady
Nǐ xìng Lǐ ma? Wǒ bú xìng Lǐ.
10
叫 jiào v to be called, to call [See Grammar 3.]
Is your family name Li? My family name is not Li.

11
什么 shénme qpr what
The polite way to ask for and give a family name is as follows.

12
名字 míngzi n name

13
先生 xiānsheng n Mr., husband, teacher
C Q: 你贵姓？ [ 你贵姓什么？]
14
李友 Lǐ Yǒu pn (a personal name)
Nǐ guì xìng?

李
What is your family name?

lǐ pn/n (a family name); plum (Lit. Your honorable family name is . . . ?)

15
王朋 Wáng Péng pn (a personal name)
Remember to drop the honorific 贵 (guì) when you reply.

王 wáng pn/n (a family name); king

A: 我姓王。 [ 我贵姓王。]
Wǒ xìng Wáng.
My family name is Wang.

You can also respond to 你贵姓 (nǐ guì xìng) by saying 免贵姓王 (miǎn guì xìng Wáng) ,

免贵姓李 (miǎn guì xìng Lǐ)

你叫什么名字？
. (Lit. Dispense with “honorable.” [My] family name is Wang/Li.)

EXERCISES

Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? Complete these exchanges with your own family name.

我叫 。
请问，你贵姓？ 我姓 。
What is your name?

1 Q: A:
Wǒ jiào .
2 Q: 你姓什么？ A: 我姓 。
2 Questions ending with 呢 (ne) EXERCISES

In pairs, ask and give your name and family name.

呢 (ne) often follows a noun or pronoun to form a question when the content of the question is 1 Q: 我姓 ，你呢？ A: 我姓 。
我叫 ，你呢？ 我叫 。
already clear from the context.

2 Q: A:

A Q: 请问，你贵姓？ A: 我姓李，你呢？
Qǐng wèn, nǐ guì xìng? Wǒ xìng Lǐ, nǐ ne?
3 The verb 叫 (jiào)
What’s your family name, please? My family name is Li. How about you?

While 叫 (jiào) has several meanings, it means “to be called” in this lesson. Like 姓 (xìng)
, it must be

你叫什么名字？ 我叫王朋，你呢？
followed by an object, which can be either a full name or a given name, but seldom a given name

B Q: A:
that consists only of one syllable.

Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? Wǒ jiào Wáng Péng, nǐ ne?

What’s your name? My name is Wang Peng. How about you?
A Q: 你叫什么名字？ A: 我叫王小朋。
When 呢 (ne) is used in this way, there must be some context. In each of the two examples above,
Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? Wǒ jiào Wáng Xiǎopéng.
the context is provided by the preceding sentence: 我姓李 (wǒ xìng Lǐ) in (A), and 我叫王朋
What is your name? My name is Wang Xiaopeng.

(wǒ jiào Wáng Péng) in (B).

叫 (jiào) is usually negated with 不 (bù) . [See Grammar 7.]

B Q: 你叫李生吗？ A: 我不叫李生。
Nǐ jiào Lǐ Shēng ma? Wǒ bú jiào Lǐ Shēng.
GET

Real
Is your name Li Sheng? My name is not Li Sheng.

WITH
CHINESE
EXERCISES

Take turns answering the questions below.

You’re at the
1 Q: 请问，你叫什么名字？ A: 我叫 。
first meeting of

your college’s
2 Q: 你叫李好吗？ A: 我不叫 。
Chinese Student

Association. What

is this sophomore’s

name?
4 Subject + verb + object

From the examples in the previous Grammar Points, we can see that the basic word order in a

Chinese sentence is subject + verb + object.

The word order remains the same in statements and questions. You don’t place the question word

at the beginning of a question as you do in English, unless that question word is the subject.

[See also Grammar 3, Lesson 2, and Grammar 1, Lesson 4.]

Language Practice B Getting acquainted INTERPERSONAL

Complete the following exchange between two people who have never met before. Do a role-play
A Mix and mingle INTERPERSONAL

based on the prompts.

Introduce yourself to your classmates using the outline below.

Student A 你好！
Student A 你好！ Nǐ hǎo!

Nǐ hǎo!
Student B 。
Student B 。 .

.
Student A 我姓 ，请问，你贵姓？
Student A 请问，你贵姓？ Wǒ xìng , qǐng wèn, nǐ guì xìng?

Qǐng wèn, nǐ guì xìng?

Student B 。
Student B 我姓 。你呢？ .

Wǒ xìng . Nǐ ne?
Student A ，你叫什么名字？
Student A 我姓 ，我叫 。你叫 , nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?

什么名字？ Student B 我叫 。
Wǒ xìng , wǒ jiào . Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
Wǒ jiào .

Student B 我叫 。
Wǒ jiào .
9:41 PM 85%

〈 Contacts
Chinese Chat

You want to add Wang

李朋
Peng and Li You to a

group text message.

李友
From this contact list,

Characterize it! which names would

王朋
you select?

小 请 王 生 贵
1 2 3 4 5
Unitary

王友
More
characters Which of these characters are formed with the pattern on the left?
 Where Are You From?
China has the

fastest growing air

passenger market

in the world. Based

Dialogue 2 on his boarding

Wang Peng and Li You start chatting after bumping into each other on campus. pass, identify this

traveler’s flight plan.

王先生，你是 老师吗 ？
5 6

Video

我不 是老师，我是学生。
7 a
Audio

GET

李友，你呢？ Real
WITH
CHINESE

我也 是学生。你是中国人吗？
8

是 ，我是北京人。你是
b
Language Notes

美国人吗？ a 不
The original tone of 不 is the falling or

是，我是纽约人。 fourth tone, “bù.” However, when followed

by another fourth tone syllable, 不 changes

to second tone, as in 不是 (bú shì) .

Pinyin Dialogue b
是 (shì)/不是 (bú shì)
5 6 These are not universal equivalents of

Wáng xiānsheng, nǐ shì lǎoshī ma ?

“yes” and “no.” One does not always need

7 a

Wǒ bú shì lǎoshī, wǒ shì xuésheng. Lǐ Yǒu, nǐ ne? to introduce an affirmative answer to a

8
yes/no question with 是 (shì) or a negative

Wǒ yě shì xuésheng. Nǐ shì Zhōngguó rén ma?

b
answer with 不是 (bú shì) . For instance, to

Shì , wǒ shì Běijīng rén. Nǐ shì Měiguó rén ma? 你姓王吗？ (Nǐ
answer the question

Shì, wǒ shì Niǔyuē rén. xìng Wáng ma?) (Is your family name Wang?)

affirmatively, one can reply, 对，我姓王

(Duì, wǒ xìng Wáng) (Yes, my family name is

Wang) or simply, 我姓王 (Wǒ xìng Wáng) .

To answer the question negatively, say

不，我不姓王 (Bù, wǒ bú xìng Wáng)

(No, my family name is not Wang), or simply,

我不姓王 (Wǒ bú xìng Wáng) .

Vocabulary Grammar

Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech

1 是 shì v to be [See Grammar 5.]

5 The verb 是 (shì) (to be)

2
老师 lǎoshī n teacher
是 (shì) (to be) is a verb that can be used to link two things that are in some way equivalent.

吗
These two things can be nouns, pronouns, or noun phrases, e.g.:

3 ma qp (question particle) [See Grammar 6.]

Flashcards

Audio
4
不 bù adv not, no [See Grammar 7.]
A Q: 你是老师吗？
5
学生 xuésheng n student Nǐ shì lǎoshī ma?

也
Are you a teacher?

6 yě adv too, also [See Grammar 8.]

7
人 rén n people, person A: 我是老师。
中国
Wǒ shì lǎoshī.
8 Zhōngguó pn China

I am a teacher.

9
北京 Běijīng pn Beijing

10
美国 Měiguó pn America
B 李友是学生。
Lǐ Yǒu shì xuésheng.
11
纽约 Niǔyuē pn New York
Li You is a student.

是 (shì) is negated with 不 (bù) . [See also Grammar 7.]

C 王朋不是美国人。
Wáng Péng bú shì Měiguó rén.
Wang Peng is not American.

你是美国人吗？ EXERCISES

More
Form questions and affirmative answers based on the information below. Use exercise 1 exercises

Nǐ shì Měiguó rén ma? as an example.

Are you American?

（不）是，我是 人。 1 王朋 学生
(Bú) shì, wǒ shì rén.
See index
for corre
sponding
→ 王朋是学生吗？ 王朋是学生。
Q: A:

李友 美国人
vocabula
ry or rese
arch an other term
.
2

3 王朋 北京人
6 Questions ending with 吗 (ma) 7 The negative adverb 不 (bù) (not, no)

When 吗 (ma) is added to the end of a declarative statement, that statement turns into a question. In Chinese, there are two main negative adverbs. One of the two, 不 (bù) (not, no),

To answer the question in the affirmative, drop 吗 (ma) from the end of the question. To answer the occurs in this lesson.

question in the negative, drop 吗 (ma) , and insert a negative adverb—usually 不 (bù)
—before the

verb. [See Grammar 7.]

A 我不是北京人。
Wǒ bú shì Běijīng rén.
A Q: 你是老师吗？ I am not from Beijing.

Nǐ shì lǎoshī ma?

Are you a teacher? B 李友不是中国人。
Lǐ Yǒu bú shì Zhōngguó rén.
A: 我是老师。 Li You is not Chinese.

Wǒ shì lǎoshī.
I am a teacher. (affirmative)
C 老师不姓王。
Lǎoshī bú xìng Wáng.
A: 我不是老师。 The teacher’s family name is not Wang.

Wǒ bú shì lǎoshī.
I am not a teacher. (negative)
D 我不叫李中。
Wǒ bú jiào Lǐ Zhōng.
B Q: 你姓王吗？ My name is not Li Zhong.

Nǐ xìng Wáng ma?

EXERCISES
Is your family name Wang?
More
Give negative answers to these questions. Use exercise 1 as an example. exercises

A: 我姓王。 1 李友是中国人吗？
Q:

Wǒ xìng Wáng. → 李友不是中国人。

A:

王朋是老师吗？
My family name is Wang. (affirmative)

2 Q:

A: 我不姓王。 3 李友是北京人吗？
Q:

Wǒ bú xìng Wáng.
My family name is not Wang. (negative)
8 The adverb 也 (yě) (too, also) E 你不是纽约人，我也不是纽约人。
Nǐ bú shì Niǔyuē rén, wǒ yě bú shì Niǔyuē rén.
The adverb 也 (yě) basically means “too” or “also.” In Chinese, adverbs, especially one-syllable
You are not from New York. I am not from New York, either.

adverbs, normally appear after subjects and before verbs. The adverb 也 (yě) cannot be put

before the subject or at the very end of a sentence. EXERCISES

Use these sentences to form question-and-answers, inserting 也 where appropriate.

A 我也是学生。 Use exercise 1 as an example.

Wǒ yě shì xuésheng. 1 王朋是学生。

I’m a student, too.
→ 王朋是学生，你呢? 我也是学生。
Q: A:

B 王朋是学生，李友也是学生。 2 李友是美国人。
Wáng Péng shì xuésheng, Lǐ Yǒu yě shì xuésheng. 3 李友不是老师。
Wang Peng is a student. Li You is a student, too.

C 你是中国人，我也是中国人。
Nǐ shì Zhōngguó rén, wǒ yě shì Zhōngguó rén.
You are Chinese. I am Chinese, too. Chinese Chat
[ ……我是中国人也。] A friend you just met You Rebecca Jankiv
online is chatting
[ ……也我是中国人。] with you on Google
你好！你是纽约人吗？
Hangouts. How New conversation

也 (yě) 不 (bù)
...
Rebecca • Mon, 5:45 PM
When the adverb is used together with the negative adverb (not, no), would you reply?
也 (yě) 不 (bù)
is placed before .
Rebecca Jankiv Mon

我是学生，你呢？
You: ...
D 王朋不是老师，李友也不是老师。
Joel Smithson Fri

...
Rebecca • Mon, 5:50 PM
Wáng Péng bú shì lǎoshī, Lǐ Yǒu yě bú shì lǎoshī. You: ...

Wang Peng is not a teacher. Li You is not a teacher, either.

Send a message
Language Practice
4 王先生叫王友吗？ Wáng xiānsheng jiào Wáng Yǒu ma?

C
5 你叫李友吗？ Nǐ jiào Lǐ Yǒu ma?
Getting to know you INTERPERSONAL

In pairs, form a question-and-answer, inserting 是 (shì) in the ◇ and 吗 (ma) when needed, e.g.: E What about you? INTERPERSONAL

王朋 ◇ 学生
In pairs, ask and answer the following questions with a partner, using 也 (yě) where appropriate.

Wáng Péng ◇ xuésheng

Q: 王朋是学生吗? Wáng Péng shì xuésheng ma?

1 王朋是中国人，你也是中国人吗？
A: 王朋是学生。 Wáng Péng shì xuésheng.
Wáng Péng shì Zhōngguó rén, nǐ yě shì Zhōngguó rén ma?

1 李友◇美国人 Lǐ Yǒu ◇ Měiguó rén 2 李友是纽约人，你也是纽约人吗？

王朋◇中国人
Lǐ Yǒu shì Niǔyuē rén, nǐ yě shì Niǔyuē rén ma?
2 Wáng Péng ◇ Zhōngguó rén

3 李友 美国学生 ◇ Lǐ Yǒu ◇ Měiguó xuésheng 3 王朋不是老师，你呢？

Wáng Péng bú shì lǎoshī, nǐ ne?
4 王朋◇北京人 Wáng Péng ◇ Běijīng rén

5 李友 纽约人 ◇ Lǐ Yǒu ◇ Niǔyuē rén

4 李友不是中国人，你呢？
Lǐ Yǒu bú shì Zhōngguó rén, nǐ ne?
6 你◇学生 nǐ ◇ xuésheng

5 王朋姓王，你也姓王吗？
D On the contrary INTERPERSONAL
Wáng Péng xìng Wáng, nǐ yě xìng Wáng ma?

In pairs, ask and answer the following questions, using 不 (bú) where appropriate, e.g.:

Characterize it!
Q: 李小姐叫李朋吗？ Lǐ xiǎojiě jiào Lǐ Péng ma?
What do the characters mean?

呢 叫 吗 名
1 2 3 4

李小姐不叫李朋。
What is the common radical?

A: Lǐ xiǎojiě bú jiào Lǐ Péng.

More
What does the radical mean?
characters

1 李友是中国人吗？ Lǐ Yǒu shì Zhōngguó rén ma?

How does the radical relate to the

overall meaning of the characters?

2 你是王朋吗？ Nǐ shì Wáng Péng ma?

3 王朋是纽约人吗？ Wáng Péng shì Niǔyuē rén ma?

 Audio

F Where are you from? INTERPERSONAL

Pronunciation

Interview your classmates to find out what country, state, or city they’re from. Attach the word 人 (rén) Practice your pronunciation with the audio exercises below.

(person) to the name of the country, state, or city to indicate nationality or place of residence, e.g.:
1 Initials: 4 Tones:

我是美国 (Wǒ shì Měiguó) 人 (rén)。 /California/Boston

b p d t 1 tiāntiān
jīnnián
5 xīngqī
fādá
1 bǎo pǎo dā tā 2 6

我是美国人，你呢？
Student A 2 bān pān dí tí 3 jīnglǐ 7 fāzhǎn
3 bù pù duì tuì 4 shēngqì 8 shēngdiào
Wǒ shì Měiguó rén, nǐ ne?
4 bō pō dīng tīng
5 Tone combinations:

Student B …… 5 bēng pēng dēng tēng 1 nǐ hǎo 5 hǎo duō

2 Initials:
2 Lǐ Yǒu 6 nǐ lái
. . .
3 lǎohǔ 7 hǎo shū
j q z c
zhǎnlǎn qǐng wèn
你是 人吗？
4 8
1 jiāo qiāo zāi cāi
Student A (state)

2 jǐng qǐng zǎo cǎo 6 The neutral tone:

Nǐ shì (state) rén ma? 3 jīn qīn zì cì 1 xiānsheng 5 wǒ de

jiè qiè zè cè 2 míngzi 6 nǐ de
我是……人。/
4

Student B 5 jiàn qiàn zhè chè 3 xiáojie 7 tā de

我不是……人，我是……人。 3 Initials:
4 shénme 8 shéi de

Wǒ shì . . . rén./Wǒ bú shì . . . rén, wǒ shì . . . rén. sh s x

1 shà sà xià
Student A 你是 (city) 人吗？ 2 shàn sàn xiàn
3 shēn sēn xīn
Nǐ shì (city) rén ma?
4 shēng sēng xīng

Student B 我是 …… 人。你呢？
Wǒ shì . . . rén, nǐ ne?

Student A 我是 …… 人。
Wǒ shì . . . rén.
李 周 吴 李 王
CULTURAL LITERACY

王 徐 孙张 刘 Most Chinese family names,

are monosyllabic. There are, however,

a few disyllabic family names such as

欧阳 (Ōuyáng) 司徒 (Sītú)
姓 (xìng),

胡 朱陈 杨
and . The

张
number of Chinese family names is

fairly limited. According to the most

Continue recent census, the most common

王 (Wáng) 李 (Lǐ)
to explore
family names are , ,

张 (Zhāng) , 刘 (Liú) 陈 (Chén)

, and .

黄 周赵 黄
Family names precede official titles

刘
and other forms of address: 王先生
(Wáng xiānsheng) (Mister Wang),
李老师 (Lǐ lǎoshī) (Teacher Li), etc.
When addressing strangers, it is

Fa
proper to say 先生 (xiānsheng) (Mr.)

小姐 (xiǎojiě)

陈
or (Miss) following

姓氏
their family name.

In China, family names were originally

passed down along maternal lines.

Indeed, some of the most ancient

Chinese family names, such as 姬 (Jī),

妫 (Guī) 姒 (Sì) 姚 (Yáo)

杨 徐 孙
mi
, , , and

姜 (Jiāng) , as well as the character

姓 (xìng) , contain the female radical

女 (nǚ) . Aristocratic men and women

COMPARE
& CONTRAST

Full names
姓 (xìng)
were born with a , which

came to indicate paternal lineage in

1. Search for the idiom 张三

赵
李四 (Zhāng Sān Lǐ Sì)

胡 朱
subsequent ages. However, with the

张三
expansion of clans, aristocratic men

氏 (shì) using the keywords “

我叫王朋 (Wǒ jiào Wáng Péng)

ly
李四
would adopt a as a secondary
In Chinese, family names always
” and “English.” Why

她叫李友 (Tā jiào Lǐ Yǒu).

family name. By the Western Han period

姓 (xìng) 氏 (shì)
precede personal or given names,
and
(207 BCE–8 CE), and do you think the family
名 (míng)
张 (Zhāng) 李
. Personal names usually
When meeting someone for

黄
had become indistinguishable, and names and
carry auspicious meanings. They
the first time, it is polite to first
even commoners had acquired family
(Lǐ) are singled out? What

刘 张
姓 (xìng)
can be either monosyllabic, written
ask for a family name. Then the

你叫什么名字？
names. Thus, family names, ,

姓氏 (xìngshì) is the English equivalent in one character, or disyllabic,

question
are sometimes called .
written in two characters. A
of this idiomatic Chinese (Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?) (What is

When talking about family names, person is seldom referred to by

your name?) can be asked to find
expression, and what are
many Chinese people will reference his or her family name alone.

王朋
out the person’s given name or

周
some of the most common

names
the Hundred Family Names, For example, Wang Peng,

百家姓 (Bǎi Jiā Xìng)

full name.

, which family names in English? (Wáng Péng), should not be referred

In Chinese culture, the use of given
records the known family names of to as Wang. Additionally, when
2. Chinese personal names names often suggests a much
the Northern Song Dynasty in the introducing oneself or someone
higher degree of intimacy than is
often carry special
tenth century. The more than four else, one does not usually mention
the case in the West. If one’s given
meanings. Give examples
hundred family names included are a monosyllabic personal name

吴
name is monosyllabic, its use is
arranged in four-character lines, of personal names with alone. For example, Wang Peng

我叫朋 (Wǒ
even more limited and is usually
with every other line rhymed. This would not say
special meanings from confined to couples. For example,

book was a popular reading primer

other cultures. jiào Péng) or 她叫友 (Tā Wang Peng’s girlfriend could

for schoolchildren.
jiào Yǒu) when introducing Li You. address him as Peng, but most

Instead, he would typically say people would call him Wang Peng.
Lesson Wrap-Up

Lesson 2
Make It Flow!

第二课
Rearrange the following sentences into a logical sequence. Then combine them

into a coherent self-introduction. Remember to omit repetitive elements

where appropriate.

我是北京人。 Dì èr kè
我叫王朋。
1 我姓王。
Role-Play

You are at the first event hosted by your school’s Chinese-American Student

Association. Be friendly! Meet and greet and introduce yourself.

Student A You are an American student from New York City.

Student B You are a Chinese student from Beijing.

Student C You are an American teacher from Boston.

Student D You are a Chinese student from Shanghai.

家庭
Video

Make a short video introducing yourself in Chinese and post it on social media.

Jiātíng

Before proceeding to Lesson 2, make sure you can complete

FAMILY
the following tasks in Chinese:

² Exchange basic greetings

² Say my family name and full name

² Ask for someone’s family name and full name

² Say if I am a student or not

Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready
² State my nationality

² Ask where someone’s from In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:

± Use basic kinship terms for ± What is the typical family structure?

family members ± Do adults consider their parents’

± Describe a family photo house their home?

± Ask about someone’s profession ± Do adults live with their parents?

± Name some common professions ± When talking about family members, do

people mention their father or mother first?

± Is it appropriate to ask about people’s

professions when you first meet them?

Lesson Wrap-Up

Lesson 2
Make It Flow!

第二课
Rearrange the following sentences into a logical sequence. Then combine them

into a coherent self-introduction. Remember to omit repetitive elements

where appropriate.

我是北京人。 Dì èr kè
我叫王朋。
1 我姓王。
Role-Play

You are at the first event hosted by your school’s Chinese-American Student

Association. Be friendly! Meet and greet and introduce yourself.

Student A You are an American student from New York City.

Student B You are a Chinese student from Beijing.

Student C You are an American teacher from Boston.

Student D You are a Chinese student from Shanghai.

家庭
Video

Make a short video introducing yourself in Chinese and post it on social media.

Jiātíng

Before proceeding to Lesson 2, make sure you can complete

FAMILY
the following tasks in Chinese:

² Exchange basic greetings

² Say my family name and full name

² Ask for someone’s family name and full name

² Say if I am a student or not

Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready
² State my nationality

² Ask where someone’s from In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:

± Use basic kinship terms for ± What is the typical family structure?

family members ± Do adults consider their parents’

± Describe a family photo house their home?

± Ask about someone’s profession ± Do adults live with their parents?

± Name some common professions ± When talking about family members, do

people mention their father or mother first?

± Is it appropriate to ask about people’s

professions when you first meet them?

 Language Notes

Looking at a Family Photo

a 这，那
这
In colloquial Chinese, can also be

pronounced as zhèi 那
and as nèi when

Dialogue 1
Wang Peng is in Gao Wenzhong’s room and points to a picture on the desk. they are followed by a measure word

or a numeral and a measure word.

高文中，那是你的 照片吗？
1

Video
b
儿子 (érzi)，女儿 (nǚ’ér)
Audio They walk toward the picture and stand in front of it. Do not refer to someone’s son, 儿子
男孩子 (nán háizi)
(érzi)
是。这是我爸爸，这是我妈妈。
, as (boy), or

女儿 (nǚ’ér)
someone’s daughter, , as

女孩子 (nǚ háizi) (girl).

这 个 女孩子是谁 ？
a 2 3

她是我姐姐。
这个男孩子是你弟弟吗？
不是，他是我大哥的儿子 。
b

你大哥有 女儿吗？
4

他没有女儿。
Pinyin Dialogue

Wang Peng is in Gao Wenzhong’s room and points to a picture on the desk.

Gāo Wénzhōng, nà shì nǐ de zhàopiàn ma?

They walk toward the picture and stand in front of it.

Shì. Zhè shì wǒ bàba, zhè shì wǒ māma.

a 2 3

Zhè ge nǚ háizi shì shéi ?

Tā shì wǒ jiějie.

Zhè ge nán háizi shì nǐ dìdi ma?

b

Bú shì, tā shì wǒ dàgē de érzi .

4

Nǐ dàgē yǒu nǚ’ér ma?

Tā méiyǒu nǚ’ér.
Vocabulary
Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech

她
Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech 11 tā pr she, her

1 那 nà pr that
12
姐姐 jiějie n older sister

2
的 de p (a possessive or descriptive particle) [See Grammar 1.]

13
男 nán adj male

3
照片 zhàopiàn n picture, photo
14
弟弟 dìdi n younger brother

Audio 4
这 zhè pr this

15
他 tā pr he, him

5
爸爸 bàba n father, dad

16
大哥 dàgē n eldest/oldest brother

6
妈妈 māma n mother, mom

17
儿子 érzi n son

7
个 gè/ge m
(measure word for many common everyday objects) [See

Grammar 2.]
18
有 yǒu v to have, to exist [See Grammar 4 and Grammar 5.]

8
女 nǚ adj female
19
女儿 nǚ’ér n daughter

9
孩子 háizi n child

20
没 méi adv not

10
谁 shéi qpr who, whom [See Grammar 3.]

21
高文中 Gāo
pn (a personal name)
Wénzhōng

高 gāo pn/adj (a family name); tall, high

GET

Real
WITH
CHINESE

While on a family

trip to Hong Kong,

you see this

sign. What is the 这是谁？

instruction?

Zhè shì shéi?

Who is this?
这是 。
Zhè shì .
Bring a fa
mily photo
to class,
like the o
family me nes abov
mbers. e, and ide
ntify your
Grammar
E 那个男学生
nà ge nán xuésheng
1 The particle 的 (de) (I) that male student

To indicate a possessive relationship, the particle 的 is used between the “possessor” and the
EXERCISES More
exercises

“possessed.” To that extent, it is equivalent to the “’s” structure in English, as in 老师的名字 Translate these phrases containing the measure word 个 .

(lăoshī de míngzi)
personal pronoun. Therefore, we say “
的 (de)
(teacher’s name). The particle is often omitted in colloquial speech after a

王朋的妈妈 (Wáng Péng de māma)

” (Wang Peng’s mother)
1 一个中国人 2 三个弟弟
but “ 我妈妈 (wǒ māma)
” (my mother). [See also Grammar 4, Lesson 3.]

EXERCISES 3
More Question pronouns
的
exercises

Translate these phrases containing the particle .

1 李友的爸爸 Question pronouns include 谁 (shéi) (who/whom), 什么 (shénme) (what), 哪 (nǎ/něi) (which) [see

哪儿 (nǎr) 几 (jǐ)
哥哥的女儿
Lesson 6], (where) [see Lesson 5], and (how many). In a question with a question

2
pronoun, the word order is exactly the same as that in a declarative sentence. Therefore, when

forming a question with a question pronoun, start with a declarative sentence and then replace the

relevant part with the appropriate question pronoun.

2 Measure words (I)

A 那个女孩子是李友。
In Chinese, a numeral is usually not followed immediately by a noun. Instead, a measure word

Nà ge nǚ háizi shì Lǐ Yǒu.

is inserted between the number and the noun, as in (A), (B), and (C). Similarly, a measure word is

often inserted between a demonstrative pronoun and a noun, as in (D) and (E). There are over one That girl is Li You.

hundred measure words in Chinese, but you will come across only two or three dozen in everyday
那个女孩子 (Nà ge nǚ háizi) can be replaced with 谁 (shéi) to form the question below.

speech. Many nouns are associated with specific measure words, which are often related in

meaning to the nouns.

谁是李友？
个 (gè/ge) is the single most common measure word in Chinese. It is also sometimes used as a
Shéi shì Lǐ Yǒu?
substitute for other measure words.
Who is Li You?

谁 (shéi)
A 一个人 C 一个老师 Here functions as the subject of the sentence and occupies the same position as

那个女孩子 (Nà ge nǚ háizi) in the corresponding statement. 李友 (Lǐ Yǒu) in (A) can also be

yí ge rén yí ge lǎoshī 谁 (shéi)

replaced with to form the question below.

那个女孩子是谁？
a person a teacher

B 一个学生 D 这个孩子 Nà ge nǚ háizi shì shéi?

Who is that girl?
yí ge xuésheng zhè ge háizi
a student this child
谁 (shéi) functions as the object of the sentence and occupies the same position as 李友 (Lǐ Yǒu) . 4 Indicating possession using 有 (yǒu)

B Q: 谁是老师？ A: 李先生是老师。 有 (yǒu) is always negated with 没 (méi) , not 不 (bù) .

Shéi shì lǎoshī? Lǐ xiānsheng shì lǎoshī.

Who is a teacher? Mr. Li is a teacher.
A Q: 王先生有弟弟吗？
Wáng xiānsheng yǒu dìdi ma?
C Q: 那个女孩子姓什么？ A: 那个女孩子姓王。 Does Mr. Wang have a younger brother?

Nà ge nǚ háizi xìng shénme? Nà ge nǚ háizi xìng Wáng.

王先生没有弟弟。
What’s that girl’s family name? That girl’s family name is Wang.

A:

D Q: 谁有姐姐？ A: 高文中有姐姐。 Wáng xiānsheng méiyǒu dìdi.

Mr. Wang doesn’t have any younger brothers.
Shéi yǒu jiějie? Gāo Wénzhōng yǒu jiějie.
Who has older sisters? Gao Wenzhong has an older sister.

B Q: 我有三个姐姐，你呢？
EXERCISES

Use the question pronoun 谁 to survey your classmates.

Wǒ yǒu sān ge jiějie, nǐ ne?

1 Q: 谁是 ？ A: 我是 。 I have three older sisters. How about you?

2 Q: 谁有 ？ A: 我有 。 A: 我没有姐姐。
Wǒ méiyǒu jiějie.
I don’t have any older sisters.

You’re about to post this picture of a family

EXERCISES

姐姐 有
More
member on Instagram. What caption would exercises
In pairs, complete either the question or the answer, inserting where appropriate.
you write? Use the hashtag # .

1 Q: 高文中 ？
高文中有姐姐。
新帖子
A:

2 Q: 你有哥哥吗？
撰写说明...... A: 我 。

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Language Practice B Family matters INTERPERSONAL

A
Form a question-and-answer about family members, inserting 有 (yǒu) 没有 (méiyǒu)
or
Who’s this? INTERPERSONAL

in the ◇ and 吗 (ma) where appropriate, e.g.:

In pairs, identify the IC characters below using 谁 (shéi) , e.g.: 高大哥 ◇ 女儿

Q: 这个人/男孩子是谁？ Zhè ge rén/nán háizi shì shéi?
Gāo dàgē ◇ nǚ’ér

A: 这个人/男孩子是王朋。 Zhè ge rén/nán háizi shì Wáng Péng. Q: 高大哥有女儿吗？ A: 他没有女儿。

Gāo dàgē yǒu nǚ’ér ma? Tā méiyǒu nǚ’ér.
1 2

1 高文中 ◇ 姐姐 4 你 ◇ 弟弟
Gāo Wénzhōng ◇ jiějie nǐ ◇ dìdi
9:41 PM 85%
Chinese Chat
高大哥 ◇ 儿子 你的老师 ◇ 女儿
〈 Back
2 5
Rebecca Jankiv You’ve just shared
Active Now • Messenger
a family photo with
Gāo dàgē ◇ érzi nǐ de lǎoshī ◇ nǚ’ér
a friend on Facebook

Messenger and she’s

asking you about it.

3 你 ◇ 姐姐
How would you reply?
nǐ ◇ jiějie

你好！这是你的照片吗？
这个女孩子是谁？ C INTERPERSONAL
Family portrait PRESENTATIONAL

...

这个男孩子是你弟弟吗？ In pairs, share and discuss family photos.

... Q: 这是谁？ A: 这是我 。

Zhè shì shéi? Zhè shì wǒ .

Now present your family photo to the class and describe the people in the picture.

这是我爸爸，这是我妈妈，……
Characterize it! Zhè shì wǒ bàba, zhè shì wǒ māma, . . .

那 的 爸 高 他
1 2 3 4 5
Left - Right

More
characters

Which of these characters are formed with the pattern on the left?
 Language Notes

Discussing Family
a 家 (jiā)
This word can refer to one’s family or home.

我家有四口人 (Wǒ jiā yǒu sì kǒu rén)

Dialogue 2 (There are four people in my family) can be
Li You and Bai Ying’ai are chatting about their family members and what each of them does.

used to describe the number of people in

这是我家 (Zhè shì wǒ jiā)

白英爱，你家 有 几口 人？
a 5 b your family and

(This is my home) can be used to point out

Video

your house.

我家有六口人，我爸爸、我妈妈、
Audio

b
口 (kǒu)

一 个哥哥、两 个妹妹和 我 。李友，

This is the idiomatic measure word used
c 6 d e

in northern China for number of family

members. In the south, people say

个 (gè/ge)
你家有几口人？ instead.

c
一 (yī/yí)
我家有五口人: 爸爸、妈妈、大姐、 The numeral

the first tone

一 (yī)
(yī)
(one) is pronounced in

in the following cases: when

二姐和我。你爸爸妈妈做什么工作？
it stands alone; when it implies an ordinal

number, e.g., 一楼 (yī lóu) (first floor);

我爸爸是律师，妈妈是英文老师，
and when it comes at the end of a phrase.

Otherwise, its tone changes according to the

following rules:

哥哥、妹妹都 是大学生。
7

• Before a fourth-tone word, it becomes

second tone: 一个 (yí gè) .

我妈妈也是老师，我爸爸是医生。 • Before a first-, second-, or third-tone word,

it is pronounced in the fourth tone, e.g., 一

张 (yì zhāng) 一盘 (yì pán)
(a sheet),

Pinyin Dialogue
一本 (yì běn)
(one plate), (one volume).

d
和 (hé)
和 (hé)
a 5 b

Bái Yīng’ài, nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén? Unlike “and,” cannot link two clauses or

c 6 d e 我爸爸是老师 (Wǒ bàba

two sentences:

Wǒ jiā yǒu liù kǒu rén, wǒ bàba, wǒ māma, yí ge gēge, liǎng ge mèimei hé wǒ . shì lǎoshī)， 和我妈妈是医生 .

Lǐ Yǒu, nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén? e 、

Wǒ jiā yǒu wǔ kǒu rén: bàba, māma, dàjiě, èrjiě hé wǒ. Nǐ bàba māma zuò shénme gōngzuò? The pause mark or series comma, 、 , is

often used to link two, three, or even more

7

Wǒ bàba shì lǜshī, māma shì Yīngwén lǎoshī, gēge, mèimei dōu shì dàxuéshēng. parallel words or phrases, e.g., 爸爸、妈
妈、两个妹妹和我 (bàba, māma,
Wǒ māma yě shì lǎoshī, wǒ bàba shì yīshēng.
liǎng ge mèimei hé wǒ) (dad, mom, two

younger sisters, and I). [See Language Note

A, Dialogue 1, Lesson 4.]

Vocabulary Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech

做
Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech 10 zuò v to do

1 家 jiā n family, home

11
工作 gōngzuò n/v job; to work

2
几 jǐ nu how many, some, a few
12
律师 lǜshī n lawyer

Flashcards
3
口 kǒu m (measure word for number of family members)
13
英文 Yīngwén n the English language

Audio 4
哥哥 gēge n older brother
14
都 dōu adv both, all [See Grammar 7.]

5
两 liǎng nu two, a couple of [See Grammar 6.]
15
大学生 dàxuéshēng n college student

6
妹妹 mèimei n younger sister

大学 dàxué n university, college

7
和 hé conj and
16
医生 yīshēng n doctor, physician

8
大姐 dàjiě n eldest/oldest sister
17
白英爱 Bái Yīng’ài pn (a personal name)

9
二姐 èrjiě n second oldest sister

GET

Real
WITH
CHINESE

他/她做什么工作？
你呢?
Chinese custom is

to present business

cards with both

hands, ensuring

the writing faces

Tā zuò shénme gōngzuò? Nǐ ne? 他/她是 , 我是 。
the recipient. What

type of professional
What does he/she do? How about you? Tā shì , wǒ shì .
gave out this card?
See index
for corre
sponding
vocabula
ry or rese
arch an other term
.
Grammar 7 The adverb 都 (dōu) (both, all)

都 (dōu)
5 Indicating existence using 有 (yǒu) The word (both, all) indicates inclusiveness. As it always occurs in front of a verb, it is

classified as an adverb. Because it refers to things or people just mentioned, it must be used at

the end of an enumeration.

A 我家有五口人。 A 王朋、李友和高文中都是学生。
Wǒ jiā yǒu wǔ kǒu rén.
Wáng Péng, Lǐ Yǒu hé Gāo Wénzhōng dōu shì xuésheng.
There are five people in my family.
Wang Peng, Li You, and Gao Wenzhong are all students.

B 小高家有两个大学生。 [ 都 (dōu) refers back to Wang Peng, Li You, and Gao Wenzhong, and therefore appears after them.]

王朋和李友都不是律师。
Xiǎo Gāo jiā yǒu liǎng ge dàxuéshēng.
B
There are two college students in Little Gao’s family.

Wáng Péng hé Lǐ Yǒu dōu bú shì lǜshī.

EXERCISES Neither Wang Peng nor Li You is a lawyer.
More

有
exercises

Complete the question or the answer, inserting where appropriate.

1 Q: 你家 ？ C 王朋和白英爱都有妹妹。
A: 我家有五口人。 Wáng Péng hé Bái Yīng’ài dōu yǒu mèimei.

白英爱家有几口人？
Both Wang Peng and Bai Ying’ai have younger sisters.

2 Q:

A: 白英爱家 。 D 高文中和李友都没有弟弟。
Gāo Wénzhōng hé Lǐ Yǒu dōu méiyǒu dìdi.
Neither Gao Wenzhong nor Li You has any younger brothers.

6 Using 二 (èr) and 两 (liǎng) 没 (méi) is always used to negate 有 (yǒu) . However, to say “not all of . . . have,” we say

不都有 (bù dōu yǒu) rather than 没都有 . Whether the negative precedes or follows

二 (èr) and 两 (liǎng) both mean “two,” but they differ in usage. 两 (liǎng) is used in front of
the word都 (dōu) makes the difference between partial negation and complete negation.

common measure words to express a quantity, e.g., 两个人 (liǎng ge rén) (two people).
Compare the following examples. Note: 他们 (tāmen) (they).

When counting numbers, however, 二 (èr) 一 二 三 四 (yī, èr, sān, sì)

is used, e.g., , , ,

二 (èr)
(one, two, three, four). In compound numerals, is always used in the last two digits, E 他们不都是中国人。
e.g., 二十二 (èrshí’èr) (22) and 一百二十五 (yìbǎi èrshí’wǔ) 二百二十二 (125). But

Tāmen bù dōu shì Zhōngguó rén.

(èrbǎi èrshí’èr) 两百二十二 (liǎngbǎi èrshí’èr)
(222) can also be expressed as (222).

Not all of them are Chinese.

 F 他们都不是中国人。 Language Practice

Tāmen dōu bú shì Zhōngguó rén.

None of them are Chinese.
E INTERPERSONAL
One big family? PRESENTATIONAL

G 他们不都有弟弟。 Interview your classmates to find out how many family members they have and report back

to the class. Use 有 (yǒu) , e.g.:

Tāmen bù dōu yǒu dìdi.

Not all of them have younger brothers. Q: 请问，你家有几口人？
Qǐng wèn, nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?
他们都没有弟弟。
我家有四口人。
H

A:
Tāmen dōu méiyǒu dìdi.
Wǒ jiā yǒu sì kǒu rén.
None of them have any younger brothers.

EXERCISES

More
exercises Join these sentences to indicate inclusiveness, inserting 都 where appropriate. Use exercise 1 F All about the cast
as an example.

1 白英爱的妈妈是老师。 Complete the following questions-and-answers by inserting 谁 (shéi) or another appropriate

李友的妈妈是老师。
question pronoun, e.g.:

这是谁？
→ 白英爱的妈妈和李友的妈妈都是老师。
Q:

Zhè shì shéi?

2 白英爱没有弟弟。 A: 这是王朋。
李友没有弟弟。 Zhè shì Wáng Péng.

3 我姐姐有两个女儿。 1 Q: 有儿子？
小李的姐姐有两个女儿。 yǒu érzi?

A: 高文中的大哥有儿子。
Gāo Wénzhōng de dàgē yǒu érzi.

2 Q: 李友家有 口人？
Lǐ Yǒu jiā yǒu kǒu rén?

A: 李友家有五口人。
Lǐ Yǒu jiā yǒu wǔ kǒu rén.
 3 Q: 白英爱有 个妹妹？ H Common denominator

Bái Yīng’ài yǒu ge mèimei?

Based on the information given, rephrase the sentences using 都 (dōu)
, e.g.:

A: 白英爱有两个妹妹。 王朋是学生，李友也是学生。
Bái Yīng’ài yǒu liǎng ge mèimei. Wáng Péng shì xuésheng, Lǐ Yǒu yě shì xuésheng.

4 Q: 李友的爸爸做 工作？ 王朋和李友都是学生。

Wáng Péng hé Lǐ Yǒu dōu shì xuésheng.
Lǐ Yǒu de bàba zuò gōngzuò?

A: 李友的爸爸是医生。 1 白英爱的妈妈是老师，李友的妈妈也是老师。
Lǐ Yǒu de bàba shì yīshēng. Bái Yīng’ài de māma shì lǎoshǐ, Lǐ Yǒu de māma yě shì lǎoshī.

5 Q: 白英爱的妈妈做 工作？
Bái Yīng’ài de māma zuò gōngzuò?
2 李友有姐姐，高文中也有姐姐。
A: 白英爱的妈妈是英文老师。 Lǐ Yǒu yǒu jiějie, Gāo Wénzhōng yě yǒu jiějie.

Bái Yīng’ài de māma shì Yīngwén lǎoshī.

3 王朋不是纽约人，高文中也不是纽约人。
G World traveler INTERPERSONAL

Wáng Péng bú shì Niǔyuē rén, Gāo Wénzhōng yě bú shì Niǔyuē rén.

You’re staying at a hostel in China. Using the images below, ask your international roommates where

they’re from and what they do.

你是 人吗？ 4 王朋没有哥哥，李友也没有哥哥。
Nǐ shì rén ma?
Wáng Péng méiyǒu gēge, Lǐ Yǒu yě méiyǒu gēge.
or

你做什么工作？你是 吗？
Nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò? Nǐ shì ma?

1 2 3 4 5
 Audio

I To have or have not PRESENTATIONAL

Pronunciation

Practice your pronunciation with the audio exercises below.

The following chart shows the similarities and differences among Wang Peng, Li You, Gao
1 Initials: 4 Tones:
Wenzhong, and Bai Ying’ai. Based on the information given, make negative sentences using
1 zhè chè shè rè 1 chénggōng 5 Chángjiāng
都 (dōu) with 不 (bù) 没有 (méiyǒu)
or appropriately. Note: 他们 (tāmen) (they). 2 zhǎo chǎo shǎo rǎo 2 chángcháng 6 Chángchéng
3 zhèn chèn shèn rèn 3 rénkǒu 7 míngxiǎn
律师 弟弟 照片 姐姐 4 zhāng chāng shāng rāng 4 xuéxiào 8 chídào
lǜshī dìdi zhàopiàn jiějie 2 The final “e”: 5 The neutral tone:

1 gē dé zhè hē 1 māma 5 bàba

✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ 2 kē tè chē shé 2 dìdi 6 gēge
3 zé cè sè rè 3 jiějie 7 jǐ ge
4 mèimei 8 zhè ge
✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ 3 Compound finals:

1 dōu duō tóu tuó

2 duī diū shuǐ xuě
✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ 3 shùn xùn jiū zhuī
4 lüè nüè juè què
✗ ✗ ✗ ✗
Chinese Chat

Your friend just posted

a photo of her family

andreacameron_86 20min
J #1 fan PRESENTATIONAL with a short description

on Instagram.

What comment would

you leave?
Who is your favorite celebrity? As a true fan (fěnsī) , introduce him or her to your friends through a

post on social media. Include biographical information such as name, nationality, and family details.

Characterize it!
What do the characters mean?

妈 姐 妹 她 姓
1 2 3 4 5
What is the common radical?

What does the radical mean?

How does the radical relate to the

75 likes
andreacameron_86 这是我家人的照片。我家有
overall meaning of the characters?

三口人：妈妈、姐姐和我。我妈妈是医生，姐姐
More
characters
是律师。我是学生。你家有几口人？有照片吗？
20 MINUTES AGO

Comment
CULTURAL LITERACY

Family structure
In traditional Chinese society, multiple generations

often lived in the same house, thus the term

四代同堂 (sì dài tóng táng) (four generations

COMPARE
& CONTRAST

under the same roof ). It was common for the

Continue 1 How does the family structure
to explore head of the household to live with his sons and
of traditional and modern
daughters-in-law, grandchildren, and even his great-
China compare and contrast
grandchildren. Nowadays, while some couples still
with that of your society or
live with the husband’s parents, nuclear families
culture?
living independently are more and more common.

Due to family planning policies in China since the

2 Below is a Chinese
late 1970s, many Chinese people do not have
government poster. Look
any brothers or sisters. In 2015, the government
一样 (yíyàng)
Kinship terms
up in the
abandoned the one-child policy and allowed every
Vocabulary Index. What does
couple to have two children. The new policy came
the headline 男孩女孩
into effect on January 1, 2016.
一样好 (Nánhái nǚhái yíyàng
When expressing kinship terms, the Chinese hǎo) mean? What orientation
customarily put male before female: 爸爸妈 is the government trying

妈 (bàba māma) (dad and mom), 哥哥姐姐 (gēge to change? Does the same

弟弟妹妹
jiějie) (older brothers and sisters), and orientation exist in your

(dìdi mèimei) (younger brothers and sisters). When culture?

pairing up kinship terms for the same gender, the

one with seniority is mentioned first: 哥哥弟弟

(gēge dìdi) (older and younger brothers), 姐姐妹
妹 (jiějie mèimei) (older and younger sisters).

Siblings are 兄弟姐妹 (xiōng dì jiě mèi) .

To ask whether someone has any siblings, say

你有兄弟姐妹吗? (Nǐ yǒu xiōng dì jiě mèi ma?)

(Do you have any brothers or sisters?). Oldest

siblings are called 大哥 (dàgē) (oldest brother)

and 大姐 (dàjiě) (oldest sister); the youngest

are 小弟 (xiǎodì) (youngest brother) and 小妹

(xiǎomèi) (youngest sister). The rest are ranked by
numerals according to their birth order, e.g., 二姐
(èrjiě) (second oldest sister), 三弟 (sāndì) (third
youngest brother). Younger siblings generally

do not refer to their older brothers and sisters

by name but use the appropriate kinship

terms instead. Because of the one-child policy,

however, many Chinese people have only

cousins but no siblings.

Lesson Wrap-Up

Lesson 3
Make It Flow!

Rearrange the following sentences into a logical sequence. Then combine them into

a coherent narrative. Remember to omit repetitive elements and substitute subjects with

personal pronouns where appropriate. Don’t forget to incorporate the adverb 都 (dōu) .
第三课
Dì sān kè
白英爱的妹妹是大学生。
白英爱的哥哥是大学生。
1 白英爱的爸爸是律师。
白英爱的妈妈是英文老师。
Role-Play

In groups, create your own “family,” assigning roles to each person. Then, as a group,

introduce yourselves to the class by stating your new names and family roles.

Family Photo

After you have introduced your new “family” to the class, take a family photo. Then,

label the picture with everyone’s Chinese name and family role and post it on social media.

Before proceeding to Lesson 3, make sure you can complete the

following tasks in Chinese:

时间 Shíjiān
² Say and write basic kinship terms

² Identify different family members in a photo

² Ask someone about family size

² Ask someone if he or she has any siblings TIME AND DATE

² Mention my family’s professions and my own

² Ask someone what he or she does professionally

² Say and write some common professions

Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready

In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:

± Discuss times and dates ± Do people write the month before

± Talk about ages and birthdays the day or vice versa?

± Arrange a dinner date ± Is it appropriate to ask someone’s

with someone age and birthday?

± What do people typically do

to celebrate their birthday?

Lesson Wrap-Up

Lesson 3
Make It Flow!

Rearrange the following sentences into a logical sequence. Then combine them into

a coherent narrative. Remember to omit repetitive elements and substitute subjects with

personal pronouns where appropriate. Don’t forget to incorporate the adverb 都 (dōu) .
第三课
Dì sān kè
白英爱的妹妹是大学生。
白英爱的哥哥是大学生。
1 白英爱的爸爸是律师。
白英爱的妈妈是英文老师。
Role-Play

In groups, create your own “family,” assigning roles to each person. Then, as a group,

introduce yourselves to the class by stating your new names and family roles.

Family Photo

After you have introduced your new “family” to the class, take a family photo. Then,

label the picture with everyone’s Chinese name and family role and post it on social media.

Before proceeding to Lesson 3, make sure you can complete the

following tasks in Chinese:

时间 Shíjiān
² Say and write basic kinship terms

² Identify different family members in a photo

² Ask someone about family size

² Ask someone if he or she has any siblings TIME AND DATE

² Mention my family’s professions and my own

² Ask someone what he or she does professionally

² Say and write some common professions

Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready

In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:

± Discuss times and dates ± Do people write the month before

± Talk about ages and birthdays the day or vice versa?

± Arrange a dinner date ± Is it appropriate to ask someone’s

with someone age and birthday?

± What do people typically do

to celebrate their birthday?

 Pinyin Dialogue Language Notes

Out for a Birthday Dinner 1 a 2 2

Bái Yīng’ài, jiǔyuè shí’èr hào shì xīngqījǐ ? a 时间 (Shíjiān)

Shì xīngqīsì. Chinese time expressions proceed from the

b 3
二〇
largest to the smallest unit, e.g.,

Dialogue 1 Nà tiān shì wǒ de shēngrì.

Gao Wenzhong is talking to Bai Ying’ai about a special day coming up. c
一九年八月十二日晚上七点
Shì ma? Nǐ jīnnián duō dà ? (èr líng yī jiǔ nián bāyuè shí’èr rì wǎnshang

白英爱，九月十二 号 是星期几 ？
1 a 2 2 d

Shíbā suì . qī diǎn) (2019, August 12, 7:00 p.m.).

Video

天 (tiān) 年 (nián)
4

Wǒ xīngqīsì qǐng nǐ chī fàn , zěnmeyàng? b

and

是星期四。
Audio

e f
These nouns do not require a measure word
Tài hǎo le ! Xièxie, xièxie .
5 because they function as measure words on

那天 是我的 生日。
b 3
Nǐ xǐhuan chī Zhōngguó cài háishi
their own.

你今年多大？
Měiguó cài?

是吗？你今年多大 ？
c c

Wǒ shì Yīngguó rén, kěshì wǒ xǐhuan chī (Nǐ jīnnián duō dà?)

十八岁 。
d
Zhōngguó cài. Say this to find out someone’s age. If you’re

asking a child, use 你今年几岁？

Hǎo, wǒmen chī Zhōngguó cài.
(Nǐ jīnnián jǐ suì?)
我星期四请你吃饭 ，怎么样？
4 . To ask an older person,

Xīngqīsì jǐ diăn? use the polite forms 您多大年纪了？

Qī diǎn bàn zěnmeyàng? (Nín duō dà niánjì le?) 您多大岁
or

太好了 ! 谢谢，谢谢 。
e f

数了？ (Nín duō dà suìshù le?) .

Hǎo, xīngqīsì wǎnshang jiàn.

十八岁 (shíbā suì)
你喜欢吃中国菜还是 美国菜？
5 d
Zàijiàn!
State your age by saying 我十八岁

我是英国人，可是我喜欢吃中国菜。
(wǒ shíbā suì) (I’m eighteen years old). The verb

是 (shì) is usually not needed, and the word

岁 (suì)
好，我们吃中国菜。
(years of age) can often be dropped.

However, if the age is ten or under, the word

岁 (suì) 我十
星期四几点？
cannot be omitted: or

我八 . Note that it is incorrect to say,

我十八年.
七点半怎么样？ e
太…了 (tài . . . le)
太…了 (tài . . . le)
好，星期四晚上见。
When is used in an

exclamation (as in the case here), the

太 (tài)
再见！
stress usually falls on , and it can

typically be translated as “so” or “really.”

f 谢谢 (xièxie)
To express gratitude, say 谢谢 (xièxie) ,

or 谢谢，谢谢 (xièxie, xièxie) , which is

more polite and exuberant.

Vocabulary
Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech

喜欢
Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech 19 xǐhuan v to like

九月
菜
1 jiǔyuè n September

20 cài n dish, cuisine

2
月 yuè n month

21
还是 háishi conj or [See Grammar 6.]

Flashcards
3
十二 shí’èr nu twelve

22
可是 kěshì conj but

Audio
4
号 hào m
(measure word for position in a numerical series, day of the

month)
23
我们 wǒmen pr we, us

5
星期 xīngqī n week

24
点 diǎn m o’clock (lit. dot, point, thus “points on the clock”)

6
星期四 xīngqīsì n Thursday

25
半 bàn nu half, half an hour

7
天 tiān n day

26
晚上 wǎnshang t evening, night

8
生日 shēngrì n birthday

27
见 jiàn v to see

生 shēng v to give birth to, to be born

28
再见 zàijiàn v goodbye, see you again

日 rì n day, sun

再 zài adv again

9
今年 jīnnián t this year

29
英国 Yīngguó pn Britain

年 nián n year

10
多 duō adv how many/much, to what extent

11
大 dà adj big, old

12
十八 shíbā nu eighteen

13
岁 suì n year (of age)
你喜欢吃什么菜？
14
吃 chī v to eat

Nǐ xǐhuan chī shénme cài?

15
饭 fàn n meal, (cooked) rice
What do you like to eat?
我喜欢吃 。
Wǒ xǐhuan chī .
16
怎么样 zěnmeyàng qpr Is it OK? How is that? How does that sound?

See index
for vocab

太…了
ula
ry corresp
or researc onding to
h another national
cuisine
term.
17 tài . . . le too, extremely

18
谢谢 xièxie v to thank
Grammar
ENGLISH CHINESE

a
Standard Informal Formal

1 Numbers up to 100
Monday
星期一 (xīngqīyī) 礼拜一 (lǐbàiyī) 周一 (zhōuyī)
Tuesday
星期二 (xīngqī’èr) 礼拜二 (lǐbài’èr) 周二 (zhōu’èr)
星期三 (xīngqīsān) 礼拜三 (lǐbàisān) 周三 (zhōusān)
The characters below serve as the basis for the Chinese numeration system.

Wednesday

〇 (líng) 一 (yī) 二 (èr) 三 (sān) 四 (sì) 五 (wǔ)

zero one two three four five
Thursday
星期四 (xīngqīsì) 礼拜四 (lǐbàisì) 周四 (zhōusì)
六 (liù) 七 (qī) 八 (bā) 九 (jiǔ) 十 (shí) Friday
星期五 (xīngqīwǔ) 礼拜五 (lǐbàiwǔ) 周五 (zhōuwǔ)
six seven eight nine ten

All other double-digit numbers can be formed using numbers from 一 (yī) 十 (shí)
to , following
Saturday
星期六 (xīngqīliù) 礼拜六 (lǐbàiliù) 周六 (zhōuliù)
星期日 (xīngqīrì) 礼拜日 (lǐbàirì)
周日 (zhōurì)
the patterns below.
or or

星期天 (xīngqītiān) 礼拜天 (lǐbàitiān)

Sunday
b

Pattern Application Example

More
exercises
十 (shí) + Single Digit
11, 12–18, 19
十五 (shíwǔ) (15)
Weekend
周末 (zhōumò)
c

十 (shí) 四十(sìshí) 礼拜 (lǐbài) 星期 (xīngqī)

a
The expression is generally used in spoken Chinese and is more colloquial than .
20, 30–80, 90

星期日 (xīngqīrì) 星期天 (xīngqītiān)

Single Digit + (40)
b
is used more in written Chinese, whereas is used more in spoken Chinese.

Single Digit + 十 (shí) + Single Digit

21, 22–98, 99
八十三 (bāshísān) (83)
c
周末 (zhōumò) is used in standard, informal, and formal Chinese. [See Lesson 4.]

When counting by hundreds, the pattern is single digit + 百 (bǎi) (hundred), e.g.: 一百 (yìbǎi) Months

(one hundred), 二百/两百 (èrbǎi/liǎngbǎi) (two hundred).

English Chinese Pinyin

EXERCISES
January
一月 yīyuè

Say the following numbers in Chinese.

February
二月 èryuè
9 18 27 36 90 100
March
三月 sānyuè

April
四月 sìyuè

2 Dates May
五月 wǔyuè

June
六月 liùyuè

七月
Days of the week

星期几 (xīngqījǐ) is the standard way to ask the day of the week. To answer the question, simply
July qīyuè

几 (jǐ)
replace the word (how many) with the number indicating the day of the week. The following August
八月 bāyuè
周 (zhōu) 星期 (xīngqī)
九月
table shows varying degrees of formality. Note that (week) is formal, (week)
jiǔyuè
礼拜 (lǐbài)
September
is standard, and (week) is informal.

October
十月 shíyuè

November
十一月 shíyīyuè

December
十二月 shí’èryuè
Dates 3 Time
In spoken Chinese, 号 (hào) (number) is used to refer to dates. However, in written Chinese, 日 (rì) (day)

点 (diǎn) 点钟 (diǎnzhōng) 半 (bàn)

is used instead.
The terms used to tell the time are: / (o’clock), (half hour),

刻 (kè) 分 (fēn)
二月五号 二月五日
(quarter hour), and (minute).

A (spoken) (written)

Hour
èryuè wǔ hào èryuè wǔ rì
February 5 February 5
A 两点（钟） 十一点（钟）
Year liǎng diǎn (zhōng) shíyī diǎn (zhōng)
The word 年 (nián) (year) always follows the number referring to a specific year. Years are read one
2:00 11:00

digit at a time.

钟 (zhōng) can be omitted from 点钟 (diǎnzhōng) . 二点（钟） is not used.

B 一七八六年 二〇三九年 Minute

yī qī bā liù nián èr líng sān jiǔ nián

1786 2039
B 十二点四十（分） 五点二十（分）
shí’èr diǎn sìshí (fēn) wǔ diǎn èrshí (fēn)
Word order for dates
12:40 5:20

To specify a date in Chinese, observe the following order.

X 年 (X nián) X 月 (X yuè) X 号/日 (X hào/rì) 星期 X (xīngqī X) 两点〇五（分） 八点十分

Year Month Day Day of the Week
liǎng diǎn líng wǔ (fēn) bā diǎn shí fēn
2:05 8:10

C 二〇一九年七月二十六号/日星期五 〇 (líng)
When telling the time, (zero) is usually added before a single-digit number and 分 (fēn)
èr líng yī jiǔ nián qīyuè èrshíliù hào/rì, xīngqīwǔ (minute), e.g., 两点〇五分 (liǎng diǎn líng wǔ fēn) (2:05). 分 (fēn) can be omitted from the end of

the expression if the number for the minutes appears in two syllables. Another way of looking at this
Friday, July 26, 2019

is that 分 (fēn) has to be added if the number for the minutes appears in one syllable.

一点四十 一点十分 [ 一点十]

EXERCISES

C
Say the following dates in Chinese.

1 Saturday, October 1, 1949

yī diǎn sìshí yī diǎn shí fēn
2 Friday, September 9, 1988
1:40 1:10

3 Tuesday, May 12, 2020

两点〇五 两点五分 [ 两点五]

liǎng diǎn líng wǔ liǎng diǎn wǔ fēn
2:05 2:05
 Quarter hour 4 Pronouns as modifiers and the particle 的 (de) (II)
D 两点一刻 十一点三刻 [ 两刻 ]
(two quarters) is not used
When personal pronouns such as 我 (wǒ) (I), 我们 (wǒmen) (we), 你 (nǐ)
他 (tā) 她
(you), (he), and

liǎng diǎn yí kè shíyī diǎn sān kè (tā) 的 (de)

(she) are followed by a term indicating a close personal relationship, the particle can be

2:15 11:45
我妈妈 (wǒ māma)
omitted, e.g., (my mother), 你弟弟 (nǐ dìdi) 我们家
(your younger brother),

(wǒmen jiā) 的 (de)

(our family). Otherwise 他的医生 (tā de yīshēng)
is generally required, e.g., (his

Half hour doctor),我的照片 (wǒ de zhàopiàn) (my photo).

E 两点半 十二点半
liǎng diǎn bàn shí’èr diǎn bàn
5 The sentence structure of 我请你吃饭 (wǒ qǐng nǐ chī fàn)
2:30 12:30

In the sentence 我请你吃饭 (wǒ qǐng nǐ chī fàn) (I will treat you to dinner), 你 (nǐ)(you) is the

Evening object of the verb 请 (qǐng) (to treat) as well as the subject of the second verb, 吃 (chī) (to eat).

F 晚上七点（钟） 晚上八点〇五（分） A 明天李先生请你吃中国菜。

wǎnshang qī diǎn (zhōng) wǎnshang bā diǎn líng wǔ (fēn) Míngtiān Lǐ xiānsheng qǐng nǐ chī Zhōngguó cài.
7:00 p.m. 8:05 p.m. Mr. Li is inviting you to have Chinese food tomorrow.

晚上九点一刻 晚上十点半 B 今天晚上我请你和你妹妹吃美国菜，

wǎnshang jiǔ diǎn yí kè wǎnshang shí diǎn bàn 怎么样？
9:15 p.m. 10:30 p.m.
Jīntiān wǎnshang wǒ qǐng nǐ hé nǐ mèimei chī Měiguó cài,
Observe the temporal progression from general to specific and from largest to smallest unit. zěnmeyàng?
I’ll treat you and your younger sister to American food tonight.

EXERCISES
How about it?
More
exercises
Say the following times in Chinese.

1 3:45
EXERCISES More
exercises
2 4:00
Rearrange the words to form a question, and then answer it.

谁 七点半 白英爱 吃饭 请 星期四

9:09 p.m.

2 怎么样 吃饭 星期五 请 你 我
 6
Language Practice
Alternative questions

The structure (是)…还是… ([shì] . . . háishi . . . ) ( . . . or . . . ) is used to form an alternative

A March madness INTERPERSONAL

question. If there is another verb used in the predicate, the first 是 (shì) (to be) can often be omitted.

A 你哥哥是老师还是学生？ 三月
Nǐ gēge shì lǎoshī háishi xuésheng? 日 一 二 三 四 五 六
Is your older brother a teacher or a student? 1
十二
2
十三
3
十四
B Q: 他（是）喜欢吃中国菜还是喜欢吃美国菜？ 4十五 十六
5 6
惊蛰
7
十八
8
十九
9
二十
10
廿一
Tā (shì) xǐhuan chī Zhōngguó cài háishi xǐhuan chī Měiguó cài?
11 12
廿二 廿三
13
廿四
14
廿五
15
廿六
16
廿七
17
廿八
Does he like to eat Chinese or American food?

18 19
廿九 二月
20
初二
21
春分
22
初四
23
初五
24
初六
A: 中国菜、美国菜他都喜欢（吃）。
Zhōngguó cài, Měiguó cài tā dōu xǐhuan (chī).
25 26
初七 初八
27
初九
28
初十
29
十一
30
十二
31
十三
He likes both Chinese food and American food.

C 你是中国人还是美国人？ In pairs, form a question-and-answer about dates based on the calendar above, e.g.:

Nǐ shì Zhōngguó rén háishi Měiguó rén? 三月二十一号

Are you Chinese or American?
sānyuè èrshíyī hào

D Q: 他（是）姓高还是姓王？ Q: 三月二十一号（是）星期几？
Sānyuè èrshíyī hào (shì) xīngqījǐ?
Tā (shì) xìng Gāo háishi xìng Wáng?
Is his family name Gao or Wang?
A: 三月二十一号（是）星期三。
Sānyuè èrshíyī hào (shì) xīngqīsān.

他不姓高，也不姓王。他姓李。
三月十八号
A:

1 sānyuè shíbā hào

Tā bú xìng Gāo, yě bú xìng Wáng. Tā xìng Lǐ.
His family name is not Gao or Wang. His family name is Li.
2 三月二十号 sānyuè èrshí hào

More
exercises
EXERCISES 3 三月二十三号 sānyuè èrshísān hào

三月二十四号
In pairs, ask and answer these alternative questions.

你是中国人还是美国人？
4 sānyuè èrshísì hào
1

2 李友有姐姐还是有妹妹？
B See you then INTERPERSONAL D Which is it? INTERPERSONAL

Based on the visual clues given, ask your partner what time you will meet, e.g.: In pairs, form a question-and-answer by inserting 还是 (háishi) in the ◇ , e.g.:

7:30 Q : 我们几点见？ A: 我们七点半见。 高大哥有儿子◇女儿

Wǒmen jǐ diǎn jiàn? Wǒmen qī diǎn bàn jiàn. Gāo dàgē yǒu érzi ◇ nǚér

高大哥有儿子还是有女儿？
10
1
12

1
TO DO
9

1 2 8

7
3
2

3
星期四0
4 Q: Gāo dàgē yǒu érzi háishi yǒu nǚ’ér?
6:3
4
6
5

A: 高大哥有儿子。 Gāo dàgē yǒu érzi.

1 王朋是学生◇老师 Wáng Péng shì xuésheng ◇ lǎoshī

C When’s your birthday? INTERPERSONAL

2 高文中今年十八岁◇十九岁 Gāo Wénzhōng jīnnián shíbā suì ◇ shíjiǔ suì

白英爱的爸爸是医生◇律师
Find out when people’s birthdays are, e.g.:

3 Bái Yīng’ài de bàba shì yīshēng ◇ lǜshī

高文中的生日（是）几月几号？
李友是美国人◇英国人
Q:

Gāo Wénzhōng de shēngrì (shì) jǐ yuè jǐ hào? 4 Lǐ Yǒu shì Měiguó rén ◇ Yīngguó rén

A: 高文中的生日（是）九月十二号。 5 你喜欢星期五◇星期六 Nǐ xǐhuan xīngqīwǔ ◇ xīngqīliù

Gāo Wénzhōng de shēngrì (shì) jiǔyuè shí’èr hào.
你喜欢吃美国菜◇中国菜 Nǐ xǐhuan chī Měiguó cài ◇ Zhōngguó cài
你
6
1

nǐ
E Form a birthday dragon INTERPERSONAL

2 你爸爸
nǐ bàba Mobilize the class to ask each other’s birthday and form a line. Students whose birthdays are earlier

in the year will line up before people whose birthdays are later. After the line is formed, the teacher

你的生日（是）几月几号？ (Nǐ de shēngrì [shì] jǐ yuè jǐ hào?)

3 你妈妈 will ask the first student:

answering the question, the first student will ask the second student the same question, the second
. After

nǐ māma student will answer and ask the third, and so on. Then sing the “Happy Birthday” song in Chinese to

the student with the most recent birthday:

4 你哥哥/姐姐/弟弟/妹妹 祝你生日快乐 zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè

nǐ gēge/jiějie/dìdi/mèimei
祝你生日快乐 zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè

你们（的）老师 祝你生日快乐 zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè

祝你生日快乐
5

zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè

nǐmen (de) lǎoshī
F INTERPERSONAL
D.O.B. PRESENTATIONAL

On festive

occasions,

Chinese give

Share your and your family’s birthdays with a partner or the class. Your teacher will then ask out red envelopes

questions about the information reported.

(红包) (hóngbāo)
containing

我的生日（是） 月 号，
money for good

fortune. What
Chris
celebration is this

我爸爸的生日（是） 月 号， envelope for?

……
Wǒ de shēngrì (shì) yuè hào,

wǒ bàba de shēngrì (shì) yuè hào, GET

Real
. . . WITH
CHINESE

Teacher Chris 的生日（是）几月几号？

Chris 爸爸的生日（是）几月几号？ Characterize it!
Chris de shēngrì (shì) jǐ yuè jǐ hào? Chris bàba de shēngrì (shì) jǐ yuè jǐ hào?

九 星 多 日 岁
1 2 3 4 5
Top - Bottom

G Let’s eat! INTERPERSONAL

Which of these characters are formed with the pattern on the right?

In pairs, ask and answer the following questions about food preferences.

Q: 你喜欢吃什么菜？
英国菜还是美国菜？ 9:41 PM 85%

Lola
Chinese Chat
Nǐ xǐhuan chī shénme cài?
Yīngguó cài háishi Měiguó cài? You’re discussing your

upcoming birthday on
〈 WeChat
A: 我喜欢吃 菜。 WeChat with a friend.
8:23 PM

明天是我的生日！
How would you reply

Wǒ xǐhuan chī cài. to her question?

你喜欢吃 菜吗？
你今年多大？
Q:

Nǐ xǐhuan chī cài ma?

A: 我也喜欢吃/我不喜欢吃 菜。 ...
Wǒ yě xǐhuan chī/Wǒ bù xǐhuan chī cài.
 Pinyin Dialogue

Dinner Invitation
Bái Yīng’ài, xiànzài jǐ diǎn?

Wǔ diǎn sān kè.

Dialogue 2
Bai Ying’ai asks Wang Peng about his plans for tomorrow.
Wǒ liù diǎn yí kè yǒu shìr.
a 6

白英爱，现在几点？
Nǐ jīntiān hěn máng , míngtiān máng bu máng ?
Video

Wǒ jīntiān hěn máng, kěshì míngtiān bù máng.

五点三刻。
Audio

Yǒu shìr ma?

我六点一刻有事儿。
Míngtian wǒ qǐng nǐ chī wǎnfàn, zěnmeyàng?

Nǐ wèishénme qǐng wǒ chī fàn?

你今天很忙 ，明天忙不忙 ？
a 6

Yīnwèi míngtiān shì Gāo Wénzhōng de shēngrì.

7

我今天很忙，可是明天不忙。
Shì ma? Hǎo, hái qǐng shéi?

Hái qǐng wǒ de tóngxué Lǐ Yǒu.

有事儿吗？ Nà tài hǎo le! Wǒ rènshi Lǐ Yǒu, tā yě shì

明天我请你吃晚饭，怎么样？
wǒ de péngyou. Míngtiān jǐ diǎn?

Míngtiān wǎnshang qī diǎn bàn.

你为什么请我吃饭？ Hǎo, míngtiān qī diǎn bàn jiàn.

因为明天是高文中的生日。 Language Note

是吗？好。还 请谁？
7

a
很 (hěn)
还请我的同学李友。 When an adjective functions as a

predicate, it is usually preceded by

那太好了，我认识李友， adverbial modifiers such as 很 (hěn)

(very). [See Grammar 2, Lesson 5.]

她也是我的朋友。明天几点？
明天晚上七点半。
好，明天七点半见。
Vocabulary Grammar

Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech
7 Affirmative + negative (A-not-A) questions (I)
1 现在 xiànzài t now

吗 (ma)
2
刻 kè m quarter (of an hour)
Besides adding the question particle to a declarative sentence, another common way of

forming a question is to repeat the verb or adjective in its affirmative and negative form.

3
事（儿） shì(r)
你今天忙不忙？ 我今天很忙。
n matter, affair, event

Flashcards
A Q: A:

Audio 4
今天 jīntiān t today

Nǐ jīntiān máng bu máng? Wǒ jīntiān hěn máng.

5
很 hěn adv very Are you busy today? I am very busy today.

6
忙 máng adj busy B Q: 你妈妈喜欢不喜欢吃中国菜？
7
明天 míngtiān t tomorrow
Nǐ māma xǐhuan bu xǐhuan chī Zhōngguó cài?
Does your mother like to eat Chinese food or not?

8
晚饭 wǎnfàn n dinner, supper

我妈妈不喜欢吃中国菜。
为什么
A:

9 wèishénme qpr why

Wǒ māma bù xǐhuan chī Zhōngguó cài.

为 wèi prep for My mother doesn’t like to eat Chinese food.

10
因为 yīnwèi conj because C Q: 请问，王律师今天有没有事儿？
11
还 hái adv also, too, as well [See Grammar 8.]
Qǐng wèn, Wáng lǜshī jīntiān yǒu méi yǒu shìr?

同学
Excuse me, is Lawyer Wang free today or not? More
exercises

12 tóngxué n classmate

王律师今天没有事儿。
认识
A:
13 rènshi v to be acquainted with, to recognize

Wáng lǜshī jīntiān méi yǒu shìr.

14
朋友 péngyou n friend Lawyer Wang is free today.

EXERCISES

Change the …吗 questions below into A-not-A questions. Use exercise 1 as an example.

1 王朋是北京人吗？→ 王朋是不是北京人？
2 高文中的哥哥有儿子吗？
你的生日是 几月几号？ 3 白英爱的爸爸是律师吗？
Nǐ de shēngrì shì jǐ yuè jǐ hào?
When is your birthday? 我的生日是 月 号。
Wǒ de shēngrì shì yuè hào.

See Gram
mar 1 and
2 for voc
abulary c
orrespon
ding to da
tes.
 Language Practice
8 The adverb 还 (hái) (also, too, as well)

As an adverb, 还 (hái) (also, too, as well) indicates that the action or situation denoted by the verb
H Just double-checking INTERPERSONAL

involves someone or something else.

A 白英爱请高文中和王朋，还请李友。 In pairs, take turns rearranging the declarative sentence into an A-not-A question for your partner

to answer, e.g.:

Bái Yīng’ài qǐng Gāo Wénzhōng hé Wáng Péng, hái qǐng Lǐ Yǒu.
Bai Ying’ai is inviting Gao Wenzhong and Wang Peng, and Li You, too. 王朋是◇北京人 Wáng Péng shì ◇ Běijīng rén

B 王朋喜欢吃中国菜，还喜欢吃美国菜。 王朋是不是北京人？
Q: Wáng Péng shì bu shì Běijīng rén?

Wáng Péng xǐhuan chī Zhōngguó cài, hái xǐhuan chī Měiguó cài.
王朋是北京人。
A: Wáng Péng shì Běijīng rén.

今天是◇星期五
Wang Peng likes to eat Chinese food, and American food, too.

1 jīntiān shì ◇ xīngqīwǔ

EXERCISES

Add more information to the sentences by inserting 还 where appropriate. Use exercise 1

高大哥有◇女儿
as an example.

Gāo dàgē yǒu ◇ nǚ’ér

高文中有姐姐。 哥哥
2

→ 高文中有姐姐，还有哥哥。
2 白英爱明天请高文中吃饭。 王朋 3 你喜欢 ◇ 高文中 nǐ xǐhuan ◇ Gāo Wénzhōng

3 王朋认识白英爱。 李友
4 王朋认识 ◇ 白英爱 Wáng Péng rènshi ◇ Bái Yīng’ài

〈 Messages Ying Wang Contact Chinese Chat

明天晚上忙吗？我请你吃饭。
You and a friend are

using iMessage to set

up a dinner date. How

5 我们的老师忙 ◇ wǒmen de lǎoshī máng ◇
... would you respond to

明天星期六，也是我二十岁的生日。 finalize your plans?

... 6 美国大 ◇ Měiguó dà ◇

你，还有我的同学小王。
...

晚上六点半，怎么样？
...

iMessage Send
I This and that INTERPERSONAL K Making dinner plans INTERPERSONAL

In pairs, ask and answer the following questions. Use 还 (hái) , e.g.: Ask your friend out to dinner.

Q: 白英爱喜欢吃什么菜？ 我星期 请你吃晚饭，怎么样？

Bái Yīng’ài xǐhuan chī shénme cài? Wǒ xīngqī qǐng nǐ chī wǎnfàn, zěnmeyàng?

A: 白英爱喜欢吃美国菜，还喜欢吃中国菜。 Your friend is busy that day, and suggests an alternative time:

星期 ，我很忙。
Bái Yīng’ài xǐhuan chī Měiguó cài, hái xǐhuan chī Zhōngguó cài.

1 Q: 白英爱请谁吃饭？ Xīngqī , wǒ hěn máng.

Bái Yīng’ài qǐng shéi chī fàn? 星期 ，怎么样？

Xīngqī , zěnmeyàng?
A:

Your response:

2 Q: 李友认识谁？
Lǐ Yǒu rènshi shéi?
Your friend wants to find out who else will be there, and asks:

A:
你还请谁？
Nǐ hái qǐng shéi?

Your answer:

我还请 。
J INTERPERSONAL
When are you free? PRESENTATIONAL

Find out when your partner is free this week, e.g.:

Wǒ hái qǐng .

Q: 你星期一忙不忙？ Nǐ xīngqīyī máng bu máng?

我星期一很忙/不忙。 Wǒ xīngqīyī hěn máng/bù máng.

Chinese Chat
Li You @liyou_88 • Aug 10 Follow
今天是我的生日，朋友请我吃饭！
A:

Li You just posted this

How about Tuesday? on Twitter during an

星期二呢？你忙不忙？
evening out with

friends. How do you

Q: Xīngqī’èr ne? Nǐ máng bu máng?

……
think she is feeling?

A: . . .

Go through the days of the week. Then report to the class when your partner is free.

星期一、
Emma 、 ……很忙，
星期二、 、 ……不忙。
Emma xīngqīyī, , . . . hěn máng, xīngqī’èr, , . . . bù máng.
25 28
Pronunciation Characterize it!
What do the characters mean?

星 晚 明
1 2 3
More
Practice your pronunciation with the audio exercises below. What is the common radical? characters

What does the radical mean?

1 The initial r: 4 The neutral tone:

How does the radical relate to the

1 shēngrì 5 réngrán 1 zhè ge 5 wǎnshang
overall meaning of the characters?

2 rìjì 6 ránhòu 2 nà ge 6 xièxie

3 rèqíng 7 ruìlì 3 wǒmen 7 xǐhuan
4 rénmín 8 ràngbù 4 nǐmen 8 rènshi
Audio

2 Finals: 5 Tone sandhi:

[See D.2, Basics]

1 ie jiè xiě qié tiě
2 ue jué xué quē qiē 1 zhǎnlǎn 5 shǒufǎ
You receive a group message from Bai Ying’ai

3 uo duō tuō zuò cuò 2 lǚguǎn 6 yǔnxǔ about dinner plans on WeChat （微信）(Wēixìn),
one of the most popular messaging apps in China.
4 ou dōu tóu zǒu còu 3 yǔsǎn 7 xuǎnjǔ
What would you need to ask in order to add the

5 u zhū chū zū cū 4 qǔshě 8 guǎngchǎng event to your calendar?

3 Two-syllable words:
9:41 PM 85%
1 dāndāng 5 jiǎozhà
2 shōuhuò 6 chūnqiū 〈 WeChat Group Chats (6)
3 qūchú 7 juébié
8:23 PM

白英爱
4 yúnwù 8 kuìjiù

星期四是高文中的生日！他是英国人，
可是他喜欢吃中国菜。我们请他吃饭，
GET 怎么样?
Real
WITH
CHINESE

In addition to widely
9:41 PM 85%
circulated papers

like China’s official

Cancel New Event Add
People’s Daily,

vibrant local media

高文中生日
serve Chinese

communities

worldwide. When

was this issue of

The China Press Dumpling Cafe

Weekly published?

All-day

Starts Date / Time

Ends Time
CULTURAL LITERACY

The traditional Chinese manner of counting age,

which is still in use among many (mainly older) people

COMPARE
& CONTRAST

on non-official occasions, is based on the number 1 Research holidays and festivals

of calendar years one has lived in, rather than the observed in Chinese-speaking

Continue length of time in actual years that one has lived. For countries. Are similar holidays and
to explore
example, a child born in January 2016 is said to have festivals observed in your own

turned two in January 2017, since the child has by country or culture?

then lived during two calendar years, 2016 and 2017.

But for official purposes, for instance in the census,

2 Certain numbers in Chinese are
the child would still be considered one year old. The

former is called the child’s nominal age, 虚岁 (xūsuì) ,

considered auspicious because

and the latter his/her actual age, 实岁 (shísuì) .

they sound similar to words with

lucky meanings. Look up the

久 (jiǔ)
Age
word in a dictionary. What

number is it a homophone of,

and why do you think this number

is popular at weddings? Can you

think of another culture in which

numbers carry auspicious meaning?

lend ar s Bir th d a y
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a
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tio n o na o d y c ake
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th e tra in t erna e b irthd
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eve
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Lesson Wrap-Up

Lesson 4
Make It Flow!

Rearrange the following sentences into a logical sequence. Then combine them

into a coherent narrative. Try to replace a proper noun with a personal

pronoun and 星期四 (xīngqīsì) with 那天 (nà tiān) wherever appropriate.

第四课
Dì sì kè
星期四是高文中的生日。
1 高文中今年十八岁。
白英爱星期四请高文中吃饭。
白英爱和高文中吃中国菜。
Birthday Party

Share your date of birth with your classmates. If anyone is celebrating his or her

birthday this or next month, organize a party to celebrate! Find out when everyone is free

and what type of food they like. When everyone has agreed on the time, confirm it:

好 (hǎo)， 见 (jiàn)！
Birthday Card

Write your friend’s Chinese or English name and age, combined with 祝你生日快乐！

爱好
(Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuài lè!) (Happy Birthday), on a birthday card. Don’t forget to date and sign

it before delivery.

Aìhào
Before proceeding to Lesson 4, make sure you can complete the

following tasks in Chinese:

² Say and write times and dates HOBBIES

² Ask someone’s age and birthday

² Give my age and birthday

² Name my favorite cuisine

² Ask about someone’s availability and set up a Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready
dinner appointment

In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:

± Name common hobbies ± What are people’s favorite pastimes?

± Ask about someone’s hobbies ± What do people usually do on

± Make plans for the weekend weekends?

with friends
Lesson Wrap-Up

Lesson 4
Make It Flow!

Rearrange the following sentences into a logical sequence. Then combine them

into a coherent narrative. Try to replace a proper noun with a personal

pronoun and 星期四 (xīngqīsì) with 那天 (nà tiān) wherever appropriate.

第四课
Dì sì kè
星期四是高文中的生日。
1 高文中今年十八岁。
白英爱星期四请高文中吃饭。
白英爱和高文中吃中国菜。
Birthday Party

Share your date of birth with your classmates. If anyone is celebrating his or her

birthday this or next month, organize a party to celebrate! Find out when everyone is free

and what type of food they like. When everyone has agreed on the time, confirm it:

好 (hǎo)， 见 (jiàn)！
Birthday Card

Write your friend’s Chinese or English name and age, combined with 祝你生日快乐！

爱好
(Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuài lè!) (Happy Birthday), on a birthday card. Don’t forget to date and sign

it before delivery.

Aìhào
Before proceeding to Lesson 4, make sure you can complete the

following tasks in Chinese:

² Say and write times and dates HOBBIES

² Ask someone’s age and birthday

² Give my age and birthday

² Name my favorite cuisine

² Ask about someone’s availability and set up a Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready
dinner appointment

In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:

± Name common hobbies ± What are people’s favorite pastimes?

± Ask about someone’s hobbies ± What do people usually do on

± Make plans for the weekend weekends?

with friends
 Pinyin Dialogue

Discussing Hobbies
1

Bái Yīng’ài, nǐ zhōumò xǐhuan zuò shénme ?

a

Wǒ xǐhuan dǎ qiú, kàn diànshì . Nǐ ne?

Dialogue 1
Gao Wenzhong asks Bai Ying’ai about her weekend plans and wants to
Wǒ xǐhuan chàng gē, tiào wǔ, hái xǐhuan tīng yīnyuè.
invite her to a movie; however . . .

Nǐ yě xǐhuan kàn shū, duì bu duì?

白英爱，你周末喜欢做什么 ？
1
Video

Duì, yǒude shíhou yě xǐhuan kàn shū.

Audio
2

我喜欢打球、看电视 。你呢？
a
Nǐ xǐhuan bu xǐhuan kàn diànyǐng?

Xǐhuan. Wǒ zhōumò chángcháng kàn diànyǐng.

我喜欢唱歌、跳舞，还喜欢听音乐。
3 4

Nà wǒmen jīntiān wǎnshang qù kàn yí ge wàiguó

你也喜欢看书，对不对？
diànyǐng, zěnmeyàng? Wǒ qǐng kè.

Wèishénme nǐ qǐng kè?

对，有的时候也喜欢看书。 Yīnwèi zuótiān nǐ qǐng wǒ chī fàn, suǒyǐ jīntiān

你喜欢不喜欢 看电影？
2
wǒ qǐng nǐ kàn diànyǐng.
5

Nà nǐ yě qǐng Wáng Péng, Lǐ Yǒu, hǎo ma ?

喜欢。我周末常常看电影。 . . . Hǎo.

那 我们今天晚上去看 一个外国电影，
3 4

Language Note

怎么样？我请客。 a 、
为什么你请客？ When nouns or pronouns occur in a

series, “ 、” is used to separate them.

和 (hé)
因为昨天你请我吃饭，所以今天我
The conjunction connects the last

two items in the series, e.g., 我、你

和她 (wǒ, nǐ hé tā)
请你看电影。
(me, you, and her);

中国、美国、英国和法国

那你也请王朋、李友，好吗 ？
5 (Zhōngguó, Měiguó, Yīngguó hé Fǎguó)
(China, United States, Britain, and France).

……好。
The series comma can also be used

between two or more verbs or adjectives, as

in 我常常打球、跳舞、看电视
(Wǒ chángcháng dǎ qiú, tiào wǔ, kàn diànshì)
(I often play ball, dance, and watch TV).
Vocabulary

Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition Your friend in
Speech

周末
Shanghai is taking

1 zhōumò n weekend
you out for the

night and gives

打球
you this ticket.

2 dǎ qiú vo to play ball Where will you be

going?

打 dǎ v to hit

球
Flashcards

Audio
qiú n ball

3
看 kàn v to watch, to look, to read GET

Real
4
电视 diànshì n television
WITH
CHINESE

电 diàn n electricity

视 shì n vision
No. Word Pinyin
Part of
Speech
Definition

5
唱歌（儿） chàng gē(r) vo to sing (a song) 15
那 nà conj in that case, then

唱 chàng v to sing
16
去 qù v to go

歌 gē n song
17
外国 wàiguó n foreign country

6
跳舞 tiào wǔ vo to dance
18
请客 qǐng kè vo
to invite someone (to dinner, coffee, etc.),

to play the host

昨天 zuótiān
跳
19 t yesterday

tiào
所以
v to jump

20 suǒyǐ so

舞
conj

wǔ n dance

7
听 tīng v to listen

8
音乐 yīnyuè n music

9
书 shū n book

10
对 duì adj right, correct

11
有的 yǒude pr some 你周末喜欢做什么？
12
时候 shíhou n
(a point in) time, moment,

(a duration of ) time Nǐ zhōumò xǐhuan zuò shénme?

13
电影 diànyǐng n movie
What do you like to do on weekends?
我喜欢 。
影
Wǒ xǐhuan .
yǐng n shadow

常常
See index
for corre
sponding
14 chángcháng adv often
vocabula
ry or rese
arch an other term
.
Grammar
B 她今天晚上看不看电视？
Tā jīntiān wǎnshang kàn bu kàn diànshì?
1 Word order Is she going to watch TV tonight?

The basic word order in a Chinese sentence is as follows. C 他们都是学生吗？ [ 他们都是不是学生？]

Tāmen dōu shì xuésheng ma?
Subject Adverbial Verb (Object)

(agent of the action) (time, place, manner, etc.) (receiver of the action) Are they all students?

白医生 星期六、星期天 工作 D 你常常看电影吗？ [ 你常常看不看电影？]

Bái yīshēng xīngqīliù, xīngqītiān gōngzuò
Dr. Bai works on Saturdays and Sundays. Nǐ chángcháng kàn diànyǐng ma?

王朋 周末/常常 听 音乐
Do you often go to the movies?

你喜欢不喜欢跳舞？ [ 你喜欢跳不跳舞？]
Wáng Péng zhōumò/chángcháng tīng yīnyuè
E
Wang Peng often listens to music on weekends.

Nǐ xǐhuan bu xǐhuan tiào wǔ?

李友 明天 吃 中国菜 Do you like dancing?

Lǐ Yǒu míngtiān chī Zhōngguó cài

你的同学去不去打球？
Li You will have Chinese food tomorrow.

高文中 今天下午五点半 去看 外国电影 Nǐ de tóngxué qù bu qù dǎ qiú?

Gāo Wénzhōng jīntiān xiàwǔ wǔ diǎn bàn qù kàn wàiguó diànyǐng
Are your classmates going to play ball?

[ 你的同学去打不打球？]
Gao Wenzhong will go to see a foreign movie at 5:30 this afternoon.

While this is the most common word order in a Chinese sentence, the norm varies depending on context.

EXERCISES

More
In pairs, form an A-not-A question-and-answer based on the information below. Use exercise 1 exercises

2 Affirmative + negative (A-not-A) questions (II) as an example.

1 白英爱 明天 去跳舞
→ 白英爱明天去不去跳舞？
In this type of question, there can be no adverbials before the verb other than time words, as in (A)

and (B). If there is an adverbial—such as 都 (dōu) (both, all) or 常常 (chángcháng) (often)—before

Q:

the verb, the 吗 (ma) type question must be used instead, as in (C) and (D). If there is more than
白英爱明天去/不去跳舞。
A:

李友 今天晚上 听中国音乐
one verb, the question form applies to the first verb, as seen in (E) and (F).

A 你明天去不去？ 3 白英爱 明天晚上 请李友吃饭

Nǐ míngtiān qù bu qù?
Are you going tomorrow?
3 The conjunction 那（么） (nà [me]) (then, in that case) C Student A 你喜欢不喜欢吃美国菜？
Nǐ xǐhuan bu xǐhuan chī Měiguó cài?
In conversation, immediately following a statement by speaker A, speaker B can often start with
Do you like to eat American food or not?

那（么）(nà [me]) (then, in that case), which links up the sentences by the two speakers.

A Student A 今天晚上没事儿。 Student B 不喜欢。

Bù xǐhuan.
Jīntiān wǎnshang méi shìr.
No, I don’t.

We have nothing to do tonight.

那我们吃中国菜，怎么样？
那么我们去看电影，怎么样？
Student A
Student B

Nà wǒmen chī Zhōngguó cài, zěnmeyàng?

Nàme wǒmen qù kàn diànyǐng, zěnmeyàng?
Then let’s eat Chinese food. How about that?

In that case, let’s go to see a movie. How about that?

我也不喜欢。
好，我请客。
Student B
Student A

Wǒ yě bù xǐhuan.
Hǎo, wǒ qǐng kè.
I don’t like that either.

OK, my treat.

EXERCISES

Student B 是吗？太好了！ Form questions based on the context, inserting 那（么） where appropriate. Use exercise 1

as an example. More
Shì ma? Tài hǎo le. exercises

Really? Great! 1 Student A 我今天不忙。

Student B 那我们去看电影，怎么样？
B Student A 我今天很忙，晚上不去吃晚饭。 2 Student A 我不喜欢跳舞。
Wǒ jīntiān hěn máng, wǎnshang bú qù chī wǎnfàn.
I’m very busy today, and will not go to dinner tonight.
Student B ？
3 Student A 王朋星期六很忙。
Student B 那明天呢？ Student B ？
Nà míngtiān ne?
Then how about tomorrow?
 Language Practice
4 去 (qù) (to go) + action

If the performance of an action involves a change of location, then use the construction below.

我们明天 晚上我
What a week! PRESENTATIONAL

A C

去看电影。 不去跳舞。 Using the images below, take turns describing Little Wang's schedule this week, e.g.:

Wǒmen míngtiān qù kàn diànyǐng. Wǎnshang wǒ bú qù tiào wǔ.

小王星期一看书。
We are going to see a movie tomorrow. I will not go dancing tonight.

Xiǎo Wáng xīngqīyī kàn shū.

B 周末我去跳舞，你去不去？ 1 星期一 (xīngqīyī) 5 星期五 (xīngqīwǔ)

星期二 (xīngqī’èr) 星期六 (xīngqīliù)
Zhōumò wǒ qù tiào wǔ, nǐ qù bu qù?
2 6
I’ll go dancing this weekend. Are you going?

More
EXERCISES
3 星期三 (xīngqīsān) 7 星期天 (xīngqītiān)
去
exercises

Answer these questions, inserting the given verb phrases and

exercise 1 as an example.
where appropriate. Use

4 星期四 (xīngqīsì)
1 李友明天晚上做什么？
Q: 看中国电影 What does your calendar look like? Share your schedule with the class, e.g.:

→ 李友明天晚上去看中国电影。
A:
我星期一去跳舞。 Wǒ xīngqīyī qù tiào wǔ.

2 白英爱星期天晚上做什么？
Q: 打球
王朋和李友今天晚上做什么？ 吃美国菜
B Shall we? INTERPERSONAL

3 Q:

In pairs, use the images to find out what your partner likes to do and invite him/her out tomorrow

去 (qù) 好吗 (hǎo ma)

好吗 (hǎo ma) (OK?)
night by using and , e.g.:
5 Questions with

Q: 你喜欢看电影吗？
好吗 (hǎo ma)
To solicit someone’s opinion, we can ask (OK?) after stating an idea or suggestion.
我们明天晚上去看电影，好吗？
As an alternative, we can also say 好不好 (hǎo bu hǎo) (all right?).
Nǐ xǐhuan kàn diànyǐng ma?
Wǒmen míngtiān wǎnshang qù kàn diànyǐng, hǎo ma?
A 我们去看电影，好吗？
Wǒmen qù kàn diànyǐng, hǎo ma? A: 好！ (agreeing, confirming, accepting)

Hǎo!

我明天很忙，也不喜欢看电影。
We’ll go see a movie, OK?

A: (declining)

B 我们今天晚上吃中国菜，好吗？ Wǒ míngtiān hěn máng, yě bù xǐhuan kàn diànyǐng.

Wǒmen jīntiān wǎnshang chī Zhōngguó cài, hǎo ma?

1 2 3 4
We’ll eat Chinese food tonight, OK?
 C That’s why! INTERPERSONAL D INTERPERSONAL
Weekend warrior PRESENTATIONAL

In pairs, form a question-and-answer about why you will or won’t do something by using In pairs, find out what your partner likes to do on weekends, e.g.:

因为…所以… (yīnwèi . . . suǒyǐ . . . )

你周末喜欢做什么？
, e.g.:

Q:

Q: 你为什么不去看电影？ （很忙） Nǐ zhōumò xǐhuan zuò shénme?

我周末喜欢 。
Nǐ weìshénme bú qù kàn diànyǐng? (hěn máng)

因为我很忙，所以不去看电影。
A:

A:
Wǒ zhōumò xǐhuan .
Yīnwèi wǒ hěn máng, suǒyǐ bú qù kàn diànyǐng.

你为什么不去打球？ （有事儿）
Report to the class and be prepared to answer the teacher’s questions.

周末喜欢做什么？
1

Juan

Nǐ wèishénme bú qù dǎ qiú? (yǒu shìr)

Juan zhōumò xǐhuan zuò shénme?

2 你为什么不去看外国电影？ （不喜欢） Kristen 呢？ Kristen 周末喜欢不喜欢看书？……

Nǐ wèishénme bú qù kàn wàiguó diànyǐng? (bù xǐhuan) Kristen ne? Kristen xǐhuan bù xǐhuan kàn shū? . . .

3 你为什么星期五请我吃晚饭？ （你的生日）
Nǐ wèishénme xīngqīwǔ qǐng wǒ chī wǎnfàn? (nǐ de shēngrì) E Trending now INTERPERSONAL

4 你为什么不去跳舞？ （不喜欢） Survey your classmates about their favorite singers, movie stars, athletes, and dancers using the

questions below.
Nǐ wèishénme bú qù tiào wǔ? (bù xǐhuan)
你喜欢听谁的歌？ 你喜欢看谁打球？
5 你为什么不听音乐？ （很忙） 你喜欢看谁的电影？ 你喜欢看谁跳舞？
Nǐ wèishénme bù tīng yīnyuè? (hěn máng)

9:41 PM 85%
Chinese Chat

Characterize
Wang Peng just shared

a new status on
〈 Discover Moments
it!
王朋
WeChat and Li You left

歌 问 去 电 同
1 2 3 4 5 a comment. What is Li

这个周末没事儿。
Semi - Enclosing

You proposing?

5 mins ago

More
Which of these characters are formed with the pattern on the left?

李友: 你喜欢不喜欢唱歌？
周末去唱歌，好吗？
characters
 Language Notes

Let’s Play Ball

a 小 (xiǎo)
A familiar and affectionate way of addressing

a young person is to add 小 (xiǎo) (little,

Dialogue 2
Wang Peng visits Gao Wenzhong and invites him to play ball over the weekend. small) to the family name, e.g., 小王
(Xiǎo Wáng) (Little Wang). Similarly, to address

小高 ，好久不见 ，你好吗 ？
a b c

an older acquaintance, 老 (lǎo) (old) can be

老王
Video

used with the family name, e.g.,

我很好。你怎么样？
Audio
(Lǎo Wáng) (Old Wang). However, such terms

are rarely used to address a relative or a

我也不错。这个周末你想 做什么？
6
superior.

b
好久不见 (hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn)
想不想去打球？ Now you know where the expression “Long

time no see” comes from.

打球？我不喜欢打球。 c
你好吗？ (Nǐ hǎo ma?)
那我们去看球，怎么样？
This question (meaning “How are you?”) is

typically asked of people you already know.

我很好 (Wǒ hěn

看球？我觉得看球也没有意思 。
d The answer is usually

hǎo) (I am fine).

觉得没有意思 (juéde méiyǒu yìsi)

那你这个周末想做什么？
d

The position of negatives in Chinese is not

我只想吃饭、睡觉 。
7 e
always the same as it is in English. An English

speaker would say: “I don’t think going to the

算了，我去找别人。
movies is much fun,” but a Chinese speaker

would say 我觉得看电影没有意思

(Wǒ juéde kàn diànyǐng méiyǒu yìsi) , which

literally means, “I think going to the movies

Pinyin Dialogue
is not much fun.”

a b c

Xiǎo Gāo , hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn , nǐ hǎo ma ? e

觉 (jué/jiào)
Wǒ hěn hǎo. Nǐ zěnmeyàng? The character 觉 is pronounced in two

Wǒ yě búcuò. Zhè ge zhōumò nǐ xiǎng zuò shénme? Xiǎng bu xiǎng qù dǎ qiú? different ways and has two different

Dǎ qiú? Wǒ bù xǐhuan dǎ qiú. meanings: jué 觉得 (juéde)

as in (to feel)

and jiào as in 睡觉 (shuì jiào) (to sleep).

Nà wǒmen qù kàn qiú, zěnmeyàng?

d

Kàn qiú? Wǒ juéde kàn qiú yě méiyǒu yìsi .

Nà nǐ zhè ge zhōumò xiǎng zuò shénme?
7e

Wǒ zhǐ xiǎng chī fàn, shuì jiào .

Suàn le, wǒ qù zhǎo biérén.
Vocabulary
Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech

有意思
Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech 6 yǒu yìsi adj interesting

小
意思
1 xiǎo adj small, little

yìsi n meaning

2
好久 hǎo jiǔ a long time

7
只 zhǐ adv only

Flashcards
好 hǎo adv very

8
睡觉 shuì jiào vo to sleep

Audio

久 jiǔ adj long (of time)

睡 shuì v to sleep

3
不错 búcuò adj pretty good

觉 jiào n sleep

错 cuò adj wrong

9
算了 suàn le forget it, never mind

4
想 xiǎng mv to want to, would like to [See Grammar 6.]

10
找 zhǎo v to look for

5
觉得 juéde v to feel, to think [See Grammar 6.]

11
别人 biérén n other people, another person

别（的） bié (de) adj other

GET

Real
WITH
CHINESE

Your roommate

puts this on before

lying down on the

couch. What is she 这个周末你想做什么？

trying to tell you?

Zhè ge zhōumò nǐ xiǎng zuò shénme?

What would you like to do this weekend?
我想 。
Wǒ xiǎng .
See index
for corre
sponding
vocabula
ry or rese
arch an other term
.
Grammar EXERCISES
More

想
exercises

In pairs, form a question-and-answer about your partner’s intent, inserting where appropriate.

Use exercise 1 as an example.

想 (xiǎng) (want to, would like to)

吃中国菜
6 The modal verb
1

想 (xiǎng) has several meanings. In this lesson, it is a modal verb indicating a desire to do → 你晚上想吃中国菜吗？
Q:

我想吃中国菜。
something. It must be followed by a verb or a clause.

A: (affirmative)

A 你想听音乐吗？ 我不想吃中国菜。
A: (negative)

Nǐ xiǎng tīng yīnyuè ma? 2 请同学去看电影

Would you like to listen to some music?
3 去听中国音乐
B 白老师想打球，可是王老师不想打。
7 Verb + object as a detachable compound
Bái lǎoshī xiǎng dǎ qiú, kěshì Wáng lǎoshī bù xiǎng dǎ.
Teacher Bai felt like playing ball, but Teacher Wang didn’t.

Even though 睡觉 (shuì jiào) (to sleep), 唱歌 (chàng gē) (to sing), and 跳舞 (tiào wǔ) (to dance)

C 你想不想看中国电影？ are each treated as a word, grammatically speaking, they are all verb-object compounds. When

an attributive element modifies the object, such as an adjective or a number-measure word

Nǐ xiǎng bu xiǎng kàn Zhōngguó diànyǐng? combination, it must be inserted between the verb and the noun. Such a compound does not

Do you feel like going to see a Chinese movie? take an object, and is called a “detachable compound.”

D 你想不想听外国音乐？ A 睡觉 睡一个好觉
Nǐ xiǎng bu xiǎng tīng wàiguó yīnyuè? shuì jiào shuì yí ge hǎo jiào
Do you feel like listening to some foreign music? to sleep have a good sleep

想 (xiǎng) 喜欢 (xǐhuan)
想 (xiǎng)
vs.

can be translated as “would like to” or “to have a desire to.” 喜欢 (xǐhuan) is “to like,”
B 唱歌 唱英文歌
meaning “to be fond of.” 想 (xiǎng) and 喜欢 (xǐhuan) are different, and are not interchangeable.
chàng gē chàng Yīngwén gē
to sing sing an English song

想 (xiǎng) 觉得 (juéde)
vs.

Both想 (xiǎng) 觉得 (juéde)

and can be translated as “to think,” but the former is used to
C 跳舞 跳中国舞
express a desire, whereas the latter is to express an opinion or comment on something.

tiào wǔ tiào Zhōngguó wǔ

to dance do a Chinese dance

In later lessons, you will see examples of other elements, like aspect markers, being inserted

between the verb and the object in a detachable compound.

Language Practice H Weekend ahead INTERPERSONAL

In pairs, complete these sentences and role-play the discussion about the weekend ahead.
F Let the weekend begin! INTERPERSONAL

In pairs, discuss what you’d like to do over the weekend by using 想 (xiǎng) , e.g.:
Q: 你这个周末想做什么？
Nǐ zhè ge zhōumò xiǎng zuò shénme?
Q: 你周末想不想打球？
Nǐ zhōumò xiǎng bu xiǎng dǎ qiú?
A: 我这个周末想 。
Wǒ zhè ge zhōumò xiǎng .
A: 我（周末）想打球。 (affirmative)

Wǒ zhōumò xiǎng dǎ qiú. Then find out if your partner feels like doing something else this weekend.

我（周末）不想打球。
你想 吗？
A: (negative)

Wǒ zhōumò bu xiǎng dǎ qiú. Q:

Nǐ xiǎng ma?

1 2 3 4 5
A: 我想 。 (affirmative)

Wǒ xiǎng .

A: 我不想 。 (negative)

G INTERPERSONAL
How interesting PRESENTATIONAL
Wǒ bù xiǎng .

What types of activities does your partner think are interesting?

In pairs, determine your partner’s interest level in these activities and report to the class by using

很有意思 (hěn yǒu yìsi) 没有意思 (méiyǒu yìsi)

or , e.g.: Q: 你觉得（看电影、打球， ）有意思吗？ etc.

打球（小高） 小高觉得打球很有意思。 Nǐ juéde (kàn diànyǐng, dǎ qiú, ) yǒu yìsi ma?

etc.

dǎ qiú (Xiǎo Gāo) Xiǎo Gāo juéde dǎ qiú hěn yǒu yìsi. A: 我觉得 很有意思。 (affirmative)

Wǒ juéde hěn yǒu yìsi.

1 跳舞 4 看英文书 A: 我觉得 没有意思。 (negative)

tiào wǔ kàn Yīngwén shū Wǒ juéde méi yǒu yìsi.

2 听中国音乐 5 看电视
Characterize it!
tīng Zhōngguó yīnyuè kàn diànshì What do the characters mean?

想 思
1 2
What is the common radical?

3 看外国电影 What does the radical mean? More

characters

How does the radical relate to the

kàn wàiguó diànyǐng
overall meaning of the characters?
CULTURAL LITERACY

COMPARE
& CONTRAST

Mahjong, 麻将 (májiàng) , 1 Organize a lunch or dinner

Go
is one of the most popular with two or three friends.

Chinese pastimes, involving Use the end of Dialogue 1 as

Continue four players. To win, one

a model. Decide if you want
to explore
has to draw various tiles to
to treat or to split the bill with

form different combinations,

your friends by using 今天
我请客 (Jīntiān wǒ qǐngkè)
which have all been Arguably less popular but
or

我们今天AA制 (Wǒmen
assigned scores based on more prestigious is the game

pre-set rules. The more of Encirclement, 围棋 (wéiqí),

difficult the combination,
jīntiān AA zhì), explained
better known in the West by
below. How often do people
the higher the score. There its Japanese name, Go. It is
treat in your culture?
are usually four games in a deceptively simple game

each round, and the players played with counters or stones

MaHJong can decide how many

rounds they wish to play.

Normally, people play either

2 Nowadays, binge-watching

is a hobby for many people.

Dramas produced in Mainland

on a board. The objective

of the game is to surround

and capture the opponent’s

eight or twelve rounds. China and Taiwan have been counters. Every year, major

gaining popularity in many corporations sponsor

Chinese-speaking countries, tournaments with master

players from China, Japan,

and even among viewers

and South Korea participating

who do not speak Chinese.

The two teams of Chinese chess pieces are identified by and TV stations providing

象棋 (xiàngqí)
Research some of the most
colors, typically black and red. They are set up as shown. Chinese chess, , is another popular pastime, live coverage of important
popular Chinese dramas. How
Since you have learned the character/radical meaning especially among senior citizens. While international chess matches.
“horse,” can you find where the “horse” is on the board? do they compare with popular
has such pieces as king, queen, rook, knight, and pawn,

dramas in your own country?

Chinese chess has commander-in-chief, general, chariot,

horse, and soldier. Both mahjong and Chinese chess go

back centuries. Community centers and clubhouses in

China often have a 棋牌室 (qípáishì) , or chess-and-poker

room, where residents, especially retirees, meet for chess

and mahjong marathons. In neighborhood parks, it is also

common to find onlookers gathering around chess players.

When Chinese people go out to eat with friends,

they rarely split the check. Usually, someone will

insist on picking up the tab by saying 今天我请客

(Jīntiān wǒ qǐngkè) (It’s my treat today). The unspoken
expectation is that someone else will offer to pay the

next time. Often, more than one person will reach

for the bill and there might be a little struggle over

who gets to pay. Among young urban white-collar

professionals and college students, it is increasingly

common to separate the check or adopt the AA制

(AA zhì) except on celebratory or festive occasions. Feasting
CHinese CHess
Lesson Wrap-Up

Lesson 5
Make It Flow!

第 五 课
Rearrange the following sentences into a logical sequence according to Gao Wenzhong

and Bai Ying’ai’s likes and dislikes. Then combine them into a coherent narrative. If the

subject is the same, remember not to repeat it in subsequent clauses. Replace the proper

noun in the previous clause with a personal pronoun if beginning a new sentence.

Dì wǔ kè
高文中不喜欢打球。
白英爱还喜欢看电影。
高文中觉得看球没有意思。
1 高文中喜欢唱歌、跳舞。
白英爱喜欢打球、看电视。
白英爱有的时候也喜欢看书。
高文中还喜欢听音乐。
白英爱周末常常去看电影。
高文中也不喜欢看球。
Interview

看朋友
Interview your classmates about what their families like to do.

你爸爸、妈妈喜欢做什么？
你哥哥、姐姐、弟弟、妹妹喜欢做什么？
Hang Out

Do your classmates share your interests? Survey them about their hobbies on

social media: 你喜欢……？ (Nǐ xǐhuan . . . ?) . Arrange a time to hang out with

classmates who share your interests.

Kàn péngyou

VISITING FRIENDS

Before proceeding to Lesson 5, be sure you can complete the

Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready
following tasks in Chinese:

² Talk about my favorite pastimes and ask about

In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:
someone else’s

² Comment on whether certain activities appeal to me

± Welcome a visitor ± Is it common to visit a friend’s place

² Invite someone to do something over the weekend

± Introduce one person to another without advance notice?

² Accept or decline an invitation to do something

± Be a gracious guest ± Do people bring anything when

over the weekend ± Ask for beverages as a guest visiting a friend’s home?

± Offer beverages to a visitor ± What food and drinks do hosts

± Briefly describe a visit to a commonly offer guests?

friend’s place
Lesson Wrap-Up

Lesson 5
Make It Flow!

第 五 课
Rearrange the following sentences into a logical sequence according to Gao Wenzhong

and Bai Ying’ai’s likes and dislikes. Then combine them into a coherent narrative. If the

subject is the same, remember not to repeat it in subsequent clauses. Replace the proper

noun in the previous clause with a personal pronoun if beginning a new sentence.

Dì wǔ kè
高文中不喜欢打球。
白英爱还喜欢看电影。
高文中觉得看球没有意思。
1 高文中喜欢唱歌、跳舞。
白英爱喜欢打球、看电视。
白英爱有的时候也喜欢看书。
高文中还喜欢听音乐。
白英爱周末常常去看电影。
高文中也不喜欢看球。
Interview

看朋友
Interview your classmates about what their families like to do.

你爸爸、妈妈喜欢做什么？
你哥哥、姐姐、弟弟、妹妹喜欢做什么？
Hang Out

Do your classmates share your interests? Survey them about their hobbies on

social media: 你喜欢……？ (Nǐ xǐhuan . . . ?) . Arrange a time to hang out with

classmates who share your interests.

Kàn péngyou

VISITING FRIENDS

Before proceeding to Lesson 5, be sure you can complete the

Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready
following tasks in Chinese:

² Talk about my favorite pastimes and ask about

In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:
someone else’s

² Comment on whether certain activities appeal to me

± Welcome a visitor ± Is it common to visit a friend’s place

² Invite someone to do something over the weekend

± Introduce one person to another without advance notice?

² Accept or decline an invitation to do something

± Be a gracious guest ± Do people bring anything when

over the weekend ± Ask for beverages as a guest visiting a friend’s home?

± Offer beverages to a visitor ± What food and drinks do hosts

± Briefly describe a visit to a commonly offer guests?

friend’s place
 Pinyin Dialogue

Visiting a Friend’s Place

(The doorbell rings.)

Shéi ya?
Dialogue Shì wǒ, Wáng Péng, hái yǒu Lǐ Yǒu.
Wang Peng and Li You visit Gao Wenzhong and meet his sister, Gao Xiaoyin.

(The doorbell rings.) Qǐng jìn, qǐng jìn, kuài jìn lai! Lái, wǒ jièshào
1

谁呀？
Video
yí xià , zhè shì wǒ jiějie, Gāo Xiǎoyīn.
Audio
Xiǎoyīn, nǐ hǎo. Rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng.

是我，王朋，还有李友。 Rènshi nǐmen wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng.

2

请进，请进，快进来！来，我介绍
Nǐmen jiā hěn dà , yě hěn piàoliang.
a

Shì ma? Qǐng zuò, qǐng zuò.

一下 ，这是我姐姐，高小音。
1
3 b

Xiǎoyīn, nǐ zài nǎr gōngzuò?

1

小音，你好。认识你很高兴。
Wǒ zài xuéxiào gōngzuò. Nǐmen xiǎng hē diǎnr

shénme? Hē chá háishi hē kāfēi?

认识你们我也很高兴。
4

Wǒ hē chá ba .

你们家很大 ，也很漂亮。
2
Wǒ yào yì píng kělè, kěyǐ ma?

Duìbuqǐ, wǒmen jiā méi yǒu kělè.

是吗？ 请坐，请坐。
a

Nà gěi wǒ yì bēi shuǐ ba.

小音，你在 哪儿 工作？
3 b

Language Notes

我在学校工作。你们想喝点儿 什么？
1

a
是吗? (Shì ma?)
喝茶还是喝咖啡？ “Is that so?” or “Really?” It is a rhetorical

question here. This is a modest way to

我喝茶吧 。
4
respond to a compliment.

b 哪儿 (nǎr)
我要一瓶可乐，可以吗？ A question word meaning “where.” Do not

confuse it with 那儿 (nàr) (there). “Here”

对不起，我们家没有可乐。 is 这儿 (zhèr) .

那给我一杯水吧。
Vocabulary

Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition China’s booming
Speech

呀
soft drinks market

offers consumers a
1 ya p (interjectory particle used to soften a question)
variety of choices.

进
Can you identify

2 jìn v to enter
these flavors?

Flashcards
3
快 kuài adv/adj fast, quick; quickly

Audio
4
进来 jìn lai vc to come in

来
GET
lái
5 v to come
Real
WITH

介绍
CHINESE
6 jièshào v to introduce

7
一下 yí xià n+m once, a bit [See Grammar 1.]

高兴
Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition
8 gāoxìng adj happy, pleased Speech

可以
漂亮
22 kěyǐ mv can, may

9 piàoliang adj pretty

对不起 duìbuqǐ
坐
23 v sorry

10 zuò to sit

给
v

24 gěi v to give

在 zài
杯
11 prep at, in, on [See Grammar 3.]

25 bēi m (measure word for things contained in a cup or glass)

12
哪儿 nǎr qpr where

26
水 shuǐ n water

13
学校 xuéxiào n school
27
高小音 Gāo Xiǎoyīn pn (a personal name)

14
喝 hē v to drink

15
点（儿） diǎn(r) m a little, a bit, some [See Grammar 1.]

16
茶 chá n tea

咖啡 kāfēi
你喜欢喝什么?
17 n coffee

18
吧 ba p (a sentence-final particle) [See Grammar 4.]

Nǐ xǐhuan hē shénme?
19
要 yào v to want
What do you like to drink?
我喜欢喝 。
20
瓶 píng m (measure word for bottled liquid, etc.) Wǒ xǐhuan hē .

可乐
See index
for corre
sponding
21 kělè n cola
vocabula
ry or rese
arch an other term
.
Grammar 2 Adjectives as predicates using 很 (hěn) (very)

1 Moderating tone of voice: 一下 (yí xià) and（一）点儿 ([yì] diǎnr) When an adjective functions as a predicate, it is not preceded by the verb 是 (shì) (to be). It is

usually modified by 很 (hěn) (very)—as in (A), (B), (C), and (D)—or some other adverbial modifier.

很 (hěn)
一下 yí xià) （一）点儿 [yì] diǎnr)
Although usually translated as “very,” is not quite as strong as its English equivalent when

Following a verb, both ( (lit. “once”) and ( (“a bit”) can soften

not stressed. It acts as an affirmative indicator. When forming a question with an adjective as the

很 (hěn)
the tone of a question or an imperative sentence, making it more polite. When used in this way,

一下 (yí xià) （一）点儿 ([yì] diǎnr)

predicate, is not used, as in (E) and (F).

modifies the verb, while modifies the object.

A 你看一下，这是谁的照片？ A 我今天很高兴。
Wǒ jīntiān hěn gāoxìng.
Nǐ kàn yí xià, zhè shì shéi de zhàopiàn?
I’m very happy today.

Take a look. Whose photo is this?

B 你想吃点儿什么? B 他妹妹很漂亮。
Tā mèimei hěn piàoliang.
Nǐ xiǎng chī diǎnr shénme?
His younger sister is very pretty.
What would you like to eat?

C 你进来一下。 C 那个电影很好。
Nà ge diànyǐng hěn hǎo.
Nǐ jìn lai yí xià.
That movie is very good.
Come in for a minute.

D 你喝一点儿茶吧。 D 你们大学很大。
Nǐmen dàxué hěn dà.
Nǐ hē yì diǎnr chá ba.
Your university is very large.
Have some tea.

More
EXERCISES E Q: 你弟弟高吗？ A: 他很高。
一下 （一）点儿
exercises

Moderate the tone of these sentences by inserting or .

Nǐ dìdi gāo ma? Tā hěn gāo.
Use exercise 1 as an example.

Is your younger brother tall? He is very tall.

1 我看 你的照片 → 我看一下你的照片。
2 我看 你的书。 F Q: 你家大吗？ A: 我家不大，很小。
3 你喝 咖啡。 Nǐ jiā dà ma? Wǒ jiā bú dà, hěn xiǎo.
Is your house big? My house is not big; it’s very small.
 Chinese adjectives without 很 (hěn) or any sort of modifier before them can often imply comparison
C 我在这个大学学中文。
or contrast, as in (G) and (H).

Wǒ zài zhè ge dàxué xué Zhōngwén.

姐姐忙还是妹妹忙? 妹妹忙。
I study Chinese at this university.

G Q: A:

Jiějie máng háishi mèimei máng? Mèimei máng. D 我不在家看电影。

Who’s busier, the older sister or the younger sister? The younger sister is busier.
Wǒ bú zài jiā kàn diànyǐng.

哥哥的中文好，我的中文不好。
I don’t watch movies at home.

Gēge de Zhōngwén hǎo, wǒ de Zhōngwén bù hǎo. EXERCISES

在
More
exercises
Form a question-and-answer about where each of the activities occurs, inserting where
My older brother’s Chinese is good. My Chinese is not good.

appropriate. Use exercise 1 as an example.

More
exercises
EXERCISES
1 白英爱 跳舞 学校
很
→ 白英爱在哪儿跳舞？ 她在学校跳舞。
Use adjectives as predicates by inserting . Use exercise 1 as an example.

我弟弟 高。→ 我弟弟很高。

Q: A:

白英爱这个周末 喝茶 高文中家
我妹妹今天 高兴。
2

高文中明天 吃中国饭 老师家

王律师的中文 好。
3

4 The particle 吧 (ba)

3 The preposition 在 (zài) (at, in, on)
吧 (ba) is a sentence-final particle often used to soften the tone of a command or suggestion.

在 (zài) is a verb in (A).

A 你喝咖啡吧。 C 我们跳舞吧。
A Q: 我的书在哪儿？ A: 在那儿。 Nǐ hē kāfēi ba. Wǒmen tiào wǔ ba.
Wǒ de shū zài nǎr? Zài nàr. Why don’t you have some coffee? Let’s dance.

Where is my book? It’s over there.

It is a preposition when a “ 在 (zài) + location” appears before a verb, as in (B), (C), and (D). B 请进来吧。
Qǐng jìn lai ba.
B Q: 你在哪儿工作? A: 我在这儿工作。 Come in, please.

Nǐ zài nǎr gōngzuò? Wǒ zài zhèr gōngzuò.

Where do you work? I work here.
 EXERCISES
Language Practice
More

吧
exercises

Soften the tone of these suggestions by inserting . Use exercise 1 as an example.

1 你喝点儿水 。 → 你喝点儿水吧。 A If you ask politely . . .

2 我们明天去看中国电影 。
一下(yí xià)
你今天晚上去听音乐 。
Complete the sentences by using to moderate the tone of voice, e.g.:

You’d like to see a picture of your brother’s girlfriend, so you ask him . . .

Chinese Chat
哥哥，我看一下你女朋友的照片，好吗?
Gao Wenzhong just published a new post on Weibo (微博) (Wēibó) ,
Gēge, wǒ kàn yí xià nǐ nǚpéngyou de zhàopiàn, hǎo ma?
a popular Chinese microblogging platform. Based on his tone, can

you tell how he’s feeling?

1 You’d like your friend Little Bai to introduce you to Miss Li, so you say . . .

小白，我想认识李小姐。请你 。
高文中 Xiǎo Bái, wǒ xiǎng rènshi Lǐ xiǎojiě. Qǐng nǐ .
02-13 17:54 来自 iPhone 客户端
晚上朋友请客！太高兴了！去哪吃呀？
2 You’re at the doctor’s office for your appointment; the nurse tells you the doctor is

busy, and asks you to take a seat, so she says . . .

@白英爱 对不起，医生现在有事儿，请你 。
转发 1 评论 7 赞 79 Duìbuqǐ, yīshēng xiànzài yǒu shìr, qǐng nǐ .

3 Your roommate is streaming an album and suggests that you listen to it, so she says . . .

这个音乐不错。你 。
GET
Zhè ge yīnyuè búcuò. Nǐ .
Real 4 Your teacher wants to talk to you after class and asks you to come with him, so he says . . .
WITH
CHINESE

我有事儿找你。你 。
Wǒ yǒu shìr zhǎo nǐ. Nǐ .
Chinese lanterns

are sometimes used

as advertisements.

What are these

lanterns promoting? Characterize it!

What do the characters mean?

菜 茶
1 2
What is the common radical?

What does the radical mean? More

characters

How does the radical relate to the

overall meaning of the characters?

photo courtesy of

ShuWen Zhang
B What do you think? INTERPERSONAL Then ask your classmates where they like to do certain activities, e.g.:

你喜欢在哪儿看书/打球/听音乐 ？
In pairs, use the sentences to form questions about each other’s personal opinions. Answer in the
Nǐ xǐhuan zài nǎr kàn shū/dǎ qiú/tīng yīnyuè?
affirmative by inserting 很 (hěn) in the ◇, and then in the negative, e.g.:

高文中的家◇漂亮 Gāo Wénzhōng de jiā ◇ piàoliang

D May I offer you a refreshment? INTERPERSONAL

If people ask your opinion of Gao Wenzhong’s house,

Q: 高文中的家漂亮吗？ Gāo Wénzhōng de jiā piàoliang ma?

In groups of five, act out a brief scenario. One of you is hosting a party for Gao Wenzhong,

and you think Gao Wenzhong’s house is beautifully decorated (affirmative), you can say . . . Wang Peng, Li You, and Bai Ying’ai. Find out what your guests would like to drink, and have

吧 ba
A: 高文中的家很漂亮。 Gāo Wénzhōng de jiā hěn piàoliang.
them answer by using ( ), e.g.:

But, if you don’t think Gao’s house is beautifully decorated (negative), you can say . . .
高文中，你想喝点儿什么？ 我喝茶吧。
A: 高文中的家不漂亮。 Gāo Wénzhōng de jiā bú piàoliang.
Gāo Wénzhōng, nǐ xiǎng hē diǎnr shénme? Wǒ hē chá ba.

1 你的医生 忙 ◇ nǐ de yīshēng ◇ máng

1 2 3

2 你的学校◇大 nǐ de xuéxiào ◇ dà

3 你的同学◇高兴 nǐ de tóngxué ◇ gāoxìng

E Do you know everyone in your class? INTERPERSONAL

4 你的老师◇好 nǐ de lǎoshī ◇ hǎo

你的书◇有意思
Form a circle and take turns introducing the classmate on your right to the classmate on your left.

5 nǐ de shū ◇ yǒu yìsi

Student A 我介绍一下，这是 。
Wǒ jièshào yí xià, zhè shì .
C Hanging out INTERPERSONAL

Where are Wang Peng and Li You and what are they doing there? Use the visual information and
Student B 认识你很高兴。我介绍一下，这是 。
在 zài ( ) to form different answers to the question, e.g.:
Rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng. Wǒ jièshào yí xià, zhè shì .

王朋和李友在学校看书。
Wáng Péng hé Lǐ Yǒu zài xuéxiào kàn shū. Student C 认识你很高兴。我介绍一下，这是 。
Rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng. Wǒ jièshào yí xià, zhè shì .
1 2 3
F May I offer you something else? INTERPERSONAL

At a Friend’s Place
Form groups of three and role-play the following exchange:

Host 你/你们想喝点儿什么？ Narrative

Wang Peng and Li You visited Gao Wenzhong and Gao Xiayon.

Nǐ/Nǐmen xiǎng hē diǎnr shénme?

Guests 我喝 吧。 昨天晚上，王朋和李友去高文中
Wǒ hē ba. 家玩儿。在高文中家，他们认识
了 高文中的姐姐。她叫高小音，
5
Apologize for not having that beverage and offer an alternative:

对不起，没有 。 ，可以吗？
在学校的图书馆工作。她请王朋
Host

Duìbuqǐ, méiyǒu . , kěyǐ ma?

喝 茶，王朋喝了 两杯。李友不喝
a 5

The guests accept or ask for something else:

Guests 那给我一杯/一瓶 吧。 茶，只喝了一杯水。他们一起聊

天儿、看电视。王朋和李友晚上
Nà gěi wǒ yì bēi/yì píng ba.

十二点才 回家。
6

G INTERPERSONAL
And the winner is . . . PRESENTATIONAL

Pinyin Narrative

In groups, interview your classmates about what they like to drink. Have a representative from each
Zuótiān wǎnshang, Wáng Péng hé Lǐ Yǒu qù Gāo Wénzhōng jiā wánr. Zài Gāo Wén-
5

group record the results on the board, in a book, or on a computer, and another report the results to zhōng jiā, tāmen rènshi le Gāo Wénzhōng de jiějie. Tā jiào Gāo Xiǎoyīn, zài xuéxiào
a 5
the class. Tally the results from all groups and have someone announce the class’s favorite drinks.
de túshūguǎn gōngzuò. Tā qǐng Wáng Péng hē chá, Wáng Péng hē le liǎng bēi. Lǐ Yǒu

bù hē chá, zhǐ hē le yì bēi shuǐ. Tāmen yìqǐ liáo tiānr, kàn diànshì. Wáng Péng hé Lǐ Yǒu
你喜欢喝什么? 你喜欢喝茶吗? 6

wǎnshang shí’èr diǎn cái huí jiā.

Nǐ xǐhuan hē shénme? Nǐ xǐhuan hē chá ma?
Language Note

a 喝 (hē)
你喜欢喝可乐还是 你喜欢喝水还是 Unlike its English counterpart, 喝 (hē) always functions as a transitive verb,

咖啡? 喝茶？ i.e., unless it's clear from the context, the beverage has to be specified. Therefore,

他常常喝 (Tā chángcháng hē) is not a complete sentence unless the beverage

Nǐ xǐhuan hē kělè háishi kāfēi? Nǐ xǐhuan hē shuǐ háishi hē chá? is understood; e.g., when it occurs as an affirmative answer to a question:

Q: 他常常喝咖啡吗？ A: 他常常喝。
Tā chángcháng hē kāfēi ma? Tā chángcháng hē.
Does he often drink coffee? He often does.
Vocabulary Grammar

Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech

了(le) (I)
玩（儿）
5 The particle
1 wán(r) v to have fun, to play

2
了 le p (a dynamic particle) [See Grammar 5.]
The dynamic particle 了 (le) signifies : 1) the occurrence or completion of an action or event, or

3
图书馆 túshūguǎn n library
2) the emergence of a situation. The action, event, or situation usually pertains to the past, but

sometimes it can refer to the future. Therefore 了 (le) is not a “past tense” marker and should not

一起
Flashcards

Audio
4 yìqǐ adv together be taken as the equivalent of the past tense in English. In this lesson, it indicates the occurrence

聊天（儿）
or completion of an action or event. It is usually used directly after a verb. In interrogative and

5 liáo tiān(r) vo to chat

declarative sentences, it sometimes appears after a verb and the object of the verb.

聊 liáo v to chat

天 tiān n sky
A 今天妈妈喝了三杯水。
才
Jīntiān Māma hē le sān bēi shuǐ.
6 cái adv not until, only then [See Grammar 6.]

Mom drank three glasses of water today.

7
回家 huí jiā vo to go home OCCURRENCE OR COMPLETION OF AN ACTION, IN THE PAST.

回 huí v to return

B 星期一小高请我喝了一瓶可乐。
Xīngqīyī Xiǎo Gāo qǐng wǒ hē le yì píng kělè.
On Monday, Little Gao bought me a bottle of cola.

OCCURRENCE OR COMPLETION OF AN EVENT, IN THE PAST.

昨天晚上你去打球了吗？
你在哪儿看书?
C Q:

Zuótiān wǎnshang nǐ qù dǎ qiú le ma?

Nǐ zài nǎr kàn shū? Did you play ball last night?

Where do you read books?

我在 看书。 OCCURRENCE OR COMPLETION OF AN EVENT, IN THE PAST, INTERROGATIVE

Wǒ zài kàn shū.

See index
for corre
sponding
A: 昨天晚上我去打球了。
vocabula
ry or rese
arch an other term
.
Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒ qù dǎ qiú le.

Characterize it!
I went to play ball last night.

OCCURRENCE OR COMPLETION OF AN EVENT, IN THE PAST.

图 了 回 玩 馆
1 2 3 4 5

D 明天我吃了晚饭去看电影。
Míngtiān wǒ chī le wǎnfàn qù kàn diànyǐng.
Which of these characters are formed with the pattern on the left?
Tomorrow I’ll go see a movie after I eat dinner.

More
characters OCCURRENCE OR COMPLETION OF AN ACTION IN THE FIRST PART OF THE SENTENCE, IN THE FUTURE
There is often a specific time phrase in a sentence with the dynamic particle 了 (le) , such as: EXERCISES

• 今天 (jīntiān) (today) in (A) • 昨天晚上 (zuótiān wǎnshang ) (last night) in (C)

Rearrange the words to form a sentence by inserting 了 after the verb and before the numeral and

measure word. Use exercise 1 as an example.

星期一 (xīngqīyī)
我 喝 可乐 一 → 我喝了一瓶可乐。
• (Monday) in (B)

了 (le)
1
When is used between the verb and the object, the object is usually preceded by a modifier.

The following “numeral + measure word” is the most common type of modifier for the object:
2 他昨天 看 中国电影 一
三杯 (sān bēi) 一瓶 (yì píng)
李友今天 认识 人 四
• (three cups/glasses) in (A) • (one bottle) in (B)

3
If there are other phrases or sentences following the object of the first clause, then the object does

not need a modifier. See (D) above. This v 了 o+v (o) structure can be used to depict a sequence

of actions regardless of the time of their occurrence.

If the object following 了 (le) is a proper noun, it doesn’t need a modifier either. See (E).
6 The adverb 才 (cái) (not until)

才 (cái)
我昨天看了《星球大战》，那个电影很好。
The adverb (not until) indicates the occurrence of an action or situation later than

E
the speaker expects. That lateness is perceived by the speaker, and is not necessarily objective, as

Wǒ zuótiān kàn le «Xīngqiú Dàzhàn», nà ge diànyǐng hěn hǎo. in (B) and (C). 才 (cái) 了(le)
never takes the particle , even if it pertains to a past action or situation.

我请他六点吃晚饭，他六点半才来。
I saw Star Wars yesterday. The movie was very good.

To say that an action did not take place in the past, use 没（有） (méi [yǒu]) instead of

Wǒ qǐng tā liù diǎn chī wǎnfàn, tā liù diǎn bàn cái lái.
不...了(bù . . . le) or 没有...了 (méiyǒu . . . le), as in the example below.

I invited him out to dinner at six o’clock. He didn’t arrive until six-thirty.

昨天我没有听音乐。[ 昨天我不听音乐了。]
小高常常晚上十二点才回家。
F

[ 昨天我没有听音乐了。]
B

Zuótiān wǒ bù tīng yīnyuè le.

Xiǎo Gāo chángcháng wǎnshang shí’èr diǎn cái huí jiā.
I didn’t listen to music yesterday.

Little Gao often doesn’t come home until midnight.

The following are examples of interrogative forms:

C 她晚上很晚才睡觉。
G Q: 你吃饭了吗? 你吃饭了没有? or A: 我没吃。 Tā wǎnshang hěn wǎn cái shuì jiào.

Nǐ chī fàn le ma? or Nǐ chī fàn le méiyǒu? Wǒ méi chī. She goes to bed very late at night.

Have you eaten? No, I haven't.

EXERCISES More
exercises

才
你喝了几杯水? 我喝了一杯水。
Indicate perceived lateness by joining these sentences. Insert where appropriate.

H Q: A: Use exercise 1 as an example.

Nǐ hē le jǐ bēi shuǐ? Wǒ hē le yì bēi shuǐ. 1 我们六点吃饭。她六点一刻来。

How many glasses of water did you drink? I drank one glass of water.
→ 我们六点吃饭，她六点一刻才来。
2 我们十点钟回家。王朋十一点回家。
3 我们两点去打球。我弟弟四点去打球。
Language Practice Then report to the class what your partner did last night, e.g.:

Mark 昨天晚上去朋友家玩儿了/没有去朋友家玩儿 ……
H You did what? Mark zuótiān wǎnshang qù péngyou jiā wánr le/méiyǒu qù péngyou jiā wánr . . .

Little Gao has so much energy! He can do a lot in one day. Based on the images, recap what he did

yesterday by using 了(le) , e.g.:

K Birthday itinerary PRESENTATIONAL

小高昨天喝了四杯咖啡。
Describe what Little Wang did on his birthday, and when, according to these images.
x4
Xiǎo Gāo zuótiān hē le sì bēi kāfēi.
1 2 3

1 2 3 4
x5 x4
x1 x3

I Fashionably late! PRESENTATIONAL

Chinese Chat
Marian

我在咖啡馆喝咖
Your roommate is a procrastinator and does everything later than you. Present your different A friend is texting you

才 cái about taking a coffee

啡，想不想来？
schedules to the class using ( ), e.g.:
break. How would you

我七点喝咖啡，她八点才喝（咖啡）。 reply?

7 minutes ago

Wǒ qī diǎn hē kāfēi, tā bā diǎn cái hē (kāfēi).

...
7:00 vs. 8:00

6 minutes ago

这儿很漂亮。来吧，
1 2 3 4 5

9:00 vs. 9:30 2:15 vs. 2:45 6:00 vs. 7:15 8:00 vs. 8:30 9:30 vs. 12:00

一起聊天、喝咖啡。
3 minutes ago

J INTERPERSONAL
What did you do last night? PRESENTATIONAL

...
1 minute ago

Interview your classmates about what they did last night, e.g.:

是吗？好，那周末
你昨天晚上去朋友家玩儿了吗? 见。
Now

Nǐ zuótiān wǎnshang qù péngyou jiā wánr le ma?

If the answer is negative, then ask:

你昨天晚上去哪儿了？你喝什么了？
Type your message…

你喝了几杯/几瓶？
Nǐ zuótiān wǎnshang qù nǎr le? Nǐ hē shénme le? Nǐ hē le jǐ bēi/jǐ píng?
CULTURAL LITERACY

认 识 你 很 高 兴
认识你很高兴 (rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng) 很高兴认识你

Greetings
or

(hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ) is basically a translation of “I’m very

happy to meet you.” This form of greeting is becoming more

Continue
common, even though to some Chinese it sounds a bit formal.

很 高 兴 认 识 你
to explore

COMPARE
& CONTRAST

1 “Host” and “guest” are 主 (zhǔ) and

客 (kè) . The Chinese often say客随

主便 (kè suí zhǔ biàn)

Tea
, “A good guest
Traditionally, privacy is a somewhat less
goes along with whatever is convenient
sacrosanct concept in Chinese culture
for the host.” A related expression is

入乡随俗 (rù xiāng suí sú)

than it is in the West: you would not
, “Wherever
necessarily be considered intrusive if
you find yourself, follow local customs.”

The phrase 反客为主 (fǎn kè wéi zhǔ) ,

you dropped by a friend’s place without

meanwhile, describes a presumptive 茶 (chá) can probably be called the

Although tea remains the most
warning; nor would topics such as age,

marital status, and salary necessarily be

guest who usurps the place of the popular beverage in China, the
national drink of China. Indeed, the
off limits in a polite conversation. For those
host. Are there similar sayings in number of coffee drinkers has
practice of drinking tea originated
who believe in the traditional Chinese
your culture? been on the rise in recent years.
there. According to legend, tea was
notion of friendship or personal loyalty,
Coffee is now widely available
2 When you visit a friend in China, you discovered by the ancient Chinese

should bring a gift. You might be emperor 神农 (Shénnóng) when

in supermarkets. Coffee shops,
sharing such personal information is an

important gesture of trust. But there is a

asked to change into slippers and be including international chains such

星巴克 (Xīngbākè)
leaves from a nearby shrub fell into
more prosaic explanation. Until relatively
offered something to drink. Normally, as Starbucks, ,
the water he was boiling. It depends
recently, most people lived in close
food is served family style to indicate and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, are
on whom you ask, but in general,
proximity to one another and everyone
abundance and respect for the guests. familiar sights in many Chinese cities.
Chinese tea may be classified into
followed more or less the same prescribed
Dishes are brought out one course at
the following categories according
a time, so the host will not join the meal track in life. The income gap was limited.
to the different methods by which
until all the dishes are served. It is polite Therefore, there were few secrets.
tea leaves are processed: green tea,
to wait for the host to urge you to start Everyone knew what their neighbors did
black tea, Wulong tea, compressed
eating. If a Chinese friend asks you and how much money they made.
tea, and scented tea.
about visiting etiquette in your culture,

菊花茶
Do you know where

what would you say? Chrysanthemum tea, This is changing, however; particularly due
bubble tea originated?
(júhuā chá), is a type of scented tea, 奶茶 (nǎichá) to disparity in incomes and urbanization

龙井茶
3 The tea plant is native to China. The literally

whereas Longjing tea, of communities. Chinese citizens have

beverage made from its leaves is often means milk tea. How

(lóngjǐng chá), belongs to the green 珍珠 (zhēnzhū) become more conscious of their “right

隐私权 (yǐnsī quán)

called some derivative of the Mandarin about ?

tea family. Nowadays, bubble tea, to privacy,” or .

or Southern Min dialect pronunciation of

珍珠奶茶 (zhēnzhū nǎichá),

What are they really?

is Nowadays, Chinese people consider it

the Chinese word for tea. The Russian

chai comes from Mandarin, whereas tea gaining popularity in the West. more and more important to give notice

in English comes from the Southern Min before visiting friends and to avoid asking

dialect. Do you know what tea is called about personal information.

in any other language?

Lesson Wrap-Up
Keeping It Casual (L1–L5)
Make It Flow!

Rearrange the following sentences into a logical sequence. Then combine them into a
Before you progress to the next half of the text, we’ll review how some of the functional expressions
coherent narrative. Remember to omit repetitive elements and substitute subjects with
from Lessons 1±5 are used in casual Chinese. After you complete the review, note any other casual
personal pronouns where appropriate. Time expressions and place words can also serve
expressions you would like to learn, then share the list with your teacher.
as useful connective devices.

高文中的姐姐叫高小音。
他们一起聊天儿、看电视。 1 算了 (suàn le) (forget it, never mind)
1 昨天晚上，王朋和李友去高文中家玩儿。
晚上十二点王朋和李友才回家。
Say this when you’ve put someone in an awkward position, or when someone’s made a mistake that

在高文中家王朋和李友认识了高文中的姐姐。 you’re willing to let go. You can also say this when you’re dissatisfied with what someone is doing and

高小音在图书馆工作。 want him/her to stop. [See Lesson 4.]

Role-Play

Student A You are the host. Introduce your guests and ask what they would like to drink.
A Student A 明天我们去打球，怎么样？
Míngtiān wǒmen qù dǎ qiú, zěnmeyàng?
Student B Meet and greet the other guest. Compliment the host‘s home. Ask where
Let’s go play ball tomorrow, all right?
the other guest works. Tell the host that you don’t drink tea, coffee, or cola.

明天我很忙。
Ask for a glass of water instead.

Student B

Student C Meet and greet the other guest. Tell the other guest that you are delighted Míngtiān wǒ hěn máng.
to meet him/her. Tell the other guest that you don’t work; you are a student.
I’m very busy tomorrow.
Let the host know that you would like a cup of tea.

Student A 那算了。
Email
Nà suàn le.
Email your Chinese-speaking friend about your visit to a friend’s place last night.
Never mind then.
Include the following information:

• Where you went

• Whom you met there, what they did, and whether you found them interesting

• What your friend’s home was like, e.g., big, nicely decorated

•
What you did

When you returned home

B Student A 你今年多大？
Nǐ jīnnián duō dà?
How old are you this year?

Before proceeding to Lesson 6, make sure you can complete Student B 你为什么问我多大？
the following tasks in Chinese:
Nǐ wèishénme wèn wǒ duō dà?
² Introduce one person to another
Why are you asking me how old I am?
² Greet guests when they visit my home

² Offer drinks to my guests

Student A 算了，我不问了。
² As a guest, ask the host/hostess for a beverage

² Briefly describe a visit to a friend's place

Suàn le, wǒ bú wèn le.
Never mind. I won’t ask then.
2 谁呀 (shéi ya) (who is it?)
Lesson 6

第六课
Say this when someone knocks on your door. [See Lesson 5.]

A (Knocking on the door.) B (Knocking on the door.)

Wang Peng 谁呀？ Gao Wenzhong 谁呀？ Dì liù kè

Shéi ya? Shéi ya?
Who is it? Who is it?

Li You 是我，李友。 Little Wang 我，小王。

Shì wǒ, Lǐ Yǒu. Wǒ, Xiǎo Wáng.
It’s me, Li You. It’s me, Little Wang.

Wang Peng 请进。 Gao Wenzhong 进来。

Qǐng jìn. Jìn lai.
Please come in. Come in.

3 是吗 (shì ma) (really, is that so?)

约时间
Say this when you hear something unexpected. [See Lesson 5.]

A Student A 我昨天晚上三点半才睡觉。
Wǒ zuótiān wǎnshang sān diǎn bàn cái shuì jiào.
Last night, I didn't go to sleep until 3:30.

Student B 是吗？为什么？
Yuē shíjiān
Shì ma? Wèishénme?
Really? Why?

Student A 因为昨天我很忙。 MAKING APPOINTMENTS

Yīnwèi zuótiān wǒ hěn máng.
Because I was so busy yesterday.

Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready

B Student A 周末我去跳舞。 In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:

Zhōumò wǒ qù tiào wǔ. ± Answer a phone call and initiate ± How do you answer the phone?

I’m going dancing this weekend. a phone conversation ± How do students address

± Set up an appointment with their teachers?

Student B 是吗？我也去。 a teacher on the phone ± How do you ask for a favor?

Shì ma? Wǒ yě qù. ± Ask a favor

± Ask someone to return

Really? I’m going as well.
your call
2 谁呀 (shéi ya) (who is it?)
Lesson 6

第六课
Say this when someone knocks on your door. [See Lesson 5.]

A (Knocking on the door.) B (Knocking on the door.)

Wang Peng 谁呀？ Gao Wenzhong 谁呀？ Dì liù kè

Shéi ya? Shéi ya?
Who is it? Who is it?

Li You 是我，李友。 Little Wang 我，小王。

Shì wǒ, Lǐ Yǒu. Wǒ, Xiǎo Wáng.
It’s me, Li You. It’s me, Little Wang.

Wang Peng 请进。 Gao Wenzhong 进来。

Qǐng jìn. Jìn lai.
Please come in. Come in.

3 是吗 (shì ma) (really, is that so?)

约时间
Say this when you hear something unexpected. [See Lesson 5.]

A Student A 我昨天晚上三点半才睡觉。
Wǒ zuótiān wǎnshang sān diǎn bàn cái shuì jiào.
Last night, I didn't go to sleep until 3:30.

Student B 是吗？为什么？
Yuē shíjiān
Shì ma? Wèishénme?
Really? Why?

Student A 因为昨天我很忙。 MAKING APPOINTMENTS

Yīnwèi zuótiān wǒ hěn máng.
Because I was so busy yesterday.

Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready

B Student A 周末我去跳舞。 In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:

Zhōumò wǒ qù tiào wǔ. ± Answer a phone call and initiate ± How do you answer the phone?

I’m going dancing this weekend. a phone conversation ± How do students address

± Set up an appointment with their teachers?

Student B 是吗？我也去。 a teacher on the phone ± How do you ask for a favor?

Shì ma? Wǒ yě qù. ± Ask a favor

± Ask someone to return

Really? I’m going as well.
your call
 Calling Your Teacher
Pinyin Dialogue
c 问 (wèn)
1 Both 问 (wèn) and 请 (qǐng) are often

Lǐ Yǒu gěi Cháng lǎoshī dǎ diànhuà . . .

translated as “to ask” in English. However,

Wéi? 问 (wèn)
the verb means “to inquire,” e.g.,

1
我问她一个问题 (Wǒ wèn tā yí ge wèntí)
Dialogue 1
李友给 常老师打电话…… Wéi, qǐng wèn, Cháng lǎoshī zài ma?
请 (qǐng)
(I ask her a question), whereas
a

Wǒ jiù shì. Nín shì nǎ wèi? means “to invite” or “to request,” e.g.,

我请她跳舞 (Wǒ qǐng tā tiào wǔ)

Video

Audio
喂？ Lǎoshī, nín hǎo. Wǒ shì Lǐ Yǒu.
(I invite her to dance).

Lǐ Yǒu, yǒu shìr ma?

喂，请问，常老师在吗？ Lǎoshī, jīntiān xiàwǔ nín yǒu shíjiān ma?
b
d
节 (jié)
The measure word for academic courses is

我就是。您 是哪位？
a

门 (mén) 三门课 (sān mén kè)

c

Wǒ xiǎng wèn nín jǐ ge wèntí. . Compare:

三节课 (sān jié kè)

老师，您好。我是李友。
2 (three courses),

Duìbuqǐ, jīntiān xiàwǔ wǒ yào kāi huì.

三课 (sān kè)
(three class periods), and

Míngtiān ne?
李友，有事儿吗？
(three lessons).

什么时候 (shénme shíhou)

d

Míngtiān shàngwǔ wǒ yǒu liǎng jié kè, e

老师，今天下午您有时间 吗？ 几点 (jǐ diǎn)

b
is used to ask for a specific time
xiàwǔ sān diǎn yào gěi èr niánjí kǎo shì.
of day. To ask about time in general, use the
e

我想问 您几个问题。
c
Nín shénme shíhou yǒu kòngr? expression 什么时候 (shénme shíhou) (when).

Míngtiān sì diǎn yǐhòu cái yǒu kòngr. f

以后 (yǐhòu)
对不起，今天下午我要 开会。
2

Yàoshi nín fāngbiàn, sì diǎn bàn wǒ dào The Chinese equivalent of “after four o’clock”

四点以后 (sìdiǎn yǐhòu)

明天呢？
is . Note the

nín de bàngōngshì qù, xíng ma?

difference in word order. Likewise, “before
h

星期一以前 (xīngqīyī yǐqián)

明天上午我有两节 课，
d
Sì diǎn bàn, méi wèntí . Wǒ zài Monday” is .

bàngōngshì děng nǐ. g

要是 (yàoshi)
下午三点要给二年级考试。 Xièxie nín. 要是 (yàoshi) (if ) is a conjunction used to

您什么时候 有空儿？
e 3 introduce a contingent or hypothetical action

Bié kèqi.
or situation. Unlike “if,” it cannot introduce a

我不知道要是
明天四点以后 才有空儿。
f subordinate clause:

Language Notes
他明天来 .

a
您 (nín) 没问题 (méi wèntí)
要是 您方便，四点半我到您的办公室
g
h

This personal pronoun is often used to address

This phrase, meaning “no problem,” is a

去，行吗？
an older person or someone of higher social

reassuring reply to a tentative inquiry. It

rank. It is common for strangers to address

您 (nín)
suggests that the speaker does not foresee

四点半，没问题 。我在办公室等你。
h
each other with and then switch

你 (nǐ)
any problems. When people thank you and

谢谢 (xièxie)
to as they get acquainted.

say , the appropriate answer is

谢谢您。 b 有时间 (yǒu shíjiān) 不谢 (bú xiè) 别客气 (bié kèqì)

or rather

有时间 (yǒu shíjiān)

“To have free time” is 没问题 (méi wèntí)
than .

别 客气。
3

or 有空儿 (yǒu kòngr) 有时候 , never

(yǒu shíhou) .
Vocabulary
Confucius

No. Word Pinyin

Part of
Speech
Definition （孔子）(Kǒng Zǐ),

给
considered China’s

1 gěi prep to, for [See Grammar 1.] “First Teacher”

（先师） (Xiānshī),
2
打电话 dǎ diànhuà vo to make a phone call
is associated

with wisdom.

电话 diànhuà n telephone
Why do you

think Confucius

喂
is referenced on

Flashcards
3 wéi/wèi interj (on the phone) Hello!, Hey!
this packaging?

在
How does this pen
Audio
4 zài v to be present, to be at (a place) refill claim to help

就
students?

5 jiù adv precisely, exactly

6
您 nín pr you (honorific for 你)

7
哪 nǎ/něi qpr which

8
位 wèi m (polite measure word for people)
GET

9
下午 xiàwǔ t afternoon
Real
WITH
CHINESE

10
时间 shíjiān n time

11
问题 wèntí n question, problem
Part of

要
No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech
will, to be going to, to want to, to have a desire to

办公室
12 yào mv
[See Grammar 2.]
24 bàngōngshì
开会
n office

行
13 kāi huì vo to have a meeting

xíng
开
25 v all right, OK

等
kāi v to open, to hold (a meeting, party, etc.)

26 děng
会
v to wait, to wait for

别
huì n meeting

27 bié
上午
adv don’t [See Grammar 3.]

客气
14 shàngwǔ t morning

kèqi
节
28 adj polite

常老师
15 jié m (measure word for class periods)

29 Cháng lǎoshī
课
pn Teacher Chang

16 kè n class, course, lesson

17
年级 niánjí n grade in school

18
考试 kǎo shì vo/n to give or take a test; test

考 kǎo v to give or take a test

试 shì n/v test; to try, to experiment

我们在哪儿
以后
见面？
19 yǐhòu t after, from now on, later on

20
空（儿） kòng(r) n free time

21
要是 yàoshi conj if Wǒmen zài nǎr jiànmiàn? 我在 等你。
方便
Where will we meet? Wǒ zài děng nǐ.
22 fāngbiàn adj convenient

到
See index
for corre
sponding
vocabula
23 dào v to go to, to arrive ry or rese
arch an other term
.
Grammar 2 The modal verb 要 (yào) (will, be going to) (I)

要 (yào) 要 (yào)
1 The preposition 给 (gěi) (to, for) The modal verb (will, be going to) has several meanings. In this lesson, indicates

a future action, particularly a scheduled event or an activity that one is committed to. The negative

form of 要 (yào) 不 (bù)

is (no, not) rather than 不要 (bú yào) .

给 (gěi) (to, for) can be a verb or a preposition. As a preposition, 给 (gěi) is generally combined

明天下午三点我要给二年级考试。
with nouns or pronouns to form prepositional phrases, which appear before verbs as adverbials.

A 他给我打了一个电话。 Míngtiān xiàwǔ sān diǎn wǒ yào gěi èr niánjí kǎo shì.
I’m going to give the second-year class a test at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow.
Tā gěi wǒ dǎ le yí ge diànhuà.

今天晚上妹妹要去看电影。
He gave me a call.

B 他是谁？请你给我们介绍一下。 Jīntiān wǎnshang mèimei yào qù kàn diànyǐng.

My younger sister is going to see a movie tonight.
Tā shì shéi? Qǐng nǐ gěi wǒmen jièshào yí xià.

明天我要去小白家玩儿。你呢？
Who is he? Please introduce us.

C Q:

C 你有你姐姐的照片吗？给我看一下，行吗？ Míngtiān wǒ yào qù Xiǎo Bái jiā wánr. Nǐ ne?

I’m going to visit Little Bai tomorrow. How about you?
Nǐ yǒu nǐ jiějie de zhàopiàn ma? Gěi wǒ kàn yí xià, xíng ma?
Do you have a picture of your older sister? Can I have a look?

A: 明天我不去小白家玩儿，我要开会。
D 我昨天很忙，没给妈妈打电话。 Míngtiān wǒ bú qù Xiǎo Bái jiā wánr, wǒ yào kāi huì.
Wǒ zuótiān hěn máng, méi gěi māma dǎ diànhuà. I’m not going to visit Little Bai tomorrow. I am going to a meeting.

I was very busy yesterday. I didn’t call my mother.

EXERCISES

要
More
exercises
In pairs, form a question-and-answer about people's scheduled activities by using .
EXERCISES
More

给
exercises
Use exercise 1 as an example.
Rearrange the words to form a sentence by inserting where appropriate. Use exercise 1

as an example.
1 小李今天晚上 去听音乐
1 高文中 介绍他姐姐 我们 → 小李今天晚上要做什么？
Q:

→ 高文中给我们介绍他姐姐。 他今天晚上要去听音乐。
A:

2 李老师 介绍中国音乐 他的学生 2 王朋星期三 去高文中家玩儿

3 我妈妈 看她的照片 我们 3 王律师的弟弟明天晚上 去学校看电影
 Language Practice
3 The adverb 别 (bié) (don’t)

别 (bié) (don’t) is used to advise someone to refrain from doing something. Depending on the
A BFF PRESENTATIONAL

context, it can be used to express a polite request, a gentle reminder, or a serious admonition.

给 (gěi)
别客气。
Recap what Little Gao often does for his friends. Use where appropriate, e.g.:

打电话
A

dǎ diànhuà

小高常常给他们打电话。
Bié kèqi.
Xiǎo Gāo chángcháng gěi tāmen dǎ diànhuà.
You’re welcome.

看他爸爸妈妈的照片
1 kàn tā bàba māma de zhàopiàn
B 你别说。 听中国音乐
2 tīng Zhōngguó yīnyuè

喝英国茶
Nǐ bié shuō.
3 hē Yīngguó chá
Don’t say anything.

介绍新电影
4 jièshào xīn diànyǐng
C 别进来！ 你呢？ Now share what you do for your friends with the class.

Bié jìn lai!

Don’t come in!
B To-do list INTERPERSONAL

D 那个电影没有意思，你别看了。
Li You has the next few days all planned out. In pairs, form a question-and-answer about what

Nà ge diànyǐng méi yǒu yìsi, nǐ bié kàn le.

she will be doing by inserting 要 (yào) in the ◇, e.g.:

明天◇去跳舞
That movie is boring. Don’t go see it.

míngtiān ◇ qù tiào wǔ
E 别给小王打电话！ 李友明天做什么？
Q: Lǐ Yǒu míngtiān zuò shénme?

Bié gěi Xiǎo Wáng dǎ diànhuà! 李友明天要去跳舞。

A: Lǐ Yǒu míngtiān yào qù tiào wǔ.
Don’t call Little Wang!
今天晚上◇请朋友喝咖啡
1 jīntiān wǎnshang ◇ qǐng péngyou hē kāfēi

More
EXERCISES 明天上午◇
2 míngtiān shàngwǔ ◇

去同学家练习中文
exercises

In pairs, suggest your partner refrain from doing something by using the bracketed phrase and
qù tóngxué jiā liànxí Zhōngwén
别
明天下午◇
inserting where appropriate. Use exercise 1 as an example.

míngtiān xiàwǔ ◇
我今天晚上想去看电影。 （没意思）
3

去老师的办公室问问题
1 Student A

qù lǎoshī de bàngōngshì wèn wèntí

Student B 那个电影没意思，别去看了。 这个星期五◇
4 zhè ge xīngqīwǔ ◇
2 Student A 我想请小高吃美国菜。 （不喜欢） 去学校看电影 qù xuéxiào kàn diànyǐng

Student B 小高 。 这个周末◇
5 zhè ge zhōumò ◇

3 Student A 我想给小英打电话。 （很忙） 给小高介绍一个朋友 gěi Xiǎo Gāo jièshào yí ge péngyou

Student B 小英 。 Then ask about your partner’s plans for the next few days.
C I have another suggestion PRESENTATIONAL
E Calling up INTERPERSONAL

Using the images, practice how to be accommodating. Insert 要是 (yàoshi) where appropriate, e.g.: You are calling your friend to arrange a time to hang out. In pairs, role-play the conversation

不喜欢 (bù xǐhuan) 喜欢 (xǐhuan)

between the caller and the person (either your friend or your friend’s sibling) who answers.

要是你不喜欢唱歌，我们跳舞，怎么样？ Caller 喂，请问， 在吗？ Wéi, qǐngwèn, zài ma?

Yàoshi nǐ bù xǐhuan chàng gē, wǒmen tiào wǔ, zěnmeyàng?

Friend 我就是。/ Wǒ jiù shì. /
Friend’s Sibling 不在。 bú zài.

您是哪位？ Nín shì nǎ wèi?

不想 (bù xiǎng) 想 (xiǎng)
Friend/Friend’s Sibling

1
Caller 我是 。 Wǒ shì .

2 觉得……没有意思 (juéde . . . méiyǒu yìsi) Friend/Friend’s Sibling ，你好！ , nǐ hǎo! Yǒu shìr ma?

觉得……有意思 (juéde . . . yǒu yìsi) 有事儿吗？

3 不喜欢 (bù xǐhuan) 喜欢 (xǐhuan) Caller …… (You ask if you can come over this evening to watch TV.)

……
没有空儿 (méi yǒu kòngr) 有空儿 (yǒu kòngr)
Friend/Friend’s Sibling (They have a ball game, but are free tomorrow night.)

……
4 today tomorrow

Caller (Tomorrow night works for you, so you set a time before saying goodbye.)

D What if? INTERPERSONAL

Characterize it!
In pairs, take turns asking and answering the following questions.
What do the characters mean?

要是你有时间，你想去哪儿玩儿？
打 找
1 2
What is the common radical?
1
More
characters
What does the radical mean?

Yàoshi nǐ yǒu shíjiān, nǐ xiǎng qù nǎr wánr?

How does the radical relate to the

要是朋友请你吃饭，你想吃什么菜？
overall meaning of the characters?

Yàoshi péngyou qǐng nǐ chī fàn, nǐ xiǎng chī shénme cài?

3 要是同学请你看电影，你想看什么电影？ Chinese Chat

Yàoshi tóngxué qǐng nǐ kàn diànyǐng, nǐ xiǎng kàn shénme diànyǐng? Teacher Chang just Teacher Chang Follow
@Teacher_Chang66
要是朋友请你去跳舞，你想去哪儿跳舞？
posted a tweet.

When do you think her

4

Yàoshi péngyou qǐng nǐ qù tiào wǔ, nǐ xiǎng qù nǎr tiào wǔ?

students can make an

appointment with her? 明天上午有两节课，还要开会……十一点半以后才有空儿。

10:07 PM - 14 Nov 2016
5 要是朋友找你打球，你什么时候有时间？ 25 28
Yàoshi péngyou zhǎo nǐ dǎ qiú, nǐ shénme shíhou yǒu shíjiān?
 Pinyin Dialogue

Calling a Friend for Help

Lǐ Yǒu gěi Wáng Péng dǎ diànhuà . . .

Wéi, qǐng wèn, Wáng Péng zài ma?

Dialogue 2 李友给王朋打电话……
a

Wǒ jiù shì. Nǐ shì Lǐ Yǒu ba ?

4

Wáng Péng, wǒ xià ge xīngqī yào kǎo Zhōngwén,

Video

Audio
喂，请问，王朋在吗？ nǐ bāng wǒ zhǔnbèi yí xià, gēn wǒ liànxí shuō

Zhōngwén, hǎo ma?

我就是。你是李友吧 ？
a

Hǎo a, dànshì nǐ děi qǐng wǒ hē kāfēi.

王朋，我下个星期 要考中文，
4

Hē kāfēi, méi wèntí. Nà wǒ shénme shíhou gēn nǐ jiàn

b

miàn ? Nǐ jīntiān wǎnshang yǒu kòngr ma?

你帮我准备一下，跟我练习 Jīntiān wǎnshang Bái Yīng’ài qǐng wǒ chī fàn.

说中文，好吗？ Shì ma? Bái Yīng’ài qǐng nǐ chī fàn?

6

Duì. Wǒ huí lai yǐhòu gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà.

好啊，但是你得 请我喝咖啡。
5

Hǎo, wǒ děng nǐ de diànhuà.

喝咖啡，没问题。那我什么
Language Notes

时候跟你见面 ？你今天晚上
b

a 吧 (ba)
有空儿吗？ Compare the two particles 吧 (ba) and 吗 (ma) :

你是李友吧？
今天晚上白英爱请我吃饭。 Nǐ shì Lǐ Yǒu ba?

是吗？白英爱请你吃饭？
You are Li You, aren’t you?

(I think you’re Li You. Am I right?)

对。我回来 以后给你打电话。
6
你是李友吗？
Nǐ shì Lǐ Yǒu ma?

好，我等你的电话。 Are you Li You?

(I am not quite sure.)

b 见面 (jiàn miàn)
“A meets B” is “A 跟 (gēn) 见面 (jiàn miàn)
B ,”

not “ A 见面 B.”
Vocabulary Grammar

Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech

1
下个 xià ge next
4 Time expressions

下 xià below, next

年 (nián) (year), 月 (yuè) (month), 星期 (xīngqī) (week), and 天 (tiān) (day) are all nouns, but

2
中文 Zhōngwén n Chinese language 年 (nián) (year) and 天 (tiān) (day) are also measure words. Therefore, they are used differently,

文
Flashcards following the patterns below.

wén n language, script, written language

Audio
Pattern Examples

帮 bāng
年/天 一年 (yì nián) 五天 (wǔ tiān)
3 v to help

准备
Numeral + (one year), (five days)

4 zhǔnbèi v to prepare

练习 一个月 (yí ge yuè)

月/星期
5 liànxí v to practice (one month),

说 三个星期 (sān ge xīngqī)

Numeral + Measure Word +

6 shuō v to say, to speak (three weeks)

7
啊 a p (a sentence-final particle of exclamation, interrogation, etc.)
“One week” is 一个星期 (yí ge xīngqī) , therefore “one week later” is一个星期以后 (yí ge xīngqī yǐhòu) .

一个月 (yí ge yuè) 一个月以后 (yí ge yuè yǐhòu)

但是
“One month” is , therefore “one month later” is . Please note that
8 dànshì conj but
“one month” is not 一月 (yīyuè) (January). The time expressions 月 (yuè) 星期 (xīngqī)
and can be formed by using

下 (xià) 上 (shàng) （下）(xià)

得
(below) and (above), following the patterns below. “Below” is used to refer to weeks

9 děi av must, to have to

and months in the future, and “above”（上）(shàng) to refer to weeks and months in the past.

10
跟 gēn prep with

月 (yuè)
a

(month) 星期 (xīngqī)
b

(week)

11
见面 jiàn miàn
上上个月 (shàng shàng ge yuè) 上上（个）星期
vo to meet up, to meet with

面
(shàng shàng [ge] xīngqī)
miàn n face
( the month before last) (the week before last )

回来 huí lai
上个月 (shàng ge yuè)
12 to come back

上（个）星期 shàng [ge] xīngqī)

vc

(last month ) (last week)

这个月 (zhè ge yuè) 这（个）星期 (zhè [ge] xīngqī)

(this month ) (this week )

我学中文，你呢？ 下个月 (xià ge yuè) 下（个）星期 (xià [ge] xīngqī)

( next month ) (next week )

Wǒ xué Zhōngwén, nǐ ne?

I study Chinese. How about you?
我（也）学 。 下下个月 (xià xià ge yuè) 下下（个）星期 xià xià [ge] xīngqī) (

( the month after next) (the week after next )

Wǒ (yě) xué .
See index
for corre
sponding
a
We don’t say 上月/下月.
个 星期 下个星期 下星期 上个星期 上星期
vocabula
ry or rese
arch an other term b
. The measure word can be omitted for : = ; = .
 The below expressions using 天 (tiān) 年 (nián)
(day) and (year) form two parallel series except 5 The modal verb 得 (děi) (must, have to)
for 昨天 (zuótiān) 去年 (qùnián)
(yesterday) and (last year).

得 (děi)
天(tiān) 年 (nián)
The modal verb means “have to” or “must.”

(day) (year)

大前天 (dàqiántiān) 大前年 dàqiánnián)

( A 我现在得去开会，没空儿跟你聊天儿。
(three days ago) ( three years ago)

Wǒ xiànzài děi qù kāi huì, méi kòngr gēn nǐ liáo tiānr.

前天 (qiántiān) 前年 (qiánnián) I have to go to a meeting right now, and don’t have time to chat with you.

(the day before yesterday) ( the year before last)

我有事儿，得去学校。
昨天 (zuótiān) 去年 (qùnián)
B

(yesterday ) ( last year) Wǒ yǒu shìr, děi qù xuéxiào.

今天 (jīntiān) 今年 (jīnnián)
I have some business to attend to. I have to go to school.

(today) ( this year) The negative form of 得 (děi) 不用 (bú yòng)

is (need not) or 不必 (bú bì) (need not), 不得 .

Therefore, the correct way to say “You don’t have to go to the library” is (C).

明天 (míngtiān) 明年 (míngnián)
(tomorrow) ( next year)
C 你不用去图书馆。 or 你不必去图书馆。
后天 (hòutiān) 后年 (hòunián) Nǐ bú yòng qù túshūguǎn. Nǐ bú bì qù túshūguǎn.

[ 你不得去图书馆 。]
(the day after tomorrow) ( the year after next)

大后天 (dàhòutiān) 大后年 (dàhòunián)

(three days from today) ( three years from now) EXERCISES
More

得
exercises

In pairs, role-play the completed question-and-answers below by inserting where appropriate.

Use exercise 1 as an example.

今天晚上我们去看电影，好吗？
EXERCISES
More
exercises 1 Q:
Based on the information given, fill in the blanks with the appropriate time expressions. Exercise 1

includes an example.
A: 对不起/不行，今天晚上我得看书。
1 这个月是五月：上个月是四月 ， 是三月， 2 Q: 老师，下午三点我去您的办公室问问题，行吗？
是六月 ， 是七月 。 A: ， 上课。
2 今天是星期三：昨天是 ，前天是 ， 3 Q: 白律师，明年二月你可以来我们这儿工作吗？
明天是 ，后天是 。 A: ， 去英国开会。
 6
Language Practice
Directional complements (I)

来 (lái) (to come) and 去 (qù) (to go) can serve as directional complements after such verbs as
F It takes two INTERPERSONAL

进 (jìn) (to enter) and 回 (huí) (to return). 来 (lái) signifies movement toward the speaker, as in (A)

and (B). 去 (qù) (to go) signifies movement away from the speaker, as in (C), or the speaker’s own

movement away from a current location, as in (D).

Based on the information below, practice saying who does what with whom by using 跟 (gēn)
where appropriate, e.g.:

(You’re bored in your dorm, so you ask your roommate when she’s returning.)

说中文 (shuō Zhōngwén)

◇
你什么时候回来？
常老师跟李友说中文。
A

Nǐ shénme shíhou huí lai?

Cháng lǎoshī gēn Lǐ Yǒu shuō Zhōngwén.
When are you coming back?

(After you knock on the door, your teacher invites you into her office.)

1
◇ 聊天儿 (liáo tiānr)
B 进来。
Jìn lai.
2
◇ 跳舞 (tiào wǔ)

说英文 (shuō Yīngwén)

Come in.

3
◇
(Upon arrival at the airport, your friend drops you off and reminds you to hurry up.)

C 快进去吧! 4
◇ 见面吃晚饭 (jiàn miàn chī wǎnfàn)
Kuài jìn qu ba! Then ask your partner whom they often speak Chinese with.

Just go in, quickly!

(While shopping at the mall, you text your mom to tell her when you’ll be home.)

G Do’s and don’t’s PRESENTATIONAL

D 我六点回去。
Practice persuading someone to do one thing instead of another. Insert 别 (bié) and 得 (děi)
Wǒ liù diǎn huí qu.
where appropriate, e.g.:

聊天儿 看书
I’ll be back at six.

More
exercises
EXERCISES liáo tiānr kàn shū
Complete the sentences below by inserting the appropriate directional complements.

1 白英爱：老师，我可以进 吗？ 你别聊天儿，你得看书。
Nǐ bié liáo tiānr, nǐ děi kàn shū.
2 常老师：快进 。
 1 喝茶 睡觉 I Day planner INTERPERSONAL

hē chá shuì jiào

In pairs, ask questions about your partner’s schedule.

2 看电视 给老师打电话 你这个星期天上午（要）做什么？

kàn diànshì gěi lǎoshī dǎ diànhuà Nǐ zhè ge xīngqītiān shàngwǔ (yào) zuò shénme?

3 睡觉 去考试 你下个星期三下午（要）做什么？
Nǐ xià ge xīngqīsān xiàwǔ (yào) zuò shénme?
shuì jiào qù kǎo shì

你下个星期五晚上（要）做什么？
4 打球 练习说中文 Nǐ xià ge xīngqīwǔ wǎnshang (yào) zuò shénme?
dǎ qiú liànxí shuō Zhōngwén

5 去朋友家玩儿 去学校工作 J One good turn deserves another INTERPERSONAL

qù péngyou jiā wánr qù xuéxiào gōngzuò

Use the information and the pattern to reply to requests for help.

Then present a list of study habits to improve your Chinese language skills to your classmates.

1 Study Chinese

2 Practice playing ball

3 Practice singing
H Meeting up PRESENTATIONAL

4 Practice dancing

Indicate which IC characters you would or would not like to meet, using 跟 (gēn) and 见面 “If I help you . . . , you have to . . . ”

要是我帮你 ，你得 。
(jiàn miàn) where appropriate, e.g.:

我（不）想跟王朋见面。 Yàoshi wǒ bāng nǐ , nǐ děi .

Wǒ (bù) xiǎng gēn Wáng Péng jiàn miàn.

Suppose you have an oral exam tomorrow. Convince your classmate to help you study by modifying

the pattern above.

1 2 3 4 5

Characterize it!
What do the characters mean?

话 课 试
1 2 3
What is the common radical?

What does the radical mean? More

characters

How does the radical relate to the

overall meaning of the characters?

K Call me back INTERPERSONAL

You have a

date tonight in
You are calling your Chinese friend to arrange a date. In pairs, role-play the conversation between
Beijing’s hip Gulou

the caller and the parent who answers the phone. neighborhood

您好！请问李音在吗？
and want to look

your best. What

Caller
would you use this

product for?
Nín hǎo! Qǐng wèn Lǐ Yīn zài ma?

Parent 不在。你是哪位？
Bú zài. Nǐ shì nǎ wèi? GET

Real
Caller 我是 。 WITH
CHINESE

Wǒ shì .

Parent 你找 有事儿吗？
Nǐ zhǎo yǒu shìr ma?

Caller 我明天晚上想请她 。
9:48 PM 85%
Wǒ míngtiān wǎnshang xiǎng qǐng tā . Chinese Chat

Parent 她明天晚上要 ，没空儿。 〈 Aisha Rollins Your classmate is chatting

with you on HipChat to

set up a study session.

Tā míngtiān wǎnshang yào , méi kòngr. Aisha Rollins 9:41 PM

我下个星期一考中文。 你得帮我 How would you reply?

Caller 那她 有时间吗？ 准备考试。

Nà tā yǒu shíjiān ma? You 9:42 PM
...
Parent 她 要 ，没时间。 Aisha Rollins 9:44 PM

Tā yào , méi shíjiān. 今天和明天下午都行。在哪儿见面？

Caller 那请她回来以后 ，我等她的电话。 You
...
9:45 PM

Nà qǐng tā huí lai yǐhòu , wǒ děng tā de diànhuà.

Aisha Rollins 9:48 PM

好，谢谢！考试以后我请你看电影。
Parent 好，再见。
Hǎo, zàijiàn. Send

Caller 谢谢您！再见。
Xièxie nín! Zàijiàn.
CULTURAL LITERACY

Continue
to explore
喂 Chinese
中文 (Zhōngwén)
Both

汉语 (Hànyǔ) mean “the

Chinese language.” Derived

from the name of one of the

and

longest dynasties of unified

China, Han 汉 (Hàn) refers

to the predominant ethnic

Phone etiquette group in China, and 汉语

(Hànyǔ) literally means “the
The receiver of the call usually does language of the Han people.”

not self-identify immediately on Thus, many Chinese citizens of

answering, as is common in some non-Han ethnic backgrounds

other cultures. Instead, the receiver usually refer to the Chinese

typically only says 喂 (wéi/wèi) and lets

language as 汉语 (Hànyǔ)
the caller initiate the conversation.
rather than 中文 (Zhōngwén) ,

which can be understood

as the language of China.

Additionally, there is a subtle

difference between 语 (yǔ)

(speech) and 文 (wén) (writing),

but for most purposes 汉语

(Hànyǔ ) and 中文 (Zhōngwén)
COMPARE
& CONTRAST

are generally considered

1 China is comparable in size to the United
synonymous.
States, and yet there is only one time zone in

北京时间 (Běijīng shíjiān)

The Chinese language has
the entire country:
the most number of speakers
(Beijing Time). Consequently, people in the
out of any language, and is

Cell phones spoken in at least thirty-three western part of the country have to make

手机 (shǒujī)
countries. It is important adjustments to their daily schedules. When
To call a cell phone, or , neither 0
to note that what you are most people in Beijing go to work at 8:00 a.m.,
nor an area code is needed before dialing the
currently studying is Standard
it is hardly daybreak yet in the western city of
eleven-digit cell phone number. China is now the

largest cell phone market in the world. Since the

Chinese, also known as

Modern Standard Mandarin,

Urumqi ( 乌鲁木齐 (Wūlǔmùqí)) . Based on

early 2010s, a messaging app called WeChat, or the time zone differences, what do you think

微信 (Wēixìn)
or simply Mandarin. Mandarin
(lit. micro message), has quickly people in China are doing right now as you
is the standard form of the
become a major social media platform on cell
read this question?
language. It is referred to as

普通话 (Pǔtōnghuà)
phones and other mobile devices. Because
(“common
users can call each other through the app as
language”) in Mainland China, 2 How many time zones are there in your
well as send voice messages, it is now a very

popular communication tool among people 国语 (Guóyǔ) (“national country? Are there other large countries that

in China and overseas Chinese. In English- language”) in Taiwan, and have only one time zone? Discuss the pros

language materials in China, the term “mobile 华语 (Huáyǔ) (“language and cons of having one versus multiple time

phone” rather than “cell phone” is preferred, as spoken by ethnic Chinese

zones within a country.

in the name of the country’s largest cell phone people”) in Southeast Asia.

service provider, China Mobile.

Lesson Wrap-Up

Lesson 7
Make It Flow!

Turn the following eight short sentences into a coherent narrative. Remember to

omit repetitive elements and substitute subjects with personal pronouns where

appropriate. Use the connective devices 因为 (yīnwèi) 所以 (suǒyǐ)

, , and
第七课
可是 (kěshì) where appropriate. Dì qī kè

今天是星期三。李友星期五要考试。李友想星期四下午去
问常老师问题。常老师说她很忙。常老师星期三下午要开
会。常老师星期四上午有课。常老师星期四下午四点以后
才有空。李友说星期四下午四点半到老师的办公室去。
Make an Appointment

Make an appointment with your teacher by email or text. Begin your message

with a greeting and introduce yourself. Pick a time and find out if your teacher is

free. Explain why you would like to see him/her. After you hear back from your

teacher, confirm your appointment and express your thanks.

Make a Call

学中文
Call a friend who speaks Chinese. Make sure you remember how to begin

a phone conversation. Ask if your friend can help you study for an upcoming

Chinese exam, or would like to study together. Pick a time and find out if your

friend is free. Ask if he/she would like to have Chinese food afterwards.

Before proceeding to Lesson 7, be sure you can complete the

Xué Zhōngwén
following tasks in Chinese:

² Answer a phone call and initiate

a phone conversation
STUDYING CHINESE
² Politely ask for a favor

² Set up an appointment on the phone

² Negotiate a time to meet

² Request that my call be returned

Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready

In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:

± Discuss your exam performance ± How do people talk about

± Comment on your character writing academic achievements?

± Discuss your experience ± What are considered good

learning Chinese study habits for learning a

± Talk about your study habits foreign language?

± Describe typical classroom situations

Lesson Wrap-Up

Lesson 7
Make It Flow!

Turn the following eight short sentences into a coherent narrative. Remember to

omit repetitive elements and substitute subjects with personal pronouns where

appropriate. Use the connective devices 因为 (yīnwèi) 所以 (suǒyǐ)

, , and
第七课
可是 (kěshì) where appropriate. Dì qī kè

今天是星期三。李友星期五要考试。李友想星期四下午去
问常老师问题。常老师说她很忙。常老师星期三下午要开
会。常老师星期四上午有课。常老师星期四下午四点以后
才有空。李友说星期四下午四点半到老师的办公室去。
Make an Appointment

Make an appointment with your teacher by email or text. Begin your message

with a greeting and introduce yourself. Pick a time and find out if your teacher is

free. Explain why you would like to see him/her. After you hear back from your

teacher, confirm your appointment and express your thanks.

Make a Call

学中文
Call a friend who speaks Chinese. Make sure you remember how to begin

a phone conversation. Ask if your friend can help you study for an upcoming

Chinese exam, or would like to study together. Pick a time and find out if your

friend is free. Ask if he/she would like to have Chinese food afterwards.

Before proceeding to Lesson 7, be sure you can complete the

Xué Zhōngwén
following tasks in Chinese:

² Answer a phone call and initiate

a phone conversation
STUDYING CHINESE
² Politely ask for a favor

² Set up an appointment on the phone

² Negotiate a time to meet

² Request that my call be returned

Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready

In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:

± Discuss your exam performance ± How do people talk about

± Comment on your character writing academic achievements?

± Discuss your experience ± What are considered good

learning Chinese study habits for learning a

± Talk about your study habits foreign language?

± Describe typical classroom situations

 Pinyin Dialogue

How Did You Do on the Exam?

Wáng Péng gēn Lǐ Yǒu shuō huà . . .
1

Lǐ Yǒu, nǐ shàng ge xīngqī kǎo shì kǎo de zěnmeyàng?

Dialogue 1
王朋跟李友说话…… Yīnwèi nǐ bāng wǒ fùxí, suǒyǐ kǎo de búcuò.
2

Dànshì wǒ xiě Zhōngguó zì xiě de tài màn le!

李友，你上个星期考试考得 怎么样？
1 a
Video
Shì ma? Yǐhòu wǒ gēn nǐ yìqǐ liànxí xiě zì, hǎo bu hǎo ?
3
Audio

Nà tài hǎo le! Wǒmen xiànzài jiù xiě, zěnmeyàng?

因为你帮我复习，所以考得不错。 4

Hǎo, gěi wǒ yì zhī bǐ , yì zhāng zhǐ. Xiě shénme zì?

但是我写中国字写得太 慢了！
2
Nǐ jiāo wǒ zěnme xiě “dǒng” zì ba.

Hǎo ba.
是吗？以后我跟你一起练习写字，好不好 ？
a

Nǐ xiě zì xiě de zhēn hǎo, zhēn kuài.

那太好了！我们现在就 写，怎么样？
3 b

Nǎli, nǎli . Nǐ míngtiān yǒu Zhōngwén kè ma? Wǒ

bāng nǐ yùxí.
好，给我一枝笔 、一张纸。写什么字？
4

Míngtiān wǒmen xué dì qī kè. Dì qī kè de yǔfǎ hěn

你教我怎么写“懂”字吧。 róngyì, wǒ dōu dǒng, kěshì shēngcí tài duō, Hànzì yě

6

yǒuyìdiǎnr nán.
好吧。 Méi wèntí, wǒ bāng nǐ.

你写字写得真 好，真快。
2

Language Notes

哪里，哪里 。你明天有中文课吗？
b

a
好不好 (hǎo bu hǎo)
我帮你预习。 Like 行吗 (xíng ma) and 好吗 (hǎo ma) ,

this expression can be used to seek

明天我们学第七 课。第七课的语法
5

someone’s approval of a proposal.

哪里 (nǎli)
很容易，我都懂，可是生词太多，
b

This literally means “where,” and is a polite

汉字也有一点儿 难。
6 reply to a compliment. In recent times,

however, the phrase has become a bit

没问题，我帮你。
old-fashioned. Many people will respond

to a compliment by saying 是吗 (shì ma)

(is that so?). Some young people in urban

areas will also acknowledge a compliment

by saying 谢谢 (xièxie) (thanks) instead.

Vocabulary
To convert a

Part of foreign driver’s

No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech license in China,

说话
applicants must

1 shuō huà vo to talk answer ninety

out of a hundred

话
questions correctly.

huà n word, speech If asked, could you

identify this sign?

Flashcards
2
上个 shàng ge previous, last

Audio
3
得 de p (a structural particle) [See Grammar 1.]

GET

4
复习 fùxí v to review Real
WITH
CHINESE

5
写 xiě v to write

6
字 zì n character

Part of

慢
No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech
7 màn adj slow

21
容易 róngyì
枝
adj easy

(measure word for long, thin, inflexible objects such as

8 zhī m

生词
pens, pencils, etc.)

22 shēngcí
笔
n new words, vocabulary

9 bǐ n pen

23
多 duō adj many, much

10
张 zhāng m (measure word for flat objects such as paper, pictures, etc.)

24
汉字 Hànzì n Chinese characters

11
纸 zhǐ n paper

25
难 nán difficult

教
adj

12 jiāo v to teach

13
怎么 zěnme qpr how, how come

14
懂 dǒng v to understand

15
真 zhēn adv really [See Grammar 2.]
我们一起练习写字吧！
你想练习什么字？
16
哪里 nǎli pr where

预习
Wǒmen yìqǐ liànxí xiě zì ba!
17 yùxí v to preview

我想练习写 字。
Nǐ xiǎng liànxí shénme zì?

学
Let’s practice writing characters!

18 xué v to study, to learn What characters do you want to practice writing?

Wǒ xiǎng liànxí xiě zì.
19
第 dì prefix (prefix for ordinal numbers) [See Grammar 5.]
Pick any c
haracters
you'd like
to practic
e writing.

20
语法 yǔfǎ n grammar
Grammar EXERCISES
More

得
exercises

Complete the sentences below by using to lead a complement. Use exercise 1 as an example.

1 Descriptive complements (I)

1 我昨天晚上睡 。
→ 我昨天晚上睡得不错。
得 (de) 得 (de)
弟弟昨天吃晚饭吃 。
The particle can be used after a verb or an adjective. This lesson mainly deals with

as it appears after a verb. The adjective, adverb, or verb phrase that follows 得 (de) in the
2

construction below is called a descriptive complement. In this lesson, the descriptive complements
3 王朋打球打 。
are all adjectives that serve as comments on the actions expressed by the preceding verbs.

A 他写字写得很好。 2 The adverbs 太 (tài) (too), 真 (zhēn) (really), and 很 (hěn) (very)
Tā xiě zì xiě de hěn hǎo.
He writes characters very well.
When the adverbs 太 (tài) (too) and 真 (zhēn) (really) are used in exclamatory sentences, in most

[ 很好 (hěn hǎo) (very well) is a comment on the action 写 (xiě) (to write).]
cases they convey not new factual information but the speaker’s subjective judgment. If the speaker

wants to make a more “objective” statement or description, other intensifiers, such as 很 (hěn) (very),

他昨天睡觉睡得很晚。
are often used instead.

Tā zuótiān shuì jiào shuì de hěn wǎn.

A Q: 他写字写得怎么样？
He went to bed very late last night.

Tā xiě zì xiě de zěnmeyàng?

[ 很晚 (hěn wǎn) (very late) is a comment on the action 睡觉 (shuì jiào) (to sleep).]
How well does he write characters?

C 妹妹歌唱得很好。 One would normally answer:

Mèimei gē chàng de hěn hǎo. A: 他写字写得很好。

My younger sister sings very well.
Tā xiě zì xiě de hěn hǎo.
[ 很好 (hěn hǎo) (very well) is a comment on the action 唱 (chàng) (to sing).] He writes characters very well.

If the complement is an adjective, it is usually preceded by 很 (hěn) (very), as is the case when Rather than:

他写字写得真好。
an adjective is used as a predicate. If the verb is followed by an object, the verb has to be repeated

before it can be followed by the “ 得 (de) + complement” structure, e.g., 写字写得 (xiě zì xiě de) A:

in (A). Repeating the verb turns the “verb + object” combination preceding it into a topic and the
Tā xiě zì xiě de zhēn hăo.
complement that follows serves as a comment on it. [See Grammar 1, Lesson 10.] The first verb

Compare the second answer with (B).

can be omitted if the meaning is clear from the context, as in (C).
 B 小李，你写字写得真好！ 你可以教我吗？ 3 The adverb 就 (jiù) (I)
Xiǎo Lǐ, nǐ xiě zì xiě de zhēn hǎo! Nǐ kěyǐ jiāo wǒ ma?
The adverb 就 (jiù) is used before a verb to suggest the earliness, brevity, or quickness
Little Li, you write characters really well! Could you teach me?

of an action.

太 (tài) can also be used in a statement, either with or without 了 (le) at the end. It means

“excessive in degree,” pertaining to a less than satisfactory thing or situation, and the stress

can fall either on 太 (tài) or the adjective following it.

A 他明天七点就得上课。
Tā míngtiān qī diǎn jiù děi shàng kè.

C 你和我两个人吃饭，五个菜太多了。 He has to go to class early at 7:00 tomorrow.

Nǐ hé wǒ liǎng ge rén chī fàn, wǔ ge cài tài duō le.

B 我们八点看电影, 他七点半就来了。
It’s just the two of us eating. Five dishes are too many.

Wǒmen bā diǎn kàn diànyǐng, tā qī diǎn bàn jiù lái le.

这个电影太贵了，我不去看。
We were supposed to see the movie at 8:00, but he came early at 7:30.

Zhè ge diànyǐng tài guì le, wǒ bú qù kàn. 就 (jiù) vs. 才 (cái)

就 (jiù) suggests the perceived earliness or promptness of an action, as in (C) and (E), whereas 才
It costs too much to see this movie, and I am not going to watch it.
(cái) suggests the perceived lateness of an action, as in (D) and (F). [See also Grammar 6, Lesson 5.]

When commenting on a past action, 就 (jiù) is always used with 了 (le) to indicate promptness, but

E 我们是同学，你不要太客气了。 才 (cái) is never used with 了 (le) .

Wǒmen shì tóngxué, nǐ bú yào tài kèqi le.

We are classmates. There is no need for you to be so polite.
C 八点上课，小白七点就来了。
Bā diǎn shàng kè, Xiǎo Bái qī diǎn jiù lái le.
EXERCISES Class started at 8:00, but Little Bai came early at 7:00.

Rewrite the declarative sentences as two exclamatory sentences, replacing 很 with 太 and 真
where appropriate. Use exercise 1 as an example.
D 八点上课，小张八点半才来。
1 那个电影很有意思。 Bā diǎn shàng kè, Xiǎo Zhāng bā diǎn bàn cái lái.

→ 那个电影真有意思！/那个电影太有意思了！ Class starts at 8:00, but Little Zhang didn’t come until 8:30.

2 第六课的语法很容易。 E 我昨天五点就回家了。
3 高文中的家很漂亮。 Wǒ zuótiān wǔ diǎn jiù huí jiā le.
Yesterday I went home early at 5:00.

F 我昨天五点才回家。
Wǒ zuótiān wǔ diǎn cái huí jiā.
Yesterday I didn’t get home until 5:00.
 EXERCISES EXERCISES
More More

就 才
exercises exercises

Indicate the earliness or lateness of an action by inserting or where appropriate. Use exercise 1 Add a direct or indirect object to the sentences below. Use exercise 1 as an example.

老师给我 。 → 老师给我一本书。
as an example.

我明天要回家。妹妹上个星期回家了。
白英爱问 一个问题。
1
2

→ 我明天要回家，妹妹上个星期就回家了。 3 王朋教李友 。
2 我昨天五点去打球。王朋四点去打球。
3 我们昨天晚上十一点睡觉。高文中十二点睡觉。 5 Ordinal numbers

4 Double objects
Ordinal numbers in Chinese are formed by placing 第 (dì) before cardinal numbers, e.g., 第一
(dì yī) (the first), 第二杯茶 (dì èr bēi chá) (the second cup of tea), 第三个月 (dì sān ge yuè)
(the third month). However, 第 (dì) 一月 二月 三月
is not used directly before months, e.g., , ,

Some verbs can take two objects. The object representing people or animate entities, usually
(yīyuè, èryuè, sānyuè) (January, February, March). Neither is it used to indicate the birth order of

大哥 二哥 三哥 (dàgē, èrgē, sāngē)

the direct object, precedes the one representing inanimate things, usually the indirect object.
siblings, e.g., , , (oldest brother, second oldest brother,

大姐 二姐 三姐 (dàjiě, èrjiě, sānjiě)

老师教我们生词和语法。
third oldest brother); , , (oldest sister, second oldest sister,

A third oldest sister).

Lǎoshī jiāo wǒmen shēngcí hé yǔfǎ.

有（一）点儿 (yǒu[yì]diǎnr) (somewhat, rather, a little bit)

The teacher teaches us vocabulary and grammar.
6

B 大哥给了我一瓶水。 The phrase 有一点儿 (yǒuyìdiǎnr) precedes adjectives or verbs. It often carries a negative tone.

Dà gē gěi le wǒ yì píng shuǐ. 一 (yī) is optional.

My big brother gave me a bottle of water.

A 我觉得中文有（一）点儿难。
C 你教我汉字，可以吗？ Wǒ juéde Zhōngwén yǒu(yì)diǎnr nán.
Nǐ jiāo wǒ Hànzì, kěyǐ ma? I think Chinese is a little hard.

[ 我觉得中文有（一）点儿容易。]
Will you teach me Chinese characters, please?

我想问你一个问题。
我觉得这一课生词有（一）点儿多。
D

B
Wǒ xiǎng wèn nǐ yí ge wèntí.
Wǒ juéde zhè yí kè shēngcí yǒu(yì)diǎnr duō.
I’d like to ask you a question.

I think there are a few too many new words in this lesson.

However, when the sentence describes a change in situation, the phrase 有（一）点儿
(yǒu[yì]diǎnr) can carry a positive tone.
 C 我以前不喜欢他，现在有（一）点儿喜欢他了。 Language Practice

Wǒ yǐqián bù xǐhuan tā, xiànzài yǒu(yì)diǎnr xǐhuan tā le.

A
以前 (yǐqián) How well? PRESENTATIONAL

I used to dislike him, but now I rather like him. [ (previously or before)] [See Lesson 8.]

有（一）点儿 (yǒu[yì]diǎnr)
得 (de)
Take care not to confuse (a little), which is an adverbial used to

（一）点儿 ([yì]diǎnr)
Describe Little Wang’s traits based on the information given, inserting where appropriate.

modify adjectives, with (a little), which usually modifies nouns. In the above

有（一）点儿 (yǒu[yì]diǎnr) （一）点儿 ([yì]diǎnr)

Pay attention to the structure of the verbs involved, e.g.:

sentences, is not interchangeable with .

考试 好 (VO) kǎo shì (VO) hǎo

D 给我（一）点儿咖啡。 小王常常考试考得很好。 Xiǎo Wáng chángcháng kǎo shì kǎo de hěn hǎo.
Gěi wǒ (yì)diǎnr kāfēi.
Give me a little coffee.
1 睡觉 (VO) 晚 shuì jiào (VO) wǎn

喝咖啡 多
给我（一）点儿时间。
2 (VO) hē kāfēi (VO) duō
E

Gěi wǒ (yì)diǎnr shíjiān. 3 写字 (VO) 快 xiě zì (VO) kuài

Give me a little time.

4 说中文 (VO) 好 shuō Zhōngwén (VO) hǎo

F 我有（一）点儿忙。 [ 我（一）点儿忙。] 5 预习 (V) 不错 yùxí (V) búcuò

Wǒ yǒu(yì)diǎnr máng.
6 工作 (V) 好 gōngzuò (V) hǎo
I am kind of busy.

G 她有（一）点儿不高兴。 B Exclamations! PRESENTATIONAL

Tā yǒu(yì)diǎnr bù gāoxìng.
She is a little unhappy.
Let people know how you feel by inserting the adverb 太 (tài) or 真 (zhēn) when appropriate, e.g.:

[ 她（一）点儿不高兴。] 汉字◇有意思
Hànzì ◇ yǒu yìsi
EXERCISES

有（一）点儿 汉字太有意思了！/ 汉字真有意思！

More
exercises
Rewrite the sentences below to reduce the intensity by inserting where

appropriate. Use exercise 1 as an example.

Hànzì tài yǒu yìsi le!/Hànzì zhēn yǒu yìsi!

1 第七课很难。 → 第七课有（一）点儿难。
2 老师今天很忙。 1 老师家◇漂亮 lǎoshī jiā ◇ piàoliang

3 王朋说中文说得很快。 2 考试◇容易 kǎo shì ◇ róngyì

3 语法◇难 yǔfǎ ◇ nán

 4 同学的中文 好 ◇ tóngxué de Zhōngwén ◇ hăo
E How’s it going so far? INTERPERSONAL

5 我写字◇慢 wǒ xiě zì ◇ màn In pairs, discuss your experience learning Chinese, e.g.:

你觉得中文什么难？生词、语法还是汉字？
C Could be worse PRESENTATIONAL

Nǐ juéde Zhōngwén shénme nán? Shēngcí, yǔfǎ háishi hànzì?

Moderate your view by inserting 有（一）点儿 (yǒu[yì]diǎnr) where appropriate e.g.:

语法 难 ◇ yǔfǎ ◇ nán What do the characters mean?

Characterize it!

语法有（一）点儿难。
快 慢 懂
1 2 3

Yǔfǎ yǒu(yì)diǎnr nán. What is the common radical?

More
characters

What does the radical mean?

1 第七课的生词◇多 dì qī kè de shēngcí ◇ duō How does the radical relate to the

overall meaning of the characters?

2 我们的考试◇难 wǒmen de kǎo shì ◇ nán

3 中文课◇早 (zǎo) (early) Zhōngwén kè ◇ zǎo (early)

4 汉字 难 ◇ Hànzì ◇ nán
Chinese Chat

老师说话◇快
Your classmate is chatting with you on Google Hangouts about a recent test.

5 lǎoshī shuō huà ◇ kuài How would you reply?

D Runs in the family INTERPERSONAL

You Aisha Rollins

In pairs, discuss how well your family members perform certain activities, e.g.:

New conversation
你昨天考试考得不错吧？
你爸爸打球打得怎么样？ Aisha • Mon, 5:45 PM
Q:

Nǐ bàba dǎ qiú dǎ de zěnmeyàng? Aisha Rollins Mon

...
你真酷，真是我的好同学！
我爸爸打球打得不好，我妈妈打球打得好。
我复习了，可是写字写得太慢，
A:

Wǒ bàba dǎ qiú dǎ de bù hǎo, wǒ māma dǎ qiú dǎ de hǎo. Joel Smithson

You: ...
Fri
所以考得不好。
Aisha • Mon, 5:50 PM

...
1 2 3
Lola Abubakar Wed
You: ...

你真酷，真是我的好同学！
Aisha • Mon, 5:53 PM

Send a message
 Pinyin Dialogue

Preparing for Chinese Class

Lǐ Yǒu gēn Bái Yīng’ài shuō huà . . .

Bái Yīng’ài, nǐ píngcháng lái de hěn zǎo,

7

Dialogue 2
李友跟白英爱说话……
jīntiān zěnme zhème wǎn?
a

Wǒ zuótiān yùxí Zhōngwén, zǎoshang sì

3

白英爱，你平常来得很早，今天怎么
7
Video
diǎn cái shuì jiào, nǐ yě shuì de hěn wǎn ma?
3

Audio Wǒ zuótiān shí diǎn jiù shuì le. Yīnwèi Wáng

这么晚？ Péng bāng wǒ liànxí Zhōngwén, suǒyǐ wǒ

我昨天预习中文，早上 四点才 睡觉，

a 3

gōngkè zuò de hěn kuài.

你也睡得很晚吗？
Yǒu ge Zhōngguó péngyou zhēn hǎo.

Shàng Zhōngwén kè . . .

我昨天十点就 睡了。因为王朋帮我
3

Dàjiā zǎo , xiànzài wǒmen kāishǐ shàng kè.

练习中文，所以我功课做得很快。 Dì qī kè nǐmen dōu yùxí le ma?

有个中国朋友真好。
Yùxí le.

Lǐ Yǒu, qǐng nǐ niàn kèwén . . . Niàn de hěn

上中文课…… hǎo. Nǐ zuótiān wǎnshang tīng lùyīn le ba?

大家早 ，现在我们开始上课。第七课
b Wǒ méi tīng.

Dànshì tā de péngyou zuótiān wǎnshang bāng

你们都预习了吗？ tā xuéxí le.

预习了。 Nǐ de péngyou shì Zhōngguó rén ma?

Shì.
李友，请你念课文。……念得很好。 8 c

Tā shì yí ge nán de , hěn shuài , hěn kù, jiào b

早 (zǎo)
你昨天晚上听录音了吧？
9 This is a common Chinese greeting. Other

Wáng Péng.
morning greetings, such as 早上好
早安 (zǎo’ān)
我没听。 Language Notes
(zǎoshang hǎo) and , still

sound rather formal to many Chinese people.

但是她的朋友昨天晚上帮她学习了。 a
早上 (zǎoshang) 上午 (shàngwǔ)
/
c
帅 (shuài)
你的朋友是中国人吗？
This term is usually used to describe a
Both words are usually translated as “morning,”

but the two are not interchangeable. 早上 handsome man. 漂亮 (piàoliang) (pretty)

是。
(zǎoshang) refers to early morning, whereas
is used to describe an attractive woman.

上午 (shàngwǔ) covers the entire first half

The term 好看 (hǎokàn) (good-looking)

他是一个男的 ，很帅 ，很酷，叫王朋。

8 c 9 of the day (until noon).
is gender-neutral, and can be used to

describe anyone.
Vocabulary Grammar

Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech

1
平常 píngcháng adv usually
7 Question pronoun: 怎么 (zěnme) (how, how come)
2
早 zǎo adj early
怎么 (zěnme) (how, how come) is an interrogative pronoun. It is used to ask about the manner

3
这么 zhème pr so, this (late, etc.)
of an action, as in (A), and sometimes the reason or the cause of an action, as in (B) and (C).

晚
Flashcards

Audio
4 wǎn adj late

A 请你教我怎么写“懂”这个字。
5
早上 zǎoshang t morning
Qǐng nǐ jiāo wǒ zěnme xiě “dǒng” zhè ge zì.
6
功课 gōngkè n homework, schoolwork
Please teach me how to write the character “ 懂 .”

7
大家 dàjiā pr everybody

你怎么才来？
上课
B

8 shàng kè vo to go to a class, to start a class, to be in class

Nǐ zěnme cái lái?

9
开始 kāishǐ v/n to begin, to start; beginning
How come you’ve just arrived?

10
念 niàn v to read aloud

你怎么没去看电影？
课文
C
11 kèwén n text of a lesson

Nǐ zěnme méi qù kàn diànyǐng?

12
录音 lùyīn n/vo sound recording; to record

How come you didn’t go see the movie?

13
学习 xuéxí v to study, to learn
Both 怎么 (zěnme) (how come) and 为什么 (wèishénme) (why) are used to ask about the cause

14
帅 shuài adj handsome
of or reason for something. However,

为什么 (wèishénme)
怎么 (zěnme) (how come) conveys the speaker’s surprise,

酷
whereas (why) does not.

15 kù adj cool (appearance, behavior)

EXERCISES

怎么
More
exercises
Join these sentences to express surprise by using where appropriate. Use exercise 1

as an example.

1 我们今天考中文。你昨天晚上九点就睡了。
→ 我们今天考中文，你昨天晚上怎么九点
你有中文书吗？ 就睡了？
Nǐ yǒu Zhōngwén shū ma? 2 上个星期的考试很容易。 白英爱考得不好。
我有 。
高小音是高文中的姐姐。 你不认识高小音。
Do you have Chinese books?

3
Wǒ yǒu .
See index
for corre
sponding
vocabula
ry or rese
arch an other term
.
 8 The 的 (de) structure (I) 9 Connecting sentences in continuous discourse

We have a 的 (de) 的 (de)

structure when an adjective is followed by the structural particle . As suggested in the previous “Make It Flow!” exercises, if a noun serves as the unchanged subject

的 (de)
Grammatically, a 他是一个男的
structure is equivalent to a noun. When Bai Ying’ai says, “ in a continuous discourse, its later appearances in the ensuing clauses or sentences should

(Tā shì yí ge nán de)

,” it is clear from the context that she means a male (one). [See also generally be substituted by an appropriate pronoun or simply be omitted. The pronoun, in turn,

Grammar 3, Lesson 9.] can also be omitted after its first appearance.

A 我写了十个字，五个难的，五个容易的。 A 小白很喜欢学中文。她晚上预习课文、复习
Wǒ xiě le shí ge zì, wǔ ge nán de, wǔ ge róngyì de. 语法、练习写汉字，常常很晚才睡觉。
I wrote ten characters, five difficult ones and five easy ones.
Xiǎo Bái hěn xǐhuan xué Zhōngwén. Tā wǎnshang yùxí kèwén, fùxí yǔfǎ, liànxí xiě Hànzì,
chángcháng hěn wǎn cái shuì jiào.
EXERCISES
Little Bai likes to study Chinese a lot. At night, she previews the text, reviews the grammar,
More
exercises Rewrite the sentences below by omitting repeated nouns and inserting the 的 structure where
and practices writing the characters. Often she doesn’t go to bed until very late.

appropriate. Use exercise 1 as an example.

In (A), the subject of the second sentence remains the same as that in the beginning sentence, and

1 我练习写了四十个汉字, 二十个难的汉字， therefore the proper noun 小白 (Xiǎo Bái) (Little Bai) is substituted by the pronoun 她 (tā) (she).

In the subsequent clauses in the second sentence, neither the proper noun nor the pronoun is

二十个容易的汉字。 repeated. If we keep repeating the subject, as seen in (B), or the pronoun, as in (C), we will end

→ 我练习写了四十个汉字，二十个难的，
up with a series of choppy sentences.

二十个容易的。 B 小白很喜欢学中文。小白晚上预习课文、
学校有三个图书馆，一个大图书馆，两个 小白复习语法、小白练习写汉字。小白常常
很晚才睡觉。
2

小图书馆。 Xiǎo Bái hěn xǐhuan xué Zhōngwén. Xiǎo Bái wǎnshang yùxí kèwén, Xiǎo Bái fùxí yǔfǎ,

老师想给学生考两个考试，一个难的考试，
Xiǎo Bái liànxí xiě Hànzì. Xiǎo Bái chángcháng hěn wǎn cái shuì jiào.
3

一个容易的考试。 C 小白很喜欢学中文。她晚上预习课文，她复习
语法、她练习写汉字。她常常很晚才睡觉。
Xiǎo Bái hěn xǐhuan xué Zhōngwén. Tā wǎnshang yùxí kèwén, tā fùxí yǔfǎ, tā liànxí xiě Hànzì.
Tā chángcháng hěn wǎn cái shuì jiào.
 In order to form a continuous discourse, time and location expressions can be used as
Language Practice
transitional elements.

昨天晚上，王朋和李友去高文中家玩儿。
F Having an off day INTERPERSONAL

在高文中家他们认识了高文中的姐姐。 In pairs, use the prompts below to contrast how someone behaved today with his/her usual habits.

她叫高小音，在学校图书馆工作。他们一 Insert 怎么 (zěnme) and 这么 (zhème) where appropriate, e.g.:

起聊天儿、看电视。十二点大家才说再见。 来学校◇早 vs. 晚

Zuótiān wǎnshang, Wáng Péng hé Lǐ Yǒu qù Gāo Wénzhōng jiā wánr. Zài Gāo Wénzhōng jiā tāmen lái xuéxiào ◇ zǎo vs. wǎn
rènshi le Gāo Wénzhōng de jiějie. Tā jiào Gāo Xiǎoyīn, zài xuéxiào túshūguǎn gōngzuò. Tāmen yìqǐ
liáo tiānr, kàn diànshì. Shí’èr diǎn dàjiā cái shuō zàijiàn. 你平常来学校来得很早，今天怎么来得这么晚？
Yesterday evening, Wang Peng and Li You went to Gao Wenzhong’s place for a visit. There they
Nǐ píngcháng lái xuéxiào lái de hěn zǎo, jīntiān zěnme lái de zhème wǎn?
met Gao Wenzhong’s older sister. Her name is Gao Xiaoyin, and she works in the school library.

They talked and watched TV together, and didn’t say their goodbyes until midnight.
1 预习生词◇好 vs. 不好 yùxí shēngcí ◇ hǎo vs. bù hǎo

In (D), the discourse would not be cohesive without the time and location expressions marked in blue.

2 念课文◇快 vs. 慢 niàn kèwén ◇ kuài vs. màn

3 考试◇不错 vs. 不好 kǎoshì ◇ búcuò vs. bù hǎo

4 写字◇漂亮 vs. 难看(nánkàn) (ugly) xiě zì ◇ piàoliang vs. nánkàn

There are further signs your friend is having an off day. Complete the questions to show

GET your bewilderment.

Real
今天是你妈妈的生日，你怎么不/没……
WITH
CHINESE
5

Jīntiān shì nǐ māma de shēngrì, nǐ zěnme bù/méi . . .

This quotation

by Chairman Mao 6 明天你有考试，你怎么不……

(毛主席) (Máo
Zhǔxí) appears on Míngtiān nǐ yǒu kǎoshì, nǐ zěnme bù . . .
posters, signs;

even everyday

items like this

pencil case. What

does its popularity

say about Chinese

values? How do

you think it’s

being used here?

G Change in schedule INTERPERSONAL
3 汉字 多 写 慢
Hànzì duō xiě màn
Below is Gao Wenzhong’s usual schedule contrasted with what he actually did yesterday. In pairs,

就 (jiù) 才 (cái)
考试 难 考试 不好
form a question-and-answer by using or where appropriate, e.g.:

4 (n) (VO)

Q: 高文中平常几点开始学习中文？ kǎoshì nán kǎo shì bù hǎo

Gāo Wénzhōng píngcháng jǐdiǎn kāishǐ xuéxí Zhōngwén?

A: 他平常上午九点开始学习中文。 I Learning tips PRESENTATIONAL

可是他昨天上午八点三刻就开始学习中文了。 How do you best learn a foreign language? What suggestions can you give based on your

Tā píngcháng shàngwǔ jiǔ diǎn kāishǐ xuéxí Zhōngwén. experience? For example, discuss what works for you before a new lesson, in class, and after class.

Kěshì tā zuótiān shàngwǔ bā diǎn sān kè jiù kāishǐ xuéxí Zhōngwén le. List your advice or write a blog post.

His Usual Schedule What Happened Yesterday

9:00 a.m. study Chinese 8:30 a.m. studied Chinese

10:00 a.m. listen to the audio 9:30 a.m. listened to the audio

(微博) (Wēibó)
10:45 a.m. go to school 10:15 a.m. went to school

12:00 p.m. go home 12:30 p.m. returned home Wang Peng just replied to a Weibo post by Li You.

1:00 p.m. have lunch 2:00 p.m. had lunch What do you think Wang Peng is like as a friend?

H Learning curve PRESENTATIONAL

王朋
V
7-6 10:36 AM 来自iPhone 7
Describe your reasons for not performing as well as expected when learning a foreign language
明天有中文课吗？我帮你预习吧!//@李友：王朋真酷，
by using 得 (de) where appropriate, e.g.:
常常帮我练习中文，有个中国朋友真好！
生词 多 学 慢 转发 ... 评论 赞
shēngcí duō xué màn

生词太多，我（学生词）学得很慢。
Shēngcí tài duō, wǒ (xué shēngcí) xué de hěn màn.
Characterize it!
How do you pronounce the characters?

功课 多 做 慢
功 空
1 2
What is the common component?
1

How do you pronounce the common component?

gōngkè duō zuò màn
How does the component relate to the

语法 难 复习 不好
pronunciation of the characters?

yǔfǎ nán fùxí bù hǎo

CULTURAL LITERACY

Traditionally, Chinese was written from

top to bottom and from right to left. Store

signs and placards, however, were often

inscribed horizontally, typically from

right to left. Since a 1955 government

mandate, left-to-right writing has become

standard in Mainland China. However,

the traditional way of writing is still kept

Continue
to explore alive in calligraphy, and occasionally it is

still possible to see a store sign that reads

from right to left.

For many centuries, the Chinese

wrote with a 毛笔 (máobǐ) , or “writing

brush.” But people have switched to

more convenient Western-style writing

instruments such as 铅笔 (qiānbǐ)

钢笔 (gāngbǐ)
(pencils), (fountain pens),

and 圆珠笔 (yuánzhūbǐ) (ballpoint pens),

原子笔
which are also known as

(yuánzǐbǐ) in Taiwan. The traditional

毛笔 (máobǐ) is now used almost only
for calligraphy. Moreover, in the digital era,

typing and texting have significantly eroded

the importance of handwriting in general.

Simplified
vs.traditional
In the 1950s, as part of its campaign to raise the nation’s characters. Many of the simplified characters were not actually
The term 文房四宝 (wénfáng sì bǎo)
(“Four Treasures of the Study”) is often
literacy rate, the Chinese government set out to simplify new inventions. They had been used at different times in

汉字 (Hànzì) used to refer to traditional Chinese

some of the more complex characters, or

简体字 (jiǎntǐzì)
. China’s long history, and a few have an even longer history
stationery, which usually includes 笔 (bǐ)
This accounts for the bifurcation between

繁体字 (fántǐzì)
than their fantizi counterparts. The additional burden on
(writing brush), 墨 (mò) 纸
(ink stick),
(simplified characters) and (traditional

characters, lit. complex characters).* Currently, simplified

Chinese learners caused by this bifurcation is actually not as

onerous as it may seem. After all, many of the characters were

(zhǐ) (paper), and砚 (yàn) (inkstone). The

traditional paper for writing and painting is

characters are used in Mainland China, Singapore, and

Malaysia, while people in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and many

not affected and remain the same in both systems. For those

characters that do have two different forms, what is affected is

known as 宣纸 (xuānzhǐ) , named after its

most famous place of production,

overseas Chinese communities still write traditional often a familiar component, in many cases the radical.
宣城 (Xuānchéng) in Anhui Province.

Ink is made by grinding an ink stick on an

inkstone with water. Many inkstones are

COMPARE
& CONTRAST

Four carved. Two of the most famous kinds

are 端砚 (duānyàn) and 歙砚 (shèyàn) ,

1 Have writing systems and practices within your culture

changed over time?

a Chinese store sign. As the story goes, a father took

his five-year-old son to a restaurant called 友朋小吃

(Yǒupéng Xiǎochī) for a good meal, only to have the son cry
treasures from Guangdong and Anhui, respectively.

Ink sticks are typically made from burnt

pinewood with a binding agent and an

2 An anadrome is a word or sentence that forms another loudly at the door and adamantly refuse to enter. Why do
aromatic substance. Antique ink sticks and
when read backwards. Here is an anecdote to illustrate you think the little boy refused to enter? Can you think of
inkstones are highly prized as collectibles.
the often amusing ambiguity that can result from reading an example of an English anadrome?

* The English term “traditional characters” was brought into common usage by Cheng & Tsui in the 1990s.
Lesson Wrap-Up

Make It Flow!
Lesson 8

第八课
Rearrange the following sentences into a logical sequence. Then combine them into a

coherent narrative. Remember to omit repetitive elements and substitute subjects with

personal pronouns where appropriate. Use connective devices such as 因为 (yīnwèi)

and 所以 (suǒyǐ) .
Dì bā kè
1 王朋昨天帮李友练习中文了。 李友今天有中文课。
李友昨天晚上功课做得很快。 李友念得很好。
李友昨天晚上十点就睡了。 老师请李友念课文。
Study Buddy

Pre-interview: Assess your strengths and weaknesses.

你常常听录音吗？ 第六课的语法你懂了吗？
你的发音好吗？ 你写汉字写得怎么样？
你觉得生词难吗？ 你中文考试考得怎么样？
Interview: What are your classmates’ strengths? Interview three classmates.

你觉得中文语法容易吗？ 你想和同学一起学习中文吗？

学校生活
你觉得汉字怎么样，难吗？ 你什么时候有时间？
Can you think of any other questions that would help you find a good study partner?

Skit

Prepare a skit based on the prompts, then perform it in front of the class.

Student A Your friend has been acting strangely. Usually, he/she is never late to class.

You want to find out why.

Xuéxiào shēnghuó
Student B You’ve been very busy and going to bed very late. You’ve been having

difficulty with your Chinese class. The grammar is very difficult. There is

a lot of homework and new vocabulary. And there are many tests!

SCHOOL LIFE
Student A Can you relate to your friend? What can you do to help?

Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready

Before proceeding to Lesson 8, be sure you can complete

the following tasks in Chinese:

In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:

² Describe my performance on a test

 Describe a student’s daily routine  How do people connect with friends?
² Describe the way someone reads, writes,
 Write a simple diary entry or blog post  How has technology affected
and speaks Chinese

² Ask someone to help me with my Chinese

 Write a brief letter or formal email letter-writing conventions?

² Explain how I prepare for my Chinese class

applying appropriate conventions  How do you think people will

² Describe my experience learning Chinese

 Update a friend on recent activities communicate about their daily

 Express hope that a friend will lives and connect with others in

accept your invitation the future?

Lesson Wrap-Up

Make It Flow!
Lesson 8

第八课
Rearrange the following sentences into a logical sequence. Then combine them into a

coherent narrative. Remember to omit repetitive elements and substitute subjects with

personal pronouns where appropriate. Use connective devices such as 因为 (yīnwèi)

and 所以 (suǒyǐ) .
Dì bā kè
1 王朋昨天帮李友练习中文了。 李友今天有中文课。
李友昨天晚上功课做得很快。 李友念得很好。
李友昨天晚上十点就睡了。 老师请李友念课文。
Study Buddy

Pre-interview: Assess your strengths and weaknesses.

你常常听录音吗？ 第六课的语法你懂了吗？
你的发音好吗？ 你写汉字写得怎么样？
你觉得生词难吗？ 你中文考试考得怎么样？
Interview: What are your classmates’ strengths? Interview three classmates.

你觉得中文语法容易吗？ 你想和同学一起学习中文吗？

学校生活
你觉得汉字怎么样，难吗？ 你什么时候有时间？
Can you think of any other questions that would help you find a good study partner?

Skit

Prepare a skit based on the prompts, then perform it in front of the class.

Student A Your friend has been acting strangely. Usually, he/she is never late to class.

You want to find out why.

Xuéxiào shēnghuó
Student B You’ve been very busy and going to bed very late. You’ve been having

difficulty with your Chinese class. The grammar is very difficult. There is

a lot of homework and new vocabulary. And there are many tests!

SCHOOL LIFE
Student A Can you relate to your friend? What can you do to help?

Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready

Before proceeding to Lesson 8, be sure you can complete

the following tasks in Chinese:

In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:

² Describe my performance on a test

 Describe a student’s daily routine  How do people connect with friends?
² Describe the way someone reads, writes,
 Write a simple diary entry or blog post  How has technology affected
and speaks Chinese

² Ask someone to help me with my Chinese

 Write a brief letter or formal email letter-writing conventions?

² Explain how I prepare for my Chinese class

applying appropriate conventions  How do you think people will

² Describe my experience learning Chinese

 Update a friend on recent activities communicate about their daily

 Express hope that a friend will lives and connect with others in

accept your invitation the future?

 Pinyin Diary Entry

A Typical School Day

Lǐ Yǒu de yì piān rìjì

Shíyī yuè sān rì xīngqīèr

Diary Entry
Jīntiān wǒ hěn máng, hěn lèi. Zǎoshang qī diǎn

李友的一篇日记 1 2

bàn qǐ chuáng , xǐ le zǎo yǐhòu jiù chī zǎofàn. Wǒ

Video 3

Audio
十一月三日 星期二 yìbiān chī fàn, yìbiān tīng lùyīn. Jiǔ diǎn dào jiàoshì
4

qù shàng kè .

今天我很忙，很累。早上七点半起 Dì yī jié kè shì Zhōngwén, lǎoshī jiāo wǒmen

5

床 ，洗了澡以后就 吃早饭。我一边吃饭，
1 2
fāyīn, shēngcí hé yǔfǎ, yě jiāo wǒmen xiě zì, hái gěi le
6

wǒmen yì piān xīn kèwén , zhè piān kèwén hěn yǒu

一边 听录音。九点到教室去上课 。
3 4
a

yìsi. Dì èr jié shì diànnǎo kè, hěn nán.

第一节课是中文，老师教我们发音、 Zhōngwǔ wǒ hé tóngxuémen yìqǐ dào cāntīng qù chī

wǔfàn. Wǒmen yìbiān chī, yìbiān liànxí shuō Zhōngwén.

生词和语法，也教我们写字，还给了 我
5

Xiàwǔ wǒ dào túshūguǎn qù shàng wǎng. Sì diǎn Wáng

们一篇新课文 ，这篇课文很有意思。第
6
Péng lái zhǎo wǒ dǎ qiú. Wǔ diǎn sān kè chī wǎnfàn. Qī

diǎn bàn wǒ qù Bái Yīng’ài de sùshè gēn tā liáo tiān(r).

二节是电脑 课，很难。
a
7

Dào nàr de shíhou, tā zhèngzài zuò gōngkè. Wǒ bā

中午我和同学们一起到餐厅去吃午 diǎn bàn huí jiā. Shuì jiào yǐqián, Gāo Wénzhōng gěi wǒ

dǎ le yí ge diànhuà, gàosu wǒ míngtiān yào kǎoshì, wǒ

饭。我们一边吃，一边练习说中文。下 shuō wǒ yǐjīng zhīdao le.

午我到图书馆去上网。四点王朋来找我 Language Note

打球。五点三刻吃晚饭。七点半我去白
a
电脑 (diànnǎo)
英爱的宿舍跟她聊天（儿）。到那儿的 The usual colloquial term for a computer is

电脑 (diànnǎo) , literally “electric brain.”

时候，她正在 做功课。我八点半回家。
7

A more formal term, especially in Mainland

China, is 电子计算机 (diànzǐ jìsuànjī)

睡觉以前，高文中给我打了一个电话， (electronic computing machine) or simply

计算机 (jìsuànjī) . But in Taiwan, 计算机

告诉我明天要考试，我说我已经知道了。
(jìsuànjī) means a calculator. In Mainland China,

a calculator is called 计算器 (jìsuànqì) .

Vocabulary Street food in

China ranges from

steamed buns to

Part of scallion pancakes.

No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech Based on the

篇
character with

1 piān m (measure word for essays, articles, etc.) the smiley face,

determine whether

日记
this food truck

2 rìjì n diary serves breakfast,

lunch, or dinner.

Flashcards
3
累 lèi adj tired

Audio
4
起床 qǐ chuáng vo to get up

床
GET
chuáng n bed
Real
WITH

洗澡
CHINESE
5 xǐ zǎo vo to take a bath/shower

6
早饭 zǎofàn n breakfast

一边
Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition
7 yìbiān adv simultaneously, at the same time [See Grammar 3.] Speech

8
教室 jiàoshì n classroom
19
以前 yǐqián t before

9
发音 fāyīn n pronunciation
20
告诉 gàosu v to tell

10
新 xīn adj new
21
已经 yǐjīng adv already

11
电脑 diànnǎo n computer
22
知道 zhīdao v to know

脑 nǎo n brain

12
中午 zhōngwǔ t noon

13
餐厅 cāntīng n dining room, cafeteria

午饭
你和朋友在哪儿
14 wǔfàn n lunch, midday meal

15
上网 shàng wǎng vo to go online, to surf the internet

见面？
16
宿舍 sùshè n dormitory

Nǐ hé péngyǒu zài nǎ'er jiànmiàn? 我们在 见面。

17
那儿 nàr pr there
Where do you meet your friends? Wǒmen zài jiànmiàn.

正在
See index
for corre
sponding
vocabula
18 zhèngzài adv in the middle of (doing something) [See Grammar 7.]
ry or rese
arch an other term
.
Grammar 2 The adverb 就 (jiù) (II)

1
The adverb 就 (jiù) connects two verbs or verb phrases to indicate that the second action happens
The position of time-when expressions
as soon as the first one is completed. [See also Grammar 3, Lesson 7.]

Time-when expressions come before the verb. They often appear after the subject, but sometimes

precede the subject under certain conditions. In this lesson, we focus on practicing time-when A 他今天早上起床以后就听中文录音了。
expressions positioned after the subject.

Tā jīntiān zǎoshang qǐ chuáng yǐhòu jiù tīng Zhōngwén lùyīn le.

A 我们十点上课。 He listened to the Chinese audio right after he got up this morning.

Wǒmen shí diǎn shàng kè.

We start class at ten.
B 王朋看了电视以后就去睡觉了。
Wáng Péng kàn le diànshì yǐhòu jiù qù shuì jiào le.
B 我们几点去？ Wang Peng went to bed right after watching TV.

Wǒmen jǐ diǎn qù?

我做了功课以后就去朋友家玩儿。
What time are we going?

C 你什么时候睡觉？ Wǒ zuò le gōngkè yǐhòu jiù qù péngyou jiā wánr.

Nǐ shénme shíhou shuì jiào? I will go to my friend’s place right after I finish my homework.

When do you go to bed?

EXERCISES

就
他明天上午八点来。
More
exercises
Link the two actions to form a sentence, inserting where appropriate. Use exercise 1
D
as an example.

Tā míngtiān shàngwǔ bā diǎn lái.

He will come at eight tomorrow morning.
1 常老师起床以后 去洗澡
EXERCISES
→ 常老师起床以后就去洗澡。
李友吃了晚饭 去找人打球
More
exercises
Form two new sentences by inserting time-when expressions where appropriate. Use exercise 1
2

as an example.

1 王朋去学校看书。 昨天晚上七点 3 小王给他弟弟打了电话 去学校上课

→ 王朋昨天晚上七点去学校看书了。
2 李友去高文中家玩儿。 上个星期六
3 常老师要去中国开会。 下个月
3 Describing simultaneity using 4 Series of verbs/verb phrases

一边… 一边… (yìbiān . . . yìbiān . . . )

Some verbs and verb phrases can be used in succession to represent a series of actions. Their

sequential order usually coincides with the temporal order of the actions.
This structure describes two simultaneous actions. Typically, the first action is the principal one,

which begins before the second, accompanying action.

A 他常常去高小音家吃饭。
A 我们一边吃晚饭，一边练习说中文。 Tā chángcháng qù Gāo Xiǎoyīn jiā chī fàn.

Wǒmen yìbiān chī wǎnfàn, yìbiān liànxí shuō Zhōngwén. He often goes to eat at Gao Xiaoyin’s place.

We practiced speaking Chinese while having dinner.

B 下午我要到图书馆去看书。
B 他常常一边吃饭一边看电视。 Xiàwǔ wǒ yào dào túshūguǎn qù kàn shū.

Tā chángcháng yìbiān chī fàn yìbiān kàn diànshì. This afternoon, I will go to the library to read.

He often eats and watches TV at the same time.

C 我明天想找同学去打球。
C 我一边洗澡一边唱歌。 Wǒ míngtiān xiǎng zhǎo tóngxué qù dǎ qiú.

Wǒ yìbiān xǐ zǎo, yìbiān chàng gē. I’d like to find some classmates to play ball with tomorrow.

I sang while I was showering.

D 你明天来我家吃晚饭吧。
D 我妹妹喜欢一边看书一边听音乐。 Nǐ míngtiān lái wǒ jiā chī wǎnfàn ba.

Wǒ mèimei xǐhuan yìbiān kàn shū, yìbiān tīng yīnyuè. Come and have dinner at my house tomorrow.

My younger sister likes to listen to music while she reads.

EXERCISES

Answer the questions by adding another verb phrase where appropriate. Use exercise 1
EXERCISES

Form sentences to indicate the simultaneity of the two actions by inserting 一边…一边… as an example.

where appropriate. Use exercise 1 as an example.

1 Q: 小王今天去哪儿吃晚饭？ 去朋友家
1 高小音 看书 听音乐 → A: 他今天去朋友家吃晚饭。
→ 高小音一边看书，一边听音乐。 2 Q: 周末我们去哪儿打球？ 去学校
2 王朋和朋友 看球 聊天儿
3 Q: 小白在哪儿上网？ 在家

3 白老师 看电影 喝可乐

5 The particle 了 (le) (II) 7 The 正在 (zhèngzài) v structure (be doing . . . )

If a statement enumerates a series of realized actions or events, 了 (le) usually appears at the The 正在 (zhèngzài) v structure (be doing . . . ) denotes an ongoing or progressive action at a

end of the series rather than after each verb. [See also Grammar 5, Lesson 5, and Grammar 2, certain point of time. It is more emphatic than 在 (zài) , which can serve the same function.

Lesson 11.]

李友，你在做什么？ 我在练习写汉字。
昨天第一节课是中文。老师教我们发音、
A Q: A:

Lǐ Yǒu, nǐ zài zuò shénme? Wǒ zài liànxí xiě Hànzì.

生词和语法，也教我们写字，还给了我们 Li You, what are you doing? I’m practicing writing Chinese characters.

一篇新课文。那篇课文很有意思。
Zuótiān dì yī jié kè shì Zhōngwén. Lǎoshī jiāo wǒmen fāyīn, shēngcí hé yǔfǎ, yě jiāo wǒmen xiě zì,
B 我们现在正在上课，你别打电话。
hái gěi le wǒmen yì piān xīn kèwén. Nà piān kèwén hěn yǒu yìsi. Wǒmen xiànzài zhèngzài shàng kè, nǐ bié dǎ diànhuà.
We are in class right now. Don’t make phone calls.
Yesterday, the first class was Chinese. Our teacher taught us pronunciation, vocabulary, and

grammar. She also taught us how to write characters and gave us a new text. That text was

very interesting. C 我昨天到他宿舍的时候，他正在练习发音。

Wǒ zuótiān dào tā sùshè de shíhou, tā zhèngzài liànxí fāyīn.

6 The particle 的 (de) (III) When I got to his dorm yesterday, he was in the middle of practicing pronunciation.

When a disyllabic or polysyllabic adjective modifies a noun, the particle 的 (de) is usually inserted
D Q: 你知道不知道王老师在哪儿？
between the adjective and the noun.
Nǐ zhīdao bù zhīdào Wáng lǎoshī zài nǎr?

漂亮的学校 容易的汉字 有意思的电影

Do you know where Teacher Wang is?

piàoliang de xuéxiào róngyì de Hànzì yǒu yìsi de diànyǐng A: 他正在办公室开会。

beautiful school easy character interesting movie

Tā zhèngzài bàngōngshì kāi huì.

However, with monosyllabic adjectives, 的 (de) is generally not required.
He is having a meeting in his office.

B 新课文 新电脑 大教室 好老师 EXERCISES

…的时候，…正在…
More
exercises
Join the two sentences by inserting the “ ” construction where

xīn kèwén xīn diànnǎo dà jiàoshì hǎo lǎoshī

appropriate. Use exercise 1 as an example.

王朋给我打电话。 我做功课。
new text new computer big classroom good teacher

1
If the adjective is preceded by 很 (hěn) 的 (de)
, however, cannot be dropped, e. g., 很大的教室
(hěn dà de jiàoshì) 很好的老师 (hěn hǎo de lǎoshī)
(very big classroom), (very good teacher). → 王朋给我打电话的时候，我正在做功课。
2 我打电话回家。 爸爸妈妈吃晚饭。
3 我到她宿舍。 她上网。
Language Practice C Putting things in order INTERPRETIVE

Determine the logical sequence of the actions and fill in the blanks with appropriate locations or
A What a day! PRESENTATIONAL

personal names. Then rearrange the phrases into complete sentences, e.g.:

Describe Little Gao’s schedule using appropriate time expressions, e.g.: 王朋 去玩（儿） 到 家
小高早上八点起床。
Wáng Péng qù wán (r) dào jiā

Xiǎo Gāo zǎoshang bā diǎn qǐ chuáng. 王朋到高小音家去玩（儿）。

Wáng Péng dào Gāo Xiǎoyīn jiā qù wán(r).

1 到 去 高文中 问老师问题
MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
8.00 AM dào qù Gāo Wénzhōng wèn lǎoshī wèntí
29 30 31 01 02 03 04

打球 王朋 找
MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
8.30 AM
05 06 07 08 09 10 11
2

dǎ qiú Wáng Péng zhǎo

MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
9.15 AM
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
3 找同学聊天 去 小白
LIBRARY

12.00 PM zhǎo tóngxué liáo tiān qù Xiǎo Bái

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

4 教她怎么写汉字 李友 请
jiāo tā zěnme xiě Hànzì Lǐ Yǒu qǐng
B Multitasking INTERPERSONAL

Using the images below, practice how to describe two simultaneous actions by inserting 一边…
一边… (yìbiān . . . yìbiān . . . ) where appropriate. Then ask if your partner multitasks, e.g.:
D Lesson plans PRESENTATIONAL

他们一边喝茶，一边聊天儿。 Based on your class schedule, tell the class how you would organize classes on pronunciation,

Tāmen yìbiān hē chá, yìbiān liáo tiānr. vocabulary, grammar, Chinese characters, and the lesson texts if you were the teacher, e.g.:

你也常常和朋友一边喝茶，一边聊天吗？ 我星期一教大家生词，星期二教大家语法，……
Nǐ yě chángcháng hé péngyou yìbiān hē chá, yìbiān liáo tiānr ma? Wǒ xīngqīyī jiāo dàjiā shēngcí, xīngqīèr jiāo dàjiā yǔfǎ, . . .

Which topics do students have the most questions about?

1 2 3 4

学生常常问老师发音的问题。
Xuésheng chángcháng wèn lǎoshī fāyīn de wèntí.
E Keeping tabs INTERPERSONAL
Then quiz the class about your character’s day, e.g.:

王文吃了午饭以后做什么？
In pairs, form a question-and-answer about what people are doing based on the images below. Use
Wáng Wén chī le wǔfàn yǐhòu zuò shénme?
正在 (zhèngzài) , e.g.:

Q: 他正在做什么？ 王文练习了中文以后做什么？
Tā zhèngzài zuò shénme? Wáng Wén liànxí le Zhōngwén yǐhòu zuò shénme?

A: 他正在睡觉。 王文跟朋友打了球以后做什么？
Tā zhèngzài shuì jiào.
Wáng Wén gēn péngyou dǎ le qiú yǐhòu zuò shénme?
1 2 3 4

Characterize it!
F Business as usual INTERPERSONAL What do the characters mean?

洗 澡
1 2
What is the common radical?
More
characters

In pairs, form a question-and-answer about your partner’s daily routines, e.g.: What does the radical mean?

Q: 你平常几点起床？ Nǐ píngcháng jǐ diǎn qǐ chuáng?

How does the radical relate to the

overall meaning of the characters?

A: 我平常八点起床。 Wǒ píngcháng bā diǎn qǐchuáng.

你平常几点吃早饭/去上课/吃午饭/吃晚饭？
Nǐ píngcháng jǐ diǎn chī zǎofàn/qù shàng kè/chī wǔfàn/chī wǎnfàn? 9:41 PM 85%

〈 Back
Chinese Chat
Lola Abubakar
你平常什么时候洗澡？ Your friend is texting you

through Facebook Messenger

Active Now • Messenger

明天晚上我在宿舍练习中文发音。
about when to hang out. How
Nǐ píngcháng shénme shíhou xǐ zǎo?

你和我一起？
would you reply?

你（是）起床以后还是睡觉以前洗澡？
...
Nǐ (shì) qǐ chuáng yǐhòu háishi shuì jiào yǐqián xǐ zǎo?

那你周末来教我打球吧?
G INTERPRETIVE
Character development PRESENTATIONAL ...

Present a day in the life of a fictional character from a screenplay or novel you’d like to write, e.g.:

王文早上九点起床，吃了早饭以后就去上课，……
下午两点去找同学打球，……
Wáng Wén zǎoshang jiǔ diǎn qǐ chuáng, chī le zǎofàn yǐhòu jiù qù shàng kè, . . .

Xiàwǔ liǎng diǎn qù zhǎo tóngxué dǎ qiú, . . .

 Pinyin Letter

Writing to a Friend
Yì fēng xìn

Zhè shì Lǐ Yǒu geǐ Gāo Xiǎoyīn de yì fēng xìn.

Letter
一封信 Xiǎoyīn:

这是李友给高小音的一封信。 Nǐ hǎo! Hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn, zuìjìn zěnmeyàng?

Video Zhè ge xuéqī wǒ hěn máng, chúle zhuānyè kè

小音：
8

Audio
yǐwài, hái děi xué Zhōngwén. Wǒmen de Zhōngwén

kè hěn yǒu yìsi. Yīnwèi wǒmen de Zhōngwén lǎoshī

你好！好久不见，最近怎么样？ 9

zhǐ huì shuō Zhōngwén, bú huì shuō Yīngwén, suǒyǐ

这个学期我很忙，除了专业课以外， shàng kè de shíhou wǒmen zhǐ shuō Zhōngwén, bù

a

shuō Yīngwén. Kāishǐ wǒ juéde hěn nán, hòulái ,

还 得学中文。我们的中文课很有意思。
8

Wáng Péng chángcháng bāng wǒ liànxí Zhōngwén,

10 b

jiù juéde bù nán le .

因为我们的中文老师只会 说中文，不会
9

Nǐ xǐhuan tīng yīnyuè ma? Xià ge xīngqīliù,

说英文，所以上课的时候我们只说中文，
9

wǒmen xuéxiào yǒu yí ge yīnyuèhuì, xīwàng nǐ néng

lái. Wǒ yòng Zhōngwén xiě xìn xiě de hěn bù hǎo,

不说英文。开始我觉得很难，后来 ，王
a

qǐng bié xiào wǒ. Zhù

朋常常帮我练习中文，就 觉得不难了 。
10 b
Hǎo!

Nǐ de péngyou
你喜欢听音乐吗？下个星期六，我 Lǐ Yǒu

们学校有一个音乐会，希望你能 来。我
9
Shíyīyuè shíbā rì

用中文写信写得很不好，请别笑我。祝
Language Notes

后来 (hòulái)
好!
a

This is usually translated as “later,” but it

pertains only to actions and situations in the

你的朋友 unspecified past.

b 了(le)
李友 This sentence-final particle usually indicates

十一月十八日
a change in status or the realization of a new

situation. [See also Grammar 2, Lesson 11.]

Vocabulary Grammar

Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition
Speech

1
封 fēng m (measure word for letters)
8 Indicating inclusiveness: 除了…以外，还/也…
2
信 xìn n letter (correspondence)
(chúle . . . yǐwài, hái/ yě . . . ) (in addition to, also)

3
最近 zuìjìn t recently
除了… 以外 (chúle . . . yǐwài) means “apart from” or “in addition to.” When followed by 还…
最 也 (yě)
Flashcards
zuì adv (of superlative degree, most, -est) (hái . . . )
(also, too, as well) or (too, also), it indicates inclusiveness of the content inserted

除了 chúle) 以外 (yǐwài)
近
Audio
between ( and .

jìn adj close, near

4
学期 xuéqī n school term, semester, quarter
A 我除了学专业课以外，还学中文。
除了…以外
chúle . . .
5
yǐwài
conj in addition to, besides [See Grammar 8.]
Wǒ chúle xué zhuānyè kè yǐwài, hái xué Zhōngwén.

6
专业 zhuānyè n major (in college), specialty
Besides the courses in my major, I also take Chinese.

7
会 huì mv can, know how to [See Grammar 9.]

B 上个周末我们除了看电影以外，还听音乐了。
8
后来 hòulái t later

Shàng ge zhōumò wǒmen chúle kàn diànyǐng yǐwài, hái tīng yīnyuè le.
9
音乐会 yīnyuèhuì n concert
Last weekend, besides seeing a movie, we also listened to music.

10
希望 xīwàng v/n to hope; hope [See Grammar 9.]

11
能 néng mv can, to be able to [See Grammar 9.]
C 他除了喜欢听音乐以外，还喜欢打球。
用
Tā chúle xǐhuan tīng yīnyuè yǐwài, hái xǐhuan dǎ qiú.
12 yòng v to use

笑
In addition to listening to music, he also likes to play ball.

13 xiào v to laugh at, to laugh, to smile

祝
The activities in (A), (B), and (C) are performed by the same subject. If activities are done by different

14 zhù v to wish (well)

subjects, the adverb 也 has to be used. In these cases, the first subject follows 除了 , and the

second subject precedes 也 , as in (D).

D 除了小王以外，小李也喜欢唱歌、跳舞。
Chúle Xiǎo Wáng yǐwài, Xiǎo Lǐ yě xǐhuan chàng gē, tiào wǔ.
Like Little Wang, Little Li also enjoys singing and dancing.

你的专业是什么？ EXERCISES

除了… 以外，还/也…
More
exercises
Join the two sentences to indicate inclusiveness by inserting

Nǐ de zhuānyè shì shénme? where appropriate. Use exercise 1 as an example.

我的专业是 。
她这个学期学中文。她这个学期学日文。
What’s your major?

1
Wǒ de zhuānyè shì .
See index
for corre
sponding
→ 她这个学期除了学中文以外，还学日文。
vocabula
ry or rese
arch an other term
.
 2 王朋今天晚上想看球。王朋今天晚上想上网。 EXERCISES
More

会 能
exercises

李友周末想看电影。白英爱周末想看电影。
In pairs, ask about your partner’s capabilities or availability by inserting or when appropriate.

你 用中文写信吗？ 我 。
3

1 Q: A:

2 Q: 明天考试，今天晚上你 去看电影吗？
9 能 (néng) and 会 (huì) (I)
我 。
Comparing
A:

Both 能 (néng) and 会 (huì) have several meanings. The basic meaning of 能 (néng) is “to be

capable of (doing something),” as in (A). It can also indicate the viability of an action, as in (B) and (C).
10 The conjunctions 要是 (yàoshi) and 因为 (yīnwèi)
会 (huì)
and the adverb 就 (jiù) (III)
Additional meanings will be introduced in later lessons. , as used in (D), (E), and (F), means

having acquired the skill to do something through learning.

A 我能喝十杯咖啡。 In this structure, the first clause conveys a condition or reason while the second clause denotes

the result or conclusion. The adverb 就 (jiù) indicates the close relationship between the two. The

Wǒ néng hē shí bēi kāfēi.

relationship is often causal, as in (A) and (B), or conditional, as in (C) and (D).

I can drink ten cups of coffee.

（因为）小高喜欢吃中国菜，（所以）
今天下午我要开会，不能去听音乐会。
A

我们就吃中国菜。
B

Jīntiān xiàwǔ wǒ yào kāi huì, bù néng qù tīng yīnyuèhuì.

(Yīnwèi) Xiǎo Gāo xǐhuan chī Zhōngguó cài, (suǒyǐ) wǒmen jiù chī Zhōngguó cài.
I have a meeting this afternoon. I cannot go to the concert.

Little Gao prefers Chinese food, so we went for Chinese food.

我们不能在图书馆聊天儿。
（因为）小王的专业是中文，（所以）
C

B
Wǒmen bù néng zài túshūguǎn liáo tiānr.
We cannot chat in the library.
我就请他教我怎么说中文。
(Yīnwèi) Xiǎo Wáng de zhuānyè shì Zhōngwén, (suǒyǐ) wǒ jiù qǐng tā jiāo wǒ zěnme shuō Zhōngwén.
D 李友会说中文。 Little Wang’s major is Chinese, so I asked him to teach me how to speak Chinese.

Lǐ Yǒu huì shuō Zhōngwén.

Li You can speak Chinese.
C 要是同学帮我复习，我考试就考得很好。
Yàoshi tóngxué bāng wǒ fùxí, wǒ kǎoshì jiù kǎo de hěn hǎo.
E 小白会唱很多美国歌。 If my classmates help me review, I do very well on my tests.

Xiǎo Bái huì chàng hěn duō Měiguó gē.

Little Bai can sing many American songs. D 要是你不能来，我就去你那儿。
Yàoshi nǐ bù néng lái, wǒ jiù qù nǐ nàr.
F 我不会打球，请你教我。 If you can’t come over, I will go to your place.

Wǒ bú huì dǎ qiú, qǐng nǐ jiāo wǒ.

I don’t know how to play ball. Please teach me how.
 E 写汉字，开始觉得很难，（要是）常常练习， Language Practice

就觉得容易了。
H In addition INTERPERSONAL
Xiě Hànzì, kāishǐ juéde hěn nán, (yàoshi) chángcháng liànxí, jiù juéde róngyì le.
Learning to write Chinese characters might be very difficult at first. It becomes easier

with practice.
In pairs, ask each other these questions using 除了…以外，还… (chúle . . . yǐwài, hái . . . ) :

More
exercises
EXERCISES
1 你今天除了上中文课以外，还上什么课？
Join the sentences to indicate the close relationship between two actions or situations. Use

Nǐ jīntiān chúle shàng Zhōngwén kè yǐwài, hái shàng shénme kè?

exercise 1 as an example.

1 你喜欢看美国电影。我们看美国电影。 2 你们上中文课除了练习语法以外，还做什么？
→ 你喜欢看美国电影，我们就看美国电影。 Wǒmen shàng Zhōngwén kè chúle liànxí yǔfǎ yǐwài, hái zuò shénme?

2 你不喜欢吃中国菜。我们不吃中国菜。
你除了会说中文以外，还会说什么话？
你不会用中文跟他聊天。你用英文跟他聊天。
3
3

Nǐ chúle huì shuō Zhōngwén yǐwài, hái huì shuō shénme huà?

I Ends and means INTERPERSONAL

In pairs, form a question-and-answer about what tools people use to perform certain actions.

Use 用 (yòng) , e.g.:

GET

Real
WITH
CHINESE
上网 ◇ 电脑
shàng wǎng ◇ diànnǎo

Upon enrollment,
Q: 你用什么上网？ A: 我用电脑上网。
Chinese university Nǐ yòng shénme shàng wǎng? Wǒ yòng diànnǎo shàng wǎng.
students are given

做功课 ◇ 笔
a basic ID card

(学生卡)
1
(xuéshēngkǎ) and
a more detailed

ID book (学生证) zuò gōngkè ◇ bǐ

(xuéshēngzhèng).

练习发音 ◇ 电脑
Based on her ID

book, describe this

2
student as best

you can.
liànxí fāyīn ◇ diànnǎo
 3 喝茶 ◇ 咖啡杯
Characterize it!
hē chá ◇ kāfēi bēi What do the characters mean?

近 边 道
1 2 3
What is the common radical?

写日记 ◇ 中文
More
characters

4 What does the radical mean?

xiě rìjì ◇ Zhōngwén How does the radical relate to the

overall meaning of the characters?

5 看电影 ◇ 电脑
kàn diànyǐng ◇ diànnǎo

J Get personal INTERPERSONAL

Li You just published a post on Qzone (QQ空间) (QQ kōngjiān) , a

Chinese social networking site. What comment would you leave?

Survey your classmates about how they write letters and diary entries.

你写信吗? 9:41 PM 85%

Nǐ xiě xìn ma? 〈动态 好友动态

你常常给谁写信?
李友
今天08:32 PM
Nǐ chángcháng gěi shéi xiě xìn? 明天晚上我们学校有音乐会。八点开始。谁能来？
你会用电脑写信吗? ...
Nǐ huì yòng diànnǎo xiě xìn ma?
2人觉得很赞
你写日记吗? 高文中：明天晚上我要复习，不能去听音乐会。
白英爱：我能去！
Nǐ xiě rìjì ma? 常老师：我也去。
你用中文写日记还是用英文写日记?
Nǐ yòng Zhōngwén xiě rìjì háishi yòng yīngwén xiě rìjì?
CULTURAL LITERACY

Continue
to explore

Semesters
Colleges and universities in

both Mainland China and

Taiwan are on the semester

system. Typically, the fall

semester starts in late August

or early September, and ends

in mid-January. The winter

break lasts about a month.

Since the Chinese New Year

usually falls in late January

or early February, college

students can take advantage

of the break to go home and

celebrate the most important

holiday of the year with their

families. The spring semester

starts around mid-February

and lasts until early July. A

truly
semester at a Chinese college

is about three weeks longer

than a typical American

college semester. COMPARE

& CONTRAST Yours
fo rmal
d a
to en

祝好
a y
d it i o nal w
tra
Applicants to Chinese universities and colleges The losing
h e c
use t e
tte r is t o
l) , w ith th
le l
are required to take the National Higher
h y o u we

(zhù hǎo) (I wis llo w ing

祝 (zhù)
o
Education Entrance Examination, also known as ish) f
(to w

Gaokao (高考) (gāo kǎo). In 2015, more than r a c ter t t er and

cha l e
c e o f the
n
ente

好 (hǎo)
in a l s very
h e f t h e
nine million people took the test. The admission t at
a r a cter
h
rate was about 75%. Although the majority of the c x t line
.
e n e
i n g of th
nn
applicants make it into college, only those with begi
m m on
o

祝好
c
o w more
n
the highest scores are admitted into a
e r, it is

一本大学 (yī běn dàxué)

e v
How ra cters
c h a
(first-tier university). th e two e
ep ith th
二本大学 (èr běn dàxué)
to ke . W
a rated
p cial
(zhù hǎo) uns e s o
Others go to a e
o gy lik

三本大学 (sān běn

h n o l
n e w tec s
(second-tier university), d ve nt o f
n v e ntion
a
w r it ing co
l
orma offs)
dàxué) (third-tier university), or higher vocational med
ia , f
t io n s and
s ig n -

g s aluta
college. Compare Gaokao and the equivalent di n
(inclu .
g r a pidly
in
re c hang
standardized test in your own country, and a

discuss the advantages and disadvantages of

different college admission processes.

Lesson Wrap-Up
Lesson 9

第九课
Make It Flow!

Rearrange the following sentences into chronological order. Then combine them into a

coherent narrative. Remember to avoid repeating the same nouns by replacing

them with pronouns where appropriate. Use 一边… 一边… (yìbiān . . . yìbiān . . . ) ,
Dì jiǔ kè
除了…以外，还… (chúle . . . yíwài, hái . . . ) where appropriate.

李友早上7点起床。
李友吃早饭的时候听录音。
李友上午有中文课。
1 李友今天很忙。
李友下午3点去图书馆上网。
李友晚上8点半和王朋一起练习说中文。
李友11点半才睡觉。
李友7点半吃早饭。

买东西
李友5点半吃晚饭。
李友上午有三节课。
李友4点去打球。
李友上午还有电脑课。
Blog

Using the diary format, post a blog entry describing your day.

Mǎi dōngxi
Email

Write an email describing your Chinese teacher and outlining why he/she should be

nominated for a teaching award. Use formal letter-writing conventions.

SHOPPING

Before proceeding to Lesson 9, make sure you can complete

Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready
the following tasks in Chinese:

In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:

± Narrate my daily routine at school

± Update a friend on recent activities  Describe the color, size,  Do people haggle over prices

± Write a simple diary entry or blog post and price of a purchase in stores?

using appropriate conventions

 Recognize Chinese currency  Can merchandise be returned

± Write a brief letter or formal email using

 Pay in cash or with a credit card or exchanged?

 Determine the proper change you  Do people typically pay for their
appropriate conventions
should receive purchases with cash?

 Ask for merchandise in a different

size or color

 Exchange merchandise
Lesson Wrap-Up
Lesson 9

第九课
Make It Flow!

Rearrange the following sentences into chronological order. Then combine them into a

coherent narrative. Remember to avoid repeating the same nouns by replacing

them with pronouns where appropriate. Use 一边… 一边… (yìbiān . . . yìbiān . . . ) ,
Dì jiǔ kè
除了…以外，还… (chúle . . . yíwài, hái . . . ) where appropriate.

李友早上7点起床。
李友吃早饭的时候听录音。
李友上午有中文课。
1 李友今天很忙。
李友下午3点去图书馆上网。
李友晚上8点半和王朋一起练习说中文。
李友11点半才睡觉。
李友7点半吃早饭。

买东西
李友5点半吃晚饭。
李友上午有三节课。
李友4点去打球。
李友上午还有电脑课。
Blog

Using the diary format, post a blog entry describing your day.

Mǎi dōngxi
Email

Write an email describing your Chinese teacher and outlining why he/she should be

nominated for a teaching award. Use formal letter-writing conventions.

SHOPPING

Before proceeding to Lesson 9, make sure you can complete

Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready
the following tasks in Chinese:

In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:

± Narrate my daily routine at school

± Update a friend on recent activities  Describe the color, size,  Do people haggle over prices

± Write a simple diary entry or blog post and price of a purchase in stores?

using appropriate conventions

 Recognize Chinese currency  Can merchandise be returned

± Write a brief letter or formal email using

 Pay in cash or with a credit card or exchanged?

 Determine the proper change you  Do people typically pay for their
appropriate conventions
should receive purchases with cash?

 Ask for merchandise in a different

size or color

 Exchange merchandise
 Pinyin Dialogue

Shopping for Clothes

Lǐ Yǒu zài shāngdiàn mǎi dōngxi, shòuhuòyuán wèn tā . . .
1

Xiǎojiě, nín yào mǎi shénme yīfu?

2

Dialogue 1 Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yí jiàn chènshān.

李友在商店买东西，售货员问她…… 3

Nín xǐhuan shénme yánsè de , huáng de háishi hóng de?

a

小姐，您要 买什么衣服？
1
Wǒ xǐhuan chuān hóng de. Wǒ hái xiǎng mǎi yì
Video
2 b

tiáo kùzi .

我想买一件 衬衫。
Audio
2
4

Duō dà de? Dà hào de, zhōng hào de, háishi xiǎo

您喜欢什么颜色的 ，黄的还是红的？
3
hào de?

Zhōng hào de. Bú yào tài guì de, yě bú yào tài

我喜欢穿 红的。我还想买一条 裤子 。
a 2 b
c

piányi de.

Zhè tiáo kùzi zěnmeyàng?

多 大的？大号的、中号的、还是小号的？
4

Yánsè hěn hǎo, rúguǒ chángduǎn héshì de huà, wǒ jiù mǎi.

中号的。不要太贵的，也不要太便宜 的。
c

Nín shì yí xia.

这条裤子怎么样？
Li You checks the size on the label and measures

the pants against her legs.

Búyòng shì, kěyǐ.

颜色很好。如果长短合适的话，我就买。 Zhè jiàn chènshān ne?

您试一下。 Yě búcuò. Yígòng duōshao qián?

Chènshān èrshíyī kuài wǔ, kùzi sānshí’èr kuài jiǔ máo

Li You checks the size on the label and measures the pants against her legs. 5

jiǔ, yígòng shì wǔshísì kuài sì máo jiǔ fēn .

不用试。可以。 Hǎo, zhè shì yìbǎi kuài qián.

这件衬衫呢？
Zhǎo nín sìshíwǔ kuài wǔ máo yī.

Xièxie.

也不错。一共多少钱？ Language Notes

c 便宜 (piányi)
衬衫二十一块五，裤子三十二块九毛九， a 穿 (chuān) The first character of 便宜 (piányi)
Note that this verb can mean both “to wear”
(inexpensive) is pronounced “ pián .” But in 方
一共是五十四块四毛九分 。
5

and “to put on.” However, for most accessories,

便 (fāngbiàn) (convenient), the same character

戴 (dài) (to wear, to put on) is used instead.

is pronounced “ biàn .” Sometimes the same

好，这是一百块钱。 b
一条裤子 (yì tiáo kùzi)
character can have different pronunciations

that carry different meanings. Other examples

找您四十五块五毛一。 乐 yuè lè 觉 jué jiào 音

In Chinese, a pair of pants is considered a single
include ( or ) and ( or ):

piece of clothing. Hence, it is 一条裤子 乐 (yīnyuè) 可乐 (kělè)

(music), 觉得 (cola),

一双
谢谢。 睡觉 (shuì jiào)
(yì tiáo kùzi) (lit. a trouser) instead of
(juéde)(to feel), and (to sleep).

裤子 (yì shuāng kùzi) (lit. a pair of trousers).

Vocabulary You are wandering

the Shilin Night

Market in Taipei
Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition and come across
Speech

商店
this vendor selling

1 shāngdiàn n store, shop

imagawayaki ( 车
轮饼) (chēlúnbǐng).

买
How many can you
2 mǎi v to buy
buy with 100 yuan?

3
东西 dōngxi n things, objects

售货员
Flashcards

4 shòuhuòyuán n shop assistant, salesclerk

衣服
Audio

5 yīfu n clothes
GET

Real
6
件 jiàn m (measure word for shirts, dresses, jackets, coats, etc.) WITH
CHINESE

7
衬衫 chènshān n shirt

8
颜色 yánsè n color

黄
Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition
9 huáng adj yellow Speech

10
红 hóng adj red
23
钱 qián n money

11
穿 chuān v to wear, to put on
24
块 kuài m
(measure word for the basic Chinese monetary unit

[equivalent of a dollar])

12
裤子 kùzi n pants
25
毛 máo m (measure word for 1/10 of a kuai [equivalent of a dime])

13
号 hào n size
26
分 fēn m
(measure word for 1/100 of a kuai [equivalent of

a cent])

14
中 zhōng adj medium, middle
27
百 bǎi nu hundred

15
便宜 piányi adj cheap, inexpensive
28
找（钱） zhǎo (qián) v(o) to give change

16
如果 rúguǒ conj if

的话 de huà

17
长短 chángduǎn n length

长 cháng
您要买什么衣服？
adj long

短 duǎn adj short

18
合适 héshì adj suitable
Nín yào mǎi shénme yīfu?
我想买 。
试
What would you like to buy?

19 shì v to try

Wǒ xiǎng mǎi .
20
不用 búyòng need not

See index
for corre

一共
sponding
vocabula
ry or rese
arch an other term
21 yígòng adv altogether
.

22
多少 duōshao qpr how much/many
Grammar 2 Measure words (II)

1 The modal verb 要 (yào) (want to do) (II) These are useful “measure word + noun” combinations. [See also Grammar 2, Lesson 2.]

Word Pinyin Definition

要 (yào)
一个人
can also mean “to desire to do something.” [See also Grammar 2, Lesson 6.]

yí ge rén a person

A 明天是周末，你要做什么？ 一位先生 yí wèi xiānsheng a gentleman

Míngtiān shì zhōumò, nǐ yào zuò shénme?

一杯茶 yì bēi chá a cup of tea

一瓶可乐
Tomorrow is the weekend. What do you want to do?

yì píng kělè a bottle of cola

B 我要去图书馆看书，你去不去？ 一枝笔 yì zhī bǐ a pen

Wǒ yào qù túshūguǎn kàn shū, nǐ qù bu qù?

一张纸 yì zhāng zhǐ a piece of paper

一节课
I want to go to the library to read. Do you want to come?

yì jié kè a class period

C 我要喝可乐，他要喝茶。 一篇课文 yì piān kèwén the text of a lesson

一件衬衫
Wǒ yào hē kělè, tā yào hē chá.
yí jiàn chènshān a shirt

I want to drink cola. He wants to drink tea.

To negate it, use 不想 (bù xiǎng) .

一条裤子 yì tiáo kùzi a pair of pants

一双鞋 yì shuāng xié a pair of shoes [See Dialogue 2.]

我不想去图书馆。
一块钱
D
yí kuài qián one yuan

Wǒ bù xiǎng qù túshūguǎn.
I don’t want to go to the library.
一毛钱 yì máo qián one mao (1/10 of a yuan)

一分钱 yì fēn qián one fen (1/100 of a yuan)

今天我不想做功课。
一本书
E

yì běn shū a book

Jīntiān wǒ bù xiǎng zuò gōngkè.

I don’t want to do my homework today. 一只鞋 yì zhī xié a shoe (one of a pair) [See also “a pair of shoes,” above.]

Both of the modal verbs 想 (xiǎng) and 要 (yào) can express a desire or an intention, but 要 (yào)
EXERCISES
carries a stronger tone. More
exercises

Fill in the blanks with the proper measure words.

EXERCISES
1 两 咖啡
要
三 衬衫
Answer the following questions using where appropriate.

李友要去商店买什么？
2

2 你这个周末要做什么？
 3 The 的 (de) structure (II) 5 Denominations of currency

We have a 的 (de) structure when a noun, a pronoun, an adjective, or a verb is followed by the The denominations of Chinese currency are as follows.

的 (de)
structural particle . Grammatically, a 的 (de) structure is equivalent to a noun, e.g., 老师的
我的 (wǒ de) 大的 (dà de) 吃的 (chī de)
Usage Unit of Currency 1/10 of a Unit 1/100 of a Unit

元 (yuán) 角 (jiǎo) 分 (fēn)

(lǎoshī de) (the teacher’s), (mine), (the big one), (things to eat).

a
Standard

块 (kuài) 毛 (máo) 分 (fēn)

[See also Grammar 8, Lesson 7.]

Colloquial

More
EXERCISES a
Store prices are typically listed in 元 (yuán) and 角 (jiǎo) .

的
exercises

Answer the following questions using the structure where appropriate.

五块九毛九分钱 (wǔ kuài jiǔ máo jiǔ fēn qián)

你的衬衫是大号的、中号的还是小号的？
In colloquial speech, ¥5.99 is . In conversation,

1
abbreviated forms are also used, e.g., 五块九毛九分 钱 [qián] (omitting [money]) and 五块
九毛九 钱 [qián] 钱(qián)
2 你爸爸喜欢穿什么颜色的裤子？ 分 [fēn]
(omitting

) must also be included.

and the last unit). If

五块九毛九钱.
is included, the preceding measure (e.g.,

One or more zeroes occurring internally in a complex number are read as 〇 (líng) (zero). To avoid

4 Using 多 (duō) interrogatively ambiguity, 毛 (máo) and 分 (fēn) must be retained, as in (D) or (E).

The adverb 多 (duō) is often used in questions asking about degree or extent. The adjectives that A 八块五毛五（分）
（钱） D 一百块〇 三毛（钱）
follow 多 (duō) typically suggest an expansive quality, such as 大 (dà) (big), as in (A) and (B), and 高
bā kuài wǔ máo wǔ (fēn) (qián) yìbǎi kuài líng sān máo (qián)
(gāo) (tall, high), as in (C). Note that words that denote a diminutive quality, such as 小 (xiǎo) (small,

矮 (ǎi)
¥8.55 ¥100.30

little) and (short), are not used in this construction.

A 你今年多大？ [See Lesson 3.]

B 十五块三（毛）
（钱） E 一百块〇三分（钱）
shíwǔ kuài sān (máo) (qián) yìbǎi kuài líng sān fēn (qián)
Nǐ jīnnián duō dà?
¥15.30 ¥100.03

How old are you this year?

一百〇三块（钱）
你穿多大的衣服？
C

yìbǎi líng sān kuài (qián)

Nǐ chuān duō dà de yīfu? ¥103

What size clothes do you wear?

EXERCISES

你弟弟多高？
More
exercises

Say the following amounts of money in Chinese.

C

Nǐ dìdi duō gāo? 1 ¥9.99 2 ¥135.20 3 ¥86.04

How tall is your younger brother?

EXERCISES

Form questions asking about degree or extent by inserting 多 where appropriate.

1 高文中 高 2 你弟弟 大
Language Practice B Online shopping spree PRESENTATIONAL

Little Li is an avid online shopper. Recap what’s in her shopping cart based on the images below,
A I’ll check my calendar INTERPERSONAL

using 想 (xiǎng) where appropriate, e.g.:

In pairs, form a question-and-answer about what Little Wang wants to do next week based on the
小李想买一件新衣服。
following calendar. [See also Grammar 2, Lesson 6.] Insert 要 (yào) where appropriate, e.g.: Xiǎo Lǐ xiǎng mǎi yí jiàn xīn yīfu.

星期一 (xīngqīyī)
小王下个星期一要做什么？
Q: 1 2 3 4

Xiǎo Wáng xià ge xīngqīyī yào zuò shénme?

A: 小王下个星期一要去上课。 Then share what’s on your online wish list with the class and explain why you want the items, e.g.:

Xiǎo Wáng xià ge xīngqīyī yào qù shàng kè. 我喜欢白色/我没有白色的裤子，

所以我想买一条白色的裤子。
星期一 星期二 星期三 Wǒ xǐhuān báisè/Wǒ méiyǒu báisè de kùzi, suǒyǐ wǒ xiǎng mǎi yì tiáo báisè de kùzi.

C Lost and found INTERPERSONAL

In pairs, identify to whom the objects belong. Use 的 (de) , e.g.:

星期四 星期五 星期六 Q: 这瓶可乐是谁的？

Zhè píng kělè shì shéi de?

A: 这瓶可乐是高文中的。
Zhè píng kělè shì Gāo Wénzhōng de.

1 2 3

Then identify the colors of Little Wang’s belongings, using 的 (de) , e.g.:

Then discuss your partner’s plans for next week, e.g.: Q: 小王的笔是什么颜色的？
Q: 你呢？你下个星期要做什么？ Xiǎo Wáng de bǐ shì shénme yánsè de?

Nǐ ne? Nǐ xià ge xīngqī yào zuò shénme? A: 小王的笔是黄色的。

A: 我下个星期一…… 星期二…… Xiǎo Wáng de bǐ shì huángsè de.

Wǒ xià ge xīngqīyī . . . xīngqīèr . . .

1 2 3
D Questions, questions, questions! INTERPERSONAL
你觉得她/他今天的衣服长短合适不合适？
Nǐ juéde tā jīntiān de yīfu chángduǎn héshì bù héshì?
In pairs, ask questions about your friend’s sibling’s age, the price of your friend’s pants, etc., by

using 多 (duō) . 她/他的衣服多吗？

Tā de yīfu duō ma?

E Shopping poll INTERPERSONAL

Poll your classmates on their shopping habits for the student newspaper, e.g.:
Characterize it!
你喜欢买东西吗？ 你喜欢买什么东西？ What do the characters mean?

衬 衫 裤
1 2 3
What is the common radical?

Nǐ xǐhuan mǎi dōngxi ma? Nǐ xǐhuan mǎi shénme dōngxi?

What does the radical mean?

你常常去买东西吗？ 你喜欢买衣服吗？ How does the radical relate to

the overall meaning of the characters?

Nǐ chángcháng qù mǎi dōngxi ma? Nǐ xǐhuan mǎi yīfu ma?

你常常去哪儿买东西？ 你常常跟谁一起去买东西？
Nǐ chángcháng qù nǎr mǎi dōngxi? Nǐ chángcháng gēn shéi yìqǐ qù mǎi dōngxi?

你有几件衬衫？ 你有几条裤子？
11:48 AM 85%
Chinese Chat
〈 2 Marla Eisenberg
Your friend is messaging
Nǐ yǒu jǐ jiàn chènshān? Nǐ yǒu jǐ tiáo kùzi?
我正在商店买衣服。你看，这两件，
you on LINE while

哪一件好看？红的还是黄的？
shopping. How would
11:36 AM
you reply?

F INTERPERSONAL
Fashion blogger PRESENTATIONAL

11:36 AM
Present a popular fashion blogger to the class, then start a dialogue about his/her sense of style, e.g.: Read
...

喜欢什么颜色？
11:37 AM

那你觉得大小、长短合适不合适？
(Fashion blogger’s name)

11:39 AM
(Fashion blogger’s name) xǐhuan shénme yánsè?
Read

她/他喜欢穿什么颜色的衣服？ 11:40 AM
...

Tā xǐhuan chuān shénme yánsè de yīfu? 有点儿贵。你说要不要买？ 11:42 AM

她/他今天的衣服是什么颜色的？ Read
11:44 AM
...

Tā jīntiān de yīfu shì shénme yánsè de?

好，听你的! 11:48 AM

Send
 Pinyin Dialogue

Exchanging Shoes
Wáng Péng xiǎng huàn yì shuāng xié, tā wèn shòuhuòyuán . . .

Duìbuqǐ, zhè shuāng xié tài xiǎo le. Néng bu néng

Dialogue 2 王朋想换一双鞋，他问售货员…… huàn yì shuāng?

Méi wèntí. Nín kàn, zhè shuāng zěnmeyàng?

对不起，这双鞋太小了。
6

Video
Yě bù xíng, zhè shuāng gēn nà shuāng yíyàng dà.
Audio
Nà zhè shuāng hēi de ne?
能不能换一双？ 7

Zhè shuāng xié suīrán dàxiǎo héshì, kěshì yánsè bù

没问题。您看，这双怎么样？ hǎo. Yǒu méiyǒu kāfēisè de?

Duìbuqǐ, zhè zhǒng xié zhǐ yǒu hēi de.

也不行，这双跟那双一样 大。
6

a b

Zhè shuāng xié yàngzi tíng hǎo de , jiù shì tā ba .

那这双黑的呢？ Nǐmen zhèr kěyǐ shuā kǎ ma?

Duìbuqǐ, wǒmen bù shōu xìnyòngkǎ. Búguò, zhè

这双鞋虽然大小合适，可是 颜色不好。
7

shuāng de qián gēn nà shuāng yíyàng, nín búyòng zài

有没有咖啡色的？ fù qián le.

对不起，这种鞋只有黑的。 Language Notes

这双鞋样子挺好的 ，就是它吧 。
a b

a 挺 (tǐng)
挺 的
你们这儿可以刷卡吗?
The construction + adj +

(tǐng + adj + de) means “it’s rather + adj.”

的 (de)
对不起，我们不收信用卡。
is optional.

b
就是它吧 (jiù shì tā ba)
不过，这双的钱跟那双一样， This expression is often used to indicate

the completion of a selection. It means

您不用再付钱了。 “I’ll take this one.” [See Keeping It Casual

(L5–L10).]
 In many countries,

Vocabulary there is heated

debate over who

should appear
Part of
No. Word Pinyin English on currency. In
Speech

双
China, many

figures used to
1 shuāng m (measure word for a pair)
appear but, since

鞋
1999, all have

2 xié n shoes been replaced

with Chairman

换
Mao. What are the

3 huàn v to exchange, to change denominations

Flashcards of these fourth

Audio 4
一样 yíyàng adj same, alike [See Grammar 6.]
edition bills (on the

right)? Research

虽然
the names of the

5 suīrán conj although [See Grammar 7.]

ethnic groups

depicted.

6
大小 dàxiǎo n size

7
咖啡色 kāfēisè n brown, coffee color
GET

Real
8
种 zhǒng m (measure word for kinds, sorts, types) WITH
CHINESE

9
黑 hēi adj black

10
样子 yàngzi n style

11
挺 tǐng adv very, rather

12
它 tā pr it

13
这儿 zhèr pr here
你喜欢什么颜色?
14
刷卡 shuā kǎ vo to pay with a credit card

Nǐ xǐhuan shénme yánsè?

刷 shuā v to brush, to swipe

What color do you like?
我喜欢 。
卡 kǎ n card

See index
Wǒ xǐhuan .

收
for corre
sponding
vocabula
ry or rese
arch an
15 shōu v to receive, to accept
other term
.

16
信用卡 xìnyòngkǎ n credit card

17
不过 búguò conj however, but

What do the characters mean?

Characterize it!

再
果 床 杯 末
1 2 3 4
18 zài adv again What is the common radical?

付钱
What does the radical mean?

19 fù qián vo to pay money

More
characters

How does the radical relate to the

付
overall meaning of the characters?
fù v to pay
Grammar 7 The conjunctions 虽然…，可是/但是…
(suīrán . . . , kěshì/dànshì . . . ) (although . . . yet . . . )
6 Comparing using 跟/和… (不)一样 (gēn/hé...[bù] yíyàng)
This pair of conjunctions links two clauses to form a complex sentence. Note, however, that
([not] the same as . . . )
虽然 (suīrán) (although) is often optional.

To express similarity or dissimilarity between objects, people, or actions, use the structure

跟/和… (不) 一样 (gēn/hé . . . [bù] yíyàng) ([not] the same as . . . ). Following 一样 (yíyàng) A 虽然这双鞋很便宜，可是大小不合适。
(same, alike) an adjective can be used, as in (C), (D), and (E).

Suīrán zhè shuāng xié hěn piányi, kěshì dàxiǎo bù héshì.

A 你的衬衫跟我的一样。 Although this pair of shoes is very inexpensive, they’re not the right size.

Nǐ de chènshān gēn wǒ de yíyàng.

Your shirt is the same as mine. B 这件衬衫大小很合适，可是太贵了。
B 贵的衣服和便宜的衣服不一样。 Zhè jiàn chènshān dàxiǎo hěn héshì, kěshì tài guì le.
This shirt is the right size, but it’s too expensive.

Guì de yīfu hé piányi de yīfu bù yíyàng.

学中文不容易，但是很有意思。
Expensive clothes are different from cheap ones.

C 弟弟跟哥哥一样高。 Xué Zhōngwén bù róngyì, dànshì hěn yǒu yìsi.

Dìdi gēn gēge yíyàng gāo. Learning Chinese is not easy, but it’s very interesting.

The younger brother is as tall as the older one.

虽然 (suīrán) 可是/但是 (kěshì/dànshì)

这个电脑跟那个电脑一样新。
Whether or not is used in the first clause, (but) cannot

D be omitted in the second.

Zhè ge diànnǎo gēn nà ge diànnǎo yíyàng xīn.

This computer is as new as that one.
[ 虽然学中文不容易，很有意思。]
E 常老师写汉字写得跟王老师 EXERCISES

虽然…，可是/但是…
（写汉字写得）一样漂亮。
More
exercises
Join these sentences by using the structure and deleting identical

nouns and pronouns where appropriate. Use exercise 1 as an example.

这个电脑很快。 这个电脑很贵。
Cháng lǎoshī xiě Hànzì xiě de gēn Wáng lǎoshī (xiě Hànzì xiě de) yíyàng piàoliang.
1
Teacher Chang writes Chinese characters as beautifully as Teacher Wang does.

EXERCISES → 虽然这个电脑很快，可是（这个电脑）很贵。
跟/和 一样
More

这条裤子大小很合适。 这条裤子颜色不好。
exercises
Form sentences by combining these words and inserting the A B structure

2
where appropriate. Use exercise 1 as an example.

1 妹妹 姐姐 高 3 这个商店的东西很便宜。这个商店不收信用卡。
→ 妹妹和/跟姐姐一样高。
2 这件衬衫 那件衬衫 漂亮
3 你的电脑 我的电脑 贵
Language Practice
有一点儿小 yǒu yìdiǎnr xiǎo

G Just the same

4 这双鞋样子挺不错的 ◇ zhè shuāng xié yàngzi tǐng búcuò de ◇

太贵了
PRESENTATIONAL

tài guì le

Form sentences by combining these words and inserting the A 跟/和 (gēn/hé) 一样 (yíyàng)
B
5 这个商店不小 ◇ zhè ge shāngdiàn bù xiǎo ◇
◇ , e.g.:
不能刷卡
structure in the

bù néng shuā kǎ
这件衣服 ◇ 那件衣服 ◇ 漂亮
zhè jiàn yīfu ◇ nà jiàn yīfu ◇ piàoliang
I Double trouble PRESENTATIONAL

这件衣服跟那件衣服一样漂亮。
Here’s some information about two sisters who are identical twins. Describe what they have
Zhè jiàn yīfu gēn nà jiàn yīfu yíyàng piàoliang.
跟/和 (gēn/hé) …一样 (yíyàng)
这枝笔 ◇ 那枝笔 ◇ 便宜
in common, using where appropriate, e.g.:

zhè zhī bǐ ◇ nà zhī bǐ ◇ piányi

王文京跟王文英一样大。
1

Wáng Wénjīng gēn Wáng Wényīng yíyàng dà.

2 这条裤子◇ 那条裤子◇ 贵 zhè tiáo kùzi ◇ nà tiáo kùzi ◇ guì 1 Height: 5’5” 5’5” 2 Shirts: size 6 size 6 3 Pants: red red

3 这双鞋◇ 那双鞋◇ 合适 zhè shuāng xié ◇ nà shuāng xié ◇ héshì

4 这件衬衫◇ 那件衬衫◇ 大 zhè jiàn chènshān ◇ nà jiàn chènshān ◇ dà J INTERPERSONAL

Taking stock INTERPRETIVE

5 第九课的语法◇ dì jiǔ kè de yǔfǎ ◇

第八课的语法◇ 难
You’re starting your own fashion line. To determine your business strategy, survey your classmates

dì bā kè de yǔfǎ ◇ nán about their color preferences and sizes. Then jot down your findings.

鞋/衬衫/裤子 xié/chènshān/kùzi
H All shopped out PRESENTATIONAL

你喜欢穿什么颜色的？ Nǐ xǐhuan chuān shénme yánsè de?

Form sentences expressing shopping frustrations by using the 虽然 (suīrán) … ，可是/但是

你穿多大的？ Nǐ chuān duō dà de?

(kěshì/dànshì) … structure where appropriate, e.g.:

虽然这个商店的鞋都很漂亮，可是她都不喜欢。
Chinese Chat
1 4

Li You just updated her

status on Facebook,
Suīrán zhè ge shāngdiàn de xié dōu hěn piàoliang, kěshi tā dōu bù xǐhuan. and Wang Peng left a

comment. What do you Li You

他的新衣服很多
think Wang Peng is
◇
6 minutes ago

tā de xīn yīfu hěn duō ◇

换了一双鞋，大小合适， 可是颜色不好。
1 hinting at?

他都不穿 tā dōu bù chuān 3 people like this

这条裤子很便宜 ◇ 那你想再换一双吗？我也想去那个商店买鞋。
Wang Peng

2 zhè tiáo kùzi hěn piányi ◇

长短不合适 chángduǎn bù héshì

4 minutes ago

这件衬衫的颜色很好看 ◇
3 likes 1 comment

3 zhè jiàn chènshān de yánsè hěn hǎokàn ◇

CULTURAL LITERACY
Prices COMPARE
& CONTRAST

E-commerce is becoming prevalent

In Mainland China, prices in China. For many people, online

are usually non-negotiable 网上购物 (wǎngshang

shopping,

in supermarkets and gòuwù) 网购 (wǎng gòu)

or , is the

large department stores, preferred way to find the best deal.

天猫

Clothes
but bargaining is routine Two of the most popular sites,

at street-side stalls and (Tiānmāo: www.tmall.com) and 淘宝

Continue
small shops. It is also (Táobǎo: www.taobao.com), are owned
to explore
not customary to tip at by Alibaba. Alibaba’s sales dwarf those
Contemporary Chinese fashion is largely similar
a restaurant, although of Amazon and eBay combined.
to that of the West. On formal occasions, Chinese
upscale restaurants often
men wear suits and ties and women wear Search for an item on one of these sites,
charge a service fee.
Western-style dresses. When dressing casually, put it in the shopping cart, and describe

many young people wear jeans and T-shirts. how the experience compares with your

However, more traditional clothing from the early usual online shopping.

tewntieth century can still be seen around China.

One of the most enduring examples of traditional

Chinese fashion is 旗袍 (qípáo) , a close-fitting

woman’s dress with a high collar and a slit skirt. It

was extremely popular among urban women until

1949 in Mainland China and into the 1960s and

70s in Taiwan. Today, you can still see women in

qipao at weddings and formal parties. Specialized

stores offer qipao designs in both modernized

and traditional versions. They are popular among

foreign tourists, and several fashion brands in

Europe and North America have introduced qipao-

influenced designs.

For Chinese men in the early twentieth century,

the traditional formal attire was a long robe called

长袍 (chángpáo) (lit. long gown) and a short

马褂 (mǎguà)
jacket called (Mandarin jacket).

Today they have disappeared from city streets,

but remain an important part of Chinese visual

Forms of
culture. Characters in popular period dramas and

films, as well as performers of 相声 (xiàngsheng)

(cross-talk), a type of traditional stand-up comedy

involving two comics, and storytelling arts such

In Mainland China, a salesperson in a department store is

as 评弹 (píngtán) (Suzhou-style ballad singing),

usually addressed as 售货员 (shòuhuòyuán) , and a server

are frequently seen in 长袍 (chángpáo) . Until

服务员 (fúwùyuán)
in a restaurant is usually called (service Students should carefully observe actual usage and follow

the 1990s, almost every Chinese man wore the

person). Both male and female taxi drivers and bus drivers are suit. In Taiwan, 小姐 (xiǎojiě) (Miss) and 先生 (xiānsheng)
中山装 (Zhōngshānzhuāng) (“Sun Yat-sen suit”),
commonly addressed as 师傅 (shīfu) (an old term of respect (Mr.) are the preferred terms in all these contexts. Most

better known in the West as the “Mao suit.” Even

for a master craftsman or skilled worker). However, these recently, 老师 (lǎoshī) (teacher) has come to be used as

today, Chinese leaders wear the high-collared

forms of address vary according to the age and preference a respectful form of address for people in the arts (such as

jacket in place of a Western-style suit jacket on

of the speaker as well as the status or function of the person writers, painters, and actors) on both sides of the Taiwan

some formal occasions, and padded versions

spoken to, and usage has very much been in flux. Strait, regardless of whether they teach professionally.

can still be seen in rural China in winter.

Lesson Wrap-Up

Lesson 10
Make It Flow!

第十课
Rearrange the following sentences into a logical sequence. Then combine them into a

coherent narrative. Remember to omit repetitive elements and substitute subjects with

personal pronouns where appropriate. Time expressions and place words can also

serve as useful connective devices.

Dì shí kè
售货员找给李友四十五块五毛一。
李友买的衬衫是中号的。
李友买了一件衬衫。
1 李友在商店买衣服。
李友买的衬衫是红的。
李友还买了一条裤子。
李友一共得付五十四块四毛九。
李友给了售货员一百块钱。
Role-Play

It’s your younger brother’s birthday next week. You want to get him a shirt. His favorite

color is blue and his size is medium. You want to buy something that’s stylish yet not too

交通
expensive, but the salesperson tries to get you to buy the most expensive shirt in the

store. Create a short skit with your partner, and perform it in class or make a video and

post it on social media.

Social Media

On social media, post three items of clothing you are considering buying. Tell your

friends what you like about them (style, color, etc.). See which item gets the most likes.

Jiāotōng

TRANSPORTATION

Before proceeding to Lesson 10, make sure you can complete

the following tasks in Chinese:

Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready

± Name my favorite color and other

common colors

± Talk about clothing and shoe sizes

In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:

± Count money and determine  Discuss different means of  How often do people use

proper change transportation public transportation?

± Return or exchange items at a store  Explain how to transfer from one  Do people hail taxis or do they

subway or bus line to another order rides on their phone?

 Navigate public transit  How do people express gratitude?

 Express gratitude after receiving  What do people say to each other

a favor on New Year’s Day?

 Offer New Year wishes

Lesson Wrap-Up

Lesson 10
Make It Flow!

第十课
Rearrange the following sentences into a logical sequence. Then combine them into a

coherent narrative. Remember to omit repetitive elements and substitute subjects with

personal pronouns where appropriate. Time expressions and place words can also

serve as useful connective devices.

Dì shí kè
售货员找给李友四十五块五毛一。
李友买的衬衫是中号的。
李友买了一件衬衫。
1 李友在商店买衣服。
李友买的衬衫是红的。
李友还买了一条裤子。
李友一共得付五十四块四毛九。
李友给了售货员一百块钱。
Role-Play

It’s your younger brother’s birthday next week. You want to get him a shirt. His favorite

color is blue and his size is medium. You want to buy something that’s stylish yet not too

交通
expensive, but the salesperson tries to get you to buy the most expensive shirt in the

store. Create a short skit with your partner, and perform it in class or make a video and

post it on social media.

Social Media

On social media, post three items of clothing you are considering buying. Tell your

friends what you like about them (style, color, etc.). See which item gets the most likes.

Jiāotōng

TRANSPORTATION

Before proceeding to Lesson 10, make sure you can complete

the following tasks in Chinese:

Learning Objectives Relate & Get Ready

± Name my favorite color and other

common colors

± Talk about clothing and shoe sizes

In this lesson, you will learn to: In your own culture/community:

± Count money and determine  Discuss different means of  How often do people use

proper change transportation public transportation?

± Return or exchange items at a store  Explain how to transfer from one  Do people hail taxis or do they

subway or bus line to another order rides on their phone?

 Navigate public transit  How do people express gratitude?

 Express gratitude after receiving  What do people say to each other

a favor on New Year’s Day?

 Offer New Year wishes

 Pinyin Dialogue

Going Home for Winter Vacation

Lǐ Yǒu gēn Wáng Péng shuō huà . . .

Lǐ Yǒu, hánjià nǐ huí jiā ma?

Dialogue
李友跟王朋说话…… Duì, wǒ yào huí jiā.
1

Fēijī piào nǐ mǎi le ma ?

李友，寒假你回家吗？ Yǐjīng mǎi le. Shì èrshíyī hào de.

Video

Audio
Fēijī shì jǐ diǎn de?
对，我要回家。 Wǎnshang bā diǎn de.

飞机票你买了吗 ？
a
1
Nǐ zěnme qù jīchǎng?
2

Wǒ xiǎng zuò gōnggòng qìchē huòzhě zuò dìtiě. Nǐ

已经买了。是二十一号的。 a

zhīdao zěnme zǒu ma?

飞机是几点的？ Nǐ xiān zuò yī lù qìchē, zuò sān zhàn xià chē, ránhòu
3

huàn dìtiě. Xiān zuò hóng xiàn, zài huàn lǜ xiàn,

晚上八点的。 zuìhòu huàn lán xiàn.

你怎么去 机场？
a 4 b

Bù xíng, bù xíng, tài máfan le. Wǒ háishi dǎ chē ba.

Chūzū qìchē tài guì, wǒ kāi chē sòng nǐ qù ba.

我想坐公共汽车或者 坐地铁。你知道
2

Xièxie nǐ.

怎么走 吗？
a
Búyòng kèqi.

你先坐一路汽车，坐三站下车，然后换地 Language Notes

铁。先坐红线，再 换绿线，最后换蓝线。
3

a 怎么去 (zěnme qù) and 怎么走

不行，不行，太麻烦了。我还是 打车 吧。
4 b (zěnme zǒu)
怎么去 (zěnme qù) is used to ask about

怎么
出租汽车太贵，我开车送你去吧。
the means of transportation, whereas

走 (zěnme zǒu) is used to ask for directions.

打车 (dǎ chē)
谢谢你。
b

This means “to take a taxi.” A common

打的 (dǎ dī) 出租
不用客气。
variant is . Taxis are

（汽）车 (chūzū [qì]chē) in Mainland China,

计程车 (jìchéng chē)

but (metered cars)

in Taiwan.
Vocabulary

You’ve just arrived

Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition in Beijing and
Speech

寒假
downloaded some

1 hánjià n winter vacation apps your friend

recommended.

2
飞机 fēijī n airplane
Which would you

use to get a ride?

飞
Can you identify

fēi v to fly the other apps?

机
Flashcards

jī n machine

票
Audio

3 piào n ticket

GET

4
（飞）机场 (fēi)jīchǎng n airport Real
WITH
CHINESE

5
坐 zuò v to travel by

6
公共汽车 gōnggòng
qìchē
n bus

公共 gōnggòng adj public No. Word Pinyin

Part of
Speech
Definition

汽车 qìchē n automobile 20
打车 dǎ chē vo to take a taxi

车 chē n vehicle, car 21

出租汽车 chūzū qìchē n taxi

7
或者 huòzhě conj or [See Grammar 2.]
出租 chūzū v to rent out, to let

8
地铁 dìtiě n subway
租 zū v to rent

9
走 zǒu v to go by way of, to walk 22
开车 kāi chē vo to drive a car

10
先 xiān adv first [See Grammar 3.]
开 kāi v to drive, to operate

11
路 lù n route, road 23
送 sòng v to see off or out, to take (someone somewhere)

12
站 zhàn m (measure word for bus stops, train stops, etc.)

13
下车 xià chē vo to get off (a bus, train, etc.)

14
然后 ránhòu adv then

15
绿 lǜ adj green

你怎么回家？
16
线 xiàn n line

最后 zuìhòu
Nǐ zěnme huí jiā?
我 。
17 final, last

How do you get home?

18
蓝 lán adj blue

Wǒ .
19
麻烦 máfan adj troublesome
See index
for corre
sponding
vocabula
ry or rese
arch an other term
.
Grammar
D 她不想去纽约，可是飞机票她妈妈已经
帮她买了。
1 Topic-comment sentences Tā bù xiǎng qù Niǔyuē, kěshì fēijī piào tā māma yǐjīng bāng tā mǎi le.
She does not want to go to New York, but her mother has already bought her a plane ticket.

In a topic-comment sentence, the previously established noun, noun phrase, or object of the verb

becomes the topic, and moves to the beginning of the sentence. The rest of the sentence serves
EXERCISES

as the comment.
Join these sentences to form a topic-comment sentence. Use exercise 1 as an example.

我昨天买了一件衬衫。
我昨天买了一枝笔。
1

我很喜欢那件衬衫。
A Student A

Wǒ zuótiān mǎi le yì zhī bǐ.

I bought a pen yesterday. → 我昨天买了一件衬衫。那件衬衫我很喜欢。
2 学校有一个商店。
那枝笔你用了吗？
我常常去那个商店。
Student B

Nà zhī bǐ nǐ yòng le ma?

Have you used it?
3 李友买飞机票了吗？
Q:

李友已经买飞机票了。
A:

B Q: 你知道我的衬衫在哪儿吗？
Nǐ zhīdao wǒ de chènshān zài nǎr ma?
Do you know where my shirt is? 2 Indicating alternatives:

或者 (huòzhě) (or) and 还是 (háishi) (or)

A: 你的衬衫我给你妈妈了。
Nǐ de chènshān wǒ gěi nǐ māma le. Both 或者 (huòzhě) (or) and 还是 (háishi) (or) connect words or phrases to indicate alternatives.

The former usually appears in statements, the latter in questions.

I gave your shirt to your mother.

C Q: 你有朋友吗？ A Q: 你今天晚上做什么？
Nǐ jīntiān wǎnshang zuò shénme?
Nǐ yǒu péngyou ma?
What are you going to do tonight?
Do you have any friends?

A: 朋友我有很多，可是都不在这儿。 A: 听音乐或者看电影。
Tīng yīnyuè huòzhě kàn diànyǐng.
Péngyou wǒ yǒu hěn duō, kěshì dōu bú zài zhèr.
Listen to music or watch a movie.
I have many friends, but none of them are here.
 B Q: 你周末想看电影还是跳舞？ 3 Indicating sequence:

Nǐ zhōumò xiǎng kàn diànyǐng háishi tiào wǔ? 先…再… (xiān . . . zài . . . ) (first . . . , then . . . )
Would you like to see a movie or go dancing this weekend?

In this structure, 再 (zài) (then) indicates a sequence of actions rather than repetition.

看电影或者跳舞都行。
我想先打球再去图书馆。
A:

Kàn diànyǐng huòzhě tiào wǔ dōu xíng.

Wǒ xiǎng xiān dǎ qiú zài qù túshūguǎn.
Either seeing a movie or going dancing would be fine with me.

I’d like to play ball and then go to the library.

C Q: 你喜欢什么颜色的鞋？黑色的还是咖啡色的？ B 弟弟常常先做功课再上网聊天儿。
Nǐ xǐhuan shénme yánsè de xié? Hēisè de háishi kāfēisè de?
Dìdi chángcháng xiān zuò gōngkè zài shàng wǎng liáo tiānr.
What color shoes do you like? Black or brown?

My little brother often does his homework first and then chats online.

A: 黑色的或者咖啡色的我都不喜欢， C Q: 你什么时候给妈妈打电话?
我喜欢白的。 Nǐ shénme shíhou gěi māma dǎ diànhuà?
Hēisè de huòzhě kāfēisè de wǒ dōu bù xǐhuan, wǒ xǐhuan bái de. When are you going to call Mom?

I don’t like either black or brown; I like white ones.

下课以后再打。
明天你去开会或者小高去开会都可以。
A:

Xià kè yǐhòu zài dǎ.

Míngtiān nǐ qù kāi huì huòzhě Xiǎo Gāo qù kāi huì dōu kěyǐ.
I’ll call her after class.

Either you or Little Gao may attend tomorrow’s meeting.

As adverbs, 先 (xiān) and 再 (zài) must come before a verb. They should not be placed in

front of the subject.

EXERCISES

或者 还是
More
exercises
Connect these words to form a question or a statement by inserting either or as

appropriate. Use exercise 1 as an example. D 小王先买东西再吃晚饭。

1 今天晚上我们 去跳舞 去打球 Xiǎo Wáng xiān mǎi dōngxi zài chī wǎnfàn.

→ 今天晚上我们去跳舞或者去打球。 Little Wang will shop first before having dinner.

2 白医生想 坐地铁 坐公共汽车 去机场 [ 先小王买东西再吃晚饭。]

3 高文中 星期五 星期六 请客
 More
EXERCISES
Student A 那别去听音乐会了。你还是在家复习功
先…再…
exercises

课吧。
Combine these words to indicate sequence by inserting where appropriate.

Use exercise 1 as an example.

1 小王 坐公共汽车 坐地铁 去学校上课 Nà bié qù tīng yīnyuèhuì le. Nǐ háishi zài jiā fùxí gōngkè ba.

→ 小王先坐公共汽车，再坐地铁去学校上课。
Let’s not go to the concert then. You’d better stay home and review.

2 王朋常常 看电视 做功课 EXERCISES

More

还是…吧
张律师今天 吃晚饭 开车 去机场
exercises

In pairs, use these words to discuss alternatives by inserting where appropriate. Use
3
exercise 1 as an example.

1 打球 有点儿累 明天
我想打球，可是有点儿累。
4 Pondering alternatives:
Student A

还是…（吧） (háishi . . . [ba]) (had better)

Student B 你有点儿累，还是明天打吧。
还是…（吧） (háishi . . . [ba])
打车去学校 打车太贵 坐公共汽车
The structure (had better) can be used to suggest an alternative.

A Q: 我们星期五去看电影，好不好？ 3 看球 明天考中文 复习生词语法

Wǒmen xīngqīwǔ qù kàn diànyǐng, hǎo bù hǎo?
Let’s go to a movie on Friday. How’s that? 〈
A: 还是星期六去吧。
Háishi xīngqīliù qù ba.
You’re about to post this picture of your
Let’s go on Saturday instead.

寒假
trip on Instagram. What caption would you

write? Use the hashtag # .

B Student A 我们今天晚上去听音乐会吧。
Wǒmen jīntiān wǎnshang qù tīng yīnyuèhuì ba.
〈 新帖子

〈
How about we go to a concert tonight?

撰写说明......
Student B 可是我明天考试。
Kěshì wǒ míngtiān kǎo shì.

新滤镜 新滤镜 标注用户

But I have a test tomorrow.

新增地点
筛选 编辑
Language Practice
3 这个周末怎么去机场◇坐地铁/打车
zhège zhōumò zěnme qù jīchǎng ◇ zuò dìtiě/dǎ chē
A On topic INTERPERSONAL

4 喝什么茶◇中国茶/英国茶
In pairs, answer the questions in the affirmative or negative using the topic-comment structure, e.g.:
hē shénme chá ◇ Zhōngguó chá/Yīngguó chá

Q: 你喜欢我这件衣服吗？ A: 这件衣服我不喜欢。
Nǐ xǐhuan wǒ zhè jiàn yīfu ma? Zhè jiàn yīfu wǒ bù xǐhuan. 5 买什么颜色的车◇蓝的/黑的
mǎi shénme yánsè de chē ◇ lán de/hēi de
1 你会不会打球？ 3 你现在想不想喝咖啡？
Nǐ huì bu huì dǎ qiú? Nǐ xiànzài xiǎng bu xiǎng hē kāfēi?

2 你复习课文了吗？ 4 你认识白英爱吗？ C First things first PRESENTATIONAL

Nǐ fùxí kèwén le ma? Nǐ rènshi Bái Yīng’ài ma?

Based on the images, sequence these actions using 先 (xiān) …再 (zài) … where appropriate, e.g.:

B Fine either way INTERPERSONAL

他先吃早饭，再去图书馆学习。
Tā xiān chī zǎofàn, zài qù túshūguǎn xuéxí.

In pairs, suggest and accept alternatives, inserting 或者 (huòzhě) or 还是 (háishi) where

appropriate, e.g.: 1 2 3

今天晚上做什么◇听音乐/看电视 TAXI

4 TAXI 5
jīntiān wǎnshang zuò shénme ◇ tīng yīnyuè/kàn diànshì

Q: 我们今天晚上做什么？听音乐还是看电视？
Wǒmen jīntiǎn wǎnshang zuò shénme? Tīng yīnyuè háishi kàn diànshì?
Characterize it!
A: 听音乐或者看电视都行。 What do the characters mean?

地 场 坐 在
1 2 3 4
What is the common radical?
Tīng yīnyuè huòzhě kàn diànshì dōu xíng. More
characters

What does the radical mean?

1 明天下午做什么◇去打球/去跳舞 How does the radical relate to the

overall meaning of the characters?

míngtiān xiàwǔ zuò shénme ◇ qù dǎ qiú/qù tiào wǔ

2 明天晚上做什么◇去商店买东西/去朋友家聊天儿
míngtiān wǎnshang zuò shénme ◇ qù shāngdiàn mǎi dōngxi/qù péngyou jiā liáo tiānr
D Plan B INTERPERSONAL F Exchange student PRESENTATIONAL

Use 还是…吧 (háishi . . . ba) and the information below to form question-and-answers. The You will be studying Chinese at Peking University next summer. How will you get to Tian’anmen

answers should propose alternatives to the original suggestions, e.g.: Square from campus? After researching transportation options, share your plan with your partner.

先 (xiān) … 再 (zài) … 然后 (ránhòu)…

听音乐◇看电视
Use expressions such as , , and .

tīng yīnyuè ◇ kàn diànshì

Q: 我们听音乐，好吗？ A: 我们还是看电视吧。
9:41 PM 85%
Wǒmen tīng yīnyuè, hǎo ma? Wǒmen háishi kàn diànshì ba. Chinese Chat

1 坐地铁去机场 开车 ◇
Your friend is sending

you WeChat messages

from the subway. How

〈 WeChat Lola
zuò dìtiě qù jīchǎng ◇ kāi chē would you reply?
8:23 PM

2 坐公共汽车去买东西◇打车 我在地铁站。去你家坐红线还是蓝线?
zuò gōnggòng qìchē qù mǎi dōngxi ◇ dǎ chē
...

3 买黑色的衬衫◇买红色的
mǎi hēisè de chènshān ◇ mǎi hóngsè de 我没开车。路上车太多，坐地铁快一点。
4 学中文专业◇学电脑专业 ...
xué Zhōngwén zhuānyè ◇ xué diànnǎo zhuānyè

好，我出了地铁站给你打电话。
E En route INTERPERSONAL

In pairs, take turns asking and giving directions to the following destinations by using 先 (xiān) …
再 (zài) … where appropriate.

1 Dr. Wang’s office: Take the subway–the Red Line. Get off after five stops.

2 Sofia’s house: Take Bus #5. Get off after four stops. Then change to the subway. Take the

Green Line first and then switch to the Red Line. Get off after six stops.

3 Mark’s school: Take Bus #29. Get off after six stops. Then switch to the subway. Take the

Red Line first and then switch to the Blue Line. Get off after three stops.
 Pinyin Email

Thanks for the Ride

a

Lǐ Yǒu gěi Wáng Péng xiě diànzǐ yóujiàn :

a Date: 12 yuè 20 rì
Email
李友给王朋写电子邮件 ：
From: Lǐ Yǒu

To: Wáng Péng

12月20日
Video

Audio
Date: Subject: Xièxie!

From: 李友 Wáng Péng:

To: 王朋 Xièxie nǐ nà tiān kāi chē sòng wǒ dào jīchǎng.

Búguò, ràng nǐ huā nàme duō shíjiān, zhēn bù hǎoyì-

Subject: 谢谢! 5

si. Wǒ zhè jǐ tiān měi tiān dōu kāi chē chūqu kàn

lǎo péngyou. Zhè ge chéngshì de rén kāi chē kāi de

王朋： tèbié kuài. Wǒ zài gāosù gōnglù shang kāi chē, zhēn

谢谢你那天开车送我到机场。不过，让你
yǒudiǎn(r) jǐnzhāng. Kěshì zhèr méiyǒu gōnggòng

qìchē, yě méiyǒu dìtiě, zhǐ néng zìjǐ kāi chē, hěn bù

花那么多时间，真不好意思。我这几天每天都
5

fāngbiàn.

开车出去看老朋友。这个城市的人开车开得特
Yǒu kòngr de huà dǎ wǒ de shǒujī huòzhě gěi wǒ

fā duǎnxìn, wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ liáo tiānr.

别快。我在高速公路上开车，真有点儿紧张。
6

Xīnnián kuài yào dào le , zhù nǐ xīnnián kuàilè!

可是这儿没有公共汽车，也没有地铁，只能自
Lǐ Yǒu

己开车，很不方便。 Language Note

有空儿的话打我的手机或者给我发短信， a 电子邮件 (diànzǐ yóujiàn)

As in English, the Chinese word for electronic

我想跟你聊天儿。 mail, 电子邮件 (diànzǐ yóujiàn) , is often

电邮 (diàn yóu)
abbreviated as (email).

新年快要到了 ，祝你新年快乐！
6

李友
Vocabulary

Part of
No. Word Pinyin Definition Your friend made
Speech
a payment in

1
电子邮件 diànzǐ yóujiàn n email/electronic mail
Shaanxi Province.

How much did

she pay, and

电子 diànzǐ n electron
why? What other

information can

让
you identify from

this receipt?
2 ràng v to allow or cause (somebody to do something)
Flashcards

Audio
3
花 huā v to spend

不好意思
GET
4 bù hǎoyìsi to feel embarrassed
Real
WITH
CHINESE
5
出去 chū qu vc to go out

6
每 měi pr every, each [See Grammar 5.]

7
城市 chéngshì n city
What do the characters mean?
Characterize it!

跳 跟 路
1 2 3

特别
What is the common radical?
8 tèbié adv especially More
characters

What does the radical mean?

9
高速公路 gāosù gōnglù n highway How does the radical relate to the

overall meaning of the characters?

高速 gāosù adj high speed

公路 gōnglù n highway, public road

路 lù n road, path

10
紧张 jǐnzhāng adj nervous, anxious

11
自己 zìjǐ pr oneself

12
手机 shǒujī n cell phone
你怎么去机场？
13
发短信 fā duǎnxìn vo
to send a text message (lit. to send a short

message) Nǐ zěnme qù jīchǎng?

14
新年 xīnnián n new year
How do you get to the airport?
我 。
Wǒ .
15
快乐 kuàilè adj happy

See index
for corre
sponding
vocabula
ry or rese
arch an other term
.
Grammar 6 Indicating imminence: 要…了 (yào . . . le) (soon)

要…了 (yào . . . le)

5 Indicating totality: 每…都… (měi . . . dōu . . . ) (every) The (soon) structure indicates the imminence of an anticipated action or

situation. It also appears in the form of 快要…了 (kuài yào . . . le) .

每 (měi) 都 (dōu)
新年快要到了，我们给爸爸妈妈
In sentences that contains the term (every), the adverb (both, all) is usually

A
inserted before the verb.

打一个电话吧。
A 他每天晚上都预习课文。 Xīnnián kuài yào dào le, wǒmen gěi bàba māma dǎ yí ge diànhuà ba.

Tā měi tiān wǎnshang dōu yùxí kèwén. New Year is around the corner. Let’s call Mom and Dad.

He studies the lessons in advance every night.

B 寒假要到了，你要做什么？
B 我每节课都来。 Hánjià yào dào le, nǐ yào zuò shénme?

Wǒ měi jié kè dōu lái. It’ll be winter break soon. What do you want to do?

I come to every class.

C 电影快要开始了，你买票了吗？
C 这儿每个人我都认识。 Diànyǐng kuài yào kāishǐ le, nǐ mǎi piào le ma?

Zhèr měi gè rén wǒ dōu rènshi. The movie is going to start soon. Did you get the tickets?

I know everyone here.

D 快要考试了，我们大家得准备一下。
D 常老师的字每个都好看。 Kuài yào kǎo shì le, wǒmen dàjiā děi zhǔnbèi yí xià.

Cháng lǎoshī de zì měi ge dōu hǎokàn. The exam is coming. We have to prepare.

Every one of Teacher Chang’s characters looks good.

EXERCISES
More
exercises
Form a new sentence to indicate the imminence of an action or situation by inserting
EXERCISES
More
exercises
Translate the English phrase by using 每 and add it to the sentence, inserting 都 where
（快）要…了 where appropriate. Use exercise 1 as an example.

appropriate. Use exercise 1 as an example.

1 新年到 → 新年快要到了。
1 我在高速公路上开车。 Every day
2 我们考中文
→ 我每天都在高速公路上开车。 3 我们上课
2 王律师坐飞机去纽约。 Every month

3 白英爱的鞋很漂亮。 Each pair

Language Practice H INTERPERSONAL
Behind the wheel PRESENTATIONAL

Use the following questions to survey your classmates about their driving habits, then present the
G Creature of habit INTERPERSONAL

results to the class.

Use 每…都… (měi . . . dōu . . . ) and the words below to form a sentence describing Little Bai’s 你会开车吗？
lifestyle, e.g.:
Nǐ huì kāi chē ma?

晚上◇复习生词语法 你每天都开车吗？
wǎnshang ◇ fùxí shēngcí yǔfǎ
Nǐ měitiān dōu kāi chē ma?

小白每天晚上都复习生词语法。 你开车开得快不快？
Xiǎo Bái měi tiān wǎnshang dōu fùxí shēngcí yǔfǎ.
Nǐ kāi chē kāi de kuài bu kuài?

1 早上◇洗澡 zǎoshang ◇ xǐ zǎo 在高速公路上开车让你紧张吗？

2 衬衫 是白色的 ◇ chènshān ◇ shì báisè de
Zài gāosù gōnglù shang kāi chē ràng nǐ jǐnzhāng ma?

3 裤子◇是三十二号的 kùzi ◇ shì sānshíèr hào de

9:41 PM 85% Chinese Chat

4 周末◇去商店买东西 zhōumò ◇ qù shāngdiàn mǎi dōngxi

〈 李友 Li You just published a

人人网 (Rénrénwǎng)
新鲜事 照片
post on Renren Network

5 寒假 坐飞机回家 ◇ hánjià ◇ zuò fēijī huí jiā a Chinese social

,

Then take turns finding out if your partner also follows a routine.
李友 @liyou
...
networking service,

and Wang Peng left a

comment with questions.

2016-07-07 3:02 PM
你每天都吃早饭吗？ 谢谢你开车送我去机场，不好意思呀！@王朋
Why do you think he’s

asking these questions?

1

Nǐ měi tiān dōu chī zǎofàn ma?

2 你每天都给同学发短信吗？ 查看1条评论
Nǐ měi tiān dōu gěi tóngxué fā duǎnxìn ma? 9:41 PM 85%

评论1 赞
3 你每个星期都上网跟朋友聊天儿吗？ 王朋： 2016-07-07 3:18 PM

Nǐ měi ge xīngqī dōu shàng wǎng gēn péngyǒu liáotiānr ma? 回复李友：没事儿！你几号回学校？
还坐飞机吗？
4 你每年都换手机吗？
Nǐ měi nián dōu huàn shǒujī ma?
CULTURAL LITERACY
COMPARE
& CONTRAST

To get a sense of the scale of human movement over

the Chinese New Year, look up 春运 (chūnyùn) on

For many decades before the early Google Images. What is the busiest travel day in your

1990s, the railroad system was the country? How do most people travel? Discuss holiday

principal means of travel and transport travel with a Chinese friend or a Chinese student on

in China. However, both the highway campus. Your conversation can include such questions

system and air travel infrastructure as: How do you get around? Do you like driving? Is it

Continue
grew rapidly around the turn of the easy for you to buy plane or train tickets online? How do
to explore

century. China now has seventy you get to the airport or train station?

thousand miles of highway, the most

of any country in the world, and is

second only to the United States in

total number of air passengers per year.

In the 1990s, passenger train service

rapidly lost market share to airlines

and highway travel, but it soon made Chinese New Year, also known as

an astonishing comeback with the

春节 (Chūnjié) (Spring Festival), is

the most important annual holiday

construction of an expansive high-

in Chinese communities. The date is

speed railroad network, referred to as

高速铁路 (gāosù tiělù) 高铁 (gāotiě)

or . determined by the lunar calendar and

As of December 2014, the system had usually falls in late January or early

more track in service than the rest of February. However, nowadays, the

the world combined. Now, about two international New Year on January 1

and a half million people take gaotie is also recognized. The most common

every day. Traveling by train between

New Year greetings are 新年好
Beijing and Shanghai, which took as
(xīnnián hǎo) and 新年快乐 (xīnnián
long as seventeen hours in 1980, now kuàilè), which can be used for both
takes only five hours. New Years. However, many people

still prefer the traditional Chinese New

Year greeting 恭喜发财 (gōngxǐ

fācái) . This phrase, which literally

means “Congratulations and may you

make a fortune,” can be translated as

“May you be happy and prosperous!”

The largest human migration on earth

Taxi drivers in China,

is known as 春运 (chūnyùn) (Spring

Festival traffic) in Chinese. Over a

especially those in Beijing,
forty-day period around the time of
are known for being very
the Chinese New Year, millions of
outgoing. If you visit
Chinese people return home by train or
China and your taxi driver
long-distance bus to reunite with their
happens to be chatty, you
families and then make their way back
might find yourself with a
to their places of work. In 2015, the total
good opportunity to learn
number of trips taken was estimated to
about ordinary Chinese
be around 3.7 billion; migrant laborers
people’s lives and their
from inland provinces accounted for a
opinions on current affairs.
significant portion of this figure.
Lesson Wrap-Up
Keeping It Casual (L6–L10)
Make It Flow!

Rearrange the following sentences into a logical sequence. Then combine them into a Before you progress to the next volume, we’ll review how some of the functional expressions from

Lessons 6–10 are used in casual Chinese. After you complete the review, note any other casual
coherent narrative. If the subject remains the same, replace it with a personal pronoun.

但是 (dànshì)
expressions you would like to learn, then share the list with your teacher.
Remember to avoid unnecessary repetitions of identical elements. Add ,

再 (zài) , or 最后 (zuìhòu) where appropriate.

李友得先坐三站汽车，然后 李友得先坐红线
1 喂 (wéi) (hello [on the phone])
换地铁。 地铁。
李友坐绿线地铁以后得换 李友觉得太麻烦。 Say this to start a phone conversation. [See Lesson 6.]

蓝线地铁。 王朋说打车太贵。
喂，你好，请问哪位？
李友寒假要回家。 李友想打车。
A Li You’s Roommate
1
Wéi, nǐ hǎo, qǐng wèn nǎ wèi?
李友买了二十一号晚上8点的机票。 Hello! May I ask who’s calling?

李友想坐公共汽车和地铁去机场。
李友坐红线地铁以后得换绿线地铁。 Wang Peng 你好，我是王朋。请问，李友在吗？
Nǐ hǎo, wǒ shì Wáng Péng. Qǐng wèn, Lǐ Yǒu zài ma?
王朋说他可以开车送李友去。
Hello! This is Wang Peng. Is Li You there, please?

Research

You work for a travel company catering to Chinese tourists. They’ve asked you to provide directions
Li You’s Roommate 在，你等等，我去叫她 。
for taking public transportation from Boston’s Logan Airport to Harvard Square. Research the
Zài, nǐ děngdeng, wǒ qù jiào tā.
从洛根 Luògēn
information online, summarize it in Chinese, and post it on social media. ( ) (Logan) Yes. Wait a minute. I’ll go get her.

机场到哈佛广场 (Hāfó Guángchǎng) (Harvard Square) 怎么走？

Presentation

In your opinion, which city in your country has the best transportation system? Consider:
B Little Li 喂，你找谁？
Wéi, nǐ zhǎo shéi?
这个城市大吗？ 这个城市有几个机场？机场大吗？ Hello! Who would you like to speak to?

这个城市有没有地铁？ 在这个城市里开车容易吗？为什么？
这个城市地铁有几条线？ 在这个城市没有车方便吗？为什么? Teacher Chang 我找小李。
Wǒ zhǎo Xiǎo Lǐ.
Present your case to the class using a slideshow. After everyone finishes, have a vote.
I’d like to speak to Little Li.

Little Li 我就是。你是哪位？
Wǒ jiù shì. Nǐ shì nǎ wèi?
This is she. Who’s speaking?
Before proceeding to the next Volume, make sure you can

我是常老师。
complete the following tasks in Chinese:
Teacher Chang

± Talk about common means of transportation

Wǒ shì Cháng lǎoshī.
± Discuss the most/least convenient way to get to a

This is Teacher Chang.

destination

± Thank someone for a favor

± Extend New Year greetings, both oral and written

 C Little Li 喂，请问小王在吗？ C Li You 你下午有空儿帮我准备考试吗？
Wéi, qǐng wèn Xiǎo Wáng zài ma? 要是你没时间，就算了。
Hello! Is Little Wang there, please? Nǐ xiàwǔ yǒu kòngr bāng wǒ zhǔnbèi kǎoshì ma?
Yàoshi nǐ méi shíjiān, jiù suàn le.
Old Wang 在，你是哪位？
Do you have time this afternoon to help me prepare for my test?
Zài, nǐ shì nǎ wèi?
Never mind if you’re too busy.
Yes, he is. Who is this, please?

没问题，我有空儿。
我是小李。
Wang Peng
Little Li
Méi wèntí, wǒ yǒu kòngr.
Wǒ shì Xiǎo Lǐ.
Don’t worry, I have time.
This is Little Li.

Old Wang 好，请等一下。

Hǎo, qǐng děng yí xià. 3 Expressions of gratitude

OK. Please wait a minute.

Say these phrases to express and acknowledge gratitude.

2 没问题 (méi wèntí) (no problem) Wang Peng 小李，这是你的手机吗？

A

Xiǎo Lǐ, zhèshì nǐ de shǒujī ma?

Say this to put someone at ease that you will agree to do something, or to assure someone
Little Li, is this cell phone yours?

that there is no need to worry. [See Lesson 6.]

Little Li 谢谢！
A
Li You 王朋，你今天晚上帮我练习中文，好吗？ Xièxie!
Thanks!
Wáng Péng, nǐ jīntiān wǎnshang bāng wǒ liànxí Zhōngwén, hǎo ma?
Wang Peng, would you help me practice Chinese this evening?
Wang Peng 不客气。
Wang Peng 没问题。晚上见。 Bú kèqi.
You’re welcome.
Méi wèntí. Wǎnshang jiàn.
No problem. See you this evening.

B Little Bai 小高，请喝茶。

B Little Li 英爱，坐地铁太麻烦了。 Xiǎo Gāo, qǐng hē chá.
你开车送我去机场，好吗？ Please have some tea, Little Gao.

Yīng’ài, zuò dìtiě tài máfan le. Little Gao 多谢！

Nǐ kāi chē sòng wǒ qù jīchǎng, hǎo ma? Duō xiè.
Ying’ai, it’s too much trouble to take the subway.
Thanks a lot.

Would you drive me to the airport instead?

Little Bai 不谢。

Bai Ying’ai 没问题。 Bú xiè.
Méi wèntí. No thanks needed.

Sure thing.
 C Waitress 王小姐，这是你的咖啡。 B Student A 你写汉字写得很漂亮。
Wáng xiǎojiě, zhè shì nǐ de kāfēi. Nǐ xiě Hànzì xiě de hěn piàoliang.
Miss Wang, here’s your coffee. You write Chinese characters beautifully.

Miss Wang 谢谢！ Student B 哪里，写得不好。

Xièxie! Nǎli, xiě de bù hǎo.
Thanks! I wish that were true. My writing isn’t good.

Waitress 没事儿。
Méi shìr.
C Student A 你说中文说得真好！
No problem.
Nǐ shuō Zhōngwén shuō de zhēn hǎo!
You speak Chinese really well!

D Dr. Wang 白医生，你的书。 Student B 是吗？我觉得我说得不好。

Bái Yīshēng, nǐ de shū. Shì ma? Wǒ juéde wǒ shuō de bù hǎo.
Dr. Bai, your book. You think so? I don’t think I speak very well.

Dr. Bai 谢了。

Xiè le.
5
就是它吧 (jiù shì tā ba) (let’s go with that) or
就是他/她了 (jiù shì tā le) (we’ll go with him/her)
Thanks.

Dr. Wang 不用谢。

Búyòng xiè. Say these when you’ve made a decision. [See Lesson 9.]

No thanks needed.

A Salesperson 先生，你知道要哪一双了吗？
Xiānsheng, nǐ zhīdao yào nǎ yì shuāng le ma?
哪里，哪里 (nǎli, nǎli) (I’m flattered) or Sir, do you know which pair you’d like?

4
是吗 (shì ma) (is that so?) Mr. Gao 就是它吧。
Jiù shì tā ba.
When receiving a compliment, Chinese people often express modesty by saying 哪里 (nǎli) or I’ll take that one.

是吗 (shì ma) . Nowadays, however, some people say 谢谢 (xièxie) instead. [See Lesson 7.]

A Student A 你今天很漂亮。 B Li You 王老师，小李打球打得不太好，

Nǐ jīntiān hěn piàoliang. 你找别人跟你一起练习吧。
You look very pretty today.
Wáng lǎoshī, Xiǎo Lǐ dǎ qiú dǎ de bú tài hǎo,

Student B 哪里，哪里。 nǐ zhǎo bié rén gēn nǐ yìqǐ liànxí ba.

Teacher Wang, Little Li is not a very good ball player.
Nǎli, nǎli.
Why don’t you find someone else to practice with?
I’m flattered.

Teacher Wang 就是他了。别人都没空儿。

Jiù shì tā le. Biérén dōu méi kòngr.
I’ll have to go with him. Everyone else is busy.
6 祝 (zhù) (I wish . . . ) Vocabulary Index (Chinese-English)

To express good wishes, say the verb 祝 (zhù) at the beginning of a sentence. [See Lesson 10.]
The Chinese-English index is alphabetized according to pinyin. Words containing the same Chinese characters are

grouped together first. Homonyms appear in the order of their tonal pronunciation (i.e., first tones first, second tones

second, third tones third, fourth tones fourth, and neutral tones last).

A 祝你新年快乐！ E 祝感恩节快乐！
Zhù nǐ xīnnián kuàilè! Zhù Gǎn’ēnjié kuàilè! Part of
Simplified Traditional Pinyin Definition Lesson
Speech
Happy New Year! Happy Thanksgiving!

祝你生日快乐！ 祝春节快乐！
(a sentence-final

啊
B F
a p particle of exclamation, 6

Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè! Zhù Chūnjié kuàilè! interrogation, etc.)

Happy birthday! Happy Chinese New Year!

B

爸爸 bàba n father, dad 2

C 祝你考试考得好！ G 祝一路平安！
Zhù nǐ kǎo shì kǎo de hǎo! Zhù yí lù píng’ān! 吧 ba p (a sentence-final particle) 5

I hope you do well on the exam! Have a safe trip!

白英爱 白英愛 Bái Yīng’ài pn (a personal name) 2

百 bǎi nu 9

祝寒假快乐！ 祝旅途愉快！
hundred

D H

Zhù hánjià kuàilè! Zhù lǚtú yúkuài! 半 bàn nu half, half an hour 3

办公室 辦公室
Have a pleasant winter break! Bon voyage!
bàngōngshì n office 6

帮 幫 bāng v to help 6

杯
(measure word for things
bēi m 5
contained in a cup or glass)

北京 Běijīng pn Beijing 1

笔 筆 bǐ n pen 7

别 別 bié adv don’t 6

别人 別人
other people, another
biérén n 4
person

不 bù adv not, no 1

不错 不錯 búcuò adj pretty good 4

不过 不過 búguò conj however, but 9

不好意思 bù hǎoyìsi to feel embarrassed 10

不用 bú yòng need not 9