Mandarin Chinese for Beginners. Yi Ren
1) 他是我（ ）。
| mā ma | fù mǔ | xiān shēng | nǚ ér | ||||
| A. | 妈 妈 | B. | 父母 | C. | 先 生 | D. | 女儿 |
Rèn shí nǐ hěn.
2) 认 识你很（ ）。
| míng zì | huān yíng | gāo xìng | péng yǒu | ||||
| A. | 名 字 | B. | 欢 迎 | C. | 高 兴 | D. | 朋 友 |
C. Translate 翻译
Translate the following sentences into pinyin.
Example: This is my friend. _______Tā shì wǒ de péng yǒu.
1) What is your name? _____
2) My name is Tom. _____
3) This is my husband. _____
4) This is my daughter. _____
D. Use Pinyin to Make Sentences 用拼音造句案
For each phrase, add Chinese words you know to make a complete sentence. See how many different sentences you can say for each line!
Example: This is my wife. ________Tā shì wǒ de qī zi.
1) You are _____________________________
Nǐ shì _____________________________
2) I am _____________________________
Wǒ shì _____________________________
3) These are _____________________________
Tā men shì _____________________________
4) We are _____________________________
Wǒ men shì _____________________________
Tips
Chinese Cultural Tips 中 文花絮
The Traditional Chinese Family
A traditional Chinese family consists of two, three, sometimes four generations who live under the same roof. Grandparents take care of their grandchildren while their sons or daughters work. Chinese think that taking care of their elderly parents is their moral responsibility. They respect, care, and love in a way that preserves the family harmony and social stability. In modern China, although many young people live and work far from their parents, they frequently contact their parents by phone or email, and visit their parents during weekends and holidays, especially Chinese New Year.
In Chinese families, adults call their own children or other children whom they know very well by their first names or nicknames. But, children can never call their parents or other adults by their names, because that would be considered rude. Children or younger people have to call their parents, older relatives, or their parents’ friends by certain titles. Some of these titles are similar to those you may use in English, such as 爸爸 bà ba for “dad” and 妈妈 mā ma for “mom.” And other titles are unique to Chinese. For example, 姐姐 jiě jie is for “older sister.” Some courtesy titles used for older relatives or parents’ friends are 伯伯 bó bo or 叔叔 shū shu for a male adult and 阿姨 ā yí for a female adult.
For Your Enjoyment
The idioms and the proverb here, which relate to traditional family and home, are commonly used by native Chinese speakers.
四世同堂 Sì shì tóng táng (an idiom): Four generations living under the same roof.
家和万事兴 Jiā hé wàn shì xìng (a proverb): If a family is harmonious together, everything will be prosperous.
宾至如归 Bīn zhì rú guī (an idiom): To make a guest feel as comfortable as at his (or her) own home.
From ancient times to the present, it’s impossible to count how many poems have been written to describe people’s emotions and feelings. There are just too many! And China has certainly contributed its share to the world. Here is one short but very popular Tang poem that a lot of Chinese know.
The author, Wang Wei, is one of the well-known poets of the Tang Dynasty (618–907). This is his most famous poem.
LOVESICKNESS
by Wang Wei
The red berries grow in southern lands.
How many seedlings sprout forth this spring?
I wish you’d pick a bundle of them in remembrance of me,
For it provokes lovesickness best.
| Xiāng sī 相 思 | ||||
| Wáng Wéi 王 維 | ||||
| Hóng | dòu | shēng | nán | guó, |
| 紅 | 豆 | 生 | 南 | 國， |
| chūn | lái | fā | jǐ | zhī? |
| 春 | 來 | 發 | 几 | 枝？ |
| Yuàn | jūn | duō | cǎi | xié, |
| 愿 | 君 | 多 | 采 | 擷， |
| cǐ | wù | zuì | xiāng | sī. |
| 此 |
物
|