Mandarin Chinese for Beginners. Yi Ren
alt="Images"/> Extend Your Vocabulary 词 汇 扩 展
Here, we’ll learn a few more phrases related to 请 qǐng, because 请 qǐng is a word that people use almost every day. You may want to practice these with your family, friends or colleagues.
| Qǐng kàn请看Please look | Qǐng tīng请听Please listen | Qǐng dú请读Please read | Qǐng shuō请说Please speak |
Practice and Review 练 习 与 复 习
Now let’s check your understanding of what you have learned so far. Work through the following exercises. When you finish, compare your work with the Answer Key, available online.
A. Substitutions 替换练习
How do you use the words in the section Extend Your Vocabulary? I will show you here. The numbered sentences are basic sentences which are followed by a few extended sentences containing the words we looked at in Extend Your Vocabulary and (as we move further along) some words you will have learned in earlier chapters. Go ahead and give it a try!
Wǒ hěn hǎo.
1. 我 很好。
Lì li fēi cháng hǎo.
Jié kè hǎo jí le!
Nǐ tài hǎo le!
Qǐng jìn!
2. 请 进!
Qǐng kàn!
Qǐng tīng!
Qǐng dú!
Qǐng shuō!
B. Circle the Right Answer 选择正确答案
Circle the choice that best fits with the sentence.
Nǐ hǎo ma?
1) 你好 吗？
| Qǐng jìn | Wǒ hěn hǎo | Wǒ chī le | Qǐng hē chá | ||||
| A. | 请 进 | B. | 我 很 好 | C. | 我 吃了 | D. | 请 喝 茶 |
Xiè xie!
2) 谢 谢!
| Kā fēi | Bú kè qì | Qǐng zuò | Qǐng kàn | ||||
| A. | 咖 啡 | B. | 不客气 | C. | 请 坐 | D. | 请 看 |
C. Connect the Sentences 选择连线
Connect each sentence with the correct pinyin.
| 1) Hello! | a) Qǐng jìn |
| 2) Come in, please! | b) Bú kè qì |
| 3) Thank you! | c) Nǐ hǎo |
| 4) You’re welcome. | d) Xiè xie |
D. Translate 翻译
Translate the following sentences into pinyin.
Example: Have you had your meal? ______ Nǐ chī le ma?
1) Please come in!
2) Please sit down!
3) How are you?
4) I’m fine, how about you?
5) Thank you!
6) You’re welcome!
Check your answers in the Answer Key, available online. How did you do? If your answers are perfect, fantastic! If you made some mistakes, that’s perfectly normal. Just make sure that you understand why you were wrong before you continue to the next chapter. There, we’ll be moving on to something even more fun…meeting new people.
Tips
Chinese Cultural Tips 中 文花絮
“Have You Eaten?” Chinese Greeting Customs
In China, a handshake is a common form of greeting when people meet for the first time. At the same time, people will say “你好 Nǐ hǎo” (Hello, a normal form) or “您好 Nín hǎo” (Hello, a respectful form). Among Chinese, people normally also say to each other: “你吃了吗 Nǐ chī le ma?” (Have you had your meal yet?), especially when they meet around the time of breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Generally speaking, this is a polite expression rather than a literal offering of a meal.
Although embracing, hugging, or kissing on the cheek is a typical way of greeting in the west, most Chinese don’t feel comfortable using these greeting forms when they meet (although some Chinese use these forms for people they know really well). It is safe to just shake hands, smile, and say hello as you greet people in China.
When people meet, they need to call each other something, right? Chinese like to use a title in order to show their respect. The title is usually put after the person’s last name, such as 李老师 Lǐ lǎo shī (Teacher Li), 吴主席 Wú zhǔ xí (Chairman Wu), or 刘经理 Liú jīng lǐ (Manager Liu). People also use, before their last names, 老 lǎo for people older than themselves or 小 xiǎo for people younger than themselves. For instance, for their colleague, friend, or neighbor named Li, people would say “老李 Lǎo Lǐ” or “小李 Xiǎo Lǐ.”
In China and East Asia in particular, the exchange of business cards is very common protocol for people who meet for the first time at conferences, banquets or other relatively formal occasions. When you go to China, in order to leave a good impression, prepare a two-sided business card to take along that’s printed with English on one side and Chinese on the other side. And to show your respect, use both hands to deliver or accept business cards.
For Your Enjoyment
In Chinese culture, people frequently quote idioms, proverbs, sayings, and lines from poems in their conversations, speeches, and articles. Foreign visitors will often hear or read these when they are in China. Here are three related to this chapter’s topic of greetings.