Mandarin Chinese for Beginners. Yi Ren
Tā shì Jié kè.
他是杰克。
Xu Bin:How do you do, Jack!
Nǐ hǎo, Jié kè!
你好, 杰克!
Jack:It’s nice to meet you.
Hěn gāo xìng rèn shí nǐ.
很 高 兴 认 识你。
Lily:This is my daughter, Mao Mao.
Tā shì wǒ de nǚ ér, Máo mao.
她是 我 的女儿, 毛 毛。
Jack:Hello, Mao Mao!
Nǐ hǎo, Máo mao!
你 好, 毛 毛！
Mao Mao:Hello!
Nín hǎo!
您 好!
| 先生 xiān shēng | husband |
| 先生 xiān shēng | Mr./gentleman |
| 许斌 Xǔ bīn | Xu Bin (name) |
| 他 tā | he |
| 认识 rèn shí | meet |
| 高兴 gāo xìng | glad |
| 她 tā | she |
| 女儿 nǚ ér | daughter |
| 毛毛 Máo mao | Mao Mao (name) |
Notes 注 释
➊ The word “xiān shēng” in Chinese is equivalent to “sir” or “gentleman” in English and is used as a formal and respectful title for adult males outside the family. In Chinese, “husband” can be said as zhàng fu, xiān shēng, ài ren or lǎo gōng. Zhàng fu is used formally. In casual settings, people use lǎo gōng. Xiān shēng can be used in either situation. Similarly, “wife” can be qī zi, tài tai, ài ren or lǎo pó in Chinese. Qī zi is a formal term; lǎo pó is a casual term; and tài tai can be used in either formal or casual situations. The genderless term ài ren means “spouse.”
➋ Pay special attention to the word “ta.” When you hear “ta” in Chinese, it indicates “he (him),” “she (her),” or “it” depending on the conversation context, because these three different characters are all pronounced exactly the same way. Similar to English, though, the written characters are different in Chinese. “Ta” written as 他 tā means “he (him)”; “ta” written as 她 tā means “she (her)”; and “ta” written as 它 tā means “it.”
➌ Two quick things to note about the pinyin ǚ: (1) When pinyin j, q, x, or y is used before ü, the two dots on top of it should be omitted, as in the word yú “fish.” (2) when n or l is in front of ü, the two dots should be kept, as in nǚ ér (“daughter”) in the dialog.
Below are some key sentences that are frequently used in introducing people.
Tā shì wǒ xiān shēng.
他是 我 先 生。(This [He] is my husband.)
Tā shì wǒ nǚ ér.
她是我女儿。(This [She] is my daughter.)
Hěn gāo xìng rèn shí nǐ.
很 高 兴 认 识你。(It’s nice to meet you.)
Here are some personal titles used in Chinese. Knowing them might come in handy.
| zhàng fu丈夫husband—formal and respectful | xiān shēng先生husband—formal or casual | lǎo gōng老公husband—very casual | tài tai太太wife—formal or casual |
| qī zi妻子wife—formal and respectful | lǎo pó老 婆wife—very casual | fù mǔ父母parents | ér zi儿子son |
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
This is where you practice how to use the words in the section Extend Your Vocabulary. The numbered sentences are basic sentences which are followed by a few extended sentences (underneath) containing the words present in Extend Your Vocabulary and some words you’ve learned in earlier chapters.
Tā shì wǒ de bà ba.
1. 他是我的爸爸。
Tā shì wǒ de tài tai.
Tā shì wǒ de ér zi.
Tā men shì wǒ de fù mǔ.
Nǐ jiào shén me míng zì?
2. 你 叫 什 么 名 字?
Nín men shì tā de fù mǔ ma?
Tā hē kā fēi bù hē chá.
Tā men shì wǒ men de péng yǒu.