Chinese Phrase A Day Practice Volume 1. Sam Brier
characters are difficult.
（繁體字很難。）
简体字很容易。
Jiǎntǐzì hěn róngyì.
The new characters are easy.
（簡體字很容易。）
————————— LANGUAGE NOTE —————————
There are two types of Chinese characters: Fántǐzì and Jiǎntǐzì. Jiǎntǐzì is the Simplified version used in China today; Fántǐzì (which in A Chinese Phrase A Day we show in parentheses) is the Complex or Traditional version still used regularly in Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong.
我喜欢说汉语。
Wǒ xǐhuan shuō Hànyǔ.
I like speaking Chinese.
（我喜歡說漢語。）
————————— CULTURAL NOTE —————————
Rabbits do not eat the grass around their burrows.
—Chinese proverb
太好了! /不错。
Tài hǎo le! / Bú cuò.
Great! / Not bad.
（太好了！/不錯。）
————————— CULTURAL NOTE —————————
China’s largest cities have hospitals, clinics and dentists that are similar to facilities in the U.S.
你在哪儿上班?
Nǐ zài nǎr shàngbān?
Where do you work?
（你在哪兒上班？）
在一家 银行/医院。
Zài yì jiā yínháng / yīyuàn.
At a bank / hospital.
（在一家 銀行/醫院。）
————————— LANGUAGE NOTE —————————
Jiā means “home”; huíjiā means “to return home.” Be careful, though: In Chinese, it means to return to where you live (i.e. your house), not to your hometown, country, etc. To say that you’re returning to your hometown, you’d say Huí lǎojiā and to say that you’re returning to your home country, you’d say Huí guó.
你喜欢自己的工作吗?
Nǐ xǐhuan zìjǐ de gōngzuò ma?
Do you like your job?
（你喜歡自己的工作嗎？）
很喜欢。/不太喜欢。
Hěn xǐhuan. / Bú tài xǐhuan.
I like it a lot. / Not much.
（很喜歡。/不太喜歡。）
你 丈夫/妻子 是做什么的?
Nǐ zhàngfu / qīzi shì zuò shénme de?
What does your husband / wife do?
（你 丈夫/妻子 是做什麼的？）
他/她是 工程师/老师/厨师。
Tā shì gōngchéngshī / lǎoshī / chúshī.
He / She is a(n) engineer / teacher / cook.
（他/她是 工程師/老師/廚師。）
你去哪儿?
Nǐ qù nǎr?
Where are you going?
（你去哪兒？）
我去 上班/上学。
Wǒ qù shàngbān / shàngxué.
I’m going to work / school.
（我去 上班/上學。）
你想吃 小吃/零食 吗?
Nǐ xiǎng chī xiǎochī / língshí ma?
Do you want to get a snack?
（你想吃 小吃/零食 嗎？）
好的。/我没时间。
Hǎo de. / Wǒ méi shíjiān.
OK. / I don’t have time.
（好的。/我沒時間。）
————————— LANGUAGE NOTE —————————
Xiǎochī literally means “little food.”
怎么了?
Zěnme le?
What’s wrong?
（怎麼了？）
没什么。
Méi shénme.
Nothing.
（沒什麼。）
天哪!
Tiān na!
(Exclamation; see note below.)
（天哪！）
————————— LANGUAGE NOTE —————————
This exclamation phrase is used the way “Oh, heavens!” might be in English. Tiān means “sky” or “heaven.” You’ll recognize it in some Chinese places’ names, such as Tiān Tán (“The Temple of Heaven”) and Tiān Ān Mén Square (“The Gate of Heavenly Peace”).
我同意。
Wǒ tóngyì.
I agree.
（我同意。）
我不同意。
Wǒ bù tóngyì.
I disagree.
（我不同意。）
————————— LANGUAGE NOTE —————————
In the term for “agree,” tóng means “same”; yì means “idea.”
真的吗?
Zhēn de ma?
Really?
（真的嗎？）
真的。
Zhēn de.
Really.
（真的。）
————————— LANGUAGE NOTE —————————
Don’t forget, zh sounds like “j” with the tongue toward the back of the roof of your mouth; j sounds like “j” with your tongue just behind your top teeth. The sound may not seem like a big deal to you, but Chinese speakers hear the difference.
不可能!