Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin Julian K. Wheatley, 4/07

Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin Julian K.
Wheatley, 4/07
D-s k
Lesson 4

Ln tinxi dsh, fn ji b h, h ji b fn.
speak+of sky-beneath great-power, divide long must join, join long must divide
They say the momentum of history was ever thus: the empire long divided, must
unite; long united, must divide.

The opening lines of Sngu yny [], a title that is traditionally translated as
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a popular historical narrative attributed to Lu
Gunzhng [14
th
century]. It deals with a period more than 1000 years before the author
lived, after the collapse of the Han dynasty (206 BC 220 AD), when kingdom competed
against kingdom and the heroes Li Bi, Gun Y and Zhng Fi swore brotherhood in a
peach garden behind Zhng Fis farm (supposedly, on the outskirts of modern-day
Chngd). Part of their vow reads:

.
B qi tngnin tngyu tngr shng, dn yun tngnin tngyu tngr s.
Not choose same year, month day born, but desire same year, month day die.
We could not help our separate births, but on the self-same day we mean to die!

[Translations from Moss Roberts, Three Kingdoms: Chinas Epic Drama by Lo Kuan-chung, New York,
Pantheon Books, 1976.]
4.0 Review
a) Fntz (see below for new words)

74
Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin Julian K. Wheatley, 4/07
Shngzbio vocabulary list
/ SV chng long; V zhng to grow; grow up; N zhng head of; chief
N jing river [archaic] Jings name of a province
rnku population shfu
/ hu can; able to; likely to / jude
pngyou friend / dinsh TV (electric-look at)
nng capable of / wn
xiy to rain (fall rain) b znme lng not so cold

b) Radicals and phonetics
Try to recall characters from Units 1 3 that have the following character-istics:
1. Three characters with the element g spear:
2. Two characters with tzpng the earth radical, :
3. Two characters with jnzpng the metal radical, /:
4. A second character with the radical bogi, seen on top in :
5. Three characters that contain the element (m eye):
6. Two characters with the [phonetic] element (h):
7. Two characters with the radical , mzpng:

c) Add a character before or after (as indicated) to form a word:
1. _____ 6. _____
2. _____ 7. _____
3. _____ 8. _____
4. _____ 9. _____
5. _____ 10. _____
75
d) Add Taiwan to the map, then label as many places as you can in characters; add
others in pinyin you may have to use arrows.

4.1 First set

6+0 4+4 6+6 (!) 5+0 4+8 2+4 4+2
yfu sh m zu xin zo
clothes clothes stretch out eye[before] most first early
clothing [shfu] [mqin] [zujn] [xinshng] [zoshng]

5+8 7+13 3+6 3+13 6+16 7+5 4+7

4+5 3+4 1+5
shujio xzo tng mi wn
sleep wash listen buy late

76
Notes a) (clothes billowing on the line) often appears as a radical, at the bottom of
graphs (eg ), at the top of graphs (eg ), or in its combining form () yzpng
on the left side (eg chnshn shirt). It can also be split by an intervening
phonetic element, as is the case with the traditional graph l lining; inside,
which inserts into . In the traditional set, is used for l a Chinese mile;
but in the simplified set, it represents l inside as well as l Chinese mile.
b) (a vanity dresser), has a broader range of meaning than , ie from
clothes to restraint and submission. The right hand element is also found in
/; contrast the right hand element that appears in /.
c) The radical in is sh tongue (originally a drawing), so the unlikely
numerical designation underneath the character above, 6+6, is correct. (Think of
the tongue of certain frogs which uncoils so smoothly and comfortably.) The right
hand element is y, a formal word meaning give, which looks like a broken
version of .
d) , originally a representation of an eye, is a common radical (called
mzpng), found in , , , (ynjng eye-mirror). The two radicals
and are both pronounced m.
e) The bottom element of is q get; obtain, but the relationship is obscure.
The top element is the horizontal yu, not the more familiar vertical r sun.
f) first, so born first and thus deserving of respect. (the sun over
the horizon, so early in the morning).
g) , a compound of m eye and chu as phonetic; notice that the latter
obeys the rule of 5 (cf. Chars 2.4 notes). /has two readings; in
combination with a leading , it is read jio and treated like an object; with a
following , it is read ju and makes up the core of a compound verb. So /
and /. Cf. /.
h) contains two good phonosemantic graphs: , which combines
sndinshu with , now only suggestive as a phonetic, and , which combines
the same radical with the element found in co, zo, etc.
i) contains the elements r ear, and the right hand element of d (
Dgu Germany). The small in the lower left corner is originally the element
with a rising head stroke, that shows up in graphs such as tng and tng (cf.
tng ho de) and is in fact phonetic in . The simplified form might have
been built around this phonetic element, but instead the imperfect phonetic jn
was combined, counter-intuitively, with kuzpng to give .
j) The traditional graph, , contains the transactional radical (originally a
representation of a shell), also found in ; cf. also mi sell. However, the
simplified graph, (cf. mi sell) abandons the traditional radical completely
and introduces the graph (tu head in the simplified set) that is only vaguely
similar.
k) contains rzpng and the element , pronounced min on its own, with no
obvious phonetic connection.
77
4.1.1 Compounds and phrases

cngqin bnli mqin yfu shfu shut-bf

ling bn sh Rbn zujn hn yun hn wn zoshng

zu go xinshng w xin q shu le ma hotng xzo

zoshng zu d wnshng mi shnme jude jude b shfu

Ikea advertisement on the wall of a Beijing pedestrian subway. [JKW 2000]

78
4.1.2 Comment-response

1. /

2. /

3. /

4. /

5. / /

6. /

7. /

8. /

9. /

10. /

Notes:

: bgu = ,
: k; cf. ,
: , . Eg: Jntin shi t de shngr./ Sh ma?
N, shngr ykui ~ kuil!

79
Exercise 1
The following table gives a list of suspects and indicates what they were doing at various
times when the crimes were committed. Stand by to give the information when asked.

? ? ?

Tinjn: mnku. [JKW 2003]

80
4.2 Second set

7+8 3+8 9+9 4+12 3+9 8+13 4+0 7+6

2+8 3+3 6+9 4+2 3+3 5+5 4+6
qng wnt jchng ti bjio
invite ask-topic machine-arena iron than-compare
please question airport [dti] relatively

3+0 3+9 3+8 5+8 3+5 2+4
d mo qngchu ji tng
big hat clear sister same; with

Notes
a) / contains ynzpng and the common phonetic element , seen also in
the first character of qngchu.
b) / is phonetic in some compounds, but assigned as radical in others. In the
traditional set, is classified under the radical, leaving mn as a
reasonable phonetic. But the creators of the simplified set were more concerned
with classification than history; in the simplified set, is classified under
rather than .
c) Compound characters with as an element form a phonetic set whose
members are either pronounced like sh, or like t: thus sh and [] [yo]shi
key, but t, t, t, d. Sh and t/d sounds are actually quite closely
articulated (a fact reflected by the pronunciation of the English suffix, -tion, in
words like pronunciation). So we can assume that both the shi words and the
ti/di words were pronounced very similarly in earlier times, and have since
diverged. A similar process is reflected by the regional difference in the
pronunciation of tea as ch in Mandarin, but te (which gives us tea) in
Fukienese sounds which have also evolved from a common source.
d) /, with tzpng and a phonetic element seen in, eg / tng soup and
/[] yng sun; male principle.
e) contains jnzpng; in the simplified graph, the complex right side is
replaced with simpler, but otherwise poorly motivated, sh: .
81
f) Contrast (lined up for comparison) with (back to back at the north pole).
has chzpng as radical and jio as phonetic, also seen in xio and
jio. The presence of chzpng reflects the original use of the graph to write a
word for a kind of carriage; presumably it was borrowed for its sound to express
the unrelated but nearly homophonous word.
g) Contrast , and , the last being an ancient word for dog, now
pronounced qun.
h) , with cloth as radical and mo as phonetic; , with as radical
and qi as phonetic.
i) Contrast with , the latter containing the element (j)


qngwn mi wnt qngzu jchng til bjio ho

jchng hn yun bjio gu d mozi Bi D dti b qngchu

xiojie tngxu mi d de b tng jijie bjio mng

yu wnt w xin zu le chzi b d w de tngxu dji ti d le


1. /

2. /

3. [] /

82
4. /

5. /

6. /

7. /

/ Dlin ; zu; ji street; Chngn; dgi;
/Rnmn Gungchng Peoples Sq.; zhn station; stand

Exercise 2
This exercise can be written out (in pinyin or characters) in Q and A format. Or it can be
practiced at home as the basis for a class exercise where one person asks the questions
and another answers. In any case, both question and answer should be suitably
contextualized by the addition of pronouns, polite phases (qngwn), and such:

Example: i, w de mozi ne, w de mozi zi nr?
N de mozi n kn, zi xio Bi nr!
O, xixie.

etc.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11. ,
Notes
huchzhn zhngxn fngunr gngl ynhng
83
4.3 Third set

6+0 3+0 3+4 2+1 3+6 6+3
z shn zu kng k yo
self; from mountain sit hole guest want; need
surname

9+0 3+4 4+0 3+11 8+0 ` 6+14

1+2 3+2 1+3
fi qshu Hn chng; zhng j
fly vapor-water name of river long to grow up; birthplace
carbonated drink the Chinese head of

Notes
a) Contrast z and m (and bi and bi 100); zxngch self
move vehicle.
b) was originally a drawing of a mountain. As a radical, it can appear at the top,
at the bottom, or to the left (but not to the right), eg: n shore; yu high
mountain; mi Shn in Sichuan.
c) (two people sitting on a mound of earth); cf. zufn, gngzu
work.
d) kng (a monkey on a building King Kong); radical is , also seen at the
top and bottom of graphs, eg: mng and .
e) , with phonetic g (not ) and bogir as radical (cf. and ).
f) The top part of is the combining form of , rare as a radical.
g) fi fly (Flying on two wings) contains (which forms the basis of the
simplified character) and shng rise. The traditional graph is classified as a
radical even though it appears in very few characters.
h) / and
represent specialized senses of what was originally a single root, much as the
English spellings flour and flower derive from a single root.
g) The graph is derived from a drawing that looks like flowing waters. Its left-
side combining form appears in / hn, originally the name of a river and later
the name of a dynastic title, and ultimately a name of the Chinese people.
84
h) /, phonetic in /.
i) , with the bamboo radical (zhztu), also seen in (); the
complicated lower element remains intact in the simplified set.


zxngch zw Shnx Kngz krn kqi

yo j ge Shndng fij qch zhngd guj

Chngjing Hnz qch firn xng Kng de yo w mo
long river


1. /
2. /

3. /
4. /

5. /

6. /
7. /
8. /

9. /
10. /
85
Exercise 3
Here is a list of contacts, their nationalities, their place of residence and some locational
information. Pass the information on (in written form if asked, otherwise orally). Notice
the novel use of some of the characters you have learned as surnames.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7 (Fjin)
8
9 (Jings)
Notes
zh xin county jngl Dulndu
sh market; city f

i w Nnjng, jinsh Nnjng, Mihu Nnjng, fnrng Nnjng; on a mail box.
Love Nanjing, build Nanjing, beautify Nanjing, make Nanjing prosperous. [JKW 2000]
86
4.4 Fourth set

4+0 5+5 4+4 2+2 2+5 5+0 4+0
hu zhn pngyou zh yng pin
fire station; stand friend-friend live; stay use slice

2+2 4+9 2+2 2+4 2+9

2+4
gng hu w gng zu
public able noon collectively do; make

Notes
a) , originally a representation of flames, has a slightly compacted form for the
side () and a distinct combining form for the bottom (/).
b) zhan contains as radical and zhn as phonetic. appears in
compound characters of two types: a zhan type, eg zhn and a dian type, eg:
din and din.
c) as a component of other characters represents two radicals: and the
otherwise more complex ru meat; flesh. , , and are traditionally
assigned the moon radical; spleen, lungs along with graphs for some
other body parts, are traditionally assigned .
d) contains yu, an element that also appears in the simplified versions of
and , ie and .
e) , with zh as phonetic, should be distinguished from zhu, with 8
strokes, that is phonetic in /.
f) appears very occasionally as a radical, eg in the blend bng dont, a
telescoped, colloquial version of b yng. Cf. and , with different innards.
g) (a plane for making slices) is a radical that appears in a handful of graphs
such as and .
h) contains b and s, the latter seen also in s. Other characters with
assigned as radical include and .
87
i) The traditional graph, , has (not ) as radical. (Some have noted the
similarity between and the face of Darth Vader -- an able man seduced by
power.) The simplified graph replaces the complicated inner parts with
yn clouds.
j) w noon, said to have originated in as a drawing of a sundial; it is phonetic
in / x (as in / probably).
k) consists of rnzpng and . It should be distinguished from other common
graphs with exactly the same pronunciation: sit and gngzu work.


huch qch zxngch chzi zufn pngyou

mngpin zh zi nl zhnqlai b yng le shngw yng b

huchzhn zh de dfang yng zdin yng Zhngwn ho pngyou zhn zi nr.

gngl gnggng-qch gngyng-dinhu gnghu zhngw

xiw nnpngyou hu ydindin hu xiy ma ygng dushao wfn

4.4.2 Comments

1. !/
2. /
3. [yngwn used up]
4.
88
5. /
6. /

7. /

8. /
9. /
10. /
11. //

12. / / /

13. /

Notes
ji qngk invite guests bikishu di pio

Exercise 4
Place the letters in order to indicate how these jumbled sentences should be ordered:

1. a / b / c / d /
e / f /
2. [ji] a / b / c /
3. a / b /
c /

4. a / b / c / d /
5. a / b / c / d / e /
6. a / b / c / d / e /
7. a / b / c / d / e / f /
g / h / i / j /
8. a / b / c / d / e /
89
4.5 Traditional vs simplified characters
Of the 200 characters introduced in the first four character lessons, almost 70 have both
traditional and simplified forms. For the majority of those 70 cases, the simplified and
traditional differ minimally: /, /, /, /, /. Others, even if they lack
many strokes in common, still retain a family resemblance: /, /, /, /,
/, /. Or they are usually compounded and therefore more easily recognized:
/, /, /. Only about 20 have sharply divergent forms, and
these, fortunately, are among the most common: /, /, /. Exercise 5 is a
chance to review the more difficult pairs.

Exercise 5
Match the jintz on the left with the fntz on the right (by writing the appropriate
number of the latter in the spaces provided):

__ __ 1. 14.
__ __ 2. 15.
__ __ 3. 16.
__ __ 4. 17.
__ __ 5. 18.
__ __ 6. 19.
__ __ 7. 20.
__ __ 8. 21.
__ __ 9. 22.
__ __ 10. 23.
__ __ 11. 24.
__ __ 12. 25.
__ __ 13. 26.

90
4.5.1 Comment - response

1. /

2. /
? !
3. /
?
4. / ?
5. /

6. /
7. /

8. /

9. /

10. /

Notes
fngch parking (put vehicle) sh fn zhng
ji do le shdin bookshop
Chngchn

91

4.6 mngpin
1.

()

986
1-4 510040

8620 8669 8828 3386
8621 8666 2354
13609727562

---------- 986
1-4 510040

2.

,100871
86-10-62751916
86-10-62757249
E-mail:
Duwi Hny Jiay Xuyun
Overseas Chinese Lang. Education Institute

()

3.

28
0293267806
0292215891
710049
()

92

Titles
jioshu professor
yunzhng dean
fyunzhng vice dean
jngl manager
shj secretary
zhrn director
zngci CEO
gngchngsh engineer
goj high level

yuxin gngs Co. Ltd.

Addresses

dzh address
dji avenue; street
l road
ho number
lu building
rholu Building #2
dsh (large) building [HK]
yuzhng binm zip code

Telephone etc.

dinhu telephone
bn (bngngsh) office
zhun (phone) extension
ydng dinhu mobile phone
chunzhn fax
shuj cellphone
dinzi yujin email
dinzi yuxing e-box
wngzh web address
xnxing [PO] Box
93
94

4.7 On the street #4

1. Creative characters

Hong Kong: Toys Us advertisement. [JKW 2005]
Wnj fn du chng Tipped-bucket-of-toys town (toys reversed-bucket town)
[ fn reversed]

2. Names of some Mainland newspapers

rnmn the people, cf. Rnmnb gungmng light; bright
qngnin youth; young people hu China; Chinese
Dlin (Lionng) xn new
Yngz the region around Yngzhu , a city on the north side of the Chng
Jing (Long River), which gives its name to the lower stretch of
the river, the Yngzjing. The English name of the river, the
Yangtze, is, of course, based on Yngzjing.
MIT OpenCourseWare
http://ocw.mit.edu
Resource: Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin
Dr. Julian K. Wheatley
The following may not correspond to a particular course on MIT OpenCourseWare, but has been
provided by the author as an individual learning resource.
For information about citing these materials or our Terms of Use, visit: http://ocw.mit.edu/terms.

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