LESSON 1 : ESSENTIAL EXPRESSIONS

Why Study Mandarin?

Mandarin Chinese is the most widely- spoken language in the world.
Business people who speak Mandarin have a huge advantage in tapping into the Chinese
market. It is much easier to develop all-important relationships if one can speak Mandarin.
Travel - China and Taiwan offer
exciting travel opportunities. Getting around is much easier if one can speak Mandarin.
Culture - With thousands of years of history, Chinese culture is endlessly fascinating. Whether
ones interests are in history, architecture, music, or cuisine, a knowledge of Mandarin will
enrich his understanding of Chinese culture.
People are finally beginning to pay attention to Mandarin as a major cultural and economic
prospect for students, said Michael H. Levine, executive director of education for the Asia
Society. The push is coming from the defense (community) and government and grassroots interest from parents.

Fourth tone m
much like the stress
and no when they
Neutral tone ma

scold

This is a falling tone, very

that people put on their yes
really mean it.
question This is very much a
particle resigned tone. Medium
pitched and laid back, it
usually appears at the
end of a phrase.
Thanks.
Xixi.
Youre welcome.
B kqi
Excuse me. Im sorry.
Dubuq
Thats nothing. (Dont worry. No problem.)
Mi sh
Goodbye.
Zijin
Let me go by.
Qng rng y xi?
May I trouble you?
D ro y xi?
May I ask a question? Qng wn y xi?

In an increasingly global, technological economy, experts say, it isnt enough to be

academically strong. Young people must also be able to work comfortably with people from
other cultures, solve problems creatively, write and speak well, think in a multidisciplinary
way, and evaluate information critically.

Very nice.
Congratulations!

good, fine
you
Hello.
How are you?
I
very well
Im fine
And you?
Not bad.

LESSON 2 : PEOPLE AND FAMILY

ho
n
N ho.
N ho ma?
w
hn ho
W hn ho.
N ne?
Bcu.

First tone
m
that remains on the
Second Tone m
Third tone

mother This is a high-pitched tone

same pitch
hemp This is a rising tone, from
medium pitched to high
horse This is a scooping tone,
from low pitch to medium.

to be
I, me
you
he, him
she, her
we, us
you (plural)
they, them

Hn ho
Gng x n !

sh
w
n
t
t
wmen
nmen
tmen

son 2: People and

Family
person, people
female
woman
male
man
teacher
student

rn
n
nrn
nn
nnrn
losh
xushng

older brother

gge

younger brother

dd

older sister
younger sister

jijie
mimei

son
daughter
father
mother

rzi
nr
fqn
mqn

T sh

to have

yu

She is

T sh

I have

W yu

We are

Wmen sh

You have

N yu

You (plural) are

They are

Nmen sh
Tmen sh

He has

T yu

She has

T yu

I, me
you
he, him
she, her
we, us
you (plural)
they, them

w
n
t
t
wmen
nmen
tmen

I am

W sh

You are

N sh

He is

She is a woman.

T sh nrn.

We have

Wmen yu

He is a man.

T sh nnrn.

You (plural) have

Nmen yu

They have

Tmen yu

The teacher is a woman.

Losh sh nrn.

The student is a man. Xushng sh nnrn.

I have an older brother.

W yu gge.

to have

yu

You have a younger brother.

question word

ma

He has an older sister.

Do you have?

N yu ma?

She has a younger sister. T yu mimei.

T yu jijie.

N yu dd.

you have

N yu

Do you have?

N yu ma?

You have a son.

N yu rzi.

Do you have a son?

N yu rzi ma?

She has a daughter.

T yu nr.

Does she have a daughter?

She is a woman.
T sh nrn.
He is a man.

Learn new words:

Mister (Mr.)/husband: xinsheng
Married woman / Mrs. / Madam / wife: titai

LESSON 3 : NUMBERS

lng

one

two

three

sn

four

five

six

li

seven

eight

nine

ji

ten

sh

T yu nr ma?

T sh nnrn.

The teacher is a woman. Losh sh nrn.

The student is a man.

Xushng sh nnrn.

I have an older brother.

W yu gge.

You have a younger brother.

He has an older sister.

zero

N yu dd.

T yu jijie.

She has a younger sister. T yu mimei.

Is the teacher a woman? Losh sh nrn ma?
Does she have a daughter?
ma?

T yu nr

Is the student a man?

Xushng sh nnrn ma?

Does he have a younger

T yu dd ma?

brother?

sh
sh
sh
sh

20
30
40
90

rsh
snsh
ssh
jish

One woman
Ten students
Twelve teachers
Twenty men

y g nrn
sh g xushng
sh r g losh
r sh g nnrn

two teachers

ling g losh

two women
21
22
23

y
r
sn
ji

eleven
twelve
thirteen
nineteen

78

qshb

89

bshji

99

jishji

One hundred

ybi

One thousand

yqin

Ten thousand

ywn

ling g nrn

One million

ybi wn

rshy
rshr

rshsn

One older brother

y g gge

Two older brothers

ling g gge

Three younger brothers

sn g dd

34

snshs

45

sshw

Four younger brothers s g dd

56

wshli

Five teachers

w g losh

67

lishq

Six teachers

li g losh

Seven teachers

q g losh

Eight students

b g xushng

Nine students

ji g xushng

television

dinsh

telephone

dinhu

computer

dinno

refrigerator

bngxing

I have one older brother

gge.
.

W yu y g

He has two older brothers.

g gge.
.

T yu ling

You have three younger N yu sn g dd.

brothers.

book

sh

She has four younger

brothers.

T yu s g dd.

car

qch

I have five teachers.

W yu w g losh.

bicycle

zxngch

He has six teachers.

T yu li g losh.

Who has tables?

Shi yu zhuzi?

She has a table.

T yu y zhng zhuzi. .

You have seven teachers.

losh.
.

N yu q g

She has eight students. T yu b g xushng. .

You have nine students.
xushng.
.

Who has a telephone?

?

N yu ji g
You (plural) have a
telephone.

Shi yu dinhu?

Nmen yu dinhu. .

LESSON 4 : AROUND THE HOME

table

zhuzi

chair

yzi

Who has a computer?

?

Shi yu dinno?

They have a computer.

dinno.
.

Tmen yu

Who has a book?

Shi yu bn sh?

He has a book.

T yu bn sh.

Who has a car?

Shi yu qch?

We have a car.

books, photo albums, magazines

bn

ling

bngxing.

She has one table.

T yu y zhng zhuzi.

We have two chairs. Wmen yu ling

zhng yzi.

Wmen yu qch.

cars, taxis, bicycles

refrigerators.

1. You have three cars.

N yu sn ling qch.

2.I have two cars.

W yu ling ling qch.
3.We have five cars.

machines

ti

Wmen yu w ling qch.

4.Mother has one computer (and) five books.

tables, desks, chairs

I have two books.
We have nine cars.

zhng

W yu ling bn sh.
.
Wmen yu ji ling ch. .

She has ten bicycles. T yu sh ling zxngch.

.
You (plural) have four
.
telephones.
dinhu.
You (singular) have
five televisions.

Nmen yu s ti

N yu w ti dinsh. .

I have six computers.

dinno.
.

W yu li ti

They have seven

Tmen yu q ti

Mqn yu y ti dinno, w bn sh.

5.The daughter has three computers (and) four books.
Nr yu sn ti dinno, s bn sh.
6.They have eight computers (and) nine books.
Tmen yu b ti dinno, ji bn sh.
LESSON 5: DESCRIPTIONS, ADJECTIVES, AND COLORS
doctor
yshng
nurse

hsh

police officer

jngch

camera

zhoxingj

paper

zh

pen
hat
coat
shoes
the doctor
the doctors
the doctors shoes
the nurse
the nurses
the nurses coat
the police officer

b
mozi
wito
xizi
yshng
yshng de
yshng de xizi
hsh
hsh de
hsh de wito
jngch

her, hers

t de

their, theirs

tmen de

our

wmen de

our camera

wmen de zhoxingj

your (plural)

nmen de

your (plural) paper

nmen de zh

her

t de

her hat

t de mozi

their

tmen de

their camera

tmen de zhoxingj

ours

wmen de

The camera is ours.

wmen de.

the police officers hat

jngch de mozi

your (plural)

my, mine

w de

our, ours

wmen de

your, yours

n de

your, yours (plural)

nmen de

his

t de

the police officers

jngch de

Zhoxingj sh

nmen de

The paper is yours. Zh sh nmen de.

hers

t de

The hat is hers.

Mozi sh t de.

theirs

tmen de

The camera is theirs.

tmen de.

Zhoxingj sh

new

xn

My hat is a blue hat. W de mozi sh ln mozi.

old (things)

ji

My hat is blue.

W de mozi sh ln de.

large, big

Your coat is a large

coat.

N de wito sh d wito.

small

xio
Your coat is large.

N de wito sh d de.

good, fine

ho

bad

hui

blue

ln

The nurses camera is a

zhoxingj sh
new camera.
xn zhoxingj.

Hsh de

The nurses camera isHsh de zhoxingj sh .

red

hng

yellow

hung

green

black

hi

white

bi

(a) new coat

xn wito

(an) old hat

ji mozi

(a) large hat

d mozi

(a) good camera

ho zhoxingj

(a) blue pen

ln b

yellow paper

hung zh

black shoes

hi xizi

new.

xn de.

1.My hat is new.

W de mozi sh xn de.
2.My black hat is new.
W de hi mozi sh xn de.
3.Your coat is old.
N de wito sh ji de.
4.Your green coat is old.
N de l wito sh ji de.
5.Her camera is good.
T de zhoxingj sh ho de.
6.Her large camera is good.
T de d zhoxingj sh ho de.
7.The paper is yours.
Zh sh nmen de.
8.The red paper is yours.

Hng zh sh nmen de.

9.The pens are ours.

The restaurant is next to

the market.
Where is the theater?
The theater is on the right.
The theater is next to the
post office.

B sh wmen de.
10.The black pens are ours.
Hi b sh wmen de.
11.The hats are theirs.
Mozi sh tmen de.
12.The yellow hats are theirs.
Hung mozi sh tmen de.
LESSON 6 : AROUND THE TOWN
to be (located) at
here
there
where
(At) Where? Where is?
post office
theater
restaurant
market
next to
left
on the left
right
on the right

Where is the post office?

The post office is here.
Where is the market?
The market is there.
Where is the restaurant?
The restaurant is on the
left.

zi
zhl
nli
nli
Zi nli?
yuj
xyun
cngun
shchng
pngbin
zu
zi zubin
yu
zi yubin
Yuj zi nli?
Yuj zi zhl.
Shchng zi nli?
Shchng zi nli.
Cngun zi nli?
Cngun zi zubin.

east
west
south
north
to go
hotel
hospital
restroom
police station
bookstore
school

Cngun zi shchng
pngbin.
Xyun zi nli?
Xyun zi yubin.
Xyun zi yuj
pngbin.
dng
x
nn
bi
q
lgun
yyun
csu
jngch j
shdin
xuxio

Where are you going?

N q nli?

I am going [to] the hotel.

W q lgun.

Where is the hotel?

Lgun zi nli?
The hotel is next to the Lgun zi yuj
post office.
pngbin.
Where is he going?
He is going [to] the
hospital.

T q nli?
T q yyun.

Where is the hospital?

Yyun zi nli?

The hospital is next to the

xuxio
school.

pngbin.

Yyun zi

Where are we going?

We are going [to] the
bookstore.
Where is the bookstore?
The bookstore is there.

Wmen q nli?
Wmen q shdin.

1.Where would you find a doctor?yyun

Shdin zi nli?
Shdin zi nli.

3.Where would find a student?xuxio

2.Where would find a postage stamp?yuj

4.Where would you find a butcher?shchng

1.Where is she going?

5.Where would you go to have dinner?cngun

T q nli?

6.Where would you find a bellhop?lgun

2.She is going to the police station.

7.Where would you find a cookbook?shdin

T q jngch j.
3.Where is the police station?
Jngch j zi nli?
4.The police station is on the east side of the school.
Jngch j zi xuxio dng bin.
5. The police station is on the west side of the theater.
Jngch j zi xyun x bin.
6.Where are they going?
Tmen q nli?
7.They are going to the restroom.
Tmen q csu.
8.Where is the restroom?
Csu zi nli?
9.The restroom is next to the market.
Csu zi shchng pngbin.
10.The market is here.
Shchng zi zhl.
11. The restroom is there.
Csu zi nli.

8.Where would find a police officer?jngch j

9.Where would find an actor?xiyun
10.Where would you find a toilet?csu